Tone pedal

Dwayne Martineau · Post by **Dwayne Martineau** » 8 Mar 2005 10:46 am

Has anyone ever tried ripping the tone pot out of an old steel and installing it in a foot pedal?

-Dm

Tim Whitlock · Post by **Tim Whitlock** » 8 Mar 2005 1:41 pm

I considered it, until I acquired an old Fender vol/tone pedal. Great pedal but requires maintenance and prices are climbing. [This message was edited by Tim Whitlock on 08 March 2005 at 01:42 PM.]

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 8 Mar 2005 1:59 pm

I've done it, but you don't need to rip the tone pot out of guitar--after all, a tone control is nothing but a potentiometer with a capacitor. I gutted a wah pedal and replaced it with a tone control that I wired up. I drew a schematic and wiring diagram of it, but I'd have to look for it.

Dwayne Martineau · Post by **Dwayne Martineau** » 8 Mar 2005 2:43 pm

Oh yeah... I guess what I meant was: "has anyone built a better wah pedal?"

Mike, did you use the same cap/pot values as a particular steel, and did it end up sounding the same?

db · Post by db » 8 Mar 2005 5:45 pm

I have been negotiating with Fred Gretsch for a number of years about acquiring the inventory and licensing for the Bigsby "Volume/Tone" pedal.
He initially wanted 5 figures!
We started taking about a "By Piece" pricing on parts . . .
But, I have had a lot of things going on at the "home-front" and had to drop out.
The parts & labor costs are pretty high . . .
My initial estimate would put the price of the thing just under $300 !
( That's a long way from the 1965 price of $65 ! )
That's quite bit more than inflation.
Part of the problem is the "Demand-Factor".
I have tried putting out "feelers" to see what the demand potential could be . . .

I still have this project on my "Wish-List" . . .
And after the "dust-settles", I will look into it again.

------------------
Dan Balde
U-12/8&5, S-7/D 3&1, S-6/E,A & G3
[This message was edited by db on 08 March 2005 at 05:48 PM.]

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 8 Mar 2005 8:14 pm

Wouldn't that basically be a wah-wah pedal?

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 8 Mar 2005 8:19 pm

No, a wah pedal has much more complicated circuitry, including inductors. Wah pedals are very resonant and active (they require power).

Jeff Strouse · Post by **Jeff Strouse** » 8 Mar 2005 11:11 pm

Mike, if you run across that diagram, I'd love to see it!!

I've been wanting to control the tone with my foot as well, because my tone control is a bit far to reach (not by the pinky like on some lap steels).

Cartwright Thompson · Post by **Cartwright Thompson** » 9 Mar 2005 4:42 am

Actually, according to the Inflation Calculator website:
"What cost $65 in 1965 would cost $368.62 in 2003"

Steve Merritt · Post by **Steve Merritt** » 9 Mar 2005 8:58 am

The last time I saw a discussion on this it seemed that the people who had or had tried both the Bigsby pedal and Fender pedal seemed to prefer the Fender. I have a Fender and it works fine (after I replaced the volume pot and tone pot, thanks db!). The Bigsby pedals seem to be going for about $250 on eBay. That's too much for two potentiometers and a piece of string!

As to Dwaynes question, I would say yes, it was done my both Fender and Bigsby but both companies have long discontinued production. As Dan mentioned, there isn't enough of a demand.

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 9 Mar 2005 2:45 pm

Heck, I would give $368 bucks for a combo tone/volume pedal. It wouldn't be very easy to build one, but I could probably do it.

Dwayne Martineau · Post by **Dwayne Martineau** » 9 Mar 2005 3:24 pm

there isn't enough of a demand.

And yet the wah pedal is ubiquitous.

Sigh...

How, in the guitarist's quest for Perfect Tone, did the tone knob get relegated to little more than a cute decoration to be permanently duct-taped at 10 (or 11, where possible). Pretty funny, really.

Set faders on stun!

I have to get a new tone pot for my steel, anyway, so I may as well buy two and gut my wah. Or maybe I'll put the old pot in a pedal. Hmm.

Mike, did you build your tone pedal with a wah-style on/off switch, or was it always active?
[This message was edited by Dwayne Martineau on 09 March 2005 at 03:24 PM.]

db · Post by db » 10 Mar 2005 7:06 pm

I'd buy the rights & inventory in a minute if I could be assured of a 100 units annually!
But, the demand is just not there!
I personally think that it is the greatest thing on earth,
especially if you add the option of an "expression pedal" control function for the "swivel"!

------------------
Dan Balde
U-12/8&5, S-7/D 3&1, S-6/E,A & G3
[This message was edited by db on 10 March 2005 at 07:06 PM.]

db · Post by db » 10 Mar 2005 7:10 pm

Hey Cartwright. . .
Thanks for the inflation calculations!

------------------
Dan Balde
U-12/8&5, S-7/D 3&1, S-6/E,A & G3

db · Post by db » 12 Mar 2005 9:15 pm

Hey Cartwright,
What is the link to the inflation calculator website?
I'd like to know what the Bigsby BP-15 Palm Pedal assembly should be going for today . . .
When it was priced at about $77 in 1976.

Thanks,

------------------
Dan Balde
U-12/8&5, S-7/D 3&1, S-6/E,A & G3

[This message was edited by db on 12 March 2005 at 09:17 PM.]

Gary Boyett · Post by **Gary Boyett** » 13 Mar 2005 7:28 am

I have used this one:
http://www.westegg.com/inflation/

His may be different though.

db · Post by db » 13 Mar 2005 5:11 pm

The "westegg" only goes to 2003
The one here goes to 2005
http://www.bls.gov/cpi/

------------------
Dan Balde
U-12/8&5, S-7/D 3&1, S-6/E,A & G3