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About the Author
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Doctor Bow (aka Jonathan Wilson) is an experimental guitar noodler who
also doubles as a professional guitar technician, designer, luthier,
teacher, composer, and assistant manager of Cassells Music in San Fernando
Calif. His designs include the "Guillermo Roberto" bajo quinto line and,
most notably, the "TogaMan" GuitarViol (bow-able guitar).
You can hear his bowed guitar antics here.
Jonathan endorses Earvana compensated nuts and installs them on his TogaMan GuitarViols as a standard feature.
Whenever Mr. Wilson is not helping his nine year old son with math homework, taking Mrs. Wilson out on a date, or playing with his beagle, he can (sometimes) be persuaded to perform his ethereal GuitarViol music at house concerts, wine tasting events, church events, Chamber of Commerce events, business mixers, and Sade album sessions (well, not yet, anyway). Rumor has it that he may record a CD/DVD in his spare time.
If, by chance, he can find your email amongst unwanted "Viagroso" spam, send e-mail to Jonathan Wilson.
© Jonathan Wilson
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This Mutant Guitar series would be void and incomplete without mention of
Emmett Chapman and his creation: the "Stick". Few would argue that the
Chapman Stick is the definitive Mutant Guitar of the last century and,
indeed, our time. The Stick exemplifies the Mutant Guitar credo of
"functionally unusual" instruments derived from the guitar's family tree.
To say that Emmett Chapman went off the "beaten path" is an understatement.
He paved a new road that is now traveled by a loyal cult following. Noted
stick players include King Crimson's Tony Levin and the group Third Door
Down.
While players such as Eddie Van Halen, Stanley Jordan and Michael Hedges are
noted for their signature fingerboard tapping techniques on conventional
guitars, the stick is optimized for those very techniques and more.
Additionally, it was developed in prototype form as far back as the 1960's.
The Stick embodies the range of both the guitar and the bass guitar. It is
effectively a fretted piano. The wide polyphonic possibilities of the Stick
make it a true "thinking musician's" instrument. When it comes to niche
instrument's that stand the test of time and provide a viable small business
for its entrepreneur, Mr. Chapman has succeeded where many others have
failed. To Mr. Chapman, I tip my hat.
For more info on Sticks, visit www.stick.com.
Repair shop folly of the month:
"Where should I install the plug jack on my Bajo Sexto? The cutaway seems
like the right place!!"
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