BOC: Theremin, now E-bow

[John McIntyre]

>From: Craig Shipley <craigs at PYRAMID.COM>

>Yeah I remember that as being a major hurdle (the wheels wearing out). Wonder
>what could be done with some of the materials that have come along since then?
>(Could a ceramic composite work?) And with advances in motor miniturization and
>control, I can see where a variable-speed unit could be built and incorporated
>into a guitar...

I don't know enough material science to answer the question about wheel
composition.  As to the variable speed motor, I'm not sure that that would
be a gain.  You need the wheels rotating fast enough to get the string
sustaining, but I think that once that threshhold is reached, faster
rotation should have little effect on the sound as it is the length of
the string; i.e., where on the fingerboard you're fretting, that determines
pitch, not the driving speed.  Driving the string at its resonant frquency
would probably provide more gain, but that resonate frequency would change
each time you change notes, so you'd be constantly fiddling with the speed.
And if you played more than one string at a time, you'd be unable to match
speeds for all the strings.

>The Gizmo attached to the tailstock, right?

A metal plate was provided to attach to the body near the bridge and
parallel to the strings.  It was recommended that you use the supplied
double-sided tape to affix the plate while you experimented with its
location before drilling any holes to permanently mount the plate.
The Gizmo then attached to the plate.

 John McIntyre
 Physics - Astronomy Domine Dept
 Michigan State University
 mcintyre at pa.msu.edu