Re:Re Ebow question

[a k butler <akbutler@tiscali.co.uk>]

>  One thing I found missing from this thread (and maybe I just 
> haven't read everyone's post  completely, and I'm sure the 
> archive's have extensive posts) , is how important the tone control 
> is in shaping the Ebow's sonic signature. I rarely if ever use the 
> Ebow with my tone control wide open, simply because I prefer a 
> mellower cello -like sound from my ebow, not so much the extreme 
> fuzz personality it exhibits.  Often I roll all of the highs off to 
> achieve an almost flute-like quality.

another way to a more mellow tone is to gently touch the palm of the 
hand on the bridge, slightly dampenning the strings.

this also allows you to get low notes on the bass strings, where 
usually you get harmonics.
( bassoon)


Perhaps it's worth saying that the ebow works by putting out an 
oscillating magnetic field. This can be picked up by a a magnetic 
guitar pickup, and always sounds distorted.

As the ebow gets near the pickup, the volume of the note increases 
quite dramatically, and this can be quite hard to control. It's 
easier to run the guitar through a distortion (or just an overdriven 
amp) in order to help out this problem, but then you don't have the 
same control.

With an acoustic instrument, or one with piezo pickups, you just get 
the string sound.


andy butler