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Author Topic:  anyone else having poor results with Ebow?
Leonard Imbery


From:
British Columbia, Canada
Post  Posted 30 Aug 2007 4:22 pm    
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Hi all....I'm new here and just bought a new pedal steel as well as an ebow...something that I've always wanted to try....
my Ebow however seems to work ok on the lower (fatter) strings but I can't seem to get the g string to start vibrating unless I actually give it a bit of a pluck first....
I was expecting each string to immediately start swelling once the Ebow was placed over it....I even made sure to replace the battery thinking that perhaps it was weak.....
Len
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Jay Fagerlie


From:
Lotus, California, USA
Post  Posted 31 Aug 2007 4:46 am    
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That's the nature of the beast, Len.
Stick with it, after awhile you'll be able to incorporate 'jump starting' a string into your technique, it will become second nature.
Jay
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Donny Hinson

 

From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 31 Aug 2007 5:03 am    
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Just a word of caution...

When using the Ebow, keep it away from your pickup. This thing works by generating a pulsating magnetic field, and there's a possibility that, in time, it might weaken the magnets in your pickup if it was held too close to them. Shocked
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James Mayer


From:
back in Portland Oregon, USA (via Arkansas and London, UK)
Post  Posted 31 Aug 2007 6:15 am    
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Leonard,

After a while, you'll find the "sweet spot" that will get the string vibrating immediately. I usually place it with the back of the eBow about a half-inch in front of my pickup, while pressing down just a little till I feel the vibration set in.

I've noticed that some steels don't start as quickly and that some amps don't react as well to the ebow.
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Bryan Daste


From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
Post  Posted 4 Sep 2007 12:09 am    
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On some strings I find you can "jumpstart" the eBow by lightly pressing it downward, making a brief contact with the string you want to hear. With a little practice this can be easier than plucking the string with your finger.
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Keith Cordell


From:
San Diego
Post  Posted 4 Sep 2007 7:01 am    
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I've been using one for years; they can be cussedly stubborn. If your strings are a heavier gauge it can be harder to get the note started. Your description sounds like you are looking for the note to start immediately, and that doesn't happen; it takes a second to get it going. You'll get a feel for how hard to push on the strings to ge he optimum response but try to get it down just a bit without touching the string. It'll come.
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Bo Borland


From:
South Jersey -
Post  Posted 4 Sep 2007 5:57 pm    
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I always wanted to try one, so i tried it.. I thought it was interesting, but it was hardly worth taking time away from real practice & playing to make it work to its potential. Just my opinion.
_________________
Bo Borland
Rittenberry SD10 , Derby D-10, Quilter TT12, Peavey Session 400 w/ JBL, NV112, Fender Blues Jr. , 1974 Dobro 60N squareneck, Rickenbacher NS lapsteel, 1973 Telecaster Thinline, 1979 blonde/black Frankenstrat
Currently picking with
Mason Dixon Band masondixonband.net
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