The Steel Guitar Forum

Paul Brainard:

A great idea! I had limited my 'EBow' thoughts to "adjacent" strings...like 5 and 6. Your idea opens up all sorts of possibilities. I'm ready when you're ready. I want one of your gizmos!

Best regards,

bUd

When I got back into playing steel about 4 years ago after a long hiatus, I was surprised that the 2 stringer was no longer made.

There have to be a lot more steelers out there today to support such a device--or better yet, the 10 stringer--that it would warrant producing something like that.

I'd be one of the first on the waiting list.

If you do some searches on "sustainers" you'll find a lot of people messing around with similar things, mostly for guitar. Basically it's a feedback amplifier that takes the signal coming from your guitar, amplifies it, and sends it back as an electromagnetic signal (basically a backwards pickup.)An ebow has 2 poles, one a pickup & one an "activator." To do this for individual strings you need a separate pole for each one - I figure you could just tap into the output of your pickup for the generating signal. But midi pickups are a possibility for the "activator" since the individual strings are separated.

There's one device called the Sustaniac that provides physical feedback and bolts on to the headstock of a guitar, I though about tyring that for steel but the builder doesn't think it would work unless you have fretted strings to transmit the vibrations.

All it would take really is a quick trip to Radio Shack. . .

I'd buy a 2 string one in a second... I have 4 single string units...

Paul,

Is the Sustainiac builder forgetting that the tone bar would provide the 'vibrations' similar to frets? I think it might work just fine. Go for it, Paul.

Thanks for your efforts.

bUd

I am in the process of putting a Fernandes Sustainer on my Fender; It is a pickup shaped device that vibrates all the strings over it at once, and you mute the ones you don't want. Not going to be easy to learn to use though.

Bud, I have to think that the Sustaniac would work at least somewhat on a steel, but the builder said he had considered it - maybe even tried it, I'm not sure. They run a few hundred bucks so I'm hesitant to order one when I've been warned not to & might not be able to return it if it doesn't work out. Maybe if I can find one to try. . .

Keith, same idea, the main difference with what I'm thinking of is being able to turn individual strings on & off. Maybe I'll add a switch to turn them all on at once. Have fun with yours!

I'm sure it will be fun. I still want to see the Ebow though, if it ever becomes possible. Enough interest and it should be a no brainer.

funny I was lloking in the vintage guitar guide today and the pedal steel ebow is listed in there...they took the time to put it in the book...

BTW it was listed at about $50-100 as far as value

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Regular Rig: 60's Versatone Pan-O-Flex Amplifier, '85 Fender Tele Custom, '98 USA Fender Strat, Magnatone G-70, Harmony Steel, Silvertone Steel, Sho-Bud Maverick

That is hilarious, Mike. I'll double that if anyone wants to "take advantage of me" and sell one.

Well I went ahead and got a Sustainiac model C to try, they charge a $20 restocking fee to send it back so I thought I'd at least find out if it worked. It's pretty cool, but I don't think I'll keep it. This is the model with a floor box and a transducer that clamps on to the guitar & provides physcial feedback, which is a great idea. The problem is it's hard to drive the body of a pedal steel. Also the feedback tends to turn into a high-pitched harmonic fairly quickly. It actually worked quite well on my little Magnatone Troubador lap. Anyway I'll post it in For Sale in case anyone else wants to check it out but otherwise I'll send it back.

PS I've been looking for a source for the input & output coils that are used in an Ebow, the company won't sell them & I don't know if they are available otherwise but if anyone has an idea please let me know!

I have one but it's not for sale. I use it fairly often.

Hey Paul, I'd like to work on this project with you if you're interested! I'll be on tour until June, but after that...let me know. I'm fairly handy with a soldering iron.