EBow Demonstration (Part One): Lap Steel + Digitech Whammy + TC Electronic Nova Delay

[DSoverPSP]

Dude, that sounds fucking cool!! I could totally see myself using a sound like this for some kind of ambient, spacey sort of intro or interlude part of a song. Very nice!

[Ernest9511]

WUAU :D 

[victorgraciaquintana]

i play similar from spain, i but i use solid slide, (like debashi battacharya), whammy pedal and kaoss pad 

[unclesamfatg]

@victorgraciaquintana kaoss pad? wow!

[jakeyboy2929]

what setting is the whammy mate?

[axis1234]

DUDE!!! Thanks ALOT!!! Now I can't get all the dogs in the neighborhood to SHUT UP!!

[DanPotthast1]

sounds like that thx thing b4 a movie!!!

[lachlunn]

aparently the ebow has been around since the seventies...how is it, after twelve years of playing, that ive only just learned about it? i just saw frampton use one

[echo680]

cool vid thanks for posting - am considering getting one, partly cos i like the noise, partly cos i am having problems with right hand, so can't pick or fingerpick just now - but I could hold this...! Pls tell, in this vid, are you just playing one string with the ebow, or playing each in turn ?

[craigmcarthur1]

Just one string in this video. I have the whammy pedal acting as an octaver to beef up the sound

[echo680]

@craigmcarthur1 thanks - its a really cool sound

[ihaveaverybadcold]

@craigmcarthur1 is that a hiwatt and a triple rectifier? dude wth?!?!?!?!

[echo680]

cool thanks for posting - am considering getting one, partly cos i like the nosie, partly cos i am having problems with right hand, so can't pick or fingerpick just now - but I could hold this...! Pls tell, in this vid, are you just playing one string with the ebow, or playing each in turn ?

[shtewart]

Very thereminish.

[WarmothGuitarist]

I have that same lap steel. Ditch the stock pickup, and put in a Seymour Duncan Li'l '59...then throw on some heavier guage strings, and drop in a kill switch and it finally becomes a pretty sweet little axe.

There are tones of things you can do with an E-Bow. I love using it with my fretless guitar. Once you learn how to harness and control it's abilty, it becomes a device that you won't do without.

I recommend everyone try one for about an hour, and you'll be wanting to buy it.

[lachlunn]

@WarmothGuitarist "Ditch the stock pickup, and put in a Seymour Duncan Li'l '59...then throw on some heavier guage strings, and drop in a kill switch and it finally becomes a pretty sweet little axe."

hey mr pimp my axe! Don't forget the 18in rims, neon lights under the body and pointless use of thirty thousand lcd monitors in random spots.

[WarmothGuitarist]

@lachlunn

Touche'...

[newmagazek]

Check my ultimate ebow video ^^

[Fortapig]

talk about an acid trip

[FreyaAndAsher]

just out of curiosity, why do you use a bottleneck rather than a bar? sounds awesome though! certainly a great effect combined with lap steel.

[ShadyRonin]

This is awesome. I'm trying to think of practical ways to use this in a song with my band. It reminds me a of something "This Will Destroy You" would do. Very cool.

[BoKaUm88]

Sounds like an Shepard-Risset glissando

[13happyendings]

what is it youre doing with your right hand? sorry im not really familiar with lap steel guitars and this was inspiring

[craigmcarthur1]

Normally your right hand just plays the strings using ur fingers as you would with a normal guitar.  In this video I am using an eBow with my right hand

[cosmogang]

I have been wanting a lap steel bad. Been thinking about getting one of those cheap Rouge ones for like $99. I would totally rock that, especially with my pedals and ebow. Cool demo.

[marlowetravers]

this would be awesome for scoring a horror movie

[joeypaint]

Could you do a demo of Ed's part in Bodysnachers?

[AwesomeBuddy12]

@joeypaint

Yes.

[Songwriter4God]

Nice, sounds like it'd be awesome for an intro to something like one of Flyleaf's songs.

[tdstudd1996]

very good this made me want to buy it... do you believe its worth the investment?

[craigmcarthur1]

Yup I love it, lots of fun and effective in a live band

[tdstudd1996]

thats good to hear... the lead guitarist at our church uses it once in a while i noticed... sorry to ask so many questions but what genre do you find it most effective in?

[Staginsanity]

There are countless possibilities and you can use it in any genre I'd say. I've heard it in a lotta jazz, pop, rock, metal (such as progressive death metal even). I've just bought one myself and it's amazing

[craigmcarthur1]

I wouldnt say its genre specific to be honest

[btassmusic]

@tdstudd1996 it actually sounds really great in post-rock (not that it's limited to just that).

Look up This Will Destroy You's "Threads" or Burial on the Presido Banks"

Used on a guitar, it generally (and is meant to..I think..) achieves a violin-family kind of sound. Pretty cool if you know how to use it well.

[fattirevsbud]

u can talk to dolphins with this tuff

[IgorUptheIrons]

@fattirevsbud

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAA !

[Axeman2006]

oh shit everyone to the bomb shelter

"its an air raid siren"!!!!!!

drugs are wonderfull.....lol

[vbfl920]

What tuning is your lap steel?

[craigmcarthur1]

It varies alot depending on what I am playing. I have it in a few open tunings E, D, Aand G if I amplaing rock or blues stuff. When I play with my own band I playing in random tunings

[Frombonics]

Nice sounds, I play a little lapsteel myself.

[alancito86]

You are the SHIT! Nice sound!

[TheSchoolsux345]

An e bow, a digitech whammy, and a delay pedal, your a lucky man.

[hurl771]

sounds like pink floyd

[berherbi]

you even got a lap steel!!!! how can you afford all this million things, tell the truth: you are a bank robber , you are a millionaire heir, you have found a treasure hidden in a forest cave, you are gay super whore, come tell us!!!!!

Berherbi

PS. your playing is superb as always !!!

[craigmcarthur1]

I work as an optometrist. not nearly as exciting a source of my income as your suggestions i'm afraid

[smackyjack]

Hey, That's MY IDEA!....Sounds good. We did some ebow work with the lap steel in place of a Theramin sound. Worked out quite well.

[craigmcarthur1]

Aaaaa cool nice one. Yeh I've been playing around with the lap steel for years and a couple of years ago stumbled across the idea of using the ebow with it. Sounds cool.

[madguitarist900]

trippy as fuu

[ZiggyZipgun1]

I have the same crappy lap steel - I highly recommend routing out some wood around the 24th fret marker and installing a Fernandes Sustainer. The kit's 5-way switch is too deep for the body, so replace it with low-profile 3-way toggle for a Gibson SG. Works very well in either mode, and the sustain intensity is controllable.

[craigmcarthur1]

Sounds cool, maybe look into that in future. Need to stick with my eBow in the meantime tho!!!

[actron]

nice. very spacey.

[MetalBiff]

What do you have your Whammy set too?

[craigmcarthur1]

Read the video description

[hunterwiebush]

what make and model is this lap steel? sounds awesome

[craigmcarthur1]

Its a random cheapish lap steel i picked up to muck around on. I think its made by Artisan.  I replaced the pickup on it to improve the tone.

[Robfalcon501]

pretttttttttttttty sweet

[matttttt84]

bontonroula - stop being such a pretentious jackass..

craig - check out MV & EE, you'll dig

[smiff0009]

that was sick dude.

[mikedo6]

HIYIELD1313...'.This Flight Tonight' by Nazareth...

[mudeye]

Watch the master.

Phil Keaggy Ebow on youtube

[isher1992]

This would be cool to make the alarm sound in REO Speedwagon's "Riding the Storm Out."

[HIYIELD1313]

this effect is not new. the first time i seen it used was in the late 70s it was used one time!. it has a odd sound with a slide bar . it also was never used in any recording sessions ( the names i know) its old school trying a come back its a novel effect no more

[1devo6587]

can you use this on an eletric guitar also?

[craigmcarthur1]

Yup. Theres a vidoe I osted of my band playing a song called 'Placido Disc' in which I use the EBow for the first minute or so of the songs intro. Check it out

[SabbathPig]

whars that thing you got on ur finger called ? xD

[craigmcarthur1]

Its a slide

[fiveawesomecubers]

thats what ebows were originaly made for

[BlueBarrier782]

Stop arguing about pointless and old, old theories of musical composition. Just listen for once. I thought this sounded awesome.

[Spicerackstudios1]

For crying out loud will you all PLEASE stop fighting. EBOW is not for everyone but it is a legit tool - have a look at the list of recordings on their site - the verdict was in many moons ago. You Youtube fighting comment makers are perhaps American? Didn't your mother teach that if you've got nothing nice to say, it's better to say nothing at all?

[kickcableguyinnuts]

i like to think that stupid transcends national barriers

[remynash]

Amen.

[bontonroula]

To deadkitten666-You are correct. If you guys all think this is cool I will butt out. I've spent 40 years playing guitar and singing and am just staring to feel I am breaking thru to some things i am partially satisfied with. Music is personal journey and I honestly wish you all the best. I know I will play and evolve musically until I die. I am very critical of my playing also. I don't wish to be mean spirited. I've often found that honest criticism has helped me more than false flattery.

[bontonroula]

To Amarr1- If you think this is some revolutionary new thing than you only reveal your total lack of exposure to creating sounds. I was able to create a very similar effect 30 years ago with a lap steel and an old reverb tank. I was bored with it as soon as the pot wore off. Gimmicks will never ever be lauded like composition. I don't agree with dumbing things down to satisfy your comfort level. Expressing yourself is the goal of music. I think Craig can and will do better.

[craigmcarthur1]

This video was only to demonstrate the sound of this particular effect, not to promote a composition of mine. It is one guitar part from a song with 3 guitarists.

[bontonroula]

Sorry Craig, I disagree, the art of playing revolves around learning how to play the instrument. Modifying the sound through devices may be interesting but it is no substitute for developing a style and the challenge of learning about

the art of music. You will benefit far more from actual study than just trying to create sound. Harmony,melody and rhythm to create music. Study of devices is what you do to enhance your other knowledge. What you've done is made a sound-not music.

[amarr1]

you're completely wrong. just stop.

[deadkittens666]

I agree completely with you and I don´t mean to start a giant argument about what is music and what´s not, I just want to say that art is not measured by technique or patterns or numbers or nothing but the degree of passion or lack of it and self expression. Studying won´t make you be a better musician if you don´t have ambition or imagination, or talent, and of course the cheesy viceversa.

I don´t think this video is good but it gave me an idea or 2

[craigmcarthur1]

Your making the assumption that I dont know anything about music theory, or music in general. Go listen to my band and see how we have used musical concepts and knowledge of effects and different sounds to produce a fairly original style. We have 3 guitarists so our sound is big with many layers of harmonies and always melodic. We also dabble in numerous and strange time signatures.

[krakhaid]

I agree that playing the instrument is essential to music, but if tone was unimportant, then why bother with tone at all? Besides, his music sounds great. I like music of all kinds, brtual technical death metal, avante garde orchestral, progressive 60's rock, atmospheric ambient, and really, as long as the music sounds good, nothing else matters.

[bontonroula]

Come on- he's just screwing around! He didn't have to learn a damn thing to do that. A total waste of time watching it!

[craigmcarthur1]

True that i am just messing around.... not true that i didnt have to learn anything to do it. Use of effects takes practice in y opinion to get the best from your gear and convey this in an original way

[ZomgOwnted]

Cool as hell, an original idea as far as I know.

[ParagonX1X]

nice

[Naxxx]

totally dopped sound!!!!!

[biziziz]

great , i like this

[gormanilius]

very experimental! thats exactly what music needs these days, something out of the norm

[Sean2112bd]

I agree. Music needs to be a lot more experimental. I mean we're living in the 21st century now, you'd think music would be more developed sonically.

[incubrian]

this is not out of the norm. using an ebow and a whammy; sounds cool, but its been done. throw some effects on there, yep, its been done.

if you want to think about "experimental", a term which you throw about loosely, try actually thinking in terms of the word. music will morph next when new instruments are finally heard. this is still the same ol' vibrating strings being converted to an electrical current.

there is WAY more original shit out there than that...

[gormanilius]

like?

This is some of the most original things I have seen, because all of the sucky pop hits seem to be done hitting about two strings on a guitar and having a drum machine create a beat for them.

Actually, I suppose one of the most experimental things hI have seen is a dethklok song recorded underwater =p

And that didnt really happen lol

[gormanilius]

Fo a second I thought that was just spam, but its a real song.

And sounds pretty good.

[krustaceae]

I play similar sound with pedal TS808 (full level, 25% gain 50% tone) + Compressor (full sustain half level) and delay, and it works. Beautifully endless sustain.

[RevealingScience]

Alright, I give up. I'm tired of fighting your awesome Youtube demos. I'm totally buying the Vinyl Future album ASAP.

Also, if someone named Charles befriends you on myspace, that's totally me.

[craigmcarthur1]

Haha, great thanks. I will look out for you on myspace!

Thanks for buying the EP in advance!

[XVeriandomNess]

Did you buy the small guitar for that purpose? xD

[craigmcarthur1]

Lol, na I have always wanted to play lap stell, big Dave Gilmour fan. I bought it a few years ago and have played around with it since. Had surgery and was ill at the end of last year and couldnt hold a guitar so started messing around with the lap steel again.

[gnrher]

the martians are coming!!

great dude!

[asoul576]

How do you make those sounds?

[craigmcarthur1]

Its in the title, lap steel + ebow + a delay pedal and a slide

[porchetta18]

l'ho sentito in halo 2 XD

[Rockuaway]

That's cool as hell man

[her0indragon]

that sounded so amazing, ghostly haunting almost. you should definitely use it on a song in the future sounds like a great thing to use.

[craigmcarthur1]

Yeh its being used on a song dude. 'Trephine' there is another demo i posted after this one with myself and my bandmate Gazpots playing a short section form it.

[her0indragon]

now that is great. i really would like to hear it once it's completed!

[PiperTheGreatX]

wow, that sounds like nothing on earth

[radiohead1994]

great !

its something like pink floyd...yeah!

[k0staZ]

awesome

[GazPots]

CRAIGUS IN WIDESCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE­EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE­EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!

Awesome. Sounds awesome too.

Gaz

[BRANSCOMBEx]

about time you made a new f8ckin' video

=)

[GazPots]

Well cancer takes a bit longer than a cold to recover from.

Gaz

[BRANSCOMBEx]

what?

Are you okay Craig?

[GazPots]

lol i see i got a thumbs down. It was meant to be humerous but it obviously wasn't to somebody. Anyways I'll leave Craig to expand on it if he wants to but to summarise.....

......he's fine and now free of cancer.

Woooop.

[craigmcarthur1]

Yeh Im fine now dude. Wasnt for a few months, had Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system), had to have surgery etc. Got the all clear last week tho which was nice, cancer is somewhat of a pain in the arse.

GazPots is a band mate, hes just messing with you. We make "Craig has Cancer" jokes within the band. Have to make light of the situation!

[BRANSCOMBEx]

See.

I NEVER could understand British humour..

=)

[craigmcarthur1]

Hahah yeh, I dont think the majority of British people get the humour in our band dude so dont worry about it! We are a strange bunch

[Kinshasa9200]

i'm happy to hear you are better. if we lost you, i don't know who we would badger with all these questions!?

[craigmcarthur1]

Haha cheers.

[FreekaleeknZ]

Awesome playing bro, good to see a survivor. My best friend died due to that, aswell as other types from it spreading. Keep up the playing!

[craigmcarthur1]

Sorry to hear that. I was lucky and it was caught relatively quickly, hence Im gettin healthy again. Thanks for the kind words and happy new year