E-bow and MFDs?

[patricks]

Hi all,

I've been messing with an e-bow (http://www.ebow.com/home.php) this afternoon on my Tribute Comanche, and I've found that there's a resonant frequency that gets really obvious when the e-bow is over the "hot-spot" (just over the pole pieces). The sound samples in the instructions were made with an alnico humbucker and it doesn't sound harsh, but I'm not sure whether it's my inconsistent technique, the fact that MFDs are a bit different, or whether the z-coil layout of the pickup on the Comanche has something to do with it.

Has anyone else tried an e-bow with a G&L outfitted with MFDs?

Cheers
Pat

[KenC]

After a brief and unpleasant experiment, I've concluded that E-bows and MFDs don't mix. I tried my E-bow (bought new in the late '90s) with nearly every type of MFD guitar pickup made in the 1980s, run straight into a silver face Fender Champ. I wouldn't have called any of the the MFDs playable with the E-bow. The volume increase with the E-bow was extreme - to the point that I could hear my '82 SC-2 with the volume all the way down. Dialing the volume in around 1 with the E-bow gave about the same volume as using a pick with the volume on 10. The approach to the hot spot is too abrupt for me to get volume swells; it's more of an on-off. I could also hear what sounded like scraping just before and after the E-bow passed over a pickup.

I didn't try a G-200 humbucker, Comanche z-coil or Leo-era ASAT Classic. My mid-90s ASAT Classic didn't do any better than the other MFDs. Oddly, the best MFD-equipped guitar I tried was a Cavalier. I got somewhat better results on a Superhawk's Schaller, but that still wasn't anything I would call E-bow friendly.

Ken

[patricks]

Thanks, Ken, that lines up with my experience, too. Glad to know I'm not the only one!
I've got a 2013 model E-bow and the volume difference isn't too extreme, but there aren't really many useful sounds to be had with an MFD. The approach to the hot spot is still pretty abrupt and I've noticed the scraping/scratching sound over the pole pieces, too.

After some more messing around today, I got a couple of half decent sounds - mostly in the "swarm of angry bees through a fuzz pedal" ballpark. No way I can do cello/flute/horn imitations like they have on the website, though. I'm sure that one day I'll be looking for a particular sound and the E-bow will be perfect, it's just not good for much else in the meantime

Cheers
Pat

[KenC]

Most of my E-bow playing had been on an Epiphone Genesis with humbuckers, and a 1970s Japanese Strat copy. Both of those guitars worked well for the typical E-bow swells and sustained notes, but both moved out a while ago to make room for G&Ls.

I did get reasonable volume with an SC-1. The pickup is too close to the bridge to get "hot spot" string vibrations, but it would slowly begin to vibrate with the E-bow up where the bridge pup would be on an SC-2. The response was too slow to be useful, though.

My E-bow + MFD experiences were in the "angry bees through a fuzz pedal" ballpark, but I just couldn't control the volume. Please keep me posted if you find any more tricks.

Ken

[patricks]

Will do

[patricks]

Reviving the thread because I just spent a wonderful evening messing around with the e-bow and found a use for it on MFDs.
I used it with my Tribute L-2500 bass, through a slow moving phaser, a delay (with modulation in the tails) and a plate reverb. It does a very good, quite gnarly sounding effect that, with subtle changes in right hand position, you can move from an atmospheric wash, to a drone/pad-type sound or squealing, harmonically rich ambient noise. Tonight was entirely experimenting to see what I could get out of it, but hopefully tomorrow I'll get something recorded

[JD0x0]

Never used mine with MFD's that I can remember. They do recommend to use them with humbuckers, but I find I prefer them with single coils. My main guitar for ebay is a custom tele build with overwound alnico single coils. Sounds very good, much more pleasant than it does with my humbucker guitars, for some reason.