DIY Ebow - Is this possible/reasonable?

[Alex C]

Hello.  Recently I've been wanting to get an Ebow- those things are amazing!  So many incredible sounds are available.  However, I'm not sure I'm ready to pay $80 (new) for it.  I love what it can do, but I'm just not sure it's worth the price in terms of how often I'd use it (it would be more of a "just noodling" kind of thing, at least at first).  

Since I like the DIY approach to everything, I'm wondering if it would be possible to build one of these myself.  I know it would not be nearly as compact as the real thing, but I don't mind that.  It's not too complicated inside, is it?  I'm not too sure about how it works actually - I googled it and I found vague references to electromagnetism and solenoids (?) but the only schematic diagram of it that I could find was only available from a website about patents and intellectual property that requires a subscription to access it.

Can anyone help with this idea?  Thanks.

Alex

[bwanasonic]

I'm pretty sure the short answer is no. I'm not sure how much of a used market there is but check ebay. I don't use mine every day, but it certainly has given me my $80 worth over the years. Really nice for recording. A bit of a trick to get used to using it live. Keep in mind there is more to it than just the electrical mechanism. The grooves in the bottom are integral to the technique and produce a bowed arpeggio effect when swept in a circular pattern.

Kerry M

[Ansil]

hmm a dual 9v batterie supply, into a curent amplifier  a nice coil of wire and a fixed permanent magnet..

not exactly perfect but in the right directions

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

I've had a look at an Ebow (cut open..) and spoken to a number of people who have tried to copy ebows or make similar. I personally think, it isn't the thing to try to make for less than $80!! here in Australia they are more than twice as much, but I still say BUY ONE, financially anyone would be better off working for a few hours! my 2c.

[Ansil]

it isn't an ebow but if you want to have a controled type of feedback.

well u can try this but i am sure that people will tel you that it won't work here,  but i will give you the link anyway

http://projectguitar.com/tut/sustainer.htm

it is a unique sound in its self so its neither here nor there but usefull none theless if you are creative

[casey]

if you go to the u.s. patent registry, you can look it up directly
without charge....it will give you diagrams and the whole bit.
you'll have to search through tons of stuff, but it's there.

if i have time ill look for it for you....

[R.G.]

Ah - it's time for the ebow question again. It's coming a little early this year.

The commercial ebow is not a good candidate for reproduction, not because the electronics are complicated, but because the mechanics are complicated.

The inside is a a pickup coil, an LM386, and an output coil. The pickup coil and output coil have to be wound to  be small and to concentrate the magnetic pickup and output fields so there is no feedback on the ebow itself. Otherwise, it would simply drive itself, not the string.

The trick seems to be getting a small pickup coil with lots of turns of fine wire and an output coil of about 6 ohms resistance and a couple of hundred turns of about #22. All this needs to go into a box with a battery and LM386 small enough to use like a pick. That's difficult mechanically.

[Alex C]

Ah - it's time for the ebow question again. It's coming a little early this year.

 :oops: Sorry, I searched the forum and couldn't find much of anything.  

Thanks for answering my questions guys, I guess I'll see what I can find on Ebay.  I've never worked with pickups (the insides anyway) or winding coils of any type, and I'm not good at making things compact (or very accurate).  So I guess this is not a DIY  project, at least not for me     Thanks again!

Alex

[Paul Marossy]

Doesn't an ebow actually cause the strings to vibrate?

[ExpAnonColin]

Neither nor... because it's really amazing how well it's designed so that it fits on your strings correctly.  DIYing a good case would be hard in itself.

-Colin

[Joep]

Doesn't an ebow actually cause the strings to vibrate?

Yes, it does. An eBow also work on a acoustic guitar.

Bye,

Joep

[Paul Marossy]

So it does vibrate the strings... so that output coil in there puts out a strong magnetic field that actually causes the strings to vibrate? How does it not cause problems with your guitar pickups? (induced hum and that sort of thing) And what does the LM386 do? It's not something that's in the audio path... Oh, it must amplify the input signal, I imagine.

[Joep]

How does it not cause problems with your guitar pickups?

Again it does, the output level of the guitar is very sensative to where you place the eBow. The output is much higher near a pickup.

Joep

[troubledtom]

for god or satan's sake buy one, you'll never be sorry. i met mr. heat when he was still making them in his garage. he's a cool dude , i have one from the first run. still have and love it.
   - tom

[Paul Marossy]

I guess I should bite the bullet and buy one. They are great for ethereal effects. (Just for the record, I never even entertained the idea of a DIY version of this, based on things I read here the last time the topic came up)

[troubledtom]

yep , buy it!!!!!   add some delay to really go wild. i guess i've had mine for about 20 years. no failures no comeplaints[sp?]
    - tom

[bwanasonic]

So it does vibrate the strings... so that output coil in there puts out a strong magnetic field that actually causes the strings to vibrate? How does it not cause problems with your guitar pickups?.

According to the manufacturer , the magnetic field is fairly weak. About the same strengh as a solidly strummed chord.  I emailed in reference to someone's claim that they *knew someone whose vintage Strat was ruined by an Ebow*. This tripped my bullshit detector as I have been using them for 20 years on the same guitar with no problems.  Sure enough, it is an urban legend.

Kerry M

[Paul Marossy]

"comeplaints[sp?]"

Complaints.  :wink:

I think I would do a lot better with an ebow than with a slide...  :oops:

[cajununicorn]

use 'em both and have a theramin! not really, but it sure sounds like one. jon

[Ansil]

Doesn't an ebow actually cause the strings to vibrate?

Yes, it does. An eBow also work on a acoustic guitar.

Bye,

Joep

i would like to see it wokr on an acoustic..

i have heard it will do it but i havent' been able to make it do it..  i tried fro like an hour at the music store
any tips