EBow EBow Plus

You probably know already what to expect from an EBow, and it's exactly that; a simple tool for creating infinite, violin-like sustain on a guitar. It does that beautifully! I bought one to add drones and string-quartet-esque harmonies to my music, and in the process of doing this, I came to realise the EBow is a touch more versatile than you might expect. There's quite a few secrets to getting some really varied stuff out of it!

For one, the device has two modes; one encourages more natural sustain, simply extending the note you play, but there's another mode that encourages rich upper harmonics to come into play. Now that's where things can get REALLY crazy!

How the EBow reacts with the pickups on your guitar is also very interesting; I'm not sure what exactly sure what about the pickups that causes this variation, but I've noticed on my own SSS guitar that the sustain is very mellow and ambient with my middle pickup sat beneath it, and bring out much more of the rich overtones and feedback-like sounds over the neck PUP. This likely won't be the same for you, but my point is, experiment! It's also worth noting that you don't have to have the pickup you're using with the EBow selected for it to work; yet another piece of the puzzle to solve!

I have two very minor complaints; the first is that the EBow itself is made out of a very flimsy feeling plastic (though I'm quietly grateful for this, as it feels surprisingly weighty once you get a battery into it!). The second is more a cautionary note than a complaint, but I feel you should be aware that the EBow causes the string to vibrate really very aggressively, which will likely mean that you will find it quite a bit louder than you usually are on your current setup. Again, not exactly an issue, but if you're in a very grumpy-neighbour-intensive area, I'd lower the volume a tad!

All in all, however, the EBow has made a fine addition to my ambient arsenal; there aren't many options to get this kind of sound, and the EBow sells for loose change compared to a special pickup system, and is a bit more unique than the effects pedals that try and capture the sound. Recommended!

I bought the e-bow just to try it. To tell the truth I saw a few bands performing with it, and I got interested.

Since I'm using ambiances in my music, specially in my next job, it seemed to be an interesting piece of equipment to have. At the moment I'm using Ableton, which is absolutely OK, but I wanted something more "human-made" if you catch my drift...

The thing is that I was absolutely impressed by the playability of the e-bow. It's really fun to play, and it has opened an unexpected new soundscape for me and my project. It works with guitars and basses. I'm already incorporating it in my music as a 'whole instrument'!!!

Another good thing is that there's a lot of tutorial, info, techniques available on youtube, etc, so it's quite easy to learn and one can start enjoying it very quickly.

Very happy with it, indeed. 100% recommend it.

Most of you will know what you are getting with this - the classic EBow and like most reasonably recent iterations, two modes: 'standard' and 'harmonic'. In actuality, both modes tend to drive harmonics above the fundamental of the note held, but 'harmonic' will always drive a harmonic one or two steps higher. It is not possible to be precise about this because it depends somewhat on the gauge and tension of the string, the note fretted and the position of the EBow along the string. The two modes are accessed via a three-position switch. The centre position turns it off. A blue LED on the front warns you when the EBow is on.
This EBow comes with several extras: a solid reusable box, a drawstring faux-velvet pouch, many stickers and a remarkably long instruction manual. The manual goes into some depth about playing techniques.
In short, this is still good value and you'll know you'll be getting the classic EBow. There are a range of experimental possibilities beyond the obvious applications with an EBow - I found that it is possible to sustain a tuning fork with an EBow!

If you like to create interesting textures, bed of sounds and adding something different to your songs, get an Ebow. It's probably not the kind of thing you'll build a song around but it will add a whole new layer of interesting textures to your music, especially if you're thinking of recording.
It works really well with delay, not so much with distortion/OD as the eBow itself adds some degree of overdrive. You might find it hard to figure out at the beginning but once you do, it's really easy to use.
I have found it works best on the G string and not so well on the high E. You can get some really dark, droning sounds from the low strings if you add some distortion.
It's only real downside is its fragility. It's basically a very light bit of fused plastic you hold in your hand. If you drop it, it could easily break in two pieces. The switch is also very weak so you want to be careful about putting it in your pocket or somewhere where it might get friction.

I really liked it. It produces sounds which immediately remind me of King Crimson, Anathema, and the intro from Damage Inc ;)
What I like about it is that it allows playing melodies that are more vocal or wind-like, very different from what I would otherwise play on a guitar. It's a different kind of expression.

Some facts I didn't know:
1. It works in pair with the pickup. It can drive any string, but it produces maximum output when pointed at pickup magnet poles, and it gets really loud there. Very loud.
2. When it's close to a pickup, it produces soft and pretty overdriven tone.
3. It works on one string at a time while resting on the neighboring two and muting them. It's possible to jump from string to string seamlessly, but that takes practice.
4. It has certain upper limit - notes above high E (12th fret on the first string) are quieter and excite more slowly, and notes above high B (19th fret) almost disappear.

I have been using this E-Bow for a few months now on electric guitar and bass and I am really surprised with its versatility. Firstly, the two settings allow for a range of uses on electric guitar. The standard resonance is great for long sustained notes, and when coupled with the right amp/pedal settings can produce really dreamy, ethereal sounds. The harmonic setting is great for producing controllable feedback sounds which are great in heavier songs. It is also really easy to control the volume of the guitar my moving the E-Bow further away from the string.

The E-Bow also works really well on bass guitar, however I find that the tone it produces sounds much more digital and lacks warmth. That being said, using bass pedals alongside the E-Bow has helped to shape the tone and I have found use for this and it works really well.