“It’s a real bow with synthetic hair on two sides and it’s capable of doing some amazing things”: Turn your acoustic guitar into a violin or cello? The Pickaso Guitar Bow might be this year’s must-have accessory for Jimmy Page superfans

The violin bow has long been a fascination for guitar players. It was Eddie Philips of the Creation who started it all, before Jimmy Page made it a cultural totem. Now there is a bow that you can buy that is a lot more user friendly, specially designed for acoustic guitars – and it sounds pretty incredible.

It’s called the Pickaso Guitar Bow, and it is a 6.3” mini-bow with synthetic hairs on either side, and it even has an integrated guitar pick so that you can alternate your techniques. It can make your acoustic sound like a cello or a violin.

Oftentimes a new accessory comes along and it looks neat but feels like a gimmick (from a distance, the Pickaso looks like a nail file). But just watch the demo video; this is very cool, and while it has been designed for acoustics, some enterprising players are even using it on electric guitars, too – one, a bowed guitar specialist by the name of Octavio Ocampo, went as far as to route a hole in his guitar’s body where a bridge pickup might have been.

The Pickaso Guitar Bow is the brainchild of Jonathan Shenhav, who unsurprisingly got the idea after watching Page use one onstage with Led Zeppelin.

“I saw Jimmy Page using a violin bow on his guitar – and it clicked,” writes Shenhav. “What if I could do this on an acoustic guitar? In that moment, it felt like my path had revealed itself. I grabbed an old violin bow and tried it. It sounded beautiful, but something wasn’t right – I kept hitting the guitar, and it felt limited. That’s when I thought: I’m going to invent a bow made specifically for acoustic guitars.”

Applied to the lower two strings, the Pickaso can make your acoustic sound like a cello. On the top two strings it sounds like a violin. Hearing the mini-bow in action is a little like seeing a talking dog in a live action movie. It might make you question reality itself.

Pickaso Guitar Bow - Full demonstration video - YouTube

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Now, there are some realities you do have to take into account when using the Pickaso. Firstly, it only works on non-coated acoustic guitar strings. Sorry, Elixir fans. Also, it won't work on nylon string guitars. That new set of Earthwood Bell Bronze that Ernie Ball designed with John Mayer would work a treat, though.

Secondly, you’ll need to apply some rosin to create the musical friction between bow and string; handily, this comes bundled with the bow, and is specially formulated for guitars. Pickaso says it leaves 85 per cent less residue on your strings and offers better string grip than regular rosin.

The Pickaso Guitar Bow is available now for a sale price of $47 (regular price $79), and you can pick one up direct from Pickaso Bow or from Guitar Center.

This, says, Shenhav is the only guitar mini-bow for acoustic guitars. But it’s not your only option. If you’re not getting much joy out of a regular violin bow you could always use a an actual violin. It worked for Nigel Tufnell – even if the Spinal Tap guitarist had to tweak its tuning mid-solo. And Jimmy Page? He tried a hacksaw once. That didn't go well.