Physical effects

[jasonmasters]

So I just recently discovered the Ebow and bought one immediately. It made me wonder, are there other neat tricks to be had on a bass or other stringed electric instrument?

I've seen billy gibbons use a solid silver pick to get more hamonics in his picking, seen paul gilbert use a drill with picks attached to it not to mention a human capo, seen manring use the ebow, seen random people use a beer bottle as a slide etc...

Anybody got any other cool tricks up their sleeve?

 

[St Drogo]

Oooh, interesting thread! Sub'd.

I would imagine looking at acoustic bassists or guitarists for this type of thing would be a good idea.

 

[MatticusMania]

With one of my old basses I was able to use a TV remote control to make some weird noises, just aim the sensors over the poles and press buttons.

 

[grovest]

I'm a new ebow owner, too. Rather befuddling thing... capo and slide were going to be my suggestions. Also foam mutes by the bridge and loose vibration dampers (hair scrunchies) towards the nut. Plus whammy bars.

 

[JustDavid]

Funk Fingers.

 

[bassteban]

I like to set the strings(right between the nut & first fret)against the edge of a speaker cab & use it as a howling-w/feedback slide.

 

[lowend219]

musser rings are kind of cool. basically a slide ring that fits over just a small part of your finger so you can still use all four fretting fingers and still have the slide there to use. only problem is the one for bass is pretty thick and kind of awkward to wear, still pretty coo though, james makes an awesome product.

 

[Aaroneous]

Beavis has a funny vid & article: http://www.beavisaudio.com/projects/MotorBow/

Or you could play the bass with a drill, like EVH did on "Poundcake".

Or you could "prepare" a bass like John Cage did to pianos:

 

[OilcanRacer]

drumstick whacking the strings. does that count?

 

[jasonmasters]

With one of my old basses I was able to use a TV remote control to make some weird noises, just aim the sensors over the poles and press buttons.

definitely going to try that!

I'm a new ebow owner, too. Rather befuddling thing... capo and slide were going to be my suggestions. Also foam mutes by the bridge and loose vibration dampers (hair scrunchies) towards the nut. Plus whammy bars.

got a Kahler whammy bar on my 6 string

 

[jasonmasters]

Or you could "prepare" a bass like John Cage did to pianos: [/QUOTE]

I totally don't understand what I'm watching here... what is it?

 

[Taylor Livingston]

Lots of info can be found Googling "prepared piano". All those sounds are made by attaching things like screws and gator clips to the strings of the piano, making it less harmonic and more percussive. Adding a piece of mass to a single part of a string shifts it's harmonics wildly.

Along those lines, the absolute king of physical effects on the instrument is clipping gator clips to the strings near the bridge. All kinds of lovely bell sounds can be had. You can also create sort of an acoustic distortion by attaching them in such a way as to buzz against the fretboard or bridge - Google "jawari" for the full extension of this idea.

 

[Aaroneous]

Check out the GIZMOTRON!

There's a clip in the second one of the bass version. Sounds like a freakin' bowed upright!

 

[Jazz Ad]

I use to attach paperclips to the strings to get cool vibrations, it sounded much like the nails on a jazz ride cymbal.

 

[Yakob]

I strung my Bronco up with guitar strings, tuned it DAD (only 3 strings would reach)...

Then I jammed stuff under the strings, over the pickguard, into the bridge, etc... Some cool noises.

 

[DerHoggz]

I use to attach paperclips to the strings to get cool vibrations, it sounded much like the nails on a jazz ride cymbal.

I've done this and have been able to get some interesting oriental sounds.

 

[Thorsoundcore]

for the past few days i've been expirementing like crazy with my basses/guitars + effects + physical effects.

so i used chorus,delay, and dist/overdrive on a bass or guitar (sadly,it sounds cooler on guitar ) and i took a relativly new screw driver and ran it all up and down the strings,tapping them,scraping,etc. and i got all kinds of cool sounds.

also, i have an electric face shaver (a norelco i believe to be exact) and i found that the pickups actually can pick up it's sound, creating a buzzsaw like sound. you don't even need effects on top of it,but they work as well,just projecting the sound even more.

i've also heard that certain hair curler products can make some wacky noises

 

[walker rosewood]

slides are always cool. Sometimes I use an allen wrench for a slide. Using a quarter for a pick makes pick slides easy.

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

With one of my old basses I was able to use a TV remote control to make some weird noises, just aim the sensors over the poles and press buttons.

A bud of mine did that with the red light on an optical mouse.

I've been wanting to get a metal pick for some time too.

I've wiggled a fro-pick across my strings.

 

[marijn van gils]

drumstick whacking the strings. does that count?

I used to do a song like this, putting the bass on a stand, crouching down behind it and playing like a DB. I used a lot of open strings and double stops on the D and G strings.

It gave a great percussive sound, and always got great response from the crowd at shows!

I stole the idea from a DB-player though...

Marijn