The Steel Guitar Forum

After using a Goodrich LDR potless pedal for about a year, I went back to a pot pedal because of one reason: I got sick of the AC issue. To some this is a minor inconvenience, but when you're on a multi-band bill at a festival or playing some dive with limited AC, that Hilton or LDR will become a headache very fast. It's very convenient to just whip out the pedal and slip it underneath the steel.

I now have a Goodrich L10K and a Sho~Bud VP as well, both of which sound great to me. In fact, I use the Sho~Bud more because I like the sound a bit better. The Goodrich has a built-in Matchbox that boosts the signal a bit too much at times, for my taste. One thing about pot pedals I will admit is that you need two in your pack seat at all times, in case one gets scratchy or the string comes loose and you don't have time to take the back off and fiddle with it.

The guitarist will boost volume for solos but will not stand there with his/her foot on the pedal. A steel player, on the other hand, puts A LOT MORE MILES on that pedal.

Most guitarists I know (including me) who use a volume pedal "ride" it most of the time; guitar players sometimes tend to set-and-forget their guitars' controls, but not a volume pedal. I actually use a volume pedal FAR more on 6-string than with steel.

With steel I use an old Beck Musical Instrument pot pedal or an ancient Fender pot pedal. Wide-open or unplugged is the same sound, and neither has any scratchiness or noise. I've been a guitar tech for years and never understood the hype over boutique volume pedals - they vary the signal level from your guitar. A pot or photocell does the same thing. ONLY if you get a bad pot (or don't maintain it is a pot pedal a problem. IMO save your money and buy whatever feels comfortable and is built sturdily.

I can't speak for guitarists other than myself, but when I use a volume pedal for guitar I do stand with my foot on it much of the time, but unless I'm trying to emulate steel playing, which I really don't do any more now that I play steel, I "ride" it for purposes of changing my volume in the overall mix, but not constantly (and hopefully subtly) as a sustain and expression or articulation tool as I do on steel.

Bill OCallaghan wrote:I would like to know if there is any special about a volume pedal for PSG vs for guitar. I have been looking and see alot on ebay very inexpensive (ernie ball), but the ones that specifically mention PSG (goodrich) seem much more expensive. Is the a difference? something I should be looking out for?

To answer your specific questions, yes, there is something special about PSG volume pedals. There are many kinds of guitar VPs, some similar to PSG VPs, others not so much (crude rack and pinion mechanisms, etc.). If you play more rock style, like Jim S., then a guitar VP might be okay for you.

If you want to play traditional country pedal steel style, you should get one of the VPs designed for PSG, like most traditional steelers use. The smoothness and throw have been developed to get that subtle liquid sustain of pedal steel, not merely to control the volume level. And they are of a size and quality that holds up under the constant, intensive use of traditional PSG style. The chords attach on the right side, and most have a clip that attaches to the pedal bar.

The pot pedals are less expensive, especially if you can find a used one. They have the advantage of being passive, with no need to plug in a power supply. But the pot can get scratchy and have to be replaced. Also, the string drive can develop problems. They also change the tone with where they are set. Backing off the pedal selectively drops the highs. A Match Box, or other impedance matcher between the pickup and VP can fix that.

The active light beam VPs never develop scratchy pots, don't use a string drive, and don't need an outboard impedance matcher to keep the tone constant. Their only disadvantages are needing a power source and their extra cost. They are an investment for long-term, carefree use.

I had never used a volume pedal for six string until a few months ago. I had a dinner theater gig which
demanded a somewhat low and constant volume, so I put
one on the floor to control the levels when going from clean to distortion leads. Like some of you I found myself leaning on it when it sometimes was
unnecessary. I would catch myself with my foot on it even whenever I had had long stretches of the show that didn't require a change.