Volume pedals

[Robert****]

What volume pedal do you use?

I have an old Korg volume pedal (stereo too) that works just fine.

Why are so many volume pedals active (meaning they need a battery)? My Korg is passive.

Last question - why are some of them so darn expensive? Seems like it should be a fairly simple thing to create a volume pedal, no?

[Justaguyin_nc]

I have a Ernie Ball Passive Mono.. think its 6166 model..
The size and weight probably make it expensive..

The wierd thing I find.. A string, like a shoestring controls it.
All that metal..and a string is attached.. hmmm.. just seems strange.

But I like it...

[wingsdad]

While my Boss ME-50 has a multi-function pedal, I still go with a 30-year-old Goodrich 400A volume pedal. Designed for pedal steel, it's built like a tank, has dual outputs and uses a photocell (actually a #757 automotive bulb) instead of a pot and rack & pinion apparatus, so it's absolutely noiseless, and tone is 100% consistent at any level. Runs on AC only, so no battery to die a slow death and degrade or distort things. Now Goodrich uses LED's instead of this old-fashioned technology.

[SuperSwede]

I had a cheap plastic Proel, but it gave up on me so I am looking for a new.

[marnold***]

My EX-7 acts as a volume pedal when it is off and the model knob is in the seventh position.

[Algonquin]

I was just wondering if anyone still uses volumes pedals so I did a quick search and saw this thread. I just dug up my old Boss FV-100 and did a quick clean up on it and will take it with me to practice this week. I tried it at the end of my pedal chain quickly tonight and that's where I'll likely use it.

If you're still using one, where does it go in your chain?
Cheers
David

[piebaldpython***]

I don't know if stnadard guitarists use them much but I can tell you that pedal steel and a lot of lap steel players SWEAR by them. They talk about the volume pedal they way standard guitarists go on about distortion pedals.

[Robert****]

I put mine first in the chain. It's very useful for playing country steel guitar type of licks with a volume pedal. If you put it after your delay, you can can't make those seamless swells, so make sure it goes before the delay.

[Algonquin]

I'd read a few post about prior to the delay, so I'll have to try that... but I would like to keep it after the OD/Distortion for my needs, as I'd like to keep the grit intact! Thanks for the replies Gents :

[vroomery]

I have the dunlop passive volume pedal. I have to say I would really like it to be a little more smooth. I took the bottom off and tried to change the tension on the little plastic bar that moves up and down, which helped some but not nearly enough.

Algonquin: I used to have my volume at the end of my chain, but I've since changed it to be right before my delay pedal. The primary reason for this is that if you have a long delay setting on, you can hit your note(s) and pull back on the volume pedal but the delay will keep on going at the set decay. I really haven't used it for that purpose all that much, but the times I have it has been pretty effective.

[deeaa*]

I use a passive Ernie Ball which is HUGE and it also functions as a pan pedal when need be. A volume pedal is apparently hard to make so that it will work smoothly and have enough range. Anyway the Ernie is a good one, best I have had, although all the others I've had have been digital controller pedals like on my Boss GT-6 or similar stuff from Behringer etc. They all had way too little range.

I haven't used it much lately though since it won't fit in my pedal case. The same reason I quit using a wah - no room in the case, they both are so high.

[P.J.]

What volume pedal do you use?

I have an old Korg volume pedal (stereo too) that works just fine.

Why are so many volume pedals active (meaning they need a battery)? My Korg is passive.

Last question - why are some of them so darn expensive? Seems like it should be a fairly simple thing to create a volume pedal, no?

I have had great luck w/ a Morley volume pedal. They are optical so they don't have pots that eventually get scratchy or fail.

=-) PJ

[ZMAN]

PJ: Could you change the color of your print font. This old Fretter is having a hard time reading it. LOL

[hubberjub***]

I use an active Morley Little Alligator with my six string setup and I bought an Ernie Ball for my pedal steel. I feel that the active pedal (Morley) doesn't attenuate the highs as quickly as the passive pedal does. The Ernie Ball works really well for the pedal steel as I have the treble rolled almost competely off at the amplifier.