What's an Ebow?

Subject: What's an Ebow?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 07:07 PM

Heard this evening of a device you can fit over strings to make special effects called an 'Ebow'

Anyone know about these things?

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: MudGuard
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 07:11 PM

sounds like an l-amputated elbow ;-)

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: Peace
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 07:12 PM

This google will take you to a pic of one. I have NO idea what it does.

Academy of Sound - Music Equipment Online - PA, Guitars, Keyboards ...

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 07:14 PM

See The Amazing EBow.

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: Peace
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 07:15 PM

Or google this, too.

The EBow FAQ

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: open mike
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 07:20 PM

the e-bow is basically a magnet i think..
which causes a string to vibrate without being plucked..
it can creat eerie sounds
sort oflike a musical saw!
very long sustained notes...
because it continues to
"stimulate' the string
longer than a pick or
plucking would...
drawback is that it has to beheld
over the string in order for it to work
and it cna only do one string at at time..
it takes a battery 9 volt i think..
it has a little light which points to the string so
you know when it is centered on it.

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: s&r
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 07:21 PM

Electric bow - vibrates string magnetically and souds like a cello

Stu

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 07:39 PM

Fascinating!

Thanks all!

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: Mooh
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 09:43 PM

Been using one for years and love it. It IS difficult to master moving it across the strings smoothly and balancing it over the first string, but once you're on to it, it's great. I generally use it mostly on the second and third strings. Never could get it to work effectively on the mandolin, but it works great on the guitar-bouzouki, and other guitars.

If I'm not mistaken, acoustic guitarist Chris Proctor used one when I saw him a couple of years ago.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 10:00 PM

i got one..
they can be immense fun to use..
to effectively produce a sound
emulating violin bowing / theramin / arroused tom cat mating call /etc
..

works best on electric guitars..
but can be coaxed to work
on just about any instrument with steel strings
..

as with violins,
without sufficient practice and good enough technique
the results can often be excruciating to listen to..

requires finding the sweet spot on a string
that produces the most 'infinite' sustain
and skill to control it musicaly..

its potential as a tool is virtually unlimited,
used with any combination of FX units..

can only use on one string at a time..
but Fernandes make electric guitars with their own brand
'sustainer pickup' which enables similar use of all 6 strings
for sustained chordal playing..

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 03:28 PM

Can the EBow help me meet girls?

While we cannot guarantee this, of course, we have scattered reports to that effect.

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: C-flat
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 05:39 PM

I seem to remember two members of "10cc" inventing a gadget which they imaginatively called "The Gizmo" which I think was a similar tool although it could work more than one string at a time.
I wonder if their garages are full of un-sold Gizmos?

C-flat.

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 06:07 PM

I seem to recall the 'Gizmo' being a different kind of gadget.

It was a sort of chord finder which fitted over all the strings so that learners could 'instantly play guitar'!

An arrangement with buttons, somewhat like an autoharp, so when you pressed the 'G' button, you'd get the chord of G major 'instantly' on the guitar.

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: C-flat
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 06:16 PM

I've just googled "gizmo 10cc" and came up with this.......




LOL CREME and Kevin Godley have left 10cc to concentrate on developing and recording with the Gizmo, their recently invented musical instrument.

But Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart are keeping 10cc flourishing with a single, 'The Things We Do For Love', released by Phonogram December 3.

Lol and Kevin's decision to quit came after they had been working with the Gizmo at the group's Strawberry North Studios in Stockport. They found that their involvement with the Gizmo — an attatchment [sic] for the guitar which allows a note to be sustained indefinitely — was taking up more and more of their time and rather than try to combine their work with that of 10cc they felt it best to concentrate entirely on developing the possibilities of the Gizmo and leave 10cc free to continue as a recording and performing outfit.

The results of their work with the Gizmo will be released as a three-album set by Phonogram next year, called 'Consequences'.


Sounds pretty close to an ebow to me but I rather like your chord finder Mr.Happy. If it hasn't been invented maybe it should be!!!


C-flat.

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: Juan P-B
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 06:23 PM

The Gizmo did the same as the e-bow except the thing sat over the strings in front of the bridge and using the independent buttons you could play more than one string at a time (the e-bow is held in the hand and plays only one string at a time)

Dunno what happened to the Gizmo but it never took off and I only ever heard the 'example' of it once and wasn't greatly impressed - But handy if you didn't have a cellist in your pocket

Juan P-B

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: Margret RoadKnight
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 06:58 PM

Ellen McIlwaine gets great effects even when her 'acoustic' guitar is totally unplugged

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 09:23 PM

Any o' youse guys used an 'Ebow'?

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: Cluin
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 10:16 PM

I've got one. Used it very little. Wanna buy it?

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: number 6
Date: 26 Apr 06 - 04:47 PM

Any opinions on how an Ebow would sound on an accoustic guitar that doesn't have a pickup?

sIx

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: Kaleea
Date: 26 Apr 06 - 07:45 PM

I've only heard it used on an acoustic Guitar with electronics (pickup) "on board." I didn't think it sounded so much like a bowed string, but rather a sustained note without the percussiveness of the pick. Some like using it on the dropped D for Irish Music. Seems like I also once heard Stephen Bennett (or somebody at the Walnut Valley Music Fest) using one, I believe on a standard 6 string.

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: rhyzla
Date: 26 Apr 06 - 08:32 PM

I heard Phil Beer out of Show of Hands use one last night at Rugby on an electro-acoustic - very good!

Quite eerie use of harmonics!!

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: number 6
Date: 26 Apr 06 - 09:59 PM

Thanks Kaleea and barryh ... I saw Chris Proctor (I just noticed Mooh's post above) live last night and he used one on amplified 6 string accoustic. He is a master of harmonics on the guitar ... but I was impressed on the sound he produced with the Ebow ... it was certainly a unique use of the harmonics indeed.

As mentioned I was wondering how it would sound on an unamplified accoustice.

sIx

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 26 Apr 06 - 10:42 PM

"As mentioned I was wondering how it would sound on an unamplified accoustice."


it sounds like

this........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................


that was an A&L cedar top..


and this...................................................................................................................................................................

that was an Appalachian dulcimer..


and this.......................................................................................................................................................

..an autoharp..



sorry got to keep the volume down.. its late and the wifes asleep..


mines an older standard version ebow.. the latest one has extra sound modes..


can be used with any steel stung instrument..

but the results are variable and can be very unpredictable
trying to find the 'sweet spot' on each string..

the sustain & harmonics can build up in intensity and volume
and sometimes feel as thought the occilating / vibrating woodoodwork
might cause an older fragile instrument to explode !


if you're this interested, then its really worth your while tracking one down cheap
on ebay, or at least borrrowing one to experiment and have fun with..

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: number 6
Date: 26 Apr 06 - 11:29 PM

Luv those sound clips Punk!

I'm interested, always interested in generating interesting sounds to record ... I'll take your advice and will probably track one down.

thanks,
sIx

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 27 Apr 06 - 11:43 PM

Can it work on an electric bass? Seems to me the strings would be too heavy to get vibrating very quickly. Anybody tried it on a bass? Or is there an Ebow for a bass guitar? I'd love to have the ability to get a bowed sound on my bass!

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 27 Apr 06 - 11:58 PM

ebow works to some extent on just about any any steel strung electric/acoustic instrument..

you really need to try one out..

think in terms of musical saws and theramins..


and that'll give you some idea of the kind of results experimentation might yield..


over the years i've had conversations with other ebow users
and i'm sure i've heard 'accounts' of people opening up pianos and ebowing the strings..

but i cant remember enough to vouch for any facts or truth in that..!!??

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 28 Apr 06 - 12:04 AM

btw.. i tried a fernandes guitar with 'sustainer' pickup
in a local shop some years ago..
but the young salesman did'nt know how to get it to work..
and the results i got in the few minutes i played with it were a bit feeble..
The audio demo clips on fernandes website were a bit to screechingly ear piercing for my liking..

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: Grab
Date: 28 Apr 06 - 12:42 PM

I heard Amrit Sond using one at a gig in Cambridge. My impression was that it was more of a gimmick than a real addition to techniques, although maybe in the hands of a better player it'd work. It seems to have a natural "violining" effect in that it takes a half-second or so to get the string resonating, unlike a regular bow which gives you immediate sound when you pull it, so I guess you're not likely to be playing anything too fast with an Ebow.

I saw an interesting gadget in the Elderly Instruments catalogue, which was a bow for a hammered/Appalachian dulcimer that could probably be used productively on guitars too. Unlike your regular bow which has hair stretched tight and straight, this has a bit of plastic curved in a hoop to be the "hair", so that you can get it at single strings without hitting the ones on either side (unless you want to). It's called the Jimbow. Very tempted to get one for a bit of experimenting...

Graham.

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: GUEST,Mrr
Date: 28 Apr 06 - 01:12 PM

No, mudgard, that's a CHRISTMAS elbow! Get it? No el, no el?

Subject: RE: What's an Ebow?
From: Sooz
Date: 30 Apr 06 - 08:48 AM

Heard Martin Simpson use one at Lincoln Folk Festival last night - sent shivers down my spine (particularly when used with the slide)