EBow, yes or no?

[scrubs]

I'm in a parroting mood tonight, so I thought I'd post my own unusual guitar toys poll. I just picked one up and imagine it might have some usefullness, though it will most likely sit on the shelf with all the other toys.

[sile2001]

Great topic......but where's the poll?

[scrubs]

Originally Posted by sile2001

Great topic......but where's the poll?

Here it is!

[sile2001]

My $0.02 is that it can be VERY useful in some circumstances.....namely, through some warm, balanced humbuckers, with lots of delay, some compression, a volume pedal, and depending on your taste, maybe some wah.

It takes a whole lot of practice working with the different positions you can use it in, balancing between two pickups, and working both the pedal and guitar volumes and guitar tone controls. If you're using a single coil guitar, roll the tone control WAY back, like almost all the way. Otherwise you will get these ear-piercing screams out of it.

Just have lots of patience and experiment with lots of different things.

[lesterpaul]

i used it on a cover of Bush, Glycerine...for the strings part i thought it was cool but we did it once and never again

[Sweetnighter]

I don't know how many of you know bassist Michael Manring? I saw him live, and he used some eBows on his fretless basses, and ugh... it was to die for. SO GOOD! I play fretless too... how difficult is it to use one of these bad boys on a bass?

[Rokket]

I've seen them in catalogs (mainly MF), but I don't even know what it's supposed to do. If someone can clue me in on that, I may try one...

P.S., you left that option out of your poll, so I voted "ebay"....

[scrubs]

Originally Posted by Rokket

I've seen them in catalogs (mainly MF), but I don't even know what it's supposed to do. If someone can clue me in on that, I may try one...

P.S., you left that option out of your poll, so I voted "ebay"....

It's a little battery powered ditzle that you hold over the strings and it makes them vibrate by generating a magnetic field. You can use it to make notes sustain for a long time, to make crazy feedback, to fade-in like a reversed effect or bow, etc. You can play legato lines without any pick attack, because the string just keeps vibrating as long as the EBow is over it. I don't know, the manual says you can create synth sounds and mimic a flute, etc. but I'll have to work on that.

The big downsides are 1) it costs $80 for a little plastic toy that runs on a 9v battery, and 2) it comes with a cassette containing sound samples. I mean, really? Now I have to find a working cassette deck! CD's are cheap, so I don't really get it. I think it's just because it comes in a small box and the cassette is small enough to fit in there.

I would have voted for ebay too, but I'm hoping there's a use for it.

The manual does list lots of songs where they have been used. I listened to a few and, sure enough, it's there when you listen for it.

[scrubs]

Originally Posted by Sweetnighter

I don't know how many of you know bassist Michael Manring? I saw him live, and he used some eBows on his fretless basses, and ugh... it was to die for. SO GOOD! I play fretless too... how difficult is it to use one of these bad boys on a bass?

Well, it's designed to hover over one string while balancing on the 2 adjacent strings. The problem is, the strings on the bass are too far apart to rest it on the adjacent strings. So, you just kind of have to hold it there. If you do it just right, it almost sounds like a double bass being played with a bow (probably moreso on the fretless). Kind of fun for neat sound effects and feedback.

[Rokket]

Originally Posted by scrubs

It's a little battery powered ditzle that you hold over the strings and it makes them vibrate by generating a magnetic field. You can use it to make notes sustain for a long time, to make crazy feedback, to fade-in like a reversed effect or bow, etc. You can play legato lines without any pick attack, because the string just keeps vibrating as long as the EBow is over it. I don't know, the manual says you can create synth sounds and mimic a flute, etc. but I'll have to work on that.

The big downsides are 1) it costs $80 for a little plastic toy that runs on a 9v battery, and 2) it comes with a cassette containing sound samples. I mean, really? Now I have to find a working cassette deck! CD's are cheap, so I don't really get it. I think it's just because it comes in a small box and the cassette is small enough to fit in there.

I would have voted for ebay too, but I'm hoping there's a use for it.

The manual does list lots of songs where they have been used. I listened to a few and, sure enough, it's there when you listen for it.

I just saw that on musician's friend. I may see if I can find one out in town. I hate ordering from them while I am overseas (if you can recall my experience with that and a certain GK amp). It looks like it might be fun for a minute or two.

[apl]

This Norwegian guy did a song called Vibraslide. He didn't want to pay that much for an e-bow.

[gitrguy87]

I do use the EBow. Its like a bow for a cello or violin. It just creates infinite sustain on the string. By the way Scrubs, in your poll you asked if anyone knows how to use the EBow. But, your poll options were for if you like it or not.

[the edzell]

I have I have one and break it out from time to time. I’ve got it working well for synth like effects, smooth cello like sounds and feedback if I’m recording through a Pod. As far as the advanced stuff, I just don’t have the time. Well I do but I’d rather be recording or keeping my playing up to snuff.

I only listened to the first side of the tape. It would make sense to have it on a CD with the different techniques listed so it would be easier to find what you’re looking for and master it.

[scrubs]

Originally Posted by gitrguy87

By the way Scrubs, in your poll you asked if anyone knows how to use the EBow. But, your poll options were for if you like it or not.

Yeah, that was a joke about how EBow sounds kind of like Ebay and the commercial for Ebay has a song that goes "Do you know the way to use Ebay?" which is a spoof of the song,...oh, never mind...

Thanks for playing.

[gitrguy87]

I know what your talking about now.

[ggunn]

Originally Posted by scrubs

Yeah, that was a joke about how EBow sounds kind of like Ebay and the commercial for Ebay has a song that goes "Do you know the way to use Ebay?" which is a spoof of the song,...oh, never mind...

Thanks for playing.

...la la la lala la lala la la...

[philboyd studge]

Holy crap, they're still makin' those things?

[scrubs]

Originally Posted by philboyd studge

Holy crap, they're still makin' those things?

And theramins, too, believe it or not!

[Purge]

Somebody needs to sell me an Ebow for 20 bucks right now.

[Rokket]

Originally Posted by Purge

Somebody needs to sell me an Ebow for 20 bucks right now.

Yeah, the price on MF seems a little steep for something I may not even like...

[Purge]

They really are neat little toys, but the price is outrageous. I played with one and absolutely loved all the weird shit it did until I found out how much the stupid thing costs. I mean, come one...it's basically a glorified vibrator without the funny smell.

[Rokket]

Originally Posted by Purge

They really are neat little toys, but the price is outrageous. I played with one and absolutely loved all the weird shit it did until I found out how much the stupid thing costs. I mean, come one...it's basically a glorified vibrator without the funny smell.

LMAO!!! I wish my wife had one of those toys, I'd try it out on my axe!!!

Have you ever experimented with cordless drills and stuff like that? Not the altering a pick thing like Mr. Big, but hovering one over your pickups? I tried one night when I was drunk, and the sounds coming out of my amp scared me shitless!

[Lurk_R]

I have one. I haven't used it in awhile. I took it out of my gig bag after I read some of these posts and the battery was dead.

[scrubs]

Originally Posted by Rokket

Have you ever experimented with cordless drills and stuff like that? Not the altering a pick thing like Mr. Big, but hovering one over your pickups? I tried one night when I was drunk, and the sounds coming out of my amp scared me shitless!

I've tried electric razors and little electric fuzz removers (for sweaters, etc.). Interesting. Basically, anything that is battery powered with a motor will make noise over a pickup.




ooops. back to fixing the vocals for the collab.

[Rokket]

Originally Posted by scrubs

ooops. back to fixing the vocals for the collab.

Ha! Busted!!!

Now get back to work!