Anybody ever use an Ebow? thoughts?

[matmosphere]

I have thought about them in the past, but never wanted to gamble a hundo on one. This thing popped up as an ad somewhere. Seem to cost about a third of what a ebow does.

https://soundstone.co

Anyone with experience willing to share their thoughts. Is what it does worth even this much?

[fig]

wow, I had one many moons ago.

I used it more for the "Slow-Gear" effect than sustain, but it would vibrate the string as long as the battery or your interest lasted.

The bow effect itself in the handheld as compared to say a "Slow-Gear" is like the comparison of a wah pedal vs. an auto wah; you simply have more control over the effect (assumptions made for dexterity).

[dan.schumaker]

Very interesting.... I've spent more on dumber things....

[jjjimi84]

I have used an ebow in one of my videos and like having it around for a sustain effect, it is especially fun with a dry kill delay or reverb.

It isn't something that gets used every month but when needed it usually does the job. I say go for it.

[Bio77]

Guitarist of my band uses one for a song.  +1 on the slow gear thing.

As an aside: I think it's time for some of you guys with a 3D printer to redesign the Ebow!  It would be so much more useful if it could be held between bottom three fingers and leave the index and thumb free to hold a pick.

[matmosphere]

Very interesting.... I've spent more on dumber things....

That pretty much sums up my thinking. I just went ahead and ordered one, fig had me at slo-gear.

Guitarist of my band uses one for a song.  +1 on the slow gear thing.

As an aside: I think it's time for some of you guys with a 3D printer to redesign the Ebow!  It would be so much more useful if it could be held between bottom three fingers and leave the index and thumb free to hold a pick.

If I like the thing then that is part of the plan. The videos I watched had people complaining about the form factor. I'm thinking of making either an entirely new case for it, or designing some kind of handle to make it easier to use. I was even thinking some kind of simple velcro strap to attach to my pinky and ring finger might be all it takes, we'll have to see though.

I don't ever use a pick to play guitar, so figuring out a way to use this and have a baseline or melody going sounds right up my alley. Not sure how or if the other strings vibrating might affect the sandstone though.

Wonder how quickly it can cycle if it is held over the string and turned on and off.

I also wonder if I could get it working on a rechagable battery... Shit I should've probably just ordered 2 incase I screw one up to bad.

[Aentons]

It's essentially a handheld sustainer. You can diy  one and mount it to your pickguard

[Bio77]

If I like the thing then that is part of the plan. The videos I watched had people complaining about the form factor. I'm thinking of making either an entirely new case for it, or designing some kind of handle to make it easier to use. I was even thinking some kind of simple velcro strap to attach to my pinky and ring finger might be all it takes, we'll have to see though.

I don't ever use a pick to play guitar, so figuring out a way to use this and have a baseline or melody going sounds right up my alley. Not sure how or if the other strings vibrating might affect the sandstone though.

Wonder how quickly it can cycle if it is held over the string and turned on and off.

I also wonder if I could get it working on a rechagable battery... Shit I should've probably just ordered 2 incase I screw one up to bad.

Yes, the form factor is terrible.  My guitarist had the idea of hooking it to one of those belt extendable key chains that custodians have, but it was too heavy. 

I was thinking a T shape that fits between bottom fingers.  Also, it could be smaller and lighter with a different battery.  It has a 9V.

There is a built in design by Fernandez that looks like a guitar pickup.  The guy in Muse uses that one.  All of that change is so you can also hold a pick 

[midwayfair]

A friend uses it quite a bit, probably four or five songs per set.

I tried it and I hugely prefer a volume pedal even though I know it doesn't do all the same things.

[peAk]

I've used one off and on for about 30 years

They are very cool and you can do some really interesting things with them. It will be a little bit of a learning curve to learn how to switch strings smoothly but it isnt too bad. Also, you will have to find sweet spots with your pickups depending on how clean and noncompressed your tone is.

One cool thing is using an Ebow with a slide. You basically take out all pick attack and all fret noise. There is also the cool trick where you actually push the Ebow down a little harder where it touches the string and creates this wicked feedback sound when you have a lot of distortion.

One of my favorite Ebow parts on a record would be The Smashing Pumpkins - Soma

Right at the 3:09 mark he has about a billion Ebow parts come in, I think many are on acoustic too. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHLDcJ7dVSQ

[gordo]

I've used one for some cool pad sounds and various effects.  It's a whole technique in itself to get REALLY good at it (listen to the Eleanor Rigby cover on the demo).  Don't drop it (mines been glued together about 10 times and is made mostly of Gorilla glue now).  Easily worth $100 even if it does look like a miniature stapler.

[culturejam]

I got one back in high school (around 1994) because I wanted to play Blind Melon's "Sleepyhouse" tune. It takes some practice to get competent with it, but it does sound very cool.

See if you can find a used one and save a few bucks.

[peAk]

Here's my 30 year old Ebow, a little rough but its still going strong

[diablochris6]

I have owned an E-bow since the college days. I don't use it much, but I get a kick out of it when I bust it out. To trump that, I also have a set of Fernandes Sustainer pickups to do the same thing but along all the strings.

[Muadzin]

E-bows kick ass! Got into them because of U2, it got out of control because of Radiohead and Muse. I most use sustainers now, where you swap your neck pickup for a sustainer driver/neck pickup combo. The techniques are different. With an E-bow you have to use the neck pickup and hold the E-bow over it, and its very finicky where you place it. You got to use it on the sweet spot. And using it on the high E string takes some practice. With the sustainer you use the bridge pickup and it seems to work better from the 5th fret onwards. You can move from strings more easily. Plus you have a free right hand, so if you got a tremelo equipped guitar its vibrato heaven. I got about 7 guitars with built in sustainers, including a 7-string.