Members mikeoxlong Posted December 6, 2009 Members Share Posted December 6, 2009 Just got an e bow, i love it, I've used them before, but I don't see how responsive some people can get them. Is a compressor required for this? Special pickups? When I talk responsive I mean when you hover it over the string it instantly produces a tone, causing very cool violin effects... any tips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members joeyowen Posted December 6, 2009 Members Share Posted December 6, 2009 do it over the neck pickup it works the best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mikeoxlong Posted December 6, 2009 Author Members Share Posted December 6, 2009 do it over the neck pickup it works the best I do, I see when people are using them they usually have uncovered humbuckers, could this have something to do with it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members L_Z_nut Posted December 6, 2009 Members Share Posted December 6, 2009 EDIT: ^ You probably just need a little more practice. Playing closer to whichever pickup is selected will help the response, but I find it breaks up the signal too much... adjust your volume accordingly as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members andreas Posted December 6, 2009 Members Share Posted December 6, 2009 The signal will get stronger the closer to a pickup you get. And not just the one that's on - like L_Z_nut said, it can get too dirty if you come too close to the active pickup, but you can also try moving closer to another pickup to increase the intensity. For this reason, I find the e-bow to be easier to control on two-pickup guitars, where there's more room in between. It takes lots of practice (I'm no expert by any standard), and you'll also have to adjust the volume quite a bit. If you want a quicker attack, you'll need to hover over one of the pickups and then move the e-bow quickly into position (down towards the strings). This will get quite loud, compared to playing in between the pickups, so you need to lower the guitar volume accordingly. /Andreas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BHz_econo Posted December 6, 2009 Members Share Posted December 6, 2009 Yeah the first time I used one I thought it was broken then eventually I got the hang of it and could do the 'picking' kind of thing on chords with it. A volume pedal is a must IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lilbassdude Posted December 7, 2009 Members Share Posted December 7, 2009 Practice...Yup You'll need to find the sweet spot. One place over the pickup will be much louder than everywhere else. It just takes practice to hit that. It also helps if the string is already vibrating. My favorite thing for string sounds is roll back the tone knob (no treble) and tame it with a volume pedal. P.S. I have covered pickups. They have no problem with the ebow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ben_allison Posted December 7, 2009 Members Share Posted December 7, 2009 A volume pedal is a must IMO. Absolutely. And yes, position is VERY important. I think they used to make a much more powerful version, which would allow you to do things like arpeggios. But position over the pickups is the most important thing to master. Experiment and get a feel for when it "kicks in" and when it looses power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members eti Posted December 7, 2009 Members Share Posted December 7, 2009 Hammer-ons can help for what you want to do; sharp violin-like attacks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChrisFFTA Posted December 7, 2009 Members Share Posted December 7, 2009 Fiddle with the tone knob as well. I find my humbuckered guitars LOVE the ebow whereas my Jazzmaster is more of a battle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members d4rk0 Posted December 7, 2009 Members Share Posted December 7, 2009 i asked for one for christmas... so this thread is relevant to my interests Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members V Posted December 7, 2009 Members Share Posted December 7, 2009 Yeah it just takes some practice and hammer ons are definitely your friend. I usually hammer on and grind the string a bit for lack of a better description just to get it vibrating a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members delayed delay Posted December 7, 2009 Members Share Posted December 7, 2009 Yeah, the EBow definitely takes a bit of practice, but it is loads of fun once you get it down. And I agree that a Volume pedal is an absolute MUST when using the Ebow; the Ebow produces a TON of gain and volume boost, so you'll want the volume pedal to help control that a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kpd78 Posted December 7, 2009 Members Share Posted December 7, 2009 Just got an e bow, i love it, I've used them before, but I don't see how responsive some people can get them. Is a compressor required for this? Special pickups? When I talk responsive I mean when you hover it over the string it instantly produces a tone, causing very cool violin effects...any tips? like everyone else is saying: practice is all you need. i've used my ebow with various different electric guitars and even my acoustic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theboywho Posted December 7, 2009 Members Share Posted December 7, 2009 as amusing as it is the tape is worth a listen, although it probably comes on CD now. If you get the right positioning then you can pretty much have it so it plays the note straight off, which can make for some pretty cool arpedgios and stuffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members celoedus Posted December 7, 2009 Members Share Posted December 7, 2009 the technique i use (and probably explained by the mfg) is to use your neck pickup, and start with the ebow near your bridge. Learn your pickup's sensitivity as you slide the ebow toward the neck pickup. That's the part to master first. Controls the intensity and attack. Next part to master is to fret a chord and move the ebow perpendicular to the strings in a consistent manner, like how a violinist arpeggiates across the 4 strings with a bow... very difficult to do, but sounds amazing when you nail it. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members vinnies Posted December 7, 2009 Members Share Posted December 7, 2009 this thread has prompted me to ask for an ebow for xmas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members big_cat Posted December 7, 2009 Members Share Posted December 7, 2009 this thread has prompted me to ask for an ebow for xmas they are ridiculously fun, especially when you start adding pedals. ebow >> organ sounds on octavers >> harmonizer is simply amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mikeoxlong Posted December 7, 2009 Author Members Share Posted December 7, 2009 yeah i think i got her down pretty good, just to let you know a compressor helps a lot in controlling it , it makes it more responsive while making it less gainy... anyone wanting one get it, if u like string sounds, hope it works on a bass too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rogueweez Posted December 7, 2009 Members Share Posted December 7, 2009 Ebow + Slide is fun too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Karma1 Posted December 7, 2009 Members Share Posted December 7, 2009 I think they used to make a much more powerful version, which would allow you to do things like arpeggios. As far as I know they never made a more powerful version. I got my first Ebow back in the late 70's when they came out - the original chrome model. Then got the second model (the black one w/ red led). This was followed by the current version - the Plus, which is grey with blue led. I like this one the best because it's got a two way switch to bring in higher harmonics. I've been a big fan of the Ebow and have used it a lot for live playing and recording - however not quite as much lately since getting a Sustainiac. Although they do have a unique sound and and ability to do things that the Sustainiac can't. I would reinforce what was said above about rolling your guitar's tone knob way down. It gives a smoother less edgy sound. I've also enjoyed experimenting with using it with a Roland guitar synth and also with a lap steel guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members celoedus Posted December 7, 2009 Members Share Posted December 7, 2009 yep, gotta learn to roll back volume, but its also a combination of your position to the pickup, takes practice to find your sweet spots. Arpeggiation takes a lot of practice to make it sound fluid.. here however, you may want more volume on the pickups because the ebow spends less time over each string to generate the volume. Start with alternating between 2 strings, then 3.. etc. Most of the time, I would arpeggiate just the middle 4 strings, because its really hard to balance the ebow on one rail for both the bottom and top strings. Not that it can't be done, but its difficult. All these suggestions people have made not exclusive with this thing. Its a combination of all those factors (volume, position, etc.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members seifukusha Posted December 7, 2009 Members Share Posted December 7, 2009 im thinking of getting one more to run two together.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members seifukusha Posted December 7, 2009 Members Share Posted December 7, 2009 http://www.ebow.com/youtube.php?cat=43 Im on the ebow youtube page! YEA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members celoedus Posted December 7, 2009 Members Share Posted December 7, 2009 they need to make an ebow you wear on your finger with a couple more controls like power intensity (or even variations in the field) and you just hover your hand over the pickup! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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