E-Bow
Encyclopedia
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, invented by Greg Heet in 1969. Instead of having the strings hit by the fingers or a pick
Guitar pick
A guitar pick is a plectrum used for guitars. A pick is generally made of one uniform material; examples include plastic, nylon, rubber, felt, tortoiseshell, wood, metal, glass, and stone...
, they are moved by the electromagnetic field created by the device, producing a sound reminiscent of using a bow on the strings
Bowed guitar
Bowed guitar is a method of playing a guitar, acoustic or electric, in which the guitarist uses a bow to play the instrument, similar to playing a cello or a viola da gamba. Unlike other bowed instruments, the guitar has a flat bridge, making it difficult to bow individual notes on the middle strings...
.
The EBow is used to produce a variety of sounds not usually playable on an electric guitar. These sounds are created by a string driver which gets its input signal by an internal pickup which works like a guitar pickup. Its output signal
is amplified and drives the other coil which amplifies the string vibrations. With this feedback loop the player can
create a reminiscent string vibration.
By varying the EBow's linear position on the string, the user can change the sound due to the changing string harmonic along
different positions of a vibrating string. Fading in and out by lowering and raising the EBow is also possible. Furthermore, starting with the current generation of EBow (PlusEBow, the 4th edition EBow), the user also gains an additional mode known as harmonic mode, which produces a higher harmonic sound instead of the fundamental note. This is achieved by reversing the signal phase to the driving coil which dampens the string's fundamental frequency and creates higher harmonics.
Many different artists have used the EBow in a wide variety of musical styles. One of the first notable users was Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett
Steve Hackett
Stephen Richard Hackett is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. He gained prominence as a member of the British progressive rock group Genesis, which he joined in 1970 and left in 1977 to pursue a solo career...
, who used the device on "The Carpet Crawlers
The Carpet Crawlers
"The Carpet Crawlers", also sometimes listed as "Carpet Crawl", "The Carpet Crawl" or "Carpet Crawlers", is a song originally from the 1974 Genesis concept album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway...
" from the band's 1974 album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
The Lamb Lies down on Broadway
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is a double concept album recorded and released in 1974 by the British rock band Genesis. It was their sixth studio album and the last album by the group to feature the involvement of lead singer Peter Gabriel.-Premise:...
. Another early pioneer of EBow playing was Max Sunyer, who used it in a 1978 live album "Iceberg en directe", recorded and released in Spain Picap
Picap
PICAP is a Catalan record label headquartered in Castellar del Vallès, Spain. It was founded in 1984.- History :PICAP supports Catalonian authors and performers...
. It was used later on by Bill Nelson
Bill Nelson (musician)
Bill Nelson is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer, painter and experimental musician...
, who introduced it to Stuart Adamson
Stuart Adamson
Stuart Adamson , born William Stuart Adamson, was an English-born Scottish guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter, described by legendary music journalist John Peel as “Britain’s answer to Jimi Hendrix”...
of The Skids
The Skids
Skids were an art-punk/punk rock and new wave band from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, founded in 1977 by Stuart Adamson , William Simpson , Thomas Kellichan and Richard Jobson...
. Adamson went on to use it with Big Country
Big Country
Big Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife in 1981. They were most popular in the early to mid-1980s, but they still release material for a cult following...
. Contemporary Christian performer Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy is an American acoustic and electric guitarist and vocalist who has released more than 50 albums and contributed to many more recordings in both the contemporary Christian music and mainstream markets...
is also a prolific user of the EBow, more notably in his 1979 instrumental release The Master & The Musician, which features many different sounds created with the EBow. The EBow is frequently used by Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
guitarist Ed O'Brien
Ed O'Brien
Edward John O'Brien is an English musician, songwriter and guitarist for the rock band Radiohead. He is also responsible for harmony vocals during live concerts and on many tracks from the band's albums...
in live performances of songs such as All I Need. It has also been used on Opeth's
Opeth
Opeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years...
2001 album Blackwater Park
Blackwater Park
Blackwater Park is the fifth studio album by Swedish progressive death metal band Opeth. It was released on February 27, 2001 through Music for Nations and Koch Records...
, in order to create ambient background melodies.
Besides its appearance in Rock and Jazz music, the EBow also made its way in the domain of contemporary art music, being used by John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
in his harp piece A Postcard from Heaven (1982), Karlheinz Essl
Karlheinz Essl
Karlheinz Essl is an Austrian composer, performer, sound artist, improviser and composition teacher.- Biography :Essl was born in Vienna. His studies at the University of Music in Vienna included: composition , electro-acoustic music and double bass...
in Sequitur VIII (2008) for electric guitar and live-electronics, Elliott Sharp
Elliott Sharp
Elliott Sharp is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, and performer.A central figure in the avant-garde and experimental music scene in New York City since the late 1970s, Sharp has released over eighty-five recordings ranging from blues, jazz, and orchestral music to noise, no wave rock,...
on SFERICS (1996), Arnold Dreyblatt
Arnold Dreyblatt
Arnold Dreyblatt is an American composer and visual artist. He studied music with Pauline Oliveros, La Monte Young, Alvin Lucier and media art with Steina and Woody Vasulka. He has been based in Berlin, Germany since 1984...
in E-Bow Blues (released 1998) and David First
David First
David First is an American composer. His music most often deals with drones and interference beats, the latter aligning his music with that of Alvin Lucier...
in A Bet on Transcendence Favors the House (2008).
While the EBow is not normally used with the electric bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, which has heavier strings, Michael Manring
Michael Manring
Michael Manring is an American electric bassist from the San Francisco Bay Area, .-Biography:...
(who uses light bass strings) has persevered, and it features heavily on his 1995 album Thönk. He has even been known to use two at once.
Although the EBow is most commonly played on the electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
because of the ease of use and the responsiveness obtainable from the pickup, it has also been used in applications with the steel-string acoustic guitar
Steel-string acoustic guitar
A steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound...
. For example, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
guitarist David Gilmour
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
used one on his Gibson J-200
Gibson J-200
Gibson J-200 is an acoustic guitar model produced by the Gibson Guitar Corporation.Gibson entered into production of this model in 1938 as its top-of-the-line flat top guitar, initially called the Super Jumbo, changing the name in 1939 to the Super Jumbo 200. It was made at the Gibson Factory in...
acoustic in the 1994 song Take It Back
Take It Back
"Take It Back" is a song from Pink Floyd's 1994 album, The Division Bell.-Equipment:Guitarist David Gilmour used an E-bow on a Gibson J-200 acoustic guitar that is processed through a Zoom effects box, then directly injected into the board.-Personnel:...
to great effect. Generally an acoustic guitar gives a limited response for varying reasons, including the density and spacing of the guitar strings. But despite these limitations, using an EBow on an acoustic guitar gives a rich, flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
and clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
-like tone with a slow-swelling response.
Composer Luciano Chessa
Luciano Chessa
Luciano Chessa is a composer, performer, and musicologist.As a composer, conductor, pianist, and musical saw / Vietnamese dan bau soloists, Luciano Chessa has been active in Europe, the U.S., and Australia...
employs EBows regularly in his music for solo Vietnamese dan bau.
Furthermore, an EBow can also be utilised on a grand piano (with depressed sustain pedal) in order to create sustained sinusoidal sounds as it was used by Olga Neuwirth
Olga Neuwirth
Olga Neuwirth is an Austrian composer.As a child at the age of seven, Neuwirth began lessons on trumpet. She later studied composition in Vienna at the Vienna Academy of Music and Performing Arts under Erich Urbanner, while studying at the Electroacoustic Institute...
in Hooloomooloo (1997) and Karlheinz Essl
Karlheinz Essl
Karlheinz Essl is an Austrian composer, performer, sound artist, improviser and composition teacher.- Biography :Essl was born in Vienna. His studies at the University of Music in Vienna included: composition , electro-acoustic music and double bass...
in Sequitur XIII (2009) for extended piano and live-electronics.
Notable uses
- Manuel Charlton of Scottish band NazarethNazareth (band)Nazareth is a Scottish hard rock band, founded in 1968, that had several hits in the UK in the early 1970s, and established an international audience with their 1975 album Hair of the Dog. Perhaps their best-known hit single was a cover of the ballad "Love Hurts", in 1975...
used an EBow for the solos in "This Flight Tonight" and "Love Hurts" - Joshua HommeJoshua HommeJoshua Michael Homme is an American rock musician, and record producer. He was the guitarist and a founding member of the stoner metal band Kyuss, as well as the founding and only continuous member of the hard rock band Queens of the Stone Age , in which he sings, plays guitar, and serves as the...
used an EBow on the KyussKyussKyuss is a rock band, originally from Palm Desert, California. After forming in the late 1980s and releasing an EP under the name Sons of Kyuss in 1990, the band shortened its name to Kyuss. Over the next five years the band released four full-length albums, and one last split EP in 1997 with...
song "Odyssey," from the band's 1994 album "Welcome to Sky ValleyWelcome to Sky ValleyWelcome to Sky Valley is the third studio album by American stoner rock/metal band Kyuss, originally released on June 28, 1994.-Album information:...
". - The EdgeThe EdgeDavid Howell Evans , more widely known by his stage name The Edge , is a musician best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band and has released one solo record...
of U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
started using an EBow during The Unforgettable FireThe Unforgettable FireU2 feared that following the overt rock of their 1983 War album and War Tour, they were in danger of becoming another "shrill", "sloganeering arena-rock band". The success of the 1983 Under a Blood Red Sky live album and the Live at Red Rocks video, however, had given them artistic—and for the...
recording sessions. Live performances of him using the EBow can be heard on "With or Without YouWith or Without You"With or Without You" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track from their 1987 album, The Joshua Tree, and was released as the album's first single on 21 March 1987...
" and "The Unforgettable FireThe Unforgettable FireU2 feared that following the overt rock of their 1983 War album and War Tour, they were in danger of becoming another "shrill", "sloganeering arena-rock band". The success of the 1983 Under a Blood Red Sky live album and the Live at Red Rocks video, however, had given them artistic—and for the...
" - Peter FramptonPeter FramptonPeter Kenneth Frampton is an English musician, singer, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton's international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold over 6 million copies...
uses the EBow in the intro to his instrumental cover of "Black Hole SunBlack Hole Sun"Black Hole Sun" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris finneran, "Black Hole Sun" was released in 1994 as the third single from the band's fourth studio album Superunknown . It is arguably the band's most recognizable and most popular song, and remains a well...
," from the album FingerprintsFingerprints (album)Fingerprints, released in 2006, is Peter Frampton's first instrumental album, and features guest appearances from friends and musical acquaintances, as well as Frampton's signature effect, the talkbox...
, originally written by SoundgardenSoundgardenSoundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
. - Drew Goddard, guitarist of KarnivoolKarnivoolKarnivool are an Australian progressive rock band formed in Perth in 1997. The group currently consists of Ian Kenny on vocals, Drew Goddard and Mark Hosking on guitar, Jon Stockman on bass guitar, and Steve Judd on drums. Karnivool emerged from a band Kenny and Goddard formed during high school...
, uses the EBow to create a soundscape in the beginning of the song "UmbraUmbraThe umbra, penumbra and antumbra are the names given to three distinct parts of a shadow, created by any light source. For a point source only the umbra is cast.These names are most often used to refer to the shadows cast by celestial bodies....
", on the album "Sound AwakeSound AwakeNotes"Deadman" does not run until 12:04, it stops at 10:08, and is followed by a re-recorded version of the closing song from Themata, "Change ", which then segues into "Change "...
" - Peter BuckPeter BuckPeter Lawrence Buck , is an American rock guitarist who is best known for playing in and co-founding alternative rock band R.E.M....
of R.E.M.R.E.M.R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
used the EBow in the song "E-Bow The LetterE-Bow the Letter"E-Bow the Letter" is the first single from R.E.M.'s tenth studio album New Adventures in Hi-Fi. It was released in August 1996 just weeks before the album's release. During the same month, R.E.M. signed its then record-breaking five-album contract with Warner Bros. Records. Although it peaked at...
", from their album New Adventures in Hi-FiNew Adventures in Hi-FiNew Adventures in Hi-Fi is the tenth studio album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was their fifth major label release for Warner Bros. Records, released on September 9, 1996, in Europe and Australia and the following day in the United States...
. - Eddie VedderEddie VedderEddie Vedder is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam. He is widely considered a cultural icon of alternative rock.He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums...
uses the EBow in the Pearl JamPearl JamPearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
songs "Wishlist" and "World Wide SuicideWorld Wide Suicide"World Wide Suicide" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Written by vocalist Eddie Vedder, "World Wide Suicide" was released through digital music stores on March 14, 2006 as the first single from the band's eighth studio album, Pearl Jam...
", amongst others. - James HetfieldJames HetfieldJames Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
of MetallicaMetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
used an EBow to write the orchestral harmonies on the song Nothing Else MattersNothing Else Matters"Nothing Else Matters" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the third single from its self-titled fifth studio album, Metallica. The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart as well as top-ten positions on many European charts...
. - Andy Timmons uses the EBow extensively on the intro to his song, "Beautiful, Strange".
- Zakk WyldeZakk WyldeZachary Phillip Wylde , best known by the stage name Zakk Wylde, is an American musician, songwriter, and occasional actor who is best known as the former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and founder of the heavy metal band Black Label Society. He was the lead guitarist and vocalist in Pride & Glory,...
also uses the EBow for the song, Here for You from the Ozzy OsbourneOzzy OsbourneJohn Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
album Black RainBlack Rain (Ozzy Osbourne album)-'Tour Edition' disc 2:- Album sales :Black Rain debuted at #3 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling about 152,000 copies in its first week; making it Osbourne's highest debut to date. It peaked at number 37 on the Australian ARIA Album Chart...
. - Enter the HaggisEnter the HaggisEnter the Haggis is a Canadian Indie/Celtic/Folk Rock world-fusion band based in Toronto, Canada. Commonly called ETH, the band has been playing and recording since 1996. Their latest studio album, "Whitelake" is the band's ninth album....
guitarist Trevor Lewington employs the EBow in live performances, most notably in place of the cello from the studio recording of the song Broken Line. - Russell LissackRussell LissackRussell Dean Lissack is an English musician best known as the lead guitarist of London based indie rock band, Bloc Party. Lissack is also in the electronica band Pin Me Down; a duo of himself and Milena Mepris...
, of Bloc PartyBloc PartyBloc Party are a British Indie rock band, composed of Kele Okereke , Russell Lissack , Gordon Moakes , and Matt Tong...
fame, uses the EBow during live performances of the track 'Uniform'. - Australian band The ChurchThe Church (band)The Church is an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980. Initially associated with new wave and the neo-psychedelic sound of the mid 1980s, their music later became more reminiscent of progressive rock, featuring long instrumental jams and complex guitar interplay...
used the EBow in their 1988 song "Under the Milky WayUnder the Milky Way"Under the Milky Way" is a single by Australian alternative rock band The Church released in February 1988 with their album, Starfish. The song was written by bass guitarist and vocalist Steve Kilbey and his then-girlfriend, Karin Jansson...
" for the "bagpipe" solo. - Steven Chen from The Airborne Toxic EventThe Airborne Toxic EventThe Airborne Toxic Event is an American indie rock band from Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. It consists of Mikel Jollett , Steven Chen , Noah Harmon , Daren Taylor and Anna Bulbrook...
uses an EBow during live performances of their song "Wishing Well". - Ed O'BrienEd O'BrienEdward John O'Brien is an English musician, songwriter and guitarist for the rock band Radiohead. He is also responsible for harmony vocals during live concerts and on many tracks from the band's albums...
from RadioheadRadioheadRadiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
also uses an EBow during live performances, notably during the songs "Where I End and You Begin", "My Iron Lung", "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" and "How to Disappear Completely". - Mikael ÅkerfeldtMikael ÅkerfeldtLars Mikael Åkerfeldt is a Swedish musician who achieved fame as the lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter of progressive death metal band Opeth as well as the lead vocalist of death metal band Bloodbath. He was the vocalist and guitarist for the band Sörskogen and the guitarist of the band Steel...
of OpethOpethOpeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years...
uses an EBow in the songs "The Drapery Falls", "Dirge For November" and "Isolation Years". - Heri Joensen from Týr uses an EBow on the song "Ramund Hin Unge and Regin Smiður" during live performances.
- LCD SoundsystemLCD SoundsystemLCD Soundsystem was a prominent American dance-punk band from New York City. It was fronted by American singer-songwriter and producer James Murphy, co-founder of record label DFA Records...
used an EBow on the song "All I Want" from the album "This is Happening." - Jamie Willcox of Pure Reason RevolutionPure Reason RevolutionPure Reason Revolution are a British rock group formed at the University of Westminster in 2003 and who are playing their final dates together in November 2011. Their music incorporates elements of progressive rock and electro. Their music has been variously described as 'Astral Folk' and 'New...
uses an EBow when performing "In Aurelia" and "The Gloaming" during live performances. - Jon HudsonJon HudsonJon D. Hudson is a rock guitarist best known for his work with Faith No More from 1996 to their breakup in 1998, and again since 2009, when the band reformed. Hudson's only recordings with the band were their 1997 final studio album Album of the Year and two songs for the Sparks album Plagarism.-...
of Faith No MoreFaith No MoreFaith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed originally as Faith No Man in 1981 by bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist Wade Worthington, vocalist Michael Morris and drummer Mike Bordin. A year later when Worthington was replaced by keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and Mike...
uses an EBow on the song "Stripsearch" and on "Midlife Crisis." - Billy CorganBilly CorganWilliam Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
and James IhaJames IhaJames Yoshinobu Iha b. March 26, 1968 in Chicago, Illinois) is a Japanese American rock musician. He is best known as having been a guitarist and co-founder of the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins and for his eclectic musical projects of recent years, most notably being a permanent...
of The Smashing PumpkinsThe Smashing PumpkinsThe Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
used EBow on the songs "Sinfony", "Soma", "Drown", "Perfect", "Daphne Descends", "Stand Inside Your Love", "Speed Kills" as well as in many live versions of songs. - Noel GallagherNoel GallagherNoel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
of OasisOasis (band)Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
used an EBow on their 1996 single "Don't Look Back in Anger" - Joe PrincipeJoe PrincipeJoe Principe is the bass guitarist, backing vocalist and co-founder of the punk rock band Rise Against. He primarily uses Fender basses, Mesa amps and cabinets, and he uses pick-playing exclusively....
of Rise AgainstRise AgainstRise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it...
uses EBow in the studios - Georg HólmGeorg HólmGeorg "Goggi" Hólm is the bassist of the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. Holm is the most prominent member of Sigur Rós in the English press, as he does significantly more press than the other members due to his being the most fluent English-speaker in the band; part of Georg's fluency in...
of Sigur RósSigur RósSigur Rós is an Icelandic post-rock band with classicaland minimalist elements. The band is known for its ethereal sound, and frontman Jónsi Birgisson's falsetto vocals and use of bowed guitar. In January 2010, the band announced that they will be on hiatus. Since then, it has since been announced...
uses an EBow in the song "Untitled #6 (a.k.a. "E-Bow")" of the albumis the third full-length album from Icelandic band Sigur Rós, first released in October 2002. It comprises eight untitled tracks, divided into two parts: the first four tracks are lighter and more optimistic, while the latter four are bleaker and more melancholic. The two halves are divided by a...
. - Paul BanksPaul BanksPaul Julian Banks is an English American musician, best known as the lead singer, lyricist and guitarist of the rock band Interpol. He is also a solo artist under the name Julian Plenti. As a singer, Banks' voice lies in the baritone range.-Early life:Banks was born in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, England...
and Daniel KesslerDaniel KesslerDaniel Alexander Kessler is the guitarist and backing vocalist for the New York City-based band Interpol. He was raised in the United States....
of InterpolInterpol (band)Interpol is an American indie rock and post-punk revival band from New York City. Formed in 1997, the band's original line-up consisted of Paul Banks , Daniel Kessler , Carlos Dengler and Greg Drudy . Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino...
use EBows in the song "Take You on a Cruise" off the album AnticsAnticsAntics is the second studio album by American post-punk revival band Interpol, released in September 2004. The album went on selling 488,000 copies in the U.S. and over 100,000 in the UK...
, and in the song "The Scale" from the album Our Love to AdmireOur Love to AdmireOur Love to Admire is the third studio album by the American post-punk revival band Interpol, released July 10, 2007 on Capitol Records. Recorded at Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village and The Magic Shop Studios in New York City, the album is the group's first to be released on a major label...
. - Vinnie MooreVinnie MooreVinnie Moore is a guitarist and a member of the English hard rock band UFO. Along with Yngwie Malmsteen, Tony MacAlpine, and others, Moore is known as one of the most influential guitarists to emerge out of the shredder boom in the mid 1980s.-Biography:Moore was born in New Castle, Delaware...
uses an EBow in the songs "Rain", "The Maze", "In The Healing Garden", "Fear and Trepidation", "Over My Head" and "Into The Sunset" in the studios and during live performances. - Brad DelsonBrad DelsonBradford Phillip "Brad" Delson is an American guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist and one of the founding members of the Grammy Award winning rock band Linkin Park. He is also the A&R Representative for Machine Shop Recordings....
of Linkin ParkLinkin ParkLinkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
uses the EBow in the song "No More Sorrow" off the album Minutes to Midnight The song originally called "EBow Idea". - Dream TheaterDream TheaterDream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
guitarist John PetrucciJohn PetrucciJohn Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist and songwriter best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. Along with his former bandmate Mike Portnoy, he has produced all Dream Theater albums since their 1999 release, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory...
uses it in the song "Space-Dye Vest" off the Dream TheaterDream TheaterDream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
album "Awake"Awake (Dream Theater album)Awake is the third studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on October 4, 1994 by East West Records. It was the last Dream Theater album to feature keyboardist Kevin Moore, who announced his decision to leave the band during the recording of the album.Much of the...
, and on The Ministry of Lost Souls off the Dream Theater album, Systematic ChaosSystematic ChaosSystematic Chaos is the ninth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater. Released on June 4, 2007 in the United Kingdom and June 5, 2007 in the United States, Systematic Chaos was the band's first release through Roadrunner Records, which was sold to their previous label...
. - PendulumPendulumA pendulum is a weight suspended from a pivot so that it can swing freely. When a pendulum is displaced from its resting equilibrium position, it is subject to a restoring force due to gravity that will accelerate it back toward the equilibrium position...
guitarist Peredur ap GwyneddPeredur ap GwyneddPeredur Wyn ap Gwynedd is a Welsh guitarist. He was born and raised in South Wales and currently resides in London. His brother, Rheinallt ap Gwynedd, was the bassist for the band Apollo 440 and his sister, Llinor ap Gwynedd, is an actress....
uses EBow in the song The Island during live performances. - Guitarist Steve RotherySteve RotherySteve Rothery is the guitarist of the English rock band Marillion. He was born in Brampton, South Yorkshire, England. From the age of six he lived in Whitby, North Yorkshire.-Biography:...
from MarillionMarillionMarillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
uses the EBow in various songs, most notably in "You're Gone" taken from the MarblesMarblesA marble is a small spherical toy usually made from glass, clay, steel, or agate. These balls vary in size. Most commonly, they are about ½ inch in diameter, but they may range from less than ¼ inch to over 3 inches , while some art glass marbles fordisplay purposes are over 12 inches ...
CD. - Jonny BucklandJonny BucklandJonathan Mark "Jonny" Buckland is an English guitarist and musician, best known as the lead guitarist of the band Coldplay.-Early life:...
from ColdplayColdplayColdplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
uses it in the songs "Amsterdam", "Spies" and "See You Soon". - Eric Beringer uses it on the Five Star Diner album "Taster" on the solo for the song "Drive Away".
- Michael Dooley uses it on the song "Vexed Rendition" on the Five Star Diner album "Taster" and on the song "Vexed", a home recording from his 2005 album "24 Tracks".
- JamesJames (band)James are a British rock band from Manchester, England. They formed in 1982 and were active throughout the 1980s, but most successful during the 1990s. Their hit singles include "Come Home", "Sit Down", and "She's a Star" as well as their American College Radio hit "Laid"...
guitarist Larry GottLarry GottLarry Gott is an English musician, primarily of the Mancunian band, James. He is also a designer.-Music:...
makes use of the EBow on the track "Rabbit Hole" from the album The Morning AfterThe Morning After (James album)The Morning After is the second of two mini-albums by British alternative rock band James, released in September 2010. It features eight tracks and is available on CD and as an MP3 download...
. - Wes BorlandWes BorlandWesley Louden Borland is an American musician and artist, best known as the guitarist for the band Limp Bizkit. He has been in several other bands as well including: Black Light Burns, The Damning Well, Goatslayer, Big Dumb Face, and Combichrist...
of Limp BizkitLimp BizkitLimp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
uses the EBow in the song "BoilerBoiler (song)Boiler is a song by the band Limp Bizkit from their third studio album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water. It was released as the fifth and final single from the album....
". - Martin GoreMartin GoreMartin Lee Gore is an English songwriter, lyricist, singer, guitarist, keyboardist, remixer and DJ. He is a founding member of Depeche Mode and has written the vast majority of their songs...
of Depeche ModeDepeche ModeDepeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
uses the EBow in "Walking in My ShoesWalking in My Shoes"Walking in My Shoes" is Depeche Mode's twenty-eighth UK single, released on 26 April 1993, and the second single for the album Songs of Faith and Devotion...
" and "The Sweetest ConditionExciter (album)Exciter is Depeche Mode's tenth studio album, which was released on 14 May 2001 in the UK and May 15 in the US. It uses more digital music technology compared to their other albums. It was produced by Mark Bell of Björk and LFO fame...
". - Steve AskewSteve AskewSteve Askew was born on December 9, 1957 in Middlesex.Later he moved with his family to Leighton Buzzard in 1962/63 and attended Beaudesert primary school, Pulford junior school and Brooklands School....
of KajagoogooKajagoogooKajagoogoo are a British pop band, best known for their hit single, "Too Shy", which reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart and No. 5 on the U.S...
used the EBow in Too ShyToo ShyToo Shy is a song written and recorded by English New Wave/pop music band Kajagoogoo, released in 1983. The first single from their debut album White Feathers, the song was an immediate hit and reached no.1 on the UK Singles Chart...
as well as other tracks at that time, such as Frayo. - Jerry Horton of Papa RoachPapa RoachPapa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California. Their first major-label release was the triple-platinum album Infest . The group's success continued with their gold album Lovehatetragedy , their platinum album Getting Away with Murder , The Paramour Sessions , and Metamorphosis...
uses the EBow in the intro of ForeverForever (Papa Roach song)"Forever" is the second single from Californian rock band Papa Roach's fifth album, The Paramour Sessions, and ninth released single in total. "Forever" peaked at #2 on the Modern Rock Tracks and #2 on the Mainstream Rock Chart... - Matthew BellamyMatthew BellamyMatthew James Bellamy is an English musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, pianist, and main songwriter of the alternative rock band Muse.-Early life:...
of MuseMuseThe Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths...
uses the EBow in the intro of Invincible - Fabian Manzano of Boyce AvenueBoyce AvenueBoyce Avenue is an American acoustic rock band. It was formed in Sarasota, Florida, by brothers Alejandro, Daniel and Fabian Manzano. The band is named after a combination of two streets the brothers lived on as children...
uses the EBow in the cover song For The First Time and Perfect - Sébastien Claret of Soma uses the EBow in the song Electric City during live performances.
- Mike EinzigerMike EinzigerMichael Aaron Einziger is a Grammy-nominated musician known as the co-writer and guitarist of the alternative rock band Incubus. Einziger is widely known as an innovator and enthusiast of the use of pedalboard guitar effects during live concerts, and was voted #41 in Total Guitar's top 100...
of IncubusIncubusAn incubus is a male demon that has sexual intercourse with sleeping women.Incubus may also refer to:- Film :* Incubus , a film in Esperanto starring William Shatner* Incubus , a horror film starring Tara Reid...
uses the EBow in live performances of their song "The Original" off of the album If Not Now, When - Ambient jazz bassist Michael Yoder uses the EBow on several songs from his "Estate of Mind" album.
- Mikel Belfer of Tuxedomoon uses the EBow on the song "New Machine," from their 1978 EP "No Tears."
- Stuart Garrard of Delirious%3F used an EBow on several songs, most notable on Obsession.
- Gaz CoombesGaz CoombesGaz Coombes is an English musician and singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the English alternative rock band, Supergrass. He first entered the music scene aged sixteen as the lead singer of the band The Jennifers which featured Supergrass band mate Danny Goffey...
of SupergrassSupergrassSupergrass was an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band consisted of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes , Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey ....
uses an EBow on the song MaryMary (Supergrass song)"Mary" was the third and final single from the Britpop band Supergrass' eponymous third album. Released in November 1999, it reached a disappointing #36 on the UK Charts, their lowest charting single for 5 years. This was also the last Supergrass single to be released on cassette.-Chord progression...
from their self-titled third albumSupergrass (album)Supergrass is the third album by the English rock group Supergrass. It was released in the UK on 20 September 1999 and reached #3. It is often referred to as both "the X-ray" album, due to the picture on the sleeve, and self-titled...
. - Phill NiblockPhill NiblockPhill Niblock is a composer, filmmaker, videographer, and director of Experimental Intermedia, a foundation for avant-garde music based in New York with a parallel branch in Ghent, Belgium.-Biography:...
uses an EBow on the composition Sethwork from his album Touch Three.
See also
- GizmotronThe GizmoThe Gizmo was an effects device for the electric guitar, invented ca. 1973 by the English rock musicians Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, whilst they were members of the British rock group 10cc....
- Fernandes Sustainer
- Moog Guitar
- Guitar Resonator