Ever since Jimmy Page grabbed a bow for “Dazed and Confused,” players have tried to bridge the gap between guitars and their fretless counterparts. To that end, Pickaso introduced the Guitar Bow, a workable mini-bow for acoustic guitar. 

In hand, the Pickaso is a surprisingly sturdy accessory. Made from plastic and chrome-coated aluminum, the device uses synthetic hair made by Herco, a Dunlop subsidiary. One cool twist is that the hand-grip section also has a built-in pick, handy if you want to strum and bow in the same song. 

The gizmo works easily on non-coated steel strings. First, rosin up the bow with the provided mini rosin block. Then insert Pickaso between the strings, its tail disappearing into the soundhole, and begin bowing. It takes a minute to get used to the concept, but suddenly you’ll hear reedy, violin-like tones of the bow against your strings. You can play single notes or angle the Pickaso to hit two strings at once, achieving instant harmony. The company’s website provides several performance videos for ideas on how to deploy the Pickaso.

The Pickaso is a clever accessory and, in the right hands, it will spur fresh creativity. It might not turn you into Jimmy Page, but acoustic players will immediately realize the possibilities of this expressive new device.

This article originally appeared in VG April 2021 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.