Explore harmonic mode

Two modes of string vibration

PlusEBow offers standard and harmonic modes. Standard mode favours the fundamental tone, while harmonic mode encourages stronger upper harmonics. Both work through the same basic relationship between the drive field and the guitar string. You are changing how the string is encouraged to vibrate, rather than inserting a separate electronic effect into the audio cable. Your guitar pickup still receives the string’s response.

The distinction is useful, but it is not a promise that every note will sound identical in either setting. The fretted pitch, position of the device, proximity to the string and guitar setup also matter. Standard mode can produce harmonics, and harmonic mode still depends on careful alignment. Hear the switch as a starting point for exploration, not a replacement for learning where the instrument responds.

The manufacturer also distinguishes generations of the product. Its guide describes the current PlusEBow Fire as retaining the fundamental in the mix in harmonic mode. Older PlusEBow examples can therefore differ from that response. These instructions explain the shared two-mode technique; they do not identify the generation of a particular shop item or gallery photograph. Check the product information if that distinction matters to your purchase.

Choose the mode with the switch

In the basic grip illustrated in the Player’s Guide, moving the switch towards the lower strings selects the regular sound. Moving it towards the higher strings selects harmonic mode. Use the official diagram when learning the orientation. A reverse or alternative grip changes the way those directions feel in your hand, so do not infer the setting from a movement alone.

For a useful comparison, keep the same pickup, fretted note and approximate position. Listen to standard mode first, then switch and allow the new response to develop. If you change the note and move over the pickup at the same moment, you will hear several changes together. Separating them helps you recognise what the mode contributes and what comes from your movement.

Find a controlled starting position

Begin with the neck pickup selected and a reduced guitar volume, as in the first-use lesson. Keep the driven string centred in the DriveChannel. The guide grooves support the device on the neighbouring strings; the driven string should have room to vibrate without rubbing against the channel. A harmonic sound still needs that alignment.

Move slowly through the familiar playing area and listen for changes in brightness and level. You do not need maximum volume to hear the upper harmonics. If the sound becomes too forceful, back away from the HotSpot or reduce the guitar volume. If the string rubs against the channel, ease pressure before searching for another harmonic. An unwanted mechanical buzz is different from the harmonic colour you are trying to control.

Glide for a wah-like change

Gliding towards the selected pickup increases volume and brightens the sound. In harmonic mode, the official guide describes this movement as creating a wah effect. The gesture happens at the string and pickup: there is no separate wah pedal inside the handheld device. The result depends on the range of movement and the response of your guitar.

Try one sustained note and move towards the pickup, then retreat to a softer position. Keep your path aligned with the strings. Listen to the change across the whole movement rather than only the loudest point. Once that sweep is repeatable, coordinate it with note changes. A short approach on each note gives a different articulation from holding one note while making a longer, continuous sweep.

Harmonics in standard mode

You can also explore harmonics without switching modes. The guide describes sustaining notes near the nut, around the first five frets on the E, A, D and G strings. Moving away from the pickup towards the bridge can encourage more upper harmonics. This is an exploration of positions, not a fixed recipe guaranteeing the same harmonic on every guitar.

To keep a more fundamental-focused sound, the guide suggests avoiding those low fretted positions or lightly damping the string with the right palm behind the device near the bridge. This gives you a way to compare two musical goals: encouraging harmonic colour or keeping a steadier basic tone. Change one part of the setup and listen before moving to the next.

Add bends and vibrato

The manufacturer identifies bending and vibrato as ways to help harmonics begin and add expression. Sustain a note first, then introduce a controlled pitch movement with the fretting hand. Listen to how the harmonic content reacts. The device supplies continued drive, but the left hand remains responsible for the pitch gesture and its timing.

When a bend moves the string sideways, it can leave the most effective part of the drive field. The guide describes tilting and adding a little pressure for bends above the twelfth fret, keeping the appropriate guide groove on track. Avoid solving a lost note with uncontrolled force. Re-establish alignment and keep the driven string clear of the channel. The bending section of the techniques reference explains this relationship in more detail.

Higher notes and technique choice

Harmonic mode can help extend the useful sustain range into higher registers. This does not mean that every highest note on the thin E will sustain equally easily. The guide notes that very high notes there can be difficult to sustain, while spiccato, tremolando and arpeggios can still be used higher up the fretboard. Different articulation can be more useful than insisting on the same long swell everywhere.

After the basic comparison, try a short phrase in both modes. Keep its timing and pickup selection consistent, then decide where you prefer a clear fundamental and where harmonic colour supports the melody. Move on to gliding, tilting and cross-string playing when you can reproduce the response deliberately. The aim is control over a musical phrase, rather than collecting a list of switch settings.