protecting pickups

[insch]

I have just bought an Epiphone Les Paul Special specifically to develop my guitar bowing techniques. I don't want to use one of my more valuable guitars for this experiment.

 

I am using a cello bow and varying amounts of rosin. When I use quite a bit of rosin it creates dust around the pickups. So I am looking at some way of protecting the bridge pickup in particular. I have read that Sigur Ros' Jonsi uses cotton wool to protect from bowing but on videos it looks more like some kind of gauze or fabric. Someone else mentioned cling film - not sure about that.

 

Anyone got any advice? This is not an expensive guitar but I don't want to completely mess up the pickups too quickly

[Pete B]

Cling film will work fine, it's non magnetic

[Sleeko]

How are you bowing the inner strings?

[insch]

Cling film will work fine, it's non magnetic

 

Thanks. I'll give it a try.

[insch]

How are you bowing the inner strings?

 

If I am barring a chord I have managed to bow across all 6 strings. I can't access the inner strings on their own with the bow though.

[merciful-evans]

I tried bowing a guitar 40 years ago. It didnt seem to work that well.

 

I also recall seeing a bass player using a heavy metal file as a bow at about the same time. That sounded far better than any bow I'd heard used on a guitar. How long the bassists strings lasted I have no idea.

 

Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

[insch]

I tried bowing a guitar 40 years ago. It didnt seem to work that well.

 

I also recall seeing a bass player using a heavy metal file as a bow at about the same time. That sounded far better than any bow I'd heard used on a guitar. How long the bassists strings lasted I have no idea.

 

Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

 

Thanks