Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? The quality is good. It doesn't seem to require a super strong battery to power it and my old ebow lasted for years before I lost it. Reliability How has it stood up over time? See the last answer. Overall Your general opinion of this product. The ebow is a one of a kind device. There have been small improvements over the years that make it easier to use and easier to control the sound. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Finish How did the stain or paint job look? Action How was the action out of the box?

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? If my first Ebow lasted over 20 years, this one should as well. It's a solid piece of equipment that has been around for generations & has the same construction & appears to be better wiring than my last one. Reliability How has it stood up over time? I had my first Ebow for 20 years, this new one is generally built the same, & the battery cables (what finally pulled out on my first one) are better lined within the device. Overall Your general opinion of this product. I got an ebow for a graduation present over 20 years ago & it has lasted until recently when the battery cables finally came loose. I've used it for a couple recordings over the years to obtain a sustain without having picking breaks, and to mimic synth strings and feeback. I use it live on my song "The Author of Fate" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_NKdpHDhxM) & find that times where you want feedback sustain, dropping this into a recording is essential. It may start a little hard to use & figure out as you find the best "sweet spot" & attack for your guitars, but this is almost like learning a new instrument. The latest version of the Ebow features the harmonic setting, which my old one didn't have. This adds more dimension to the effect & your playing, & allows for some great sustain effects. As someone who uses wah, talkbox, and acoustic guitars in my music, the Ebow is another great addition to my palette and sound. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? Using an Ebow is awkward, holding the device on the strings as opposed to holding a pick. I have trouble using the Ebow on the high E or low E/outside strings because there's nothing to balance on. Finding the "sweet spot" on the guitars is tricky, & changing strings is tough. But if you're used to picking, it's a very foreign approach. This isn't like stepping on a stomp box & changing some knobs, it's like learning a new instrument. You're trying to "bow" the strings & it's a challenge, but it really enhances your sound & playability. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Tone is up to you, just about anything is obtainable if you're willing to work with it. The included CD with .mp3's, web lessons, and instructions really help to understand the instrument. Again, you can hear/see mine being used live at youtube.com/gtrdayve on my song "The Author of Fate". Finish How did the stain or paint job look? My first EBow was black, & pictures the last few years have shown them as white. The new one came black, it's not bad being black, & the construction is the same. However, I wish I could have gotten the white plastic version, because the black one doesn't show up on stage as well! When grabbing it in stage lights...& more importantly...having it seen from stage so the audience can say "what's that thing he's using on his guitar" it makes it a little harder to see on the stage! But music isn't about the visual presentation, right? Action How was the action out of the box? Like I'd said, the new version has a higher sensitivity and response, & produces a greater output.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? It appears to be made OK, but not great. I'd give it 3 out of 5. Reliability How has it stood up over time? I've only had it a week. It doesn't appear to be the most sturdy product. I hope I don't drop it. Overall Your general opinion of this product. I just got this last week, and I'm having a lot of fun. However, I mainly play acoustic, and was looking forward to gigging with this thing. I can only consistently get the B string to vibrate as soon as I put the Ebow to the string. G string is almost as good. High E string is good, but it's a little tricky to get it in the right position compared to the inner strings. Another thing: The Ebow effectiveness goes down as the string tension increases. A capo on the fifth fret makes it more difficult to get a string vibrating, and when I fret past the 12th fret, the Ebow often times just doesn't work. On my electric guitar, however, it works much more consistently across the inner strings. It's still tricky to position the Ebow correctly on the high and low E strings. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Finish How did the stain or paint job look? Action How was the action out of the box?