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EBow

November 26, 2023

The EBow, short for electronic bow or energy bow,[1] is an electronic device used for playing string instruments, most often the electric guitar. It is manufactured by Heet Sound Products, of Los Angeles, California. It was invented by Greg Heet in 1969, introduced in 1976 and patented in 1978.[2]

An EBow
Using an EBow with a Telecaster

The EBow uses a pickup in an inductive string driver feedback circuit, including a sensor coil, driver coil and amplifier, to induce forced string vibrations. The EBow drives one string at a time, producing a sound reminiscent of using a bow on the strings.[3]

History edit

In 1976, Heet Sound introduced the first EBow at the NAMM Show. It featured an internal, string vibration triggered automatic power switch, a chromium-plated ABS plastic shell, a red LED power indicator, and a police-style form fitted black leather holster, embossed with the EBow logotype. In later years, five subsequent EBow models were introduced, all of which consisted of internal variations of the original EBow circuit and actuator coils, as well as color changes to the original plastic shell and EBow logotype, both of which have remained essentially unaltered since the introduction of the EBow, with the exception of the addition of an external power switch on the back. The latest EBow model is the "Plus EBow", which is switchable between "standard mode" and "harmonic mode".

Since the 1990s, various manufacturers have introduced string drivers for guitar and bass, including hand-held monophonic and polyphonic string drivers,[4] as well as built-in and surface mounted types. All polyphonic models are produced under the SRG brand. Commonly referred to as "Resonators", and monophonic "Sustainers" such as Fernandes Guitars (G-401), Sustainiac (Stealth Pro3),[5] and "gooseneck" microphone stand mounted types (Vibesware Guitar Resonators).[6]

Function and use edit

The EBow is used to produce a variety of sounds not playable on a guitar using traditional strumming or picking techniques. These sounds are created by a string driver that gets its input signal by an internal pickup, which works like a guitar pickup. Its output signal is amplified and drives the other coil, which amplifies the string vibrations. With this feedback loop the player can create a continuous string vibration. Fading in and out by lowering and raising the EBow is also possible.

Starting with the current generation of EBow (PlusEBow, the 4th edition EBow), the user also gains an additional mode known as harmonic mode, which produces a higher harmonic sound instead of the fundamental note. This is achieved by reversing the signal phase to the driving coil, which damps the string's fundamental frequency and creates higher harmonics.

Style range edit

Many different artists have used the EBow in a wide variety of musical styles. One of the first notable users was Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett, who used the device on "Carpet Crawlers" from the band's 1974 album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Another early pioneer of EBow playing was Chris Stein of Blondie.

It was used later on by Bill Nelson, who introduced it to Stuart Adamson of The Skids. Adamson went on to use it with Big Country, specifically on the albums The Crossing, Steeltown, The Seer and Peace in Our Time. The EBow was a major contributor to the band's sound being labelled with the bagpipe tag, much to the frustration of guitarist Bruce Watson, who would also occasionally utilize the EBow.[7] The EBow was utilized by Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour on the introduction to "Take it Back" on The Division Bell. In this case, it is possible that the sound produced stems from miking an un-amplified electric guitar, rather than from the more conventional amplified usage.

The EBow was used by Blue Öyster Cult lead guitarist Donald (Buck Dharma) Roeser, on their 1976 song, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", to segue the middle instrumental lead break back into the final verse of the song. The device was used again on the follow-up album, Spectres, on at least one track ("Celestial the Queen").

The EBow was prominently used by Siouxsie and the Banshees guitarist John McGeoch on the 1981 song "Sin in My Heart" of the album Juju.[8]

The EBow is used by the Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien for performances of songs such as "My Iron Lung", "Talk Show Host", "Jigsaw Falling Into Place", "Where I End and You Begin" and "Nude".[9]

R.E.M. references the EBow in the song title of "E-Bow the Letter", the lead single from their 1996 album New Adventures in Hi-Fi, with guitarist Peter Buck using one throughout the song.

It has also been used on Opeth's 2001 album Blackwater Park, to create ambient background melodies. Blondie has used it on several songs including "Fade Away and Radiate" and "Cautious Lip".

In the 1980s The Bongos used the EBow in the intro of their song "Numbers With Wings" and also in "River To River", "Miss Jean", "Glow", "Flew A Falcon" and "Sweet Blue Cage". Frontman Richard Barone continues to use an EBow on his subsequent solo recordings and much of his production work including his songs "Love is a Wind that Screams" and his cover of T. Rex's "The Visit".[10]

The Church used the EBow in the song Under the Milky Way featuring a 12-string acoustic guitar melody along with a solo composed with an EBow on a Fender Jazzmaster, and recorded on a Synclavier, leading to a sound reminiscent of bagpipes.

It has been used by Daniel Ash from Love and Rockets, like if there were "keyboards on various songs, but it's actually e-bow which basically turns the guitar into a keyboard cos' it just sustains on the one note", on Love and Rockets's Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven and Burning Skies.[11]

Besides its appearance in rock and jazz music, the EBow also made its way in the domain of contemporary art music, being used by John Cage in his harp piece A Postcard from Heaven (1982), Karlheinz Essl in Sequitur VIII (2008) for electric guitar and live-electronics, Elliott Sharp on SFERICS (1996), Arnold Dreyblatt in E-Bow Blues (1998) and David First in A Bet on Transcendence Favors the House (2008).

Alternative use edit

Although the EBow is most commonly played on the electric guitar, because of its ease of use and the responsiveness obtainable from the pickup, many artists have experimented with the EBow on other types of guitars and string instruments to various effect. While the EBow is not normally used with the electric bass guitar, which has heavier strings, Michael Manring (who uses light bass strings) uses it on his 1995 album Thönk. He has also been known to use two at once. Another instrument that the EBow is sometimes used on is the steel-string acoustic guitar. For example, guitarist David Gilmour of Pink Floyd used one on his Gibson J-200 acoustic in their 1994 song "Take It Back".[12] Generally an acoustic guitar gives a limited response for varying reasons, including the density and spacing of the guitar strings. But despite these limitations, using an EBow on an acoustic guitar gives a rich, flute- and clarinet-like tone with a slow-swelling response.

Composer Luciano Chessa employs EBows regularly in his music for solo Vietnamese đàn bầu. Furthermore, an EBow can also be utilised on a grand piano (with depressed sustain pedal) to create sustained sinusoidal sounds as it was used by Cor Fuhler in De Lamp, de Knijper en het Molentje (1991) and the Brazilian composer Marcus Siqueira wrote "Cataclisma" - Kατακλυσμός (2015) - for solo piano using one Ebow [13] Olga Neuwirth in Hooloomooloo (1997)[14] and Karlheinz Essl in Sequitur XIII (2009) for extended piano and live-electronics.[15]

Other notable users edit

This is a partial list of only notable performers who have used an EBow in at least three of their songs and who were not mentioned in the text above.

References edit

  1. ^ "The Amazing EBow :: FAQ". Ebow.com. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  2. ^ "String instrument vibration initiator and sustainer". Patents.google.com. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  3. ^ "The Amazing EBow :: SoundClips". Ebow.com. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  4. ^ "SRG Resonator 2015" – via YouTube.
  5. ^ "Stealth Pro Overview". Sustainiac.com. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Vibesware Guitar Feedback Playing". Vibesware.com. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  7. ^ The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. 2003. ISBN 9781858284576. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  8. ^ Sullivan-Burke, Rory (April 2022). The Light Pours Out of Me: The Authorised Biography of John McGeoch. Omnibus Press. p. 108. ISBN 978-1913172664.
  9. ^ Brewster, Will (2 June 2020). "The Story of the EBow in 7 Tracks". Mixdown. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  10. ^ "From The Desk Of Richard Barone: My EBow And Me". Magnetmagazine.com. 9 October 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  11. ^ "There's Only One: An Interview with Daniel Ash". Collideartandculture.com. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  12. ^ . Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
  13. ^ "CorFuhler, solo piano". Bimhuis.nl. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  14. ^ "Olga Neuwirth, Hooloomooloo". Stefandrees.de. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  15. ^ "Karlheinz Essl: Sequitur XIII (2009) for extended piano and live-electronics". Essl.at. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  16. ^ "Dream Theater: Making of Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence - 4. Disappear". Retrieved 18 February 2023 – via YouTube.

External links edit

  • EBow website
  • EBow entry on Wikibooks

November 26, 2023
ebow, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, january, 2018, learn,. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources EBow news newspapers books scholar JSTOR January 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message The EBow short for electronic bow or energy bow 1 is an electronic device used for playing string instruments most often the electric guitar It is manufactured by Heet Sound Products of Los Angeles California It was invented by Greg Heet in 1969 introduced in 1976 and patented in 1978 2 An EBowUsing an EBow with a TelecasterThe EBow uses a pickup in an inductive string driver feedback circuit including a sensor coil driver coil and amplifier to induce forced string vibrations The EBow drives one string at a time producing a sound reminiscent of using a bow on the strings 3 Contents 1 History 2 Function and use 3 Style range 4 Alternative use 5 Other notable users 6 References 7 External linksHistory editIn 1976 Heet Sound introduced the first EBow at the NAMM Show It featured an internal string vibration triggered automatic power switch a chromium plated ABS plastic shell a red LED power indicator and a police style form fitted black leather holster embossed with the EBow logotype In later years five subsequent EBow models were introduced all of which consisted of internal variations of the original EBow circuit and actuator coils as well as color changes to the original plastic shell and EBow logotype both of which have remained essentially unaltered since the introduction of the EBow with the exception of the addition of an external power switch on the back The latest EBow model is the Plus EBow which is switchable between standard mode and harmonic mode Since the 1990s various manufacturers have introduced string drivers for guitar and bass including hand held monophonic and polyphonic string drivers 4 as well as built in and surface mounted types All polyphonic models are produced under the SRG brand Commonly referred to as Resonators and monophonic Sustainers such as Fernandes Guitars G 401 Sustainiac Stealth Pro3 5 and gooseneck microphone stand mounted types Vibesware Guitar Resonators 6 Function and use editThe EBow is used to produce a variety of sounds not playable on a guitar using traditional strumming or picking techniques These sounds are created by a string driver that gets its input signal by an internal pickup which works like a guitar pickup Its output signal is amplified and drives the other coil which amplifies the string vibrations With this feedback loop the player can create a continuous string vibration Fading in and out by lowering and raising the EBow is also possible Starting with the current generation of EBow PlusEBow the 4th edition EBow the user also gains an additional mode known as harmonic mode which produces a higher harmonic sound instead of the fundamental note This is achieved by reversing the signal phase to the driving coil which damps the string s fundamental frequency and creates higher harmonics Style range editMany different artists have used the EBow in a wide variety of musical styles One of the first notable users was Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett who used the device on Carpet Crawlers from the band s 1974 album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Another early pioneer of EBow playing was Chris Stein of Blondie It was used later on by Bill Nelson who introduced it to Stuart Adamson of The Skids Adamson went on to use it with Big Country specifically on the albums The Crossing Steeltown The Seer and Peace in Our Time The EBow was a major contributor to the band s sound being labelled with the bagpipe tag much to the frustration of guitarist Bruce Watson who would also occasionally utilize the EBow 7 The EBow was utilized by Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour on the introduction to Take it Back on The Division Bell In this case it is possible that the sound produced stems from miking an un amplified electric guitar rather than from the more conventional amplified usage The EBow was used by Blue Oyster Cult lead guitarist Donald Buck Dharma Roeser on their 1976 song Don t Fear The Reaper to segue the middle instrumental lead break back into the final verse of the song The device was used again on the follow up album Spectres on at least one track Celestial the Queen The EBow was prominently used by Siouxsie and the Banshees guitarist John McGeoch on the 1981 song Sin in My Heart of the album Juju 8 The EBow is used by the Radiohead guitarist Ed O Brien for performances of songs such as My Iron Lung Talk Show Host Jigsaw Falling Into Place Where I End and You Begin and Nude 9 R E M references the EBow in the song title of E Bow the Letter the lead single from their 1996 album New Adventures in Hi Fi with guitarist Peter Buck using one throughout the song It has also been used on Opeth s 2001 album Blackwater Park to create ambient background melodies Blondie has used it on several songs including Fade Away and Radiate and Cautious Lip In the 1980s The Bongos used the EBow in the intro of their song Numbers With Wings and also in River To River Miss Jean Glow Flew A Falcon and Sweet Blue Cage Frontman Richard Barone continues to use an EBow on his subsequent solo recordings and much of his production work including his songs Love is a Wind that Screams and his cover of T Rex s The Visit 10 The Church used the EBow in the song Under the Milky Way featuring a 12 string acoustic guitar melody along with a solo composed with an EBow on a Fender Jazzmaster and recorded on a Synclavier leading to a sound reminiscent of bagpipes It has been used by Daniel Ash from Love and Rockets like if there were keyboards on various songs but it s actually e bow which basically turns the guitar into a keyboard cos it just sustains on the one note on Love and Rockets s Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven and Burning Skies 11 Besides its appearance in rock and jazz music the EBow also made its way in the domain of contemporary art music being used by John Cage in his harp piece A Postcard from Heaven 1982 Karlheinz Essl in Sequitur VIII 2008 for electric guitar and live electronics Elliott Sharp on SFERICS 1996 Arnold Dreyblatt in E Bow Blues 1998 and David First in A Bet on Transcendence Favors the House 2008 Alternative use editAlthough the EBow is most commonly played on the electric guitar because of its ease of use and the responsiveness obtainable from the pickup many artists have experimented with the EBow on other types of guitars and string instruments to various effect While the EBow is not normally used with the electric bass guitar which has heavier strings Michael Manring who uses light bass strings uses it on his 1995 album Thonk He has also been known to use two at once Another instrument that the EBow is sometimes used on is the steel string acoustic guitar For example guitarist David Gilmour of Pink Floyd used one on his Gibson J 200 acoustic in their 1994 song Take It Back 12 Generally an acoustic guitar gives a limited response for varying reasons including the density and spacing of the guitar strings But despite these limitations using an EBow on an acoustic guitar gives a rich flute and clarinet like tone with a slow swelling response Composer Luciano Chessa employs EBows regularly in his music for solo Vietnamese đan bầu Furthermore an EBow can also be utilised on a grand piano with depressed sustain pedal to create sustained sinusoidal sounds as it was used by Cor Fuhler in De Lamp de Knijper en het Molentje 1991 and the Brazilian composer Marcus Siqueira wrote Cataclisma Kataklysmos 2015 for solo piano using one Ebow 13 Olga Neuwirth in Hooloomooloo 1997 14 and Karlheinz Essl in Sequitur XIII 2009 for extended piano and live electronics 15 Other notable users editThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources EBow news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2023 Learn how and when to remove this template message This is a partial list of only notable performers who have used an EBow in at least three of their songs and who were not mentioned in the text above Guitarist Phil Keaggy has used an EBow extensively since the 1970s Broadway orchestrator William David Brohn used to extensive effect in the orchestrations for the musicals Wicked and Mary Poppins Jonny Buckland from Coldplay used it in the songs Amsterdam Spies See You Soon Princess of China Oceans and Coloratura Billy Corgan and James Iha of The Smashing Pumpkins used on the songs Thru the Eyes of Ruby Sinfony Soma Drown Perfect Daphne Descends Stand Inside Your Love Speed Kills as well as in many live versions of songs Wayne Hussey used extensively throughout his recorded output with both The Mission and The Sisters of Mercy the songs Wasteland and Marian being two prime examples Also known to have used it on acoustic guitars and electric 12 strings The Edge of U2 on the studio and live versions of The Unforgettable Fire During the Joshua Tree and Lovetown tours he used it on their hit song With or Without You replacing the Infinite Guitar used on the original studio recording He has also used guitars with sustainer pickups and effects in live performances Ty Tabor of King s X uses the chrome EBow extensively live and throughout the band s catalog notably on songs such as A Box Cigarettes Legal Kill The Burning Down Not Just for the Dead Jenny Sooner Or Later and the psychedelic intro to In The New Age Paul Reynolds formerly of A Flock of Seagulls used it extensively with A Flock of Seagulls most noticeably on Wishing If I Had a Photograph of You Steve Rothery of Marillion in a number of tracks including on the 1985 UK Number One album Misplaced Childhood the song The King of Sunset Town and the ending part of Seasons End both from the 1989 Seasons End album and also throughout the song You re Gone from the 2004 Marbles album Rob Dean of Japan used it on Quiet Life and Gentlemen Take Polaroids John Haughm of Agalloch on the songs Odal Limbs Sowilo Rune and Faustian Echoes Guitarist John Ellis has used the EBow frequently Some of his performances include the extensive EBow aided guitar parts on the Judge Smith album Curly s Airships and on his own 2013 album Sly Guitar Vinnie Moore in the songs Rain The Maze In the Healing Garden Fear and Trepidation Over My Head and Into the Sunset in the studios and during live performances Paul Stanley of KISS on his first solo album Paul Stanley in 1978 John Petrucci on the Dream Theater song Space Dye Vest from the album Awake He has also used it on the tracks Finally Free Disappear and The Ministry of Lost Souls 16 Eddie Vedder in the Pearl Jam songs Wishlist Rearviewmirror and World Wide Suicide Munaf Rayani of the post rock band Explosions in the Sky in various songs including The Moon Is Down Memorial and Be Comfortable Creature Brad Delson of Linkin Park on the song No More Sorrow from Minutes to Midnight Linkin Park album Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit on songs like Hold On for ambience and for manipulating the feedback in the intro of Boiler Russell Lissack of Bloc Party on the songs Song for Clay Uniform and Biko Peter Buck of R E M on several songs including Walk Unafraid from the album Up and E Bow the Letter from the album New Adventures in Hi Fi Georg Holm of Sigur Ros in various songs including Untitled 6 from the album sometimes referred to as E Bow Peter Holmstrom of The Dandy Warhols in multiple songs including on a Fender Bass VI on Godless and as a guest musician for Daydream Machine on their song Twin Idols Brody Uttley of Rivers of Nihil in various songs namely on Suntold and Death Is Real Guitarists Wata and Takeshi of the Japanese band Boris use e bows on various recordings and in concert Troy Donockley of the symphonic metal band Nightwish has used EBows live to imitate the violin solos from songs such as While Your Lips Are Still Red and The Greatest Show on Earth Noel Gallagher of Oasis used the e bow on Don t Look Back in Anger and Champagne Supernova on the album What s The Story Morning Glory Michael Belfer of Black Lab used the e bow on Time Ago Anything and Ten Million Years on the album Your Body Above Me Todd Rundgren used the Ebow on Roger Powell s track Morning Chorus from Powell s album Air Pocket Fred Giannelli from Psychic TV used the E bow on the song Bliss from the LP Towards the Infinite Beat References edit The Amazing EBow FAQ Ebow com Retrieved 31 July 2015 String instrument vibration initiator and sustainer Patents google com Retrieved 15 March 2021 The Amazing EBow SoundClips Ebow com Retrieved 31 July 2015 SRG Resonator 2015 via YouTube Stealth Pro Overview Sustainiac com Retrieved 18 February 2023 Vibesware Guitar Feedback Playing Vibesware com Retrieved 18 February 2023 The Rough Guide to Rock Rough Guides 2003 ISBN 9781858284576 Retrieved 31 July 2015 Sullivan Burke Rory April 2022 The Light Pours Out of Me The Authorised Biography of John McGeoch Omnibus Press p 108 ISBN 978 1913172664 Brewster Will 2 June 2020 The Story of the EBow in 7 Tracks Mixdown Retrieved 2020 09 27 From The Desk Of Richard Barone My EBow And Me Magnetmagazine com 9 October 2013 Retrieved 18 February 2023 There s Only One An Interview with Daniel Ash Collideartandculture com 16 May 2018 Retrieved 18 February 2023 Pink Floyd Fan Pink Floyd Fan Blog Archived from the original on June 20 2012 Retrieved April 30 2012 CorFuhler solo piano Bimhuis nl Retrieved 31 March 2016 Olga Neuwirth Hooloomooloo Stefandrees de Retrieved 31 July 2015 Karlheinz Essl Sequitur XIII 2009 for extended piano and live electronics Essl at Retrieved 31 July 2015 Dream Theater Making of Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence 4 Disappear Retrieved 18 February 2023 via YouTube External links editEBow website EBow Technical Analysis EBow entry on Wikibooks Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title EBow amp oldid 1185294348, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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