The Steel Guitar Forum

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

-Dm

I considered it, until I acquired an old Fender vol/tone pedal. Great pedal but requires maintenance and prices are climbing. <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Tim Whitlock on 08 March 2005 at 01:42 PM.]</p></FONT>

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.

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?

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.

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Dan Balde
U-12/8&5, S-7/D 3&1, S-6/E,A & G3
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by db on 08 March 2005 at 05:48 PM.]</p></FONT>

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

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

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).

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

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.

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.

<SMALL>there isn't enough of a demand.</SMALL>

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?
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Dwayne Martineau on 09 March 2005 at 03:24 PM.]</p></FONT>

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"!

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Dan Balde
U-12/8&5, S-7/D 3&1, S-6/E,A & G3
<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by db on 10 March 2005 at 07:06 PM.]</p></FONT>

Hey Cartwright. . .
Thanks for the inflation calculations!

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

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,

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


<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by db on 12 March 2005 at 09:17 PM.]</p></FONT>

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

His may be different though.

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

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