E-bow

When Brian started using an E-bow live and/or studio? While watching Houston 77 (for the first time full, after I found a decent copy) I noticed he used one in the solo, but I never thought E-bows existed so long ago, I thought they were some 80's thing. He used one in Rock in Rio too, these were the only times I could notice it.

Not totally sure, but the earliest one I recall there being an e-bow on was All Dead, All Dead.

I have to check that, don't remember. Once you play with one and get used with the sounds, you can detect them easier. It seems that some bits in Millionaire Waltz might have some too but I don't think it was available then, really not sure. It can be just reversed tape but sometimes the sounds are similar. Even the TYMD intro could have some E-bow, but that's just tape manipulation I think.

^ Indeed.

There's also one on Good Company.
Just goes to show how up to date Brian used to be; the commercial variant of the eBow was introduced in 1975.

^ Indeed. If you have one it does make it easier to recognise.
The TYMD doesn't have one, I believe.

But there's definately also one on Good Company.
Just goes to show how up to date Brian used to be; the commercial variant of the eBow was introduced in 1975.

Where in 'Good Company' was the e-Bow used?
How can you say with such certainty.....just curious. Has BM mentioned the use of it in that song?
I'm familiar with them but not hearing where in the song that it was used. I have recorded a version myself so would be keen to hear your knowledge on this.

Listen to the little fiddly thing at the very end of the track.
That's ebow and finger tapping through the deacy. And of course loads of effects on it.
Also some parts of the orchestrations, only some of the many layers, where the guitar sounds a bit like a flute, sound like short bits of ebow to me. (Note also that they don't have any 'attack' from fingernails or picks.)

*Why does the edit button not work??!!*

I wanted to add that in some parts of the orchestration, the lack of 'attack' is also because of the use of a volume pedal for instance.

But the certainty... well, that would be my ears and the fact that the song is mentioned in the official ebow manual and on their website as an example :-)

It's in "Love Of My Life" as well and on the "Prophet's Song" too I think.

I don't know what is correct here, but Brian did say in a recent interview that he never used an E-bow on any recording. And to me, I cant hear any evidence of him using one.

E-bow are quite naughty and claim that Brian used one on ANATO tracks, but I don't think he did.

If you look at the history on their own website you will see that the commercial model was not released until 1976. Now unless Brian got hold of an earlier prototype version somehow then its impossible that he used one on ANATO.

Even though it sounds a little like and E-bow is being used I think its just Brian gently coaxing the sounds out with his fingers through a heavily TB driven Deaky.

I did ask Brian about this a few years ago, around 2004, and he did say that he never used an ebow in the studio for Good Company. The way he got all those different sounds was a mixture of where the mics were placed in relation to the amp, the setting on his amp and his guitar and effects pedals.

He did admit to using them on stage in the very early days of Queen to get those "whale like noises" though.

Unfortunately Brians site doesnt go back as far as 2004 now, so I have no way of proving this to you all unless either Jen can dig that far back, or I can find a copy of the reply to my email.

One of my obvious thoughts was also Good Company but it's too old, I think as I said E-bow didn't exist back then.

There's a little variation in some "guitar orchestra" sounds to these in GC, like for example those in GSTQ etc. that clearly sound like overlaying and harmonizing, it's a bit different than what an E-bow does that is to make it sound like something different than the guitar, which is more like what was done in GC with the wind instruments which an E-bow is somehow good to emulate - if you know how of course, there's a lot of samples in their site that sound quite real.

Love of my life probably doesn't have anything but guitars and effects, also Prophet's song. Even Get Down Make Love doesn't have E-bows.

From what was done live with the E-bow (random noises) I don't think it was really used in studio.

Actually the Ebow has existed since 1969 when the first working model was created

[url=http://www.ebow.com/ebow/flash/home/home.htm]http://www.ebow.com/ebow/flash/home/home.htm[/url]

Brian has never, ever used and E-Bow in the recording studio.  But, he has live.
[/QUOTE]Here's the link.[/QUOTE]
[/QUOTE]http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/renaissance-man/nov-07/32483
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[/QUOTE][b]How did you get the sustain on those parts? It almost sounds like an EBow.[/b]
Normally it would have been natural sustain. That’s the way I prefer to do it. I don’t remember using an EBow on that song. I’ve definitely used EBows to play around onstage and had a great time. But in the studio I just put myself in the exact position to get each note to feed back and sustain.
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