Bowed Guitars

A few days ago I decided to pull out my bow. I've got a good bit of free time, so why not?

And I'm not taking about shooting stuff. A bow like a cello bow - because that's actually what it is. But I use it on a guitar. It's nothing that hasn't been done before, but it is exciting and a lot of fun.

Playing around with it got me thinking about ways that I've seen guitars bowed before.

Jimmy Page

The Jimmy Page method is the most common. It's just a bow and a guitar - nothing fancy.

Guitar Republic

Sergio Altamura from Guitar Republic takes it a step further. Not only is he holding his guitar like a cello, but he's got a nifty little wooden block under some of the strings so that they are arced and more easily accessible.

The third way was Neal Campau of World History. I can't find any pictures of him, but the guy took the accessible thing to the next level. Rather than add a little block like Altamura, Campau just got sick of not being able to bow around the body of his guitar one day so he cut a hole in it. When he told me this story, rather than be offended or enraged like most people would be, I commended him. Maybe not the best idea, but it's something new and ...well, they're kind of hipsters.

But people know this. You've heard of Page before and I've written about Guitar Republic and World History in previous posts. So what's the big deal?

This is the big deal: togamanguitars. This guy makes hybrid guitars, intended for bowing. A brilliant idea that's a little upsetting to have not thought of.

For 4-8 grand, I could have my own. No one tell Kelly, but I intend on it ...eventually. After hearing some sound clips and whatnot, it's hard to deny. Guitars are so great because they're so versatile. This has the versatility of a guitar, but with the sound of a cello. Check the video:

So really the video was the only thing that I wanted to show everyone, but I figured I'd add some commentary. I'll have some more posts as the bow experimentation progresses.