The Steel Guitar Forum

I need a string (violin/fiddle) effect, and I've heard about the ebow. Is it effective, does it work, would you recommend it?

Or, can you recommend something else?

Thanks for your advice!!!

TommyG in Tennessee

Hi, Tommy, despite their promo, for me it's hard to get a convincing "violin" sound from an Ebow on steel, more of a flute or oboe thing, or ethereal sounds similar to a theremin. I just love it for that. For a great example, check out Emmons' gorgeous "Once Upon A Time In The West" from the Live Scotty's '77 convention album.

If you're going for string section sounds, I'd explore the old Bosstone trick with slightly detuned unison strings, and treble rolled off your amp. There are stellar examples on Jeff Newman's old albums.
For single note smooth violin parts, you should be able to get close enough with an Ebow. Two string hoedown style fiddle, not so much.

This is my recording of Debussy's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun."

There are just 3 instruments on it, steel, guitar, (a B-bender a tele with a humbucker in the neck position,) and bass. I used an E-bow extensively on both guitar and steel. The piece is 12 minutes long, and contains many passages throughout that use the E-bow.

http://www.perlowinmusic.com/DebussyAft ... faFaun.mp3

Mike, this is the most soothing and relaxing music I've ever heard. To be honest, at first I was not allowing myself yo enjoy it because it was not Haggard. But at about 2 minutes on, it was great!!!

Thanks so much...Please post more!!!

TommyG in Tennessee

I use one on stage for the intro to Settle For a Slowdown (Dierks Bentley) and Dierks also has it for an intro on Gonna Get There Someday on one of his albums...can't remember which album. I still call them albums! Ha!

Sometimes ebows are used with a bit of distortion. Alot of people used the old Bosstone which had more of a buzz sound than true distortion...or at least it does to my ears. I have one of those things too laying around somewhere. Might give a little more of a fiddle effect with it, but I don't know...I wouldn't expect much if I were you.

Buddy played Mansion on The Hill with an ebow solo in the middle. Just beautiful. That's probably the first time I ever heard one.

Thank you Tommy. I'm glad you like it. I've said many times, the steel is not a country instrument, it is an instrument, period, capable of playing many different kinds of music. I've chosen to explore classical music. Other players are doing rock, jazz new age etc.

There are 5 more MP3s of my stuff on my web site, (2 from each CD) plus a link to another site with even more. (And if you are interested, b0b is selling all 3 of my CDs.)

Here are to links to 2 You Tube videos of other players who are also playing classical music. The first is our fellow forumite Doug "Ernest Bovine" Livingston. The second is a gentleman from Japan, and I know nothing about him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IpDY3qX ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XqBXd6n ... re=related

This afternoon I got more that an opinion on the Ebow. Mike I found NEW music.

Thanks to Tim and Mike!!!

TommyG in Tennessee

Tim Sergent wrote:
Buddy played Mansion on The Hill with an ebow solo in the middle. Just beautiful. That's probably the first time I ever heard one.

He also used it on "Once Upon A Time In The West." Also Beautiful.

Another album worth checking out for it's wonderful and creative use of the E-bow is Maurice Anderson's "Universal Direction."

The only word to describe it is exquisite.

I've noticed several posts in the past that mentioned the buzzy fuzz of the Bosstone and how unlike a fiddle it sounds... indeed, single note lines just sound like fuzzed single notes. Check out vintage Buddy Cage for some of that.
The "string section" sound popularized on record and the Opry stage in the 70's comes from using the Bosstone or similar fuzz, picking two unison strings (often one pulled with a pedal, as 1st string and 4th with pedal C), rolling off the high end at the amp, and slightly angling the bar so the unison tones beat against each other, in a simulation of the vibrato a string section would produce. A lower string combination produces a credible cello sound. It does not sound like a solo violin or fiddle, but rather a more syrupy section sound, similar to 60's pop recordings. Amazingly effective, to the point where I understand lawsuits were threatened by the String player's union against studios in Nashville for using solitary steelers instead of string sections on Master Sessions.

On a visit to the Opry around '77, I asked Hal and Weldon how they accomplished their sweet string simulations on the fly. He sat me down right between he and Weldon, and they proceeded to do it right then and there- one starting on the tonic, the other on the third or fifth of the current chord, and simply following the changes slowly changing the notes to fit the chord of the moment.
Amazingly realistic and cool.

Yes he did, Mike...and VERY WELL I might add. Both "Mansion on the Hill" and "Once Upon a Time in the West" are both on YouTube. I would post the link if I weren't so computer ignorant. I just typed in Buddy Emmons Once Upon a Time in the West and Mansion on the Hill and they both popped up. What a master he his!!!

This is a good example of E-bow use, on Red Steagall's "The rain don't ever stop in Oklahoma". Pretty sure it's Buddy Emmons.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCEFqxvncAU

I still have a steel ebow that works. I bought it in 1978. What is really cool about having two drive channels is getting that old Moog sound on strings 8 & 10 and then sliding up an octave. I also set it on two higher strings while picking two lower strings to get an orchestra sound. I think it is a great tool if used sparingly.

Tom Stolaski wrote:I still have a steel ebow that works.

Those things are pretty rare. The guy who made them told me he only made 200 of them, and 15 of those didn't work, so only 185 were ever sold.

Here's BE with Mansion on the Hill:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7MZmHjVMq0

The eBow part starts around 2:40.

The best single string fiddle sound I've ever heard played on steel was on the 'Bobbe Seymour and Gene O,neal live' VHS video. Mr Rob Parker sang the song a'A Way To Survive' and Bobbe looks at the fiddle player to ask if he wants to take a solo, the fiddle player say's no, and Bobbe plays a couple of bars using single string notes, and sounds just like a fiddle. I think he was using a Bosstone. I've owned an original Bosstone, and the the modern ones, and after trying for several years, I finally gave up. I just never could get that fiddle sound. Not close enough for my satisfaction anyway.
terry

I occasionally use an elbow.

Wasn't this audio blend of separate distorted square wave-ish sounds (two distinct single note waves, NOT distortion applied to a more complex multi note wave form) what makes it work, requiring two steelers..or in Buddy E's case , his "String Thing" with its completely separate single-string mini pick ups mounted above the strings on adjustable arms? Saw one once on eBay years ago, would have been a cool thing to try.

I think you'd also need separate amps to really make it work right...????