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Topic: Does Using an EBow Shorten String Life? |
Bobby Lee
From:
Cloverdale, California, USA
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Curt Langston
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Posted 3 May 2006 10:23 am |
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I thought the Ebow worked with a pulsating electromagnet. If so, I can't see how it could shorten string life. The pickup on the guitar is magnetic, so I would imagine it sould be fine. Maybe the fact that the Ebow causes continuous vibration, could wear(cause premature stretching) on the strings.
My friend used one for a couple of years, and he never mentioned it wearing out the striings any faster. |
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Billy Murdoch
From:
Glasgow, Scotland, U.K.
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Posted 3 May 2006 10:49 am
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The E Bow (energy bow)creates a field around a string which causes it to vibrate,I would doubt very much if the string life was affected.
However if the bow is held too close to the pickup it will cause deterioration of the pickup.
I am sure I read this on the Forum a short time ago,try a search in electronics.
Best regards
Billy |
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Robert Porri
From:
Windsor, Connecticut, USA
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Posted 3 May 2006 11:25 am
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I have a guitar EBow (as opposed to the version that had been made for PSG). I don't see where it would shorten string life any more than playing a string a lot would. I've never experienced a problem. Also, it's not something that would usually be used continuously (every song etc.) unless it was somebodies' "big thing" or whatever.
Something I found interesting is that I originally thought that the EBow interacted with the guitar pickup somehow (I might have even read something about pickups in the instructions), but it does work on an acoustic guitar. So it is apparently just the interaction of the EBow creating that "energy field" around the string. It's pretty cool using it on an acoustic also.
Bob P. |
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Ernie Renn
From:
Brainerd, Minnesota USA
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Posted 3 May 2006 12:00 pm
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If it does, it's so minimal. I regularly use and Ebow and haven't noticed any shortened string life.
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My best,
Ernie
www.BuddyEmmons.com |
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Smiley Roberts
From:
Hendersonville,Tn. 37075
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Posted 3 May 2006 12:07 pm
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I,also,own an E-Bow,& concur w/ all of the above answers. Besides,how many songs would you use it on? Maybe,one a night?
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~ ~
©¿© It don't mean a thang,
mm if it ain't got that twang.
www.ntsga.com
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Bobby Lee
From:
Cloverdale, California, USA
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Posted 3 May 2006 12:14 pm
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| This customer uses it a lot on his B string, and that's the only string on his guitar that breaks. Coincedence? |
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Smiley Roberts
From:
Hendersonville,Tn. 37075
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Posted 3 May 2006 12:22 pm
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BTW b0b,shouldn't this topic go under "Electronics"? Tsk,tsk. Shame,shame b0b. 
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~ ~
©¿© It don't mean a thang,
mm if it ain't got that twang.
www.ntsga.com
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Robert Porri
From:
Windsor, Connecticut, USA
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Posted 3 May 2006 12:33 pm
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Interesting about the B string problem. The only thing I can think to ask him, is if it happened before he started using the EBow.
Bob P. |
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Archie Nicol R.I.P.
From:
Ayrshire, Scotland
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Posted 3 May 2006 2:09 pm
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No, It didn't. Tonight I broke my first 11 in nearly two years. So, perhaps I've just been lucky with all but the fifth string.
And yes, I still got a fright.[This message was edited by Archie Nicol on 03 May 2006 at 03:19 PM.] |
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 3 May 2006 2:32 pm
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Archie,
Check the mechanics on the 5th string..Maybe a burr, or some abnormality that is causing the string to break ? Maybe a particularly long pull that just wears on the string that is used on a regular basis ?....Just a guess .....Jim [This message was edited by James Quackenbush on 03 May 2006 at 03:33 PM.] |
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Curt Langston
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Posted 3 May 2006 3:31 pm
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quote:
Archie,
Check the mechanics on the 5th string..Maybe a burr, or some abnormality that is causing the string to break ? Maybe a particularly long pull that just wears on the string that is used on a regular basis ?....Just a guess .....Jim
Is this guitar keyed? If so, that is probably the reason for the breakage. On some of the longer headed keyed guitars, that 5 string really has to stretch.
Just a thought. |
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Gareth Carthew
From:
West Sussex, UK
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Posted 3 May 2006 3:41 pm
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If you're interested...from a technical point of view...Using an ebow will cause the string to vibrate. Perhaps more so than if it were played without it. So yes, technically, if the string is set to vibrate more often with the ebow than without it it will shorten the string life. Everytime the string flexes it "work hardens". Hardening makes the metal brittle and eventually it will break.
However the figures we're talking about here are tiny. A string will fracture due to being continually stretched and relaxed long befor the effects of normal vibration would affect it. So for all practical intents and purposes the use of an ebow should show no difference to the player at all.
G[This message was edited by Gareth Carthew on 03 May 2006 at 04:42 PM.] |
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Archie Nicol R.I.P.
From:
Ayrshire, Scotland
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Posted 3 May 2006 4:01 pm
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Yes. It is keyed, but it is a U-12, so the sixth string has further to go(although not by as much) and it hasn't bust.
As they say. `It's just one of those things`.
Thanks for all your replies to my....? Sorry! b0b's post.
Arch.
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Eric West
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 4 May 2006 4:58 am
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I tried one and my strings all went dead within 45 minutes. They came back to life after break..
EJL |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 4 May 2006 1:19 pm
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All an E-Bow might do (and I say "might") is to magnetize the string slightly, but that wouldn't effect the string life. Of course, if you're doing more pedaling on the "B" string as you're using it, that might make it break more often. I tend to think, as others do, that it's a burr somewhere that's causing the problem, or just a bad lot of strings.  |
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Archie Nicol R.I.P.
From:
Ayrshire, Scotland
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Jody Carver
From:
KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED
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Posted 4 May 2006 2:58 pm
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Question
How and where can I buy an E bow??
Anyone?? |
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Cliff Kane
From:
the late great golden state
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David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
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Posted 5 May 2006 2:21 am
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The real stress on a strings is when we bend
and suddenly release it with a pick,
this is often much more stress at the picking point,
but also at the nut and bridge.
This instantaneous force is also inconsitent,
sometimes much more than intended or recomended.
The Ebow on the other hand excites the string,
but in a much slower fashion,
So it's attacks are nearly non-existant.
at most it goes to the strings confortable
resonance, and not much farther.
So there is less abrupt force, and a more consistant smooth vibration.
This is likened to popping the clutch all the time in your car,
or having a super smooth automatic.
[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 05 May 2006 at 03:22 AM.] |
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Gareth Carthew
From:
West Sussex, UK
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Posted 6 May 2006 11:06 am
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It would of course be fair to say that *everything* affects string life to some extent by one means or another.
My worst as a lead guitarist has always been "rusty fingers" (a real nightmare for an engineer).
I'll be interested to see how much of a nuisance that is for me on PSG. At least I won't be fretting them with my fingers but I'm sure that just damping with the left hand will be enough to tarnish them quickly in my case.
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Archie Nicol R.I.P.
From:
Ayrshire, Scotland
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Posted 7 May 2006 4:22 pm
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| Gareth. No sweat. |
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Gareth Carthew
From:
West Sussex, UK
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Posted 8 May 2006 6:58 am
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boom boom! lol 
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Dean Parks
From:
Sherman Oaks, California, USA
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Posted 8 May 2006 2:16 pm
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| Could it be that the B-strings break because he's working the **** out of the B-string? |
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Nathan Delacretaz
From:
Austin, Texas, USA
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Posted 8 May 2006 6:20 pm
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I have and love an eBow, but have found that the effect on steel is kinda lost (compared to on a 6-string), since there's so much more inherent sustain on steel to begin with. Plus your hands are already more than full....
This said, an eBow used judiciously on a 6-string with nice humbuckers is a thing a of beauty...The only thing I go through with my eBow is batteries! : )
Cheers,
Nathan[This message was edited by Nathan Delacretaz on 08 May 2006 at 07:20 PM.] |
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