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Description

The EBow is a hand-held electronic bow for guitar. This small battery-powered unit replaces the pick in the right hand letting the guitarist mimic strings, horns, and woodwinds with unbelievable sensitivity. The EBow produces a powerful infinite sustain, rich in harmonics for incredible guitar sounds. Unlike plug-in effects, the Energy Bow does its work on the string itself... Direct String Synthesis™. Infinite Sustain is just the beginning.

Owner's manual

Heet Sound EBow User Manual
PhilKeaggy

PhilKeaggy

Phil Keaggy "Amazing Grace" E-Bow Demonstration

Video thumbnail for Phil Keaggy "Amazing Grace" E-Bow Demonstration by PhilKeaggy

Phil Keaggy "Amazing Grace" E-Bow Demonstration

PhilKeaggy

PhilKeaggy

Video thumbnail for EBOW - Demo, Review & Tips - Phil Keaggy Inspired Ebow Plus by Nail Guitar Skills

EBOW - Demo, Review & Tips - Phil Keaggy Inspired Ebow Plus

Nail Guitar Skills

Nail Guitar Skills

Video thumbnail for How To Use An EBow The Right Way by JHS Pedals

How To Use An EBow The Right Way

JHS Pedals

JHS Pedals

Video thumbnail for My EBow Guitar Is Gently Weeping by Chords Of Orion

My EBow Guitar Is Gently Weeping

Chords Of Orion

Chords Of Orion

Video thumbnail for EBow : I Share ALL of My Secrets! by Chords Of Orion

EBow : I Share ALL of My Secrets!

Chords Of Orion

Chords Of Orion

Video thumbnail for The Amazing Ebow! - Ebow Plus Guitar Effect demo/review by Landon Bailey

The Amazing Ebow! - Ebow Plus Guitar Effect demo/review

Landon Bailey

Landon Bailey

Video thumbnail for EBow for Ambient Guitar - String Switching Tutorial (Heet Sound E-Bow / EBow Plus) by Chords Of Orion

EBow for Ambient Guitar - String Switching Tutorial (Heet Sound E-Bow / EBow Plus)

Chords Of Orion

Chords Of Orion

Video thumbnail for Ebow Plus Demo/Review - Top 20 Music Documentary Films - Guitar Giveaway Update by Picking and Flipping

Ebow Plus Demo/Review - Top 20 Music Documentary Films - Guitar Giveaway Update

Picking and Flipping

Picking and Flipping

Video thumbnail for eBow Player's Guide Cassette by Audioborg

eBow Player's Guide Cassette

Audioborg

Audioborg

Reviews

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Heet Sound EBow.

Use cases and applications

  • The E-Bow is often used to create long atmospheric soundscapes with delay effects, drawing inspiration from techniques like Frippertronics.

    Source
  • Combining the Ebow with an octave pedal and heavy fuzz creates unique drone and ambient soundscapes, enhancing musical textures.

    Source
  • Employing the Ebow with a slide and delay pedal can mimic whale-like sounds, adding to its experimental potential.

    Source
  • Incorporating an Ebow with clean reverb, delay, and volume swells enriches the sound, ideal for atmospheric and ambient compositions.

    Source
  • Mixing the Ebow with a fuzz effect and using the neck pickup with tone at 10 can produce a distinct tonal quality.

    Source

Features and functionality

  • The Ebow excels when paired with flangers, phasers, and wah pedals, offering diverse sonic possibilities.

    Source
  • The E-Bow is effective on electric bass and acoustic guitars, unlike the TC AEON and YoJo, which struggle with weak signals on these instruments.

    Source

Comparisons

  • The TC AEON offers a sturdier metal chassis and is more economical on battery life compared to the original E-Bow.

    Source

Other

  • For novelty effects, the E-Bow can mimic a buzzing insect by using a dying battery and slack-tuned low E-string, adding experimental sound possibilities.

    Source

Setup and maintenance

  • The original E-Bow is known to consume batteries rapidly and is prone to breakage if dropped, even on carpeted floors.

    Source
Add

4.5 out of 5

Based on 19 Reviews and 158 Ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
dannfeltrin

An incredible tool

An incredible tool, but I found it very limited. Transitioning between strings was not easy. I recorded one song with it. However, playing it live was awkward and for that reason I started to play with more distortion + compressor to get my notes sustained longer, which did the job. After that, I sold the Ebow. I know people who love using it, maybe it was not right for me.

davepepper

It's an ebow and does what ebows do

Yes - ebows are limited. You need one or you don't. I did so I got one and I love it. It does one thing pretty well. And that's about it really. Sustainiac is an option of course but it doesn't sound quite the same. If you want bagpipe sounds, an ebow is where it's at.

alf_andrew_pedersen

Bad build quality.

Had mine for ten years now, treated well and never dropped it in the ground or anything. All of the sudden it stopped working, and these things are not built to open up or fix. A fun gadget, but not worth its price at all.

jimmarchi1

agreed

ernie_balcueva

Great effect.

This was recommended by a friend and it does not disappoint. Great for ambient sustains and adding some real cool textures in the background.

alteredstate

Kinda Dated

Yes this thing is cool for infinite 1 string bowing. But it's dated. Fernandez and Sustainiac have made improvements on the "Infinite Guitar" Sound. Neat, but you can get better features elswhere.

bubbajones

completely agree... the Sustainiac I have installed on my Roland G202 far surpasses the ebow.

alf_andrew_pedersen

Agreed. Mine stopped workign all of the sudden, and they are impossible to repair.

courtland_adams

Sweet, sweet sustain

I use an EBow on Medicine Club's song 'Hear No, Speak No'. The ability to sustain notes, especially when combined with some delay, allows you to create incredible soundscapes which can really fill a venue/recording.

walter_t

The Ebow

I use it a lot to create guitar lines and atmospheric pads. Two different options available for different sounds.

coreyjdavidson

Something for your music toolkit

A versitile and relatively inexpensive piece of equipment to add to your music toolkit. Great for creating drones, loops, soundscapes and mimicking other instruments e.g. violin.

sorchahol

Love the Ebow!

Bit of getting used to but then is awesome. Long life on the battery and hardy. Have dropped it a million times!

ebowglow

EBOW plus

I love the original Ebow but this model has a switch that "grabs" the harmonics in the notes you play...very cool effects with this Ebow!

Artist usage

Add artist
See how Ben Weinman uses Heet Sound EBow

Ben Weinman

Guitarist

Suicidal Tendencies

...
Verified via Angelfire

Ben Weinman of The Dillinger Escape Plan has used the Heet Sound EBow, as noted on Angelfire.

See how Ratatat uses Heet Sound EBow

Ratatat

Music Producer

Ratatat

...
Verified via Emusician

"Since the particulars of their recording techniques are virtually impossible to re-create live, Stroud uses an EBow at shows. “[Because] it makes your strings vibrate without picking the guitar, it sounds sort of backward, like an endless note...”

See how Elliot Easton uses Heet Sound EBow

Elliot Easton

Guitarist

The Cars

...
Verified via Muzines

"I've just bought the Vox Repeat Percussion, a shop in New York found an old box of them. The effect was taken from those old Vox guitars that had everything built in — so you plug your guitar into this box, set the rate speed, and it repeats whatever you play into it all day. And I picked up the new E-Bow, which should fit into some of the things I'm doing."

See how John Rzeznik uses Heet Sound EBow

John Rzeznik

Singer, Guitarist

Goo Goo Dolls

...
Verified via Ebow

"In the studio I use a lot of E-Bow. I used it for things like vocal reinforcement on Superstar Carwash [sic], like 'Close Your Eyes' and 'On the Lie.' I also did a thing where I plugged the guitar into a Leslie and played notes with an E-Bow. Then I went back and did another track and played the second note of a chord. I built chords that way, and punched components of each chord in and out. It sounded a lot like an organ. I love the sound of Leslies, but it's hard to use that shit live."

See how Alejandro Marcovich uses Heet Sound EBow

Alejandro Marcovich

Singer, Guitarist

Caifanes

...
Verified via YouTube

"Miedo" guitar solo Min. 2:51

See how Charlie Clouser uses Heet Sound EBow

Charlie Clouser

Keyboardist, Composer

Nine Inch Nails

...
Verified via Vintage King Blog

"I'm a huge fan of bowed metal sounds, so a $40 cello bow, some rosin, and a trip to the thrift store or scrap yard is a good first step. Whether it's a lovely Zildjian gong or a $15 serving tray from Ikea, any flat sheet of metal that you can attack with a bow is fair game. While I do have some beautiful (and expensive!) metal instruments like Waterphones and some custom made pieces by Chas Smith, I still use a lot of sounds I made using cheap mixing bowls, cracked cymbals, and random off-cuts from Industrial Metal Supply out in Sunland. That's a whole universe of sound, but another world I like to explore involves lap steel guitars, an E-Bow, pitch shifters and lots of delay. Throw an EHX SuperEgo pedal on that mess and you're guaranteed to have some ominous drones in no time."

See how Kjartan Sveinsson uses Heet Sound EBow

Kjartan Sveinsson

Guitarist, Keyboardist

Sigur Rós

...
Verified via YouTube

Sitting on top of Kjartan's Vox amp is an EBow. He uses this for one song.

See how Jon Deiley uses Heet Sound EBow

Jon Deiley

Guitarist, Composer

Northlane

...
Verified via YouTube

Used during Weightless at 2:04 during Ghost City Sessions.

See how Paul Reynolds uses Heet Sound EBow

Paul Reynolds

Guitarist, Composer

A Flock of Seagulls

...
Verified via YouTube

A Flock of Seagulls live in 82' you can see Paul playing the solo at 3:18 with an E-bow.

See how Chris King uses Heet Sound EBow

Chris King

Guitarist

This Will Destroy You

...
Verified via YouTube

2:21 in this live video

See how Scott Cortez uses Heet Sound EBow

Scott Cortez

Singer, Guitarist

Lovesliescrushing

...
Verified via Photo

In an Instagram post by wavertone, Scott Cortez showcases a "new case for holding gear," which includes the Heet Sound EBow.

See how Noel Hogan uses Heet Sound EBow

Noel Hogan

Guitarist

The Cranberries

...
Verified via Cranberriesworld

Mentioned on page 32 of the June 1999 issue of Guitar Player.

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Heet Sound EBow, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

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Community setups

Show yours
saint_fire

saint_fire

Gear IQ 220

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