Volume Pedal

PCM

PCM

Spring, Texas
Forum Denizens, Ladies and Gents,

Easy question...I'm looking for a simple volume pedal to hookup with an equally simple guitar-pedal(Boss Overdrive/Distortion) -amp (20W Roland Cube/2 channel/solid with adjustable "modeling" through one channel) arrangement.

Each channel in the amp has a volume control as well as a master for the entire amp in addition to the level and volume control on the pedal and guitar(Clapton signature strat) respectively.

I've discovered through much knob twisting and mindless noodling that the modeling channel actually adjusts for a better "clean' sound than the channel labeled "clean." So...I run the Boss pedal through the "clean" channel when soloing and use the adjusted "clean" sound through the modeling channel via a footswitch for comping/background requirements.

I can work out most of the volume issues through the controls on the amp and pedal, however I would like a volume pedal inline also since I'm usually seated or standing away from the amp. There aren't any critical adjustments required since this is an "old-guy, simple jam, no audience" sort of arrangement. All of us are amateurs and wouldn't know "too loud, too soft, too distorted" anyway.

Nothing fancy, just a simple volume pedal. And...should it be on the amp side or the quitar side of the overdrive pedal?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated without my going to a Sweetwater catalogue and having a brain overload.

Thanks in advance,

PCM
Houston, Texas
 
CaptainMoto

CaptainMoto

Blues Voyager
I had an Ernie Ball and went to a Lehle......i Love it.
Those are what you might call "Fancy" so, it my not be what you're looking for.

The one PapaBear suggested would be a good choice.
Simple as you can get.

E B are good but, lots of people like the Morley, take a look at that also.
Nice thing about that one is, it's a volume or wah.
Someday you might want a wah so having that as an option might be a good thing.

The EB requires no power while the Morley does.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...h-volume-vintage-wah-and-optical-volume-pedal
 
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PCM

PCM

Spring, Texas
Any suggestions as to volume pedal placement...guitar or amp side of signal chain?
 
A

Al Holloway

Devizes UK
PCM said:
Nothing fancy, just a simple volume pedal. And...should it be on the amp side or the quitar side of the overdrive pedal?
Click to expand...
On the amp side it will just give a louder and quieter version of the tone out of the pedal. On the guitar side depending on where the pedal is set it will change the gain level. Wind back and the sound cleans up. This would be my placement of it but....It will not give much different sound to the guitar vol pot. Why not save money and use that?

cheers

Al.
 
PCM

PCM

Spring, Texas
Al Holloway said:
On the amp side it will just give a louder and quieter version of the tone out of the pedal. On the guitar side depending on where the pedal is set it will change the gain level. Wind back and the sound cleans up. This would be my placement of it but....It will not give much different sound to the guitar vol pot. Why not save money and use that?

cheers

Al.
Click to expand...
Excellent points. Thanks for the info.

PCM
Houston, Texas
 
Iheartbacon

Iheartbacon

Blues Junior
Al Holloway said:
Why not save money and use that?
Click to expand...

Some people find using a pedal a lot easier. Also if you gig and change guitars, rolling the pedal to 0 can eliminate that annoying open circuit noise. Personally I like to use the control on the guitar and a tuner pedal silent mode for those things and not have another thing to carry around, but I do see why some like the pedals.
 
J

Jalapeno

Student Of The Blues
Iheartbacon said:
that annoying open circuit noise
Click to expand...
Griff taught us at BGU live to pull the cord halfway out of the amp, then unplug from the guitar, then plug in another guitar and finally push the plug back into the amp. We get about 175 people through a jam that way with very little noise (once in a while someone forgets the amp part and just unplugs but most do it fine).

Eric
 
Iheartbacon

Iheartbacon

Blues Junior
Jalapeno said:
Griff taught us at BGU live to pull the cord halfway out of the amp, then unplug from the guitar, then plug in another guitar and finally push the plug back into the amp. We get about 175 people through a jam that way with very little noise (once in a while someone forgets the amp part and just unplugs but most do it fine).

Eric
Click to expand...

That is a heck of a lot harder than a quick step on a volume pedal or muting tuner pedal!
 
A

Al Holloway

Devizes UK
Iheartbacon said:
Some people find using a pedal a lot easier. Also if you gig and change guitars, rolling the pedal to 0 can eliminate that annoying open circuit noise. Personally I like to use the control on the guitar and a tuner pedal silent mode for those things and not have another thing to carry around, but I do see why some like the pedals.
Click to expand...
Yep I use a tuner to mute. Just remembered this https://youtu.be/TF-W7JIaPHE will probably answer most of the why and how questions if not the which question. With IIRC something about impedamce using vol pedal instead of vol pot on guitar but I can't remember what it was:rolleyes:

cheers

Al.
 
Iheartbacon

Iheartbacon

Blues Junior
Jalapeno said:
No it isn't. It might sound like it is but it isn't. And its a lot cheaper.
Click to expand...

Seriously? I have done both more than enough times to know.

Tapping a pedal I am already standing over vs walking to the amp/modeler/profiler and generally bending over?

Tapping a pedal or rocking it to one extreme vs half unplugging a cord?

Sorry, but no, not the same
 
J

Jalapeno

Student Of The Blues
I don't know, its easy enough, not much different to turn around than it is to look for a pedal on the floor, assuming you haven't moved around the stage.

YMMV of course, but I don't find unplugging so difficult I need a pedal. Same with using the volume knob on the guitar. So much easier than mucking with a pedal. As I said, YMMV.
 
sloslunas

sloslunas

NM Blues
Iheartbacon said:
Seriously? I have done both more than enough times to know.

Tapping a pedal I am already standing over vs walking to the amp/modeler/profiler and generally bending over?

Tapping a pedal or rocking it to one extreme vs half unplugging a cord?

Sorry, but no, not the same
Click to expand...
Sorry, but you did not get the point. Jalapeno was only saying that cycling through 175 players at various spots on the stage is not only practical, but probably the most feasible approach. If you are one person, then I totally get your point.

Steve
 
PapaBear

PapaBear

Guit Fiddlier
Iheartbacon said:
That is a heck of a lot harder than a quick step on a volume pedal or muting tuner pedal!
Click to expand...
At BGU Live events there are no tuners or volume pedals unless you've brought your own, Griff provides an amp and maybe a pedal or two, your expected to be in tune or have a headstock tuner when you hit the stage, I personally use a tuner with a mute and that is my preference.
 
Elio

Elio

Student Of The Blues
PapaBear said:
At BGU Live events there are no tuners or volume pedals unless you've brought your own, Griff provides an amp and maybe a pedal or two, your expected to be in tune or have a headstock tuner when you hit the stage, I personally use a tuner with a mute and that is my preference.
Click to expand...

At the last two Arrowhead events each spot had a tuner pedal which could be used to mute between guitar changes, and two overdrives, one of which was essentially a volume boost.
 
Iheartbacon

Iheartbacon

Blues Junior
I wasn’t making a point about what is or isn’t done at BGU events or even what I prefer since I don’t personally use volume pedals.

I was trying to explain that many guys like to use volume pedals and they have good reasons to do so even though there are free alternatives.

Ultimately, there are a bunch of companies that make volume pedals and they have sold a ton of them over the years. Too many for too long to dismiss it as a fad. A lot of people simply like what they do. It is OK that we don’t like them or feel a need for our playing, but we don’t need to denigrate the guys who choose differently.

And yes, I get that most of a group of 178 people can pull a cable, but even if the amp is elevated and within arms reach, you won’t convince me that that move is faster, easier, or less risk/wear to your cables than rocking a pedal or stepping on a switch.
 
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