using ebow with piezo pickups

Started by Howcome, July 08, 2012, 04:39:51 AM

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Howcome

..did anybody ever notice that ebows don't work on the piezo pickups?

rolandvg99

#1
It should work with piezos as it uses a magnetic field to vibrate the string creating infinite sustain, but not as drastic as placing it above a magnetic pickup. It will however NOT work with nonmagnetic strings. Multiacs with nylonstrings is a no-go, hence the myth that it won't work with piezoz.
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vanceg

Quote from: Howcome on July 08, 2012, 04:39:51 AM
..did anybody ever notice that ebows don't work on the piezo pickups?

Sure they do. That is, they vibrate the strings just fine.  What doesn't work is driving the pickup directly by placing the ebow above the pickup the way you can with a magnetic pickup.

drjoness2001

Well, I am going to have to jump in here and disagree a bit. Having just spent quit a bit of time studying the Roland sustain system for the vintage GR website, I would state this:

1) The ebow requires a moving metal string to work. The input coil in the ebow is similar to the pickup in your guitar. The moving metal string induces current flow in the input coil, which is then amplified and used to drive the guitar string at the same frequency.

2) The ebow will not work with a piezo guitar using nylon strings. There is no way to either sense the frequency of the nylon string electrically, or to drive it to continue to sustain.

Brent Flash

I don't think anyone has said they work with nylon strings, in fact just the opposite.  ???

Elantric

#5
I used an EBow with my old Variax 700 steel string, works ok
But because the Variax 700 only has a piezo pickup , You will miss the Growl that occurrs when the EBow is used on top of the Neck Mag PU. The EBow changes tone as it encounters outside magnetic flux fields, and these outside flux fields are absent on the old Variax 700, since it lacks Magnetic pickups. 


Elantric

#6
I've used Ebows with Acoustic guitars too.

But it should be obvious to anyone who studied a basic science course, Nylon strings will not work with an EBow.

Howcome

I am using steel strings, allright, on a Godin lgxt.
It appeared to me that the PCM/synth sounds are a whole lot weaker when using my ebow. If I gain up the original humbuckers, it will blast away. That's why my remark on the ebow not working with piezos..


rolandvg99

Quote from: Howcome on July 10, 2012, 03:35:14 AM
I am using steel strings, allright, on a Godin lgxt.
It appeared to me that the PCM/synth sounds are a whole lot weaker when using my ebow. If I gain up the original humbuckers, it will blast away. That's why my remark on the ebow not working with piezos..

So, we all agree that it work, but not in the same fashion as using regular magnetics.  ;)
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Elantric

QuoteIt appeared to me that the PCM/synth sounds are a whole lot weaker when using my ebow.

Weaker than what? Picking?

Here I can get infinite sustain using ebow.

Remember the classic "Ebow Tone' which occurs when driving the Ebow above the Neck Magentic PU will not be possible  using Piezos.

But infinite sustain is very possible when using an Ebow with piezo guitars driving MIDI synths.
As I said before - i can get infinite sustain on an Acoustic guitar with an Ebow.

Elantric

Just to add

Paul Vo has recently introduced an alternative to eBow

The Paul Vo WAND, that has far more energy and more uses compared to the old E-Bow.


shawnb

Quote from: Howcome on July 10, 2012, 03:35:14 AM
It appeared to me that the PCM/synth sounds are a whole lot weaker when using my ebow.

Ah, now your OP makes sense.  Most of the answers above apply to using your ebow with your mag pu - NOT with PCM triggered voices.   

Yes, the signal will be weaker than plucking.   You can do it though.  To get a louder output you may need to find a way to get a louder trigger in there at the beginning of the note, either a good hammeron or pluck.   You may need to use a volume pedal (or Steve Howe's pinky-wrapped-around-the-vol-knob technique) to bring the volume in after the pluck registers a high velocity.

It will take more practice & technique than using an ebow with a mag pu.   
Address the process rather than the outcome.  Then, the outcome becomes more likely.   - Fripp