Bowed Guitar impromptu ll TogaMan Acoustic GuitarViol (Bistro Blog 11-19-2008))

[KhamnNacuri]

...question. What type of bow are you using? If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you're using a viola or violin bow.

[GuitarViols]

@KhamnNacuri It's a GuitarViol bow which is specially made 20" with a hair width between a Cello and Viola.

[Rawk10]

you have to develope your tones.

[cwhanna]

WOW just wow.. People go around all the time talking about genius and saying so-and-so is a genius.. but what Johnathan Wilson has accomplished really is a work of genius. What an incredible/beautiful synthesis of violin and guitar. Now I just need to get about 4 or 5 grand together and get one... wow

[GuitarViols]

Thanks for the kind words. Hope I can be of service someday!

[GuitarViols]

The guitars Strad built won't break anymore than his violins. Guitars were more developed since ... violins have not much since Strad. It is silly that Strad's guitars are not played or replicated for research. Intonation on any violin is only as good as it's player. Did you mean "tone" or Timbre?" My instruments are merely an alternative medium of musical expression and not imitation of Violin/Cello. They are meant for sonic artists / film composers and not historians duplicating tradition.

[DerangedRanger1]

Interesting instrument with a great warm sound. Smart idea with the choice of pickups. This looks like an instrument that offers the guitarist/violin-family instrument player a lot of expressive potential. I'll bet scordatura would really increase that potential.

Is the "guitar viol" an ancient instrument itself, or is this a new invention that you have come up with that combines the viol with the guitar? Is there any repertoire specifically associated with it from the past? Thanks.

[GuitarViols]

The GuitarViol is my creation (similar to Arpeggione by Stauffer in 1823). It is merely an alternative medium of extemporary sonic expression. Repertoire has not been written for it and should be written with it in hand as the instrument has it's own inherent suggestions. Many movie scores have been written and rendered with it . We'll see what the future holds....

[GuitarViols]

Ranger, Thanks for asking (and your kind words). I came up with this (original or not..). For some unknown reason, I could not get this out of my mind and it became my life. Just an artistic - musical expression thing, really. Alternate tunings and anything that can be imagined are do-able & encouraged . Really, just another artist brush and set of colors. I believe it appeals to creators rather than re-creators. I'm just tickled that it has been useful for many major film scores.

Cheers!

[vexme2]

Why not save time and learn the cello...then amp. it. Surely the advantage of bowed guitar is to capture all those 'stray' harmonics: to create an atmosphere.

[GuitarViols]

Thanks. I like to think of my instrument as an "alternative medium of artistic musical expression". It is not a cello, viola, or guitar. It has a much longer history, actually. The draw is mostly to those who are Film Composers and like minded sonic artists and not "tradition bound" types. It is not for everybody. It's my passion, life's work, and all I do. If I took up cello, I would never have had nearly as much joy and rapport with great artists who are my clients. Save time? No way!! ;-)

[DerangedRanger1]

Why not just buy an electric cello if you are going to do that?

[timmy47]

thats kind of like saying to someone who plays rock violin to just get a guitar instead. i think this instrument is great. i think you shouldnt think in terms of guitar and cellos but rather that this is a totally different instrument.

[DerangedRanger1]

Well, I suppose you would have to read the whole sequence to figure out what I was getting at.

I do think of this as a different instrument. The question was for vexme who asked "why not save time and learn the cello...then amp it."

I would say that what I said was exactly what you did in another way.

[GuitarViols]

Thanks for your thoughts. Really, my story can be summed up as this: I was a kid (30 years back) who dreamed of different sounds on the guitar. I was aware of Lol Creme's Gizmotron and the E-Bow. Not what I was after. I Learned of Arpeggione and Viola Da Gamba. Created my "dream instrument" and others wanted one like it! Then, major movie composers liked my instrument. So, why would I have merely taken up cello? My life is rewarding because I did not. Sometimes, the hard way is more rewarding.

[ChapmanLewis]

Great sound... thanks for posting- could do with a higher quality recording!

[GuitarViols]

Thanks. I know, these v-blogs are raw and on the fly as it gets. Hope to have a well recorded album itnf.

[DiegoFuentesX]

Excuse me, the standard tuning of a Bowed Guitar is the same as the normal Acoustic Guitar?

[GuitarViols]

Yes. In this case, it is tuned down the same only in B or C.

[guitarclasica]

Hi Jonathan, felicitaciones, realmente que gran instrumento has creado....... the best...

Cual es su precio??

Saludos desde Venezuela.....

[WudUp28]

WOW!!!!!! That is WICKED awesome!!!

[Spiccatoarco]

Are those geared pegs?

[GuitarViols]

Yes, 4:1 ratio. Love them.

[bangulo2012]

Have you ever thought of making a cd with some of this stuff?

[GuitarViols]

Hi, thanks for asking. I do have a more electric oriented GuitarViol duo CD called "2 GuitarViols" available on itunes or Cd Baby.

I do plan on doing one in this acoustic direction itnf (probably itunes only).