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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