So ive wondered this since ive noticed it. at the beginning of world wide suicide and the end of wishlist(And maybe some other songs i dont know) ed uses some kind of device on his guitar. ive always wondered what it was and how it worked

He uses an ebow on Wishlist

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebow

If you listen back to various versions of RVM from the 2003 and 2005 tour you will hear Ed playing something which sounds incredibly similar to the intro for World Wide Suicide. He used to often pick up the E-Bow for the breakdown during RVM.

Usually you hold an ebow over a single string and let it vibrate and you just fret the guitar with your left hand and you get that eery orchestral sound. That's what Eddie does on Wishlist, but on Worldwide Suicide, he actually uses it to strum his instrument which creates another weird sound on its own before he tosses it aside.

yeah it kinda sounds like a violin
which is what i thought it was when i first heard world wide suicide haha

oh man i hate that sound on WWS

Yeah it's kind of a poor use for an ebow.

Even if you don't like what he does, you've gotta give him some props for creating a different sound by using it differently.

i dont have to give him props for creating an annoying sound.

Hahaha what?

OHH.

haha well put

I'm saying that even if you find the sound annoying, you have to acknowledge the creativity in using the device in an unconventional way. If you're a musician, you're always searching for different guitar tones and unique ways of creating sound. I respect that and kind of dig the opening of WWS.

There's really only 2 things you can do with it. Like he does in Wishlist which is one string and WWS which is going from string to string. Ed didn't create the sound.

I always thought it was Mike using the ebow on Wishlist. It's such a great sound for that song. Not as good for WWS, but not bad either, imo.

Never seen the e-bow argument in Single Video Theory then?

fun moment, says a lot about their dynamic at that point.

Heh, I didn't even watch SVT for the first (and only) time until early 2006, with a girl I had a HUGE crush on. I wasn't really paying close attention, except during No Way. And the girl is now my wife, btw.

Go back and visit SVT..it's very worthwhile I think..one of the best films they've done, if not the best..faaaar too short though..it's shorter than the record itself..never understood why they didn't put full performances on there..

"I can't get to an ebow." lol