fender S.K. effects loop

Steel guitar amplifiers, effects, etc.

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Don Nemarnik
Posts: 14
Joined: 7 Sep 1999 12:01 am
Location: Orange county. USA

fender S.K. effects loop

Post by Don Nemarnik »

I'm currently running a fender steel king with my emmons p/p. ...At full throttle the tone is warm and slightly driven, sounds perfect!
But at anything less than full pedal it gets thin/cold and the highs waaaay over power the lows. But then If I ad some gain on the amp, then anything past 3/4 on the volume pedal breaks up. I've tried running the volume pedal through the effects loop like a Peavey but then the sound shuts off completely if I even back off the pedal slightly. weird.
I'm out here on this Van's warped tour for another month so I don't have a chance to switch out amps.
any suggestions?
Dennis Wallis
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Location: Arkansas

Post by Dennis Wallis »

What kind of volume pedal are you using ? The effects loop isn't designed for a pedal loop (i.e. Peavey). Also make sure you're cords are all good.I have a FSK & it works great. I use a Hilton pedal. I have also used a Goodrich L 120 with no problems. If you're using one like that you may need a Matchbox. Also there might be an issue with your pickups.Try going directly into the amp from the guitar (no pedal or anything else). See if the signal is good.If so then it's something you're using between the guitar and the amp.I suspect a faulty volume pedal.
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Jim Sliff
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Location: Lawndale California, USA

Post by Jim Sliff »

The effects loop on almost all guitar amps is designed for time-based effects; delay, phase, flange and variations of those. It's after the preamp, so tone shaping and "dirt" is intact when the signal hits the time-shift gadgets.

A volume pedal there will work like an incorrect-impedance master volume. Depending on the pedal's pot, you can get all sorts of weird reactions, as you found out. It will also get REAL weird if your pedal is faulty, which seems to be the case. The simplest thing would be to try playing without the volume pedal - iif everything is OK, your pedal is faulty and you need to get a backup one while yours is repaired, or just play sans volume pedal for a while.
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional
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Don Nemarnik
Posts: 14
Joined: 7 Sep 1999 12:01 am
Location: Orange county. USA

Post by Don Nemarnik »

yep you guys were right, the goodrich pedal was bad.....
the Ernie Ball co. is out here on this tour from hell and the rep gave me a
"vp junior" to try. Using that with a steel-driver 3 directly into the amp my tone is the best I've ever had. now lets see how this one stands up to the rain.....( the last set we played was during a monsoon in st.pete Fla.)
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