Volume pedal for the hand/arm on U12

Fred Glave · From: McHenry, Illinois, USA

My U12 playing has evolved into including A,B,and C pedals in the B6 mode. Consequently, I have to use 2 feet on the pedals a lot of the time. I would like to have a volume pedal, or controller for the hand or arm. My Sierra doesn't have a volume knob, so I'd like to know if anyone has seen or used something like this.

Jon Light (deceased) · From: Saugerties, NY

Never seen one but I've always felt that an arm or elbow activated volume (or tone) control made sense. For your purposes but also just because it seems like a logical and ergonomically reasonable motion. Sure I can see negatives regarding its affect on picking position but if I had any machining chops & gear I'd be tinkering with this idea. But I have neither.

Nic du Toit · From: Milnerton, Cape, South Africa

Maybe you can have a wrist lever made like these?
I found these pics on the GFI website.

Bob Kagy · From: Lafayette, CO USA

That's beautiful and innovative work.

Did Gene Fields come up with that for you?

Jon Light (deceased) · From: Saugerties, NY

I have seen several different steels build by Gene Fields for players with different needs and I am continually in deep appreciation of his work.

Fred Glave · From: McHenry, Illinois, USA

Do those take the place of knee levers, or is there a voloume control in there somewhere? Looks like it would help out a player who lost the use of their legs. Pretty cool.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

IMHO, unless you have some sort of physical disability that prevents you from using a standard setup, I'd strongly advise not to go for such a "non-standard" modification, unless...the modification really gives you something unique and worthwhile.

A good question to ask yourself whenever you are tempted to make such modifications is..."Why do I need this (modification) when everyone else seems to be doing just fine without it?"

Dennis Schell · From: Shingletown, Shasta county, Kalifornia

Just as an aside, my pal who built my steel wears an artificial leg below his right knee. He uses a clip-on knee lever as a volume control....(and uses it quite well!) Maybe a similar setup would free up the right foot for more pedal changes?

Just a thought though, I tend to agree with Donny....(If it ain't broke, don't fix it)

Dennis
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Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

First, putting your B6 C pedal changes on a knee lever will probably solve the problem. But assuming you don't want to do that, you could buy a volume control pot and a small chassis box some jacks at Radio Shack, and attach it to your steel with Velcro, and operate it with your pinky on your right hand.

We've all seen guitarists do that, and Jerry Byrd use to do that with his tone control.
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Fred Glave · From: McHenry, Illinois, USA

Thanks for all of the advice. I've seen a lot of threads from players who use 2 feet playing U12. What are they doing? I use the volume pedal mostly to go from accompanying at lower volume to solo at louder volume. But occasionally I would like to do more with it.

Leonard G. Robertson · From: Ozark, Mo. USA

Fred, a couple of yrs. ago I helped a steeler take his D12 MSA from stage after a flawless performance to his vehicle. He used a wrist operated volume control mounted on top RH end of the psg. His 1st name is Fred, & he only played western swing with all older retired musicians from Texas or OK. The best swing band (except Bob Wills) I ever heard. Leader was trumpet player named Mudge Miller, & outstanding fiddler's named Tony.

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

There's a sort of genius okie B3 organ player around here named Skip Van Winkle who kicks tremendous bass pedals and as a result cannot use a standard B3 volume pedal because both feet are busy playing bass. His solution was to build a one inch diameter rolling shaft that runs the whole length of his lower keyboard just behind and below the level of his white keys. His version is kinda funky and is just a piece of galvanized pipe covered with a length of garden hose for texture.This shaft is rigged to a volume pot at one end and pivots on a bracket at the other end. What he does is roll the shaft with the heel of his left hand while playing left hand chords and whatever else an organ player does with his left hand. Since the shaft runs the length of the lower manual it's always right behind his hand no matter where his hand is. He works it like a volume pedal and it works great and takes nothing away from his playing. That idea should work pretty well on a pedal steel by my estimation and could be used with the heel of either or both hands and the thumb of the bar hand depending on what both hands were up to at a given moment. I discussed the idea with the best machinist in the world,Chas Smith,and we figured it was doable - we just never had the time to make a prototype.Ideally the entire shaft would have a knurled texture like a Telecaster volume knob and be able to be heighth adjustable from player to player to suit to idiosyncracies of each players style and approach.If I had one it would be just below and about a half to 3/4 inch behind my lowest string. It could be built in to the guitar and would not have to be removed or it could be an add-on that could be velcroed in place. Somebody take that idea and run with it. -MJ-

Fred Glave · From: McHenry, Illinois, USA

Some good ideas coming in. Sounds like I should get a hold of a volume pot and do some experimenting. I wonder if I found an old volume pedal, I could take it apart and use it's components.

Dennis Schell · From: Shingletown, Shasta county, Kalifornia

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