E-Bow - Have you used one, or own one

Reverend · June 28

Used one on a demo in 1993. Bought one about 3 years back, and not really used it since

Moe_Zambeek · June 28

DartmoorHedgehog said:

Sporky said:

They are an excellent place to keep a spare battery.

I find the Sustainiac a much more usable thing.

Ah, but with a sustainiac can you vary the volume, turn it sideways and touch the strings for weird effects, switch to harmonic mode etc...? I've never tried one, but it seems to me that a sustainiac would be just like using an ebow and holding it dead still with no expression. I'm a wind player at heart, and I love the extra expression possible with the ebow. I know some people manage to do similar by riding the volume knob with their little finger or using a volume pedal, but the ebow just feels more natural to me.

Sustainiac has normal and harmonic mode, and as you don’t have to hold something in your hand to get the sustain you can fiddle with volume, strings, or most usefully a trem…and you can sustain multiple strings simultaneously so I’d have to agree that an onboard sustainer is better generally.

Henrytwang · June 28

I didn’t want to spend a lot on a genuine ebow but was always curious about them. I recently saw a Joyo version on Amazon for £40, (damaged box), and I couldn’t resist. They take a bit of getting used to but I’m enjoying some of the interesting tones I can produce with it, well worth buying.

Sporky · June 28

Moe_Zambeek said:

DartmoorHedgehog said:

Sporky said:

They are an excellent place to keep a spare battery.

I find the Sustainiac a much more usable thing.

Ah, but with a sustainiac can you vary the volume, turn it sideways and touch the strings for weird effects, switch to harmonic mode etc...? I've never tried one, but it seems to me that a sustainiac would be just like using an ebow and holding it dead still with no expression. I'm a wind player at heart, and I love the extra expression possible with the ebow. I know some people manage to do similar by riding the volume knob with their little finger or using a volume pedal, but the ebow just feels more natural to me.

Sustainiac has normal and harmonic mode, and as you don’t have to hold something in your hand to get the sustain you can fiddle with volume, strings, or most usefully a trem…and you can sustain multiple strings simultaneously so I’d have to agree that an onboard sustainer is better generally.

There are things you can do with an Ebow that are harder with a Sustainiac, but not many. And you can wire in a knob to control it.

steveh · June 28

I have one because I wanted to learn this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXs2U11AUDU

DartmoorHedgehog · June 28

Moe_Zambeek said:

DartmoorHedgehog said:

Sporky said:

They are an excellent place to keep a spare battery.

I find the Sustainiac a much more usable thing.

Ah, but with a sustainiac can you vary the volume, turn it sideways and touch the strings for weird effects, switch to harmonic mode etc...? I've never tried one, but it seems to me that a sustainiac would be just like using an ebow and holding it dead still with no expression. I'm a wind player at heart, and I love the extra expression possible with the ebow. I know some people manage to do similar by riding the volume knob with their little finger or using a volume pedal, but the ebow just feels more natural to me.

Sustainiac has normal and harmonic mode, and as you don’t have to hold something in your hand to get the sustain you can fiddle with volume, strings, or most usefully a trem…and you can sustain multiple strings simultaneously so I’d have to agree that an onboard sustainer is better generally.

I didn't know sustainiac could do harmonic mode. And fair point about having the hand free for the volume knob with no ebow to hold, although I still reckon moving the ebow around is more natural (at least for me). Sustaining whole chords could be seen as a bonus but if you want single notes presumably you have to mute all the other strings.

So I'd argue the ebow is better for my use but I may have been a bit harsh on the sustainiac in my earlier comment.

Sporky · June 28

DartmoorHedgehog said:

So I'd argue the ebow is better for my use but I may have been a bit harsh on the sustainiac in my earlier comment.

I reckon if you're actually good at ebow it's probably a really useful extension to the instrument.

bobeffect · June 28

I use one at the end of Torn by Natalie Imbruglia in the current band. I think it's a slide in the original but it sounds alright. Used to use one to play parts of David Bowie's heroes in another band. Sounds good when you get it right but I find you've got a watch that the volume doesn't run away playing live. I use a limiter from my Helix in pedal board mode. That works well as you can really slam up against the limiter knowing you not going to deafen anyone.

fretmeister · June 28

I have two, and I have used them together.

I did my own things with them and also learned this:

I used to have a Zon Hyperbass until I realised I didn't have the talent and it was far too much money to just have lying about.

DartmoorHedgehog · June 28

That sounds fantastic @fretmeister ;
Not seen anybody use two at once before

fretmeister · June 28

Michael Manring was the first person I saw using two. He's got a few other tunes that uses 2 as well.
His Hyperbass was even more mental than mine - his had additional levers on the bridge as well as the headstock.

fretmeister · June 28

Of course if you are an amazing luthier / slightly unusual / absolute nutter you can take it as far as you like...

Image: https://tfb-user-images.eu-central-1.linodeobjects.com/7f41eea9bb9b50202591cc3e65b9736e12caf551993d031fec

Keefy · June 28

I’ve had one for years. I rarely use it but I wouldn’t be without it - it’s great on those occasions when you want to surprise the audience (and the band!)

Doesn’t work well with positions 2 or 4 on a Strat with RW/RP pickups - think about it…

GavRichList · June 28

Yep, I use one for a few Gallops songs.

Nerine · June 28

Seen a couple of comments about the volume getting too loud.

How does that work? Surely it’s governed by the guitar pickups and subsequently the amp?

GavRichList · June 28

If you think of what a normal ADSR envelope looks like, the A is the peak, then it drops down to a sustaining level. An eBow sort of removes the Decay part.

ICBM · June 28

I’ve owned one at least three or four times - amazingly cool, you can do stuff with it that’s impossible any other way, but I was never able to integrate into my normal playing in a way I could use live, so I eventually sold it having sat unused for ages. Then of course missed it next time I saw one, bought it, and so on…

english_bob · June 28

Nerine said:

Seen a couple of comments about the volume getting too loud.

How does that work? Surely it’s governed by the guitar pickups and subsequently the amp?

Yes, but a string driven by an eBow is louder than a picked string, so you get more volume overall. The volume is also dictated by where on the string you place the eBow- easier to demonstrate than to explain but basically there's a spot near the neck pickup that gets you maximum volume from the eBow. With it placed on that spot and eBow is *significantly* louder than your normal playing.
When I used one in my old band I would turn my guitar volume down to about halfway and be just as loud with the eBow as I was playing normally.

BobHillman · June 28

english_bob said:

Nerine said:

Seen a couple of comments about the volume getting too loud.

How does that work? Surely it’s governed by the guitar pickups and subsequently the amp?

Yes, but a string driven by an eBow is louder than a picked string, so you get more volume overall. The volume is also dictated by where on the string you place the eBow- easier to demonstrate than to explain but basically there's a spot near the neck pickup that gets you maximum volume from the eBow. With it placed on that spot and eBow is *significantly* louder than your normal playing.
When I used one in my old band I would turn my guitar volume down to about halfway and be just as loud with the eBow as I was playing normally.

Isn't this actually caused by the signal from the eBow (which causes the string to vibrate) being picked up by the pickup?

rsvmark · June 28

I genuinely like what Vai and Satch do with the sustaniac but wouldn’t want an elbow- it’s another faff. But I don’t want a Jem or a Js model. And a have 3 strats so an eob strat isn’t really gonna get any use….

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

E-Bow - Have you used one, or own one

Comments