Is anyone familiar with the E-bow? I've been getting more and more into classical music lately, and wishing I knew how to play the cello and violin, but knowing I don't have the time to seriously get into either. I'm in the process of learning Bach's Cello Suite no 1 and I was wondering how effective is the e-bow at sounding like an actual string instrument that is played with a bow? All the demos I find online seem to be geared towards heavy metal musicians.
Does anyone have it?
I've been interested in the e-bow ever since David Bowie came out with Heros back in the 80's. It is used by the lead guitarist throughout the song, you can see it at 4:13 in this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYjBQKIOb-w
Awesome 8)
You can find quite a few demonstrations of the E-Bow on YouTube.
Guitar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAz2jzE9-X0&feature=related
Here it is on banjo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiYWHn2lbEg&feature=related
Bass guitar
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
If you can find video's of Pearl Jam's "Worldwide Suicide" or "Wishlist", Eddie Vedder uses one in those. I can't get to YouTube right now, so you'll have to search.
IIRC, Edge is an e-Bow user. I gave dhodge one years ago, but have never seen him use it. Maybe he's got some insight on playing with it. I do recall him telling a story about explaining an e-Bow to a friend, who remarked something like "So then this thing makes a $2k guitar sound like a Casio keyboard?"
For nice bowing effects on my electric, I use a distortion pedal balls-to-the-wall followed by a volume pedal to do the swells. Once, someone in the audience even asked "Where is the violin?" Honestly, I didn't think the effect was that convincing, but it approximates bowing and can be done with double stops and (I'm betting) more control than an e-Bow.
And of course REM's Peter Buck used/uses an e-Bow, probably even on the tune E-Bow the Letter.
-=tension & release=-
I do own and use one. Not as often as I like. The demo tape that came with it actually has some very cool sounds, some are even more like clarinet and bassoon rather than a stringed instrument.
It does take some getting used to and I should put in more practice with it than I do. Of course, I can say that about almost any instrument I own.
If you want to hear a total hack using one, I play the solo on the second song, Orange and Cinnamon, with the eBow on a Fender Strat here on my Soundclick page:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=306627
It's definitely worth exploring, and it's going to take a lot of work to get it to do what you'd like it to do.
Peace
David, sick bass line in that song.
Wes, can you post a recording of your way of doing it? I've heard of that before, it sounds difficult to me, though. But, what isn't, I guess.
David, sick bass line in that song.
+1 (well, I'd say slick or cool) Love that bass line.
the e-Bow took me by surprise, David, as I've not really heard you play it. and of course this version of O&C is new to me. I really like most -- if not all -- of the elements, including the e-Bow textures, but might mix them a bit differently.
somewhat unrelated: for better or worse, I found the submarine last night :wink:
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Glad to hear that the submarine isn't still lost somewhere here in my house! Dare I ask where you found it?
As with most of my Soundclick stuff, it's all pretty roughly mixed as I simply want to get the ideas out. Plus my mixing skills are suspect at best, even on my good days. Should really go into the studio with some of this stuff someday.
Concerning the sick/slick/cool bass line, that was originally one that I came up with for the bass book. Seemed too good to let it just linger there. Others may be making appearances as songs at some point.
Okay, back to chatting about eBows - it is a great thing to have when you're playing with others (usually "others" being eight guitarists) and you don't mind simply sitting in the background holding things together. As I mentioned, the eBow demonstration tape was incredible. Whoever was playing it made his or her guitar sound like the clarinet at the beginning of When I'm Sixty-Four. I really should take more time to play with my toys...
Peace
in the headless Hohner gig bag, which I was co-opting for the lap steel. beats me ... must have taken it and Hohner to TN when helping Dad move. that would have been right after the MGS gig. got too much stuff to track.
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I really liked Orange and Cinnamon, I didn't know that was a E-bow. I just assumed it was Karen on the keyboards. As Taso said the bass part was just wicked :D It set the mood for the whole song.
I was thinking about getting a E-bow, I just needed a little nudge...thanks :lol:
