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I need to make violin-like sound using a guitar for some project of mine. It's going to be a normal guitar passage, followed by the same (or almost the same) passage with a different timbre.
Using a real violin bow should be possible, but I don't have one, and I'd like this project to be in DIY spirit. So I keep this option for the case everything else fails.
I tried using a spare guitar string as an improvised bow; that didn't work. What else can I try?
An EBow.
The EBow is a hand-held electronic bow for guitar. This small battery-powered unit replaces the pick in the right hand letting the guitarist mimic strings, horns, and woodwinds with unbelievable sensitivity. The EBow produces a powerful infinite sustain, rich in harmonics for incredible guitar sounds. Unlike plug-in effects, the Energy Bow does its work on the string itself... Direct String Synthesis™. Infinite Sustain is just the beginning.
I've had one maybe 40 years. Mainly it sits in a drawer, but when it's needed, there's nothing like it.
Check out their sound clips - the violin is pretty close, but you can get way better spicatto than their sample. I used to use it for "George Martin cellos"
Comments made me think of this… Jimmy Page vs Nigel Tuffnel;)
I have so little recorded material using it, but this was my 'cello' sound… from the mid 80s, just on a home demo
It depends on what aspects of the violin you're trying to get. To me, the primary aspects I'd be looking for are sustain and limited attack.
I say limited attack, but kinda, whenever your bowing a violin, you have attack, but with the pick, the start is noticably louder. The Boss compressor I have is also a limiter, to bring down louder sounds as well as bring up quieter sounds. I also use a volume pedal to hide the attack. You can use the volume knob, but if you're picking, your hand is busy. Some of the aspects of pick attack that call attention to themselves can be minimized by pick material. My general pick preference is Dunlop Ultex, but their Tortex are softer and less clicky. Alternately, get really solid with your legato playing.
For sustain, you want some compression. You can get that with overdrive or turning up, but a compression pedal gives you some of that without the dirt. If you use a boost pedal (or add volume from the compressor), you can use a volume pedal to compensate for note decay; that's how pedal steel players do it. To cover up gaps between notes, I like a little delay, as well.
As mentioned, you kinda get both effects with the EBow, and because the patent expired, the are now competators. Some guitars have a sustainer unit. My EOB Strat does it, but the effect comes in a bit later than I'd like, and not particularly well on the B string. I recall the EBow coming in more directly when I've played with one, but I'm not sure.
Then there's range to consider. The lowest note on violin in standard tuning is the same as a guitar's open G string.
I'm seeing violins as low as $88 on eBay. It will take some time to learn one (guitarists don't have internal intonation, bowing is hard, and holding an instrument under your chin is weird), but unless you have an EBow, compressor, volume pedal, etc, already, it's cheaper and easier to just get the right tool.
I agree with comments, a real bow will be difficult to impossible unless you have some crazy left hand muting abilities. The violin family has very small radius fingerboards to accommodate bowing, something guitars don’t have.
The EBow is a good option but you have to have or buy one. Another option is to use a smooth distortion or overdrive sound, maybe roll off some treble to take the edge off. Combine that with a volume pedal or pinky volume control to take away the sharp attack of the pick on the strings. As long as it’s not a complex and busy part you are playing you should be fine.
You can try a feedback pedal like the one boss sells or the freqout pedal from digitech. Youu can set them to feedback almost immediately.
Then when you got your sound you can sculpt it with a volume pedal and a whammy bar or a vibrato arm.
