guitar that sounds like a violin

how do you get the sound of a violin through your guitar? do you need effects or just plain technique. I heard eric johnson's can do it..

Eric Johnson's tone is often referred to as the 'violin tone', because it's very smooth sounding, like a violin. It doesn't really sound like a violin, and since EJ is extremely picky about his gear and only uses the best stuff, you won't be able to nail his tone without very expensive gear and great chops.

Originally Posted by: MoonliteShredhow do you get the sound of a violin through your guitar? do you need effects or just plain technique. I heard eric johnson's can do it..

Most people here have forgotten more than I'll probably ever learn, but I was playing around with Cakewalk last week and discovered that if you seriously reduce (almost eliminate) the attack it sounds like a bow across the strings.

Hopefully someone will fill us in on how to reduce attack without using PC software! :cool:

[font=trebuchet ms]If your axe has good sustain, you can approximate the sound by finger-picking and using a compressor. You will need to be very careful about muting unwanted strings. Bass players have a major step up in this regard.[/font]

or you could try a technique called violinig or something of that nature.only works properly if you have either a volume control positioned like that on a strat or you have a volume pedal. anyway what you do is pick the note with the volume turned down, then once you have picked it you turn the volume up and it sounds like a violin. if ya got the sound control on ya guitar set so you can do this just wrap ya pinky around it and try, tis kinda hard that way but i have seen it done to very good effect.

Originally Posted by: Lordathestrings[font=trebuchet ms]If your axe has good sustain, you can approximate the sound by finger-picking and using a compressor. You will need to be very careful about muting unwanted strings. Bass players have a major step up in this regard.[/font]

Tip, yet to try it myself but it should work.
Buy a capo where the strings would be in contact with a rubber sleeve, and the sleeve is not square. Buy a spare sleeve for it. Cut this in 6 ,4 7 or 12 equal sections, depending on how many strings you have on your axe.
Replace the existing sleeve with this sectioned sleeve. Rotate the sleeve parts on the strings you want open, the others are muted.
I want to try this on slide guitar, or just for wierdness, ( I swear he's playing F barre, but it sounds like....)
:cool:

Easiest way to achieve this sound is by doing volume swells, either by the volume control on your guitar ir with a volume pedal.

I got that "violin tone" once with my guitar. I forgot how I did it, but it was awesome!

Here's some dirty tricks for copping a voilin sound:
- If your guitar is equipped with a tone control, try rolling it off on the Br pup. The lack of high end can cut down on pick noise and smooth out your attack.
-while you're doing this, use a more legato left hand stuff. Pick only where you have to (switching strings ect) and rely on left hand hammers. A voilin is bowed and smooth, try to imitate that.
-a violin is tuned to Fifths as opposed to fourths like a guitar. The intervals that voilins (mandolins,cello's,ect) easily reach can be a little wierd on a guitar. Try some wider interval licks.
-Where the voilin is fretless, vibrato is done with a "side to side" motion. Mabey cutting back on the Zakk styled wide vibrato ( not altogether though, it's still cool!!) can help. We tend to do bends...cause we can!!, but mabey make your vibrato more focused .
Eric Johnson is the master of these sounds. He's modified his Strats so that the second tone control ,effects the Br pup as opposed to the Mid pup that Fender wires it stock Strats. This allows you to get the warm tone on the Br position. Actually, my own Strat has just been modded in this way. Should be back in my hands tomorrow, can't wait to try it. EJ tends to use a Fuzz Face/Marshall when doing this, and he rolls off the tone on the Br pup for these thick tones. He still has his Mid pup (now w/o a tone pot) available to quickly switch from thick voilin tone to clear mid pup sound ,w/o having to screw with his tone pot settings.
Hope some of these ideas are usefull.

interesting, its hard to modify a guitar here in my place due to lack of people who know how to modify them but ones i can find that person i will modify it but for now I think i will use the volume pedal.. ok guys thanks and I better go practise... :p

Originally Posted by: MoonliteShredhow do you get the sound of a violin through your guitar? do you need effects or just plain technique. I heard eric johnson's can do it..

Hi, Moonlite

The violin-like sound can be attained in a couple of different ways:
1)with a slight delay and your choice of OD/dist, turn the volume knob on the guitar all the way down, then play a note on the fretboard, and slowly fade in/turn up the volume on the knob. Do that while changing from note to note, and you'll get a nice smooth violin-like sound. It works best with strat-body guitars due to the placement of the vol. knob. But you can do it w/ most other ones, with a little practice (CHEAT: you can buy a volume pedal instead, and use your foot to control the volume).

2) Use an eBow, to vibrate the strings. An eBow is a little effects gear you can pick up from most guitar shops. It is battery operated and produces an electro-magnetic field around the string you place it over, causing it to vibrate just as if you were using a violin bow (hence, e-BOW). These cost around $80, but are great tools to add to your arsenal of gear. They have 2 settings, regular and harmonics. In harmonics, the eBow emits an octave higher pitch, as if you were doing natural harmonics on the strings, and the sustain is, well...virtually infinite as longs as you hold the eBow on the string (and battery doesnt run out :) )

Hope this helps you achieve the best tone ever.

Cheers,
Thiago.

Originally Posted by: tafs2) Use an eBow, to vibrate the strings. An eBow is a little effects gear you can pick up from most guitar shops. It is battery operated and produces an electro-magnetic field around the string you place it over, causing it to vibrate just as if you were using a violin bow (hence, e-BOW). These cost around $80, but are great tools to add to your arsenal of gear. They have 2 settings, regular and harmonics. In harmonics, the eBow emits an octave higher pitch, as if you were doing natural harmonics on the strings, and the sustain is, well...virtually infinite as longs as you hold the eBow on the string (and battery doesnt run out )

Exactly what I was going to post.

I'm sure there are some guitar synth options too.

nice alternative, ebow.. i will try to check it out on stores thanks

Originally Posted by: MoonliteShredhow do you get the sound of a violin through your guitar? do you need effects or just plain technique. I heard eric johnson's can do it..

I would say (from my absolutely professional perspective) that buying a violin would be the most expedient way of acquiring the sound of a violin.

:D :D :D

violin is very expensive...

I ask how to play the guitar that would sound like a violin because I will use that technique in my upcoming guitar duel... so i could show off some impressive runs. hehehe ;)

Originally Posted by: MoonliteShredviolin is very expensive...

I ask how to play the guitar that would sound like a violin because I will use that technique in my upcoming guitar duel... so i could show off some impressive runs. hehehe ;)

It would probably "look" most impressive if you turn the volume knob while playing. Got a Strat? A delay pedal would also add some nice harmonizing to it as well.

im planing to buy one. how about i use an ibanez grx 40?

Originally Posted by: Cryptic ExcretionsIt would probably "look" most impressive if you turn the volume knob while playing.

While it does look impressive, it takes a bit of work to pull it off well. A volume pedal for that is more feasible if you are limited on time. I don't know how the volume will help with a violin sound tho.

Originally Posted by: daemond... I don't know how the volume will help with a violin sound tho.

[font=trebuchet ms]It's used to reduce the pick attack so that notes sound like they're bowed.[/font]

Originally Posted by: daemond
I'm sure there are some guitar synth options too.

Yup...if ya really want a violin sound, go with a guitar synth.
Hell, you can get an entire orchestra if you want... I did this tune on my guitar synth & just patched it through about 20 different orchestra samples.

http://s93744050.onlinehome.us/mp3/Eventide.mp3