Re: Pirhanha Guitar Bow Review

[Mark Sottilaro <sine@zerocrossing.net>]

Thanks for this review Rick, sounds great!  I can't wait to hear what  
it sounds like on an electric.

Mark

On Jul 13, 2007, at 5:31 AM, RICK WALKER wrote:

> Well,  the Pirhanha bow invention designed specifically for guitars  
> that was mentioned in the
> "Re: bows for guitars"   thread came in the mail    today and I was  
> able to put it through it's
> paces on a 12 string acoustic steel string guitar.
>
> Because of it's size I could not get long bowing techniques (like  
> dragging a cello bow across
> the E string of an electric guitar) but I was able to get some  
> really beautiful
> rhythmic things out of it.   Additionally,  it did beautiful things  
> to the harmonics of the guitar
> depending on where I bowed it, physically.
>
> I was also delighted by some of the very ethereal sounds I was able  
> to make by bowing very, very lightly.
> I got some very magical sounds out of some very simple chordal  
> patterns.........really ethereal sounds
> that I"ve never gotten out of this particular guitar ( a 12 string  
> Hummingbird copy that sounds rather nice).
>
> I have yet to try it on electric.   It didn't seem to have enough  
> muster to use on bass.  I tried it on
> my Turner acoustic electric fretless without much good result and  
> my Fender P-J custom bass, again,
> without much good effect.
>
> Tomorrow when I have some time,  I"ll put it through it's paces on  
> mandolin, bowed psaltery, autoharp,
> oud, saz and even hammer dulcimer.   I imagine it will sound great.
>
> I also noticed that it seems really durable, unlike most horse hair  
> bows which get trashed over time
> when bowing a guitar.
>
> All in all,  it sounds completely different than I anticipated but  
> I was so pleased with what I discovered it can
> do that I"m very, very happy to have spent $30 USD on it.
>
> Warning,  it really takes some coordination to get something  
> musical out of it, but after half an hour I was
> able to do all kinds of things,  espeicially in the rhythmic  
> world..........and it really sounded 'bowed'.
>
> Now, if they would just make a larger one for bass guitar.