Byrd Style Pedal?

Dave Birkett · Post by **Dave Birkett** » 14 Nov 2002 8:38 pm

Is there a pedal on the market today like the one Jerry Byrd used on the Hank Williams records to get that wah sound? I doubt that a wah wah pedal would work.

Bob Tuttle · Post by **Bob Tuttle** » 14 Nov 2002 9:02 pm

That sound was done by working the tone control on the guitar with the little finger. You could also get that effect with the old Fender or Bigsby volume/tone pedal by working the pedal side to side, going from full bass to full treble.

Keith Hilton · Post by **Keith Hilton** » 14 Nov 2002 9:20 pm

Jerry Byrd used a pedal that came on in reverse. I have build a few pedals for guys who want their pedal to come on in reverse. You can make a pot pedal come on in reverse by reversing the string winding. I tried a pedal that came on in reverse one time and that was enough for me.

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 14 Nov 2002 9:42 pm

Keith,
Could you make a Hilton Volume/Tone pedal?...
ie. up/down=volume, side/side=tone?

Keith Hilton · Post by **Keith Hilton** » 15 Nov 2002 9:01 pm

Pete we made a experimental volume tone pedal where the top moved from side to side changing tone. The expense of getting this type of product ready for market is more than one might assume. I have hesitated about moving forward with a volume tone pedal because of the expense and predicted sales figures. These types of pedals have a lot of mechanics involved.

Matt Martin · Post by **Matt Martin** » 18 Nov 2002 2:54 pm

Just something I've noticed is that Ernie Ball makes a volume/tone pedal brand new.
I've used an Ernie Ball for a long time and am very pleased with it. I also have a Goodrich stereo pedal that I hook up when I want to get a little crazy with the sound.
Check out EB web site and check em out.

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 18 Nov 2002 6:04 pm

I see this Ernie Ball web page: http://www.ernieball.com/product/hardware/pedals/index.html
but I don't see a Volume/Tone pedal.
Is it listed somewhere else?
Thx,
Pete B.

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 19 Nov 2002 12:16 pm

Keith: I was wondering; wouldn't it be easier to just reverse the high and low wires on the outer terminals of the pot ??

Might be a lot easier than restringing it.

Regards, Paul

Keith Hilton · Post by **Keith Hilton** » 19 Nov 2002 6:43 pm

Yes Paul, you can reverse the terminals on the pot and that would have the same result as winding the string on backwards.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 20 Nov 2002 11:13 am

Hey Keith, maybe you could add a three-position switch on your pedals. One position would be normal operation, one would be reverse, and one would change it into a tone control for the wah effect. What do you think?

I really wish there was a good volume/wah pedal for steel. The Morleys just don't cut it as volume pedals, for me anyway. They are good for wah. I don't want to set up two pedals - too awkward.

Jerry Byrd did the doo-wah with his hand on the tone knob. I've performed several Hank songs using that technique on my Stringmaster. It's fun!

The difference between the doo-wah and modern wah pedals is active electronics. The doo-wah effect is just a passive high-cut filter using a capacitor. As a result, the volume is lower in the bass position.

By contrast, the wah-wah effect uses active electronics to amplify the signal in the bass position. The result is more "in-your-face", less "organic" than a simple tone pot.

I really like wah-wah for that vocal sound that the Sacred Steelers get. Some of them manage it without a pedal, though. Darick Campbell, for example, gets very good vocal inflections just using the tone pot on his 8-string Fender.

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<small><img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic), Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6), Roland Handsonic

Keith Hilton · Post by **Keith Hilton** » 20 Nov 2002 7:54 pm

I agree with you Bobby about the switch, only I would have it be straight steel, wah, and fuzz for the 3 position switch. Just wondering what pedal wah sounds best in your ear. The "Cry Baby" has been around a long,long time. Seems to me it is one of the best straight wah pedals for guitar. There may be a difference on steel. Do you think the wah pedal movement would be best, or a really good wah using a Envelope Filter?
Here is some food for thought; If you listen to the music most of the people under 30 listen to, you never ever hear a straight guitar. It is "always" run rough an effect of some kind. I'm to stupid to know if that is good or bad.

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 28 Dec 2002 12:45 pm

If this comes back to the top of Electronics I'm doing it because someone has shown me I may have given some wrong information.

I suggested reversing the leads on the pot instead of rewinding the string to get the full-off when pedal is all the way down, effect but a friend and I were discussing this and the audio taper function would be lost by doing that.

The taper is built into the first 1/3rd of the control. Reversing to the other end would have the same effect as using a linear pot which in my estimation is a no-no.

I apologize if I steered anyone wrong.

Regards, Paul