SUB FOR EBOW

[bmast160]

i tried the ebow and im not crazy about it...how you cant play multiple notes...how it picks up the sound of the plastic touching the strings unless you turn down the volume etc.

i want a bowed sound tho...should i just grab the real thing? anything i should keep in mind...any specific kind of bow or any possible damage to the guitar etc. are some types of bows or brands better for guitar?

[TechBrother]

I would suggest practicing a little longer w/ the ebow. It takes a little while to get the hang of it.

[TheGareth]

If you didn't wanna practice, as TechBrother suggested, you could get a Fernandes Sustainer installed into your guitar.....

[bmast160]

 

I would suggest practicing a little longer w/ the ebow. It takes a little while to get the hang of it.

 

 

i think its just the tone of the ebow vibrating the strings that i dont think sounds natural...just doesnt sound like a natural bowing to me...which is why im thinking about something else...but the big thing is that you cant play more than one note at a time.

[Karma1]

 

I would suggest practicing a little longer w/ the ebow. It takes a little while to get the hang of it.

 

 

That's good advice - it's not something you can just pick up and play perfectly right off the bat. It does take a while to develop your technique and get proficient with it. One little piece of advice is to roll your guitar's tone knob down a lot for smoother, less metallic sound.

 

As far as alternatives, there's the Sustainiac and the Fernandes Sustainer guitars. I've owned both, and currently use a Sustainiac Stealth Plus. These do allow you to play mulitple notes. They sound amazing, however, it is a much more expensive way to go - at least $300 for the Sustainiac + installation or a used Fernandes guitar.

 

I've never used an actual bow, but I read in the forums here that some people who have, complained that all the rosin you have to use made a mess of their guitars.

[bmast160]

what about this?

http://www.piranhaguitarbow.com/

[flump]

Fernandes Sustainer or the Sustaniac Stealth. You do have to give up a pickup or route for another one, but they are far more useful. You don't have to give up your right hand.

[gambit]

what about this? http://www.piranhaguitarbow.com/

 

if you want to piss your money away.. sure..

 

i bought one a year or two ago. its rubbish and unuseable if you want proper bowd sounds

[3red]

[bmast160]

if you want to piss your money away.. sure.. i bought one a year or two ago. its rubbish and unuseable if you want proper bowd sounds

 

oh really? what was it that you didnt like? tell me more

[TechBrother]

i think its just the tone of the ebow vibrating the strings that i dont think sounds natural...just doesnt sound like a natural bowing to me...which is why im thinking about something else...but the big thing is that you cant play more than one note at a time.

 

I find that using a volume pedal for swells helps give it a more bowed sound. Adding delay to the mix also does wonders.

 

If it's the sound of a real bow you're looking for learn to play violin or cello. I can't imagine and gizmo that'll get you better, more usuable sounds than an ebow.

[bmast160]

 

lol! what the hell is that

[TechBrother]

 

oh really? what was it that you didnt like? tell me more

 

 

Just looking at the thing it looks impossible to do long bowed notes and I would assume that given the radius of a guitar fretboard it would be impossible to bow single strings.

[3red]

 

lol! what the hell is that

 

 

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

[Jeremy Skrenes]

You could also try a noise gate/limiter pedal. Set it so the relatively low-volume of the ebow on the strings isn't picked up and the loud volume of the ebow is. And you could also set a volume limit on it so that you won't blow everything away. You might need a rack unit, but still, it's an option.

[L_Z_nut]

The fact that the eBow can only do 1 note at a time makes it 100% flawed as a bow substitute.

 

Just get a real one... even a cheap one will probably be better.

[Urinate Forever]

I saw a video on youtube of Fred Frith using a few things for guitar and one thing he used just a brush. It sounded amazing.

[bmast160]

 

The fact that the eBow can only do 1 note at a time makes it 100% flawed as a bow substitute. Just get a real one... even a cheap one will probably be better.

 

 

thats my biggest hangup with it. any recommendations for bows types(violin, cello, etc) and brands?

[3red]

you can just use a drumstick. or the fuzzy side of some velcro

[bmast160]

 

I saw a video on youtube of Fred Frith using a few things for guitar and one thing he used just a brush. It sounded amazing.

 

what you mean by brush? hairbrush comb some type of paint brush

[gambit]

 

oh really? what was it that you didnt like? tell me more

 

 

yeah, it just isn't capable of the kind of constant and consistent bowing that most people are looking for. its more like a plectrum that uses friction.. unless there's some secret way of using it i dont know about, you essentially can't use more than about 1cm of it to play a string.. crazy..

[Monkeybot]

 

lol! what the hell is that

 

 

I am a massive fan of both the EBow and the Sustainiac - I must own one of these.

 

There's no chance that they're still in production (of to Google) -

 

Must find one.

[Liberty Belle]

i think people that hate ebows dont know how to use them properly.

they sound exactly like they should.

[3red]

 

I am a massive fan of both the EBow and the Sustainiac - I must own one of these. There's no chance that they're still in production (of to Google) - Must find one.

 

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Gizmotron-The-very-rare-Gizmo-from-Godley-and-Creme_W0QQitemZ120237589012QQihZ002QQcategoryZ22669QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

$183

[Belt]

 

I would suggest practicing a little longer w/ the ebow. It takes a little while to get the hang of it.

 

 

+30