Into the Woods; musical saw or steel guitar?

[Bluefluff]

Hi folks, I am wondering what is that funny wailing noise in "Into the Woods". Is it a musical saw or a very high pitched steel guitar? I thought it could be a saw but then I heard at Guy Garvey's radio show a archive snippet of someone playing a musical saw and then I wasn't so sure anymore. I also remember that weird steel guitar solo by Dave Gilmour in "Shine on your crazy diamond pt.2" and found it similar sounding. So anyone give me a hint which it is?

Anyway, I love that song, it makes me grin when I am sad especially when that huge male choir starts... ;D

[notdarkyet]

they play a lotta musical saw in In The Aeroplane Over The Sea that kinda sounds like that...

-justin

[thatswhatshesaid]

my guess has always been that its either a guitar played with an ebow or just bo on the keys.

[evilPaauwe]

My grandmothers brother plays the musical saw. His wife plays the organ and they do duets all the time. I wish someday to play duets on the musical saw while my wife plays organ.

[tomEisenbraun]

Not entirely sure, but it sounds almost indisputably close to a theremin. Live, Carl plays the part on his pedal steel, but it doesn't sound quite like the album. Either way, the Theremin is intriguing as hell and you should read about it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theremin

[Bluefluff]

Hmm...I am not sure if a theremin can be played so melodic, I just remember it from Led Zeppelin sounding more like a ghost than a melody.
Maybe they did in studio more reverb or similar on Carl's pedal steel to make it sound so crazy...

Mercury Rev use a musical saw in "Holes"