bass + cello bow

[Nathan_Adams]

I know plenty of people use cello bows on their guitars, but can one get away with it on bass?

i've got the chance to pick up a bow, as a friend is selling her cello. and despite being on bass, i'm the effects junkie in the band, so if anyone is going to be using a bow, it's going to be me. I can't see any reason why it shouldn't work, but thought I'd throw the idea into the ring to see if anyone else has tried it.

[i_finlayson37]

I've done it with a violin bow. It sounds quite good on the high strings and not too bad on the low strings.

The only real problem I have is physically doing it, the body often gets in the way of my strokes. This means I have to do it quite close to the 12th Fret and up there the E string is a little too flexible.

[robotskank]

i always wanted to try that with a violin bass with flatwounds, i think that would be pretty cool.

[Immodium]

Originally posted by i_finlayson37
I've done it with a violin bow. It sounds quite good on the high strings and not too bad on the low strings.

The only real problem I have is physically doing it, the body often gets in the way of my strokes. This means I have to do it quite close to the 12th Fret and up there the E string is a little too flexible.

oh, now i have to try it on bass :D. I can imagine it's quite nice.
This was one of the problems i encountered when playing it on guitar. Also problem to play the middle strings. I guess it's the same on bass or?.

you can listen to my haunting guitar + bow sounds. in sig.

[nyrkickazz1]

Here's a pic of Roger Waters doing it: http://www.rickresource.com/discus/messages/5/37906.jpg

[Nathan_Adams]

i put the idea of this off, until we introduced a new song in our band which pretty much begs for the bow. (it's very light and spacey, so plucking the bass as normal is too much).
managed to scrounge up a violin bow for tonights practice - it didn't work. no sound at all.

i've got no idea if the bow had rosin on it or not. is it safe to assume not, if i was getting no sound at all, and that I should purchase some tomorrow?
or is this more to it?

[boovya]

it can be done and it sounds pretty good. deep moans...
my old bassist used a cello bow on his bass until the hairs fell off the bow.


anyway the roger waters pic didnt show up for me.

[landers]

I saw the bass player for damien rice do it on austin city limits a few weeks ago. It was pretty cool

[boovya]

Originally posted by landers
I saw the bass player for damien rice do it on austin city limits a few weeks ago. It was pretty cool


AAAHHAHAHAHAHA DUDE YOU HAVE THE GREATEST AVATAR EVER!

Jeff goldblum is watching you poop? what the f uck? where did you get that?

[doingtheunstuck]

Originally posted by Nathan_Adams
i put the idea of this off, until we introduced a new song in our band which pretty much begs for the bow. (it's very light and spacey, so plucking the bass as normal is too much).
managed to scrounge up a violin bow for tonights practice - it didn't work. no sound at all.

i've got no idea if the bow had rosin on it or not. is it safe to assume not, if i was getting no sound at all, and that I should purchase some tomorrow?
or is this more to it?

big roundwound strings = problem. you're going to need a lot of rosin on the bow... seriously, pick up some pop's bass rosin, scratch the **** out of it and rub it up and down the bow, occasionally experimenting to see if you can get sound on the bass... if it isn't making a sound, chances are, you need more rosin on the bow.