Virtual Strings of Destiny

There’s no substitute for guitars when your song calls for that down-in-the-dirt, tricked-out, rocked-out, bad-to-the-bone, twang thang. No amount of wobble bass or epic synth can do it.

Similarly, you don’t get the same intimate, down-home vibe from a lone piano that you get from a steel-string acoustic. And try as you might, a cello or an airy synth pad will never be a nylon-string classical guitar.

Those of us who have the magical gift for sucking at guitar know this as well as anyone. But if you can’t play, you can’t play. Back in the day, that usually meant you had to become a singer, get together with two normal people plus a drummer, and spend countless hours in the garage or basement coalescing into the band of your dreams.

Today, there are other options—which is great if you’re working remotely, anti-social or simply don’t know any guitar players. So, let’s talk about putting smokin’ guitars in your tune if you don’t play (and you don’t know anyone who does).