# Ebow technique



## distressed_romeo (Jul 23, 2006)

Has anyone discovered any unique tricks with this thing? The cassette you get with it talks about a lot of different stuff, but has anyone discovered any totally new effects?


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## MetalMike (Jul 23, 2006)

Theres some stuff here: http://www.ebow.com/ebow/pg.htm but I'm sure you've seen that. It's a very cool idea but I've never tried one. How are the sounds your getting out of it now?

On the sweetwater forum audioholic said:

Hey just some ebow tricks. First, it takes just a little bit to understand how it works best, and how to use it, but once you use it just for a bit, it truly is such an awesme thing. Lower your guitar volume by at least half, it really kicks out the output loud, and if its all the way up, it will be too loud. Also experiment with the tone settings, I usually like to roll off all the highs, and it gives some nice smooth sound. It reacts to the pickup, so find which pickup is being used, and you can swell into it by moving the ebow closer and then farther away from the pickup. And I also like to use it rythmically, raising and lowering it on the string to get like a arpegiated sound. Fun.


I'll have to try one out soon.


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## bostjan (Jul 23, 2006)

You can do lots of things with ebow. One string-like swellsby moving ebow closer to the neck pickup, then jerking it away. You can also do a kind of bagpipey thing with ebow on the a string, then use a pick to tap on the high e to get a hiccuppy flutey sound.


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## distressed_romeo (Jul 24, 2006)

Yeah, I've tried all the swells and flute/bagpipe effects...with a really bright, heavy reverb effect it sounds amazing! It's also really cool with some distortion and Rusty Cooley-style single string arpeggios!


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## jtm45 (Aug 2, 2006)

I used to have an Ebow many years ago and i found it to be a great thing to experiment with. 
Sadly it 'dissapeared' (got nicked!)about 6 months after i bought it and i just never got around to replacing it.

I don't know if anyone remembers a Scottish band from way back called 'Big Country'?
The guitarist/singer, Stuart Adamson,who sadly committed suicide recently,was the first person i saw using one and he used it for the 'bagpipe' type technique.

The only thing i found with it that bothered me was that i'd get a bit frustrated by the fact that i found it a bit bulky and awkward to use to it's full potential really.

Thats' why i am set on having a sustainer system in one of my 7's.
I've used one on a 6 string before and found it awesome to use but as i play a 7 all the time (or nearly!)these days i just have to get one fitted on one of my 7's.
It's not something that you could (or would want to)use all the time but it's a cool thing to have there at your disposal.


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## distressed_romeo (Aug 3, 2006)

I do remember Big Country. Although I've never really had a chance to listen to a whole album, they were definitely a unique band. A youtube search may be in order...

I agree, the one problem with the ebow is its size, which makes it really hard to integrate into 'normal' playing. I'd love to try a sustainer guitar and see how it compares.


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## Drew (Aug 3, 2006)

2 seconds before I log out and get back to work, but I've found personally you get the most unique sounds by using it wrong. Somewhere around here I have a clip I posted of the E-bow in "harmonic" mode on the bridge pickup, held over the fretboard rather than pickups. In this position, it's almost totaly uncontrollable - it jumps in and out of octave feedback and doesn't trigger consistantly - but the randomness you get, coupled with the fact that everything you play will be (provided your fretting is good) either a note in key or a harmonic therein, is pretty damned appealing. You'll most likely get a bit of string noise too as you have to hold it pretty close, but that just means you'll get an occasional slide-like chirp with your weird, chaotic wailing noises. Add some delay and it's gorgeous.


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## distressed_romeo (Aug 3, 2006)

^I have got to try that NOW!!!!!


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## Drew (Aug 3, 2006)

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/showpost.php?p=108698&postcount=8

The clip. Sloppy as fuck, but very unique sounding. Now, imagine triple-tracking it.


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## jtm45 (Aug 3, 2006)

Drew said:


> http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/showpost.php?p=108698&postcount=8
> The clip. Sloppy as fuck, but very unique sounding. Now, imagine triple-tracking it.



That's a cool sounding clip man! Very ethtereal

You could probably do some very cool stuff with one of those Akai 'Headrush' multi-track looping pedals and the Ebow.

I need a Headrush pedal! They're great fun to mess around with.


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## Durero (Aug 3, 2006)

My favorite ebow sound is using it on a steel-string acoustic with a slide.

Using it on the inside of a grand piano (while holding the sustain/damper pedal down with your foot) sounds fantastic!


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