The infamous E-bow thread......

[Krypteia713]

So I just listened my opeth albums[trying to pass the time till my schecter comes in, I'm going crazy]. And I hear some wonderful use of the E-bow on some songs.I think I want one now haha.Anybody use one of these?

 

[Drew]

I want one too. They'd rock for ambient overdubs.

(And I recall hearing they use e-bows a good amount)

 

[Sentient]

It's pretty cool how many folks have been using this thing for many years...

Ebow users

...and that includes Anthrax, Dream Theatre, and Steve Vai. The first time I ever heard anybody use one was back in the 80's when Big Country released their debut album. I thought, "Man, how the hell is that guy doing that?"

I think my favorite thing ever done with it is that haunting intro to The Cranberries "Daffodil Lament". Very cool

(...Hmmm.... just realized how "non-manly" that must've sounded. Must now go administer some old Exodus & Coroner quickly, before the gay-hounds come after me, too... )

 

[Chris]

Crap, I say.

 

[Chris D]

Sustainer pickup > eBow

 

[Drew]

Alice in Chains - "Heaven Beside You"

 

[nitelightboy]

If God had wanted us to have infinite sustain, we wouldn't need Viagra!!

 

[Ryou4Eighty6]

Ebow? the letter..

Why diss the ebow, if you do you might as well diss the efx pedal. Why nit-pick, you hear a song in your head you produce it with whatever you have at hand. Respect the Ebow.

 

[Drew]

Actually, I DO diss the FX pedal

 

[Chris D]

Yeah, had a go on one once, they're pretty cool.
But I'd prefer a 7string sustainer pickup...


BTW, anyone tried that new Line6 Dr.Distorto pedal?
It has an infinite sustain/feedbackfaker setting...

 

[darren]

Well, i'm a big fan of Daniel Lanois, Michael Brook and Robert Fripp, so i'm kinda into the sustainy-harmonic sound.

REM's "Ebow the Letter" was a schlocky, obvious use of the Ebow. It can be used very subtly as a textural element, but just slapping it over the neck pickup and wailing away is pretty 'ho-hum'. I use a volume pedal to control its volume, and i find that its sweet spot for me is just off the neck pickup. I find it's a lot smoother in that position. If i want a spike of that high-end buzzy sound, i can just move it a few millimetres toward the neck.

 

[006]

I own one, it's a cool little contraption. Mostly I leave it at the studio so bands can use it. Usually I'll show it to them if I think their music could benefit from the use of it. If it's like a hardcore metal band I just leave it there on the rack thing. But some of the bands would sound cool using it in the background, and I explain what it does, show them some Opeth, hehe, and they are like "cool lemme mess with it", and they throw down a couple of mood setting tracks with it. It's a great tool for getting more textures in a song. Fun to play with too.

That said, I would much rather be able to install a sustainer pickup in everyone's guitar that used the Ebow. It would be much easier. But it doesn't what you use, but how you use it,

~006+1

 

[distressed_romeo]

Got one for xmas! Love the thing...it's really cool for mimicing keyboard and woodwind sounds. Want to try tracking up four ebow lines to make a choir!

 

[bostjan]

hands + pick + strings + guitar + high gain amp = metal

ebow + capo + effects pedals + gizmos + gadgets + whatever = gimmick

metal > gimmick

therefore-

hands > ebow

gimmicks are cool though, in small dosages

 

[eleven59]

I love my Ebow. I even use it live on one song. You can get some seriously cool atmospheric, almost synth-sounding effects if you use it with the right tones and delays/reverbs. I'd love a sustainer pickup too, but I'd still use my Ebow, because everything I've ever heard has shown me that the two have very different sounds/uses.

You can hear my Ebow use on my myspace page on the song "Isolation". (link for solo recordings in my signature)

 

[Cancer]

So I just listened my opeth albums[trying to pass the time till my schecter comes in, I'm going crazy]. And I hear some wonderful use of the E-bow on some songs.I think I want one now haha.Anybody use one of these?

I used to when owned the Fernandez (I miss the Fernandez). Biggest mistake I ever made was gettig rid of it.

I could so be talked in buying one if someoone has one up for sale.

 

[Mastodon]

I tried my viola's bow on my guitar. I didn't realize that Jimmy Page did that before. It sounds pretty cool.

 

[bracky]

I've always wanted to try one.

 

[keithb]

Hmm, I always thought they were more expensive than $80 - I may have to pick one up!

 

[bostjan]

I tried my viola's bow on my guitar. I didn't realize that Jimmy Page did that before. It sounds pretty cool.

Gets gum all over the strings, too.

Anyone else have a Fernandez Revolver 7?