Volume Pedal Info

Gene Wright · Post by **Gene Wright** » 21 Mar 2001 2:39 pm

I have never used a volume pedal but would sure like to know how and what to buy for my pedal steel. Can someone help me out? Thanks.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 21 Mar 2001 3:48 pm

Gene, you can pick up a used pot-type volume pedal (I like the Fender, but there are others, too) for around $50-$100. Keith Hilton (a FORUM member) makes a good "powered" (or amplified) pedal, but it will cost you significantly more. One thing is for sure, if you have been playing pedal guitar without a volume pedal, you are part of a very small minority!

Get one soon!

Tim Rowley · Post by **Tim Rowley** » 21 Mar 2001 8:01 pm

Gene, keep your eagle eye on the "Buy and Sell" topic of this Forum. Some good and popular brands of pot-type volume pedals selling in the $100 range include Sho-Bud, Fender, Goodrich, and Ernie Ball in the free-standing models, and Emmons and Derby in the pedalbar-mount models. Any one of these brands will serve you very well.

There are a number of other brands of volume pedals out there, some of which are OK, and some of which are to be avoided. IMHO, for reliability and practicality sake I would not recommend the Dekley Low-Boy (thin fragile cast aluminum), DeArmond (rack and pinion), nor Morley (powered, wrong shape and size) units for use with pedal steel guitar. I may draw some disagreement from this paragraph, but let me simply state that a broken or non-functional volume pedal is useless on a gig, and these last three brands are subject to failure and are tough to repair. Stick with the reliable old standbys such as mentioned in the first paragraph.

As to the Hilton pedal, they're great but are a bit pricey for a "first" volume pedal. If you have the money though, get a Hilton.

Good luck Gene!

Tim R.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 22 Mar 2001 4:10 am

There is a Goodrich 120 on the buy and sell now for (I think) $50. It won't be there long at that price.

Jeff A. Smith · Post by **Jeff A. Smith** » 22 Mar 2001 5:59 pm

If you're fairly tall, you may want to consider a low-profile pedal. It has also been related to me that with a low-pro pedal, your knee will meet the levers at a lower point, which may work better.

It may not be absolute state of the art, but I bought a new passive Goodrich L-120 from Carter for 120$, and am very happy with it. It seems to smooth out the tone just a little, in an agreeable manner.

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 24 Mar 2001 1:44 pm

Gene, take my advice,
When you get your volume pedal, make sure it is adjusted so that some sound is coming through even when the pedal is right off.
You will find this will give you a better tone. To me, nothing sounds worse than the 'meeeioowing' sound a steel guitar makes when the volume pedal shuts the sound off completely.
Richard.