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Re: Daevid Allen/glissando guitar



Could not agree more.  I've got one of those too, as well as a jimbow 
"dulcimer bow" that they sell at elderly instruments.  It's a small 
hand held bow that is arched so you can play the individual strings of 
a dulcimer, but I use it on everything, guitar, bass, dulcimer.  I may 
have to try your low B on a lap guitar.  Are you using a Wessinborn 
style guitar for that or a resonator guitar, or something else 
entirely?

My ultimate dream is to some day have a luthier build me a modern 
arppegione which is a bowed guitar that is held like a cello.  Schubert 
wrote a sonata for it that is today played on the cello.  The nice 
thing about an arppegione for guitarists is the tuning is the same as a 
guitar so one already knows his way around the neck, and it has frets, 
so a guitarist that is used to having some kind of fret reference is 
not all of a sudden thrust into a realm that is totally unfamiliar.  I 
understand that there is still some work to be done on bowing 
technique, but I think most guitarists could handle this with a little 
practice.

I think if a company came out with an "electric" version of such an 
instrument that was not too expensive it could be wildly popular.  
Think of how many guitarists own several guitars, and how most 
guitarists are to some degree or another in search of that illusive 
sustain and "bowed string" sound.  If such an instrument would not 
break the bank I think plenty of guitarists would pick up one of these 
instruments instead of that second strat or a new les paul.  So far my 
research into such an instrument has only turned up options that cost 
several thousand dollars, which is not an option for me (and for many 
guitarists).  I think a mass produced, sub-$1000.00 instrument like 
this would sell like hot cakes, and someday I may try to make this a 
reality if I can get the resources together and meet the "right" people 
as I sense a 'collective yearning' for such an instrument from many 
guitarists.  ;0)

On Jul 14, 2004, at 12:35 PM, bruce tovsky wrote:

> well, sometimes you just need to use a real bow. i've had great results
> bowing my acoustic lap guitar, particularly tuned down to a B - love 
> those
> low tones.... and for extended bowing techniques nothing beats a real 
> bow
> for those frictiony sounds... great palette of textures.