The EBow, short for electronic bow or energy bow,[1] is an electronic device used for playing string instruments, most often the electric guitar. It is manufactured by Heet Sound Products of Los Angeles, California. It was invented by Greg Heet in 1969, introduced in 1976 and patented in 1978.[2]
The EBow uses a pickup in an inductive string driver feedback circuit, including a sensor coil, driver coil and amplifier, to vibrate strings, producing a sound reminiscent of using a bow on the strings.
The EBow was introduced in 1976 at NAMM, and has remained in continuous production since.[3] The first version was activated by plucking the guitar string. The second, introduced in 1983, added an on/off switch and a more powerful drive. The third, introduced in 1989, had improved sensitivity and faster attack. The EBow Plus, introduced in 1998, adds a blue LED and a switch to allow users to move between normal and harmonic modes (which sounds one octave higher).[4] It is powered by a nine-volt battery.[5]
The EBow uses a pickup and a magnetic feedback circuit to vibrate strings without touching them. Whereas guitars traditionally have fast attack and slow release, meaning notes ring immediately and then fade out, the EBow can sustain notes indefinitely and gives greater control over attack and decay. The EBow can only play one string at a time, but can be moved across the strings to play arpeggios. It can produce sounds similar to cello or violin.
The EBow was particularly popular in 1980s music, used by acts such as Big Country, Tones on Tail, Love and Rockets and Bill Nelson. The Love and Rockets guitarist Daniel Ash said the EBow "changed everything for me ... [It] basically turns the guitar into a keyboard ... It completely opened up the sound of the guitar."[6]
The EBow has been used to create background textures or sustained notes similar to guitar feedback, as in "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (1976) by Blue Öyster Cult and "Heaven Beside You" (1996) by Alice in Chains. It was used by the Edge on the 1983 U2 album The Unforgettable Fire and by Noel Gallagher on the 1996 Oasis song "Don't Look Back in Anger".
The EBow was prominently used by the Siouxsie and the Banshees guitarist John McGeoch on "Sin in My Heart", from the 1981 album Juju.[7] The EBow is used by the Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien for performances of songs such as "My Iron Lung", "Talk Show Host", "Jigsaw Falling Into Place", "Where I End and You Begin" and "Nude". Other users include Duran Duran, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Van Halen, Metallica and the Foo Fighters.
In the 1980s, the Bongos used the EBow in the intro of their song "Numbers With Wings" and in "River To River", "Miss Jean", "Glow", "Flew A Falcon" and "Sweet Blue Cage". Frontman Richard Barone continues to use an EBow on his subsequent solo recordings and much of his production work including his songs "Love is a Wind that Screams" and his cover of T. Rex's "The Visit".[8]