# Bowed Guitar Technique Tips

> How to make electric guitar sound ethereal with violin bow.
- Title: Bowed Guitar Technique Tips · Guitar World | Shortify
- Summary: How to make electric guitar sound ethereal with violin bow. Guitarist Janelle Borg shares tips for using violin bow on electric guitars to avoid screeching…
- Keywords: janelle borg, guitar, violin bow, ethereal sound, screeching cat, led zeppelin, eddie phillips, sigur ros, gibson les paul, reverb, whammy pedal, Bowed
- Source: Guitar World — https://guitarworld.com/lessons/tips-advice/playing-electric-guitar-with-violin-bow
- Published: 2026-10-08T16:10:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: janelle borg, guitar, violin bow, ethereal sound, screeching cat, led zeppelin, eddie phillips, sigur ros, gibson les paul, reverb, whammy pedal
## Bowed Guitar History
Jimmy Page used violin bow on Led Zeppelin's Dazed and Confused at Madison Square Garden 1973.

> Jimmy Page is undoubtedly the most famous of them all
## Inspired by Eddie Phillips
Eddie Phillips of The Creation inspired Page and other guitarists with violin bow technique.

> Eddie Phillips is widely cited as the player who inspired Page
## My First Experiment
I used my first violin bow on my first electric guitar as a teenager.

> The violin was my first instrument before I took a walk on the wild side
## Rosin for Guitar
Guitarists need more rosin than violin to avoid string damage.

> Rosin leaves a lot of dust behind that can gradually ruin your electric guitar strings
## Bow Size Matters
Shorter bows easier for beginners, full size for sustained chords.

> A 4/4 bow gives you more space for sustained chords
## Angle Over Pressure
Tilting bow slightly up or down avoids screeching cat effect.

> Nailing the bow's angle matters more than pressure
## Chords Work Better
Chords sound better than individual strings with bowed guitar.

> Chords tend to sound better, so don't shy away from experimenting with capos
## Guitar Type Matters
Humbuckers produce clearest sound, single coils create airy tone.

> Humbuckers tend to produce the clearest sound
## Reverb and Effects
Reverb and distortion enhance bowed guitar's ethereal quality.

> Considering its inherent airy quality, a bowed guitar sounds best when it's drenched in reverb and delay
## Key takeaway

Guitarist Janelle Borg shares tips for using violin bow on electric guitars to avoid screeching and achieve ethereal sounds.