# Guitar/E-bow

The E-bow is a device that causes your string to
vibrate without it being plucked, almost like a violin bow makes a
violin string vibrate. It requires a dramatically different technique to
play, as it basically replaces your pick. Furthermore, due to its true
sustain capability, it is possible to actually slide up and down along
the string without the loss of volume.

The Ebow is basically a self-contained amplifier with sensing coils and
driving coils, using the concept of audio feedback. When placed over a
string, the driver coil causes it to vibrate, which is picked up by the
sensing/input coil. The electrical signal is then amplified by an opamp
and produces a varying magnetic field of the same frequency in the
driver coil, which then feeds a magnetic field of the same resonant
frequency back to the string, thus sustaining its vibration.

-   The ebow is easiest to use when using a humbucker in neck position,
    as it provide twice the available effective surface when compare to
    a single coil. If a single coil sound is desired, you would need to
    be able to provide an alternative wiring such that the coils can be
    connected in parallel; one such case would be the Ibanez H-H
    configuration. Alternatively, you can use a \"two-single coil\"
    positions (such as position 2 and 4 on a Stratocaster).
-   Use the pilot light to position the ebow.
-   If the guitar side is not on full volume, the ebow may take 10ms
    before it takes effect; this is especially true on the higher
    strings.
-   Due to the sustain, the guitar may sound more monotone then a normal
    picking if you just keep it over the hotspot. Remember to move back
    and forth away from the hotspot to make it sound more natural.
-   Be careful when moving from string to string, as the two
    stop-grooves may move the string side to side, providing a mismatch
    of string to the driver groove.

## Harmonic mode

The **harmonic mode** of the PlusEBow occurs due a reverse in polarity
of the output coil, which dampens the fundamental frequency of the
string and accentuate the harmonics, which are driven more. Thus, many
normally unachievable harmonic notes are also available. However, the
harmonic mode will only produce a different timbre of the fundamental
note while used on 1st (e) and 2nd (B) string, as well as the higher
notes on 3rd (G string).

In harmonic mode, whether to slide into the note or fret it normally
will easily change the timbre of the sound. Sliding will keep the tone
from before, but fretting it will easily change it. Generally, when a
note is fretted close to the bridge, the note will have more bass than
one that is fretted close to the nut.

