Posting for rec.music.gaffa

[Albert Young <young@CAF.MIT.EDU>]

GUITAR OR SYNTHESIZER ?

This is a question that has plagued me for the last few days...

On the Prefab Sprout album "Two Wheels Good" (that's the name of it in
this country at least) there is a sound which I can't seem to figure
out the origin of.  In the opening bars of the second song, "Bonny",
the wind picks up and there is a haunting solo.  It sounds like a
synthesizer, but my roommate says it is obviously a guitar.  He says
the dead giveaway occurs 2:19 into the song when there is a solo using
the same sound.  I have to agree with him that the articulation sounds
just like a guitar during the solo (there is even the sound of fingers
sliding along the strings...).  To me, the sound is really like a wood
flute and I find it surprising that a sound like that could actually
come out of a guitar no matter how many outboard effects you hang off
the end of it.  Does anyone know how this is done? (Guitar, synth,
guitar MIDI controller, or what?)

This album was produced by the synthesizer legend Thomas Dolby, and he
uses the same sound on his album, "The Flat Earth", so up until a few
days ago I just assumed that it was just some clever synthesizer
programming.  But now I'm not so sure... Does anyone know the real
answer?  If it really is obviously from a guitar, how exactly is the
sound processed?  Any comments are greatly appreciated...


Thanks,

-- Albert