Re: How an Ebow works..addendum

[Jeff Duke <jeffloops@gmail.com>]

I am sure most have seen this. This really shows the range of what can be done imo. He does hold it over the pickups some of the time. Some nice delay style looping also!

http://youtu.be/wwq0i6jP7dQ

j

On Tue, Jan 24, 2012 at 12:46 PM, Charles Zwicky <cazwicky@earthlink.net> wrote:

Hi Andy,

Yes it is true that the Ebow sounds very different on an instrument with a magnetic p/u, the reason for that  I mentioned in my  description:

"The (Ebow's internal) amplifier is not very powerful and is easily driven into square wave clipping, which is plainly audible in an electric instrument when the excitation coil is positioned above the instrument's own pickup."

That squarewave distortion provides much of the characteristic tone associated with the Ebow,

The original Ebow demo tape has some -expert- examples of arpeggios and other techniques.. it's stunning how good that demo still is.

-CZ

Charles Zwicky wrote:

Here's my simple explanation:

Nice explanation. (especially about the 2 coils, I didn't know that)

I'd add (more explicitly) that the ebow sounds very different

on an instrument with a magnetic p/u.

The output coil in the ebow is 'picked up' directly by the magnetic p/u
in a guitar. That's why you get that heavily distorted tone, and why by
careful positioning of the ebow you can get a very precise control of dynamics.
(either move the ebow along the string, or lift it slightly to vary the distance
from the p/u).

To avoid the distorted tone you can use the ebow over the fingerboard,
but it has to be a long way from the p/u.
....obviously piezos are immune.


The shape of the ebow, where it contacts the strings, is not only
to make it easy to position. Drawing the ebow across the strings gives a light plucking action
that can help to start the note. (that's how the arpeggios described
in the manual are possible).


andy

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