Re: Re: Not Just the Fathead...

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

>Does the electromagnetic e-Bow string induction depend on mechanical
>headstock response?

Think of it this way.

You pluck the string near the bridge, and the disturbance of the 
string goes rushing up the neck, and rebounds from the nut, then it 
comes back to the bridge and bounces again, and so on, so that the 
oscillation produces a note.
(that's one way of looking at the physics of vibration of a string)
So when the pluck reaches the nut, it trys to move the nut, which is 
held in place by the inertia of the headstock. If the nut moves, then 
some of the string energy is lost, so it can't bounce back to the bridge.
So by making the headstock heavier, you can improve the sustain of 
the guitar, because less energy is lost.

As it happens, it's easier for low frequencies to move the headstock 
(the high frequencies don't give it as much time to get moving). So a 
heavier headstock can make the guitar more bassy, and can give an 
electric bass a more solid sound.


Of course, the difference is much more noticeable on open strings.

With an ebow, it might make some difference on open strings,
...but only if your ebow technique is limited to holding it near the 
strings and waiting   ;-)

andy butler (taking time off from changing lightbulbs for guitarists)