The Steel Guitar Forum

I need input (Pros & cons all welcome) about which pedal to buy. I know in recent years the technology has come along way. Thanks for your input in advamce!

You know what they say about opinions...

I'm going to jump in early and hope to make it simple. I would consider only three: Goodrich pot pedal, Hilton and Telonics. They're all fine. Price is a huge consideration. Finding reliable pots for the Goodrich can be a problem but it is the most affordable. Telonics is the most technologically advanced and most expensive. I use a Hilton and am totally satisfied.

Telonics and Hilton seem to be the odds on favorites.

I have one of each and they are both good, but the Telonics for me holds the edge at the moment.

I don't know if it's the best, but I use a Hilton...

i've had the 3, Goodrich 120, Hilton, & Telonics
all are good & do the job well
as most of us know, budget's the boss

as mentioned telonics is the most advanced & the most expensive
it's 6 vps in 1 & setting point 0 / taper is a breeze
that's the one 1 moved up too & i'm quite content

I agree with Coewbear... budget is the boss...
but Teletonic is the way outstanding! But it has the price!

For me, it's Telonics. I sell em, but I'd use and recommend them even if I didn't. Not cheap, but absolutely worth every dime.

another vote for telonics...a bit pricey but worth every penny

It sounds like the general consensus is Telonics for performance...which is what I'm interested in. Is it the FP-100? Since I'm sure those of you that have it, you already shopped and were satisfied you got the best deal. Please PM me and let me know where you got yours & what your cost was, if you would. Thanks.

Hands down, it's Telonics for me. I have used one for a year, and am completely satisfied!!

Billy Easton
Las Vegas, NV

not to muddy the waters, but...

I only know the Hilton and Goodrich
The Hilton seems (a little) clearer and brighter, which makes me think it has a flatter response or doesn't tame the highs quite as much ... but when I go back to the Goodrich after using the Hilton for a while, the Goodrich sounds pleasantly coloured/restrained ... so maybe you have to ask yourself, "do I want totally flat response, (ie. the real sound of my particular steel), or do I want a 'classic steel sound?'" The Goodrich's sonic limitations may be part of its charm...

I also found when I went back to the Goodrich that I liked the sound better. Changing pots can be a pain though. Just comes down to personal taste I guess.

If you want the "best" as you say then Telonics by a country mile -- and it is upgradeable via USB !

This has all been said many times before. As great as the Telonic and the Hilton pedals are, the venerable Goodrich 120 is the best as well. There is less circuitry inside of the pedal that could fail, it does not need electricity to work, with the right pot it sounds great, it lasts for ever, and it's relatively inexpensive. People complain about having to change pots, but I put the Dunlop pots in my two 120's over two years ago and both still sound great. If a 120 ever does need to be repaired or have the pot or string changed you can easily do it yourself in a matter of minutes. All of the steel guitar masters and their recordings used pot pedals for decades. Analog pot pedals sound different from active electronic and digital pedals, and a lot of people prefer the sound of the pot and the high end roll off that happens as the pot is rolled off, or, conversely, the high end boost that happens when the pot is opened up. I used a Goodrich Matchbox and a Goodrich 120 pedal for a long time and liked it, but I found the Matchbox to be a little hard sounding. Now I use a Sarno FreeLoader with a Goodrich 120 with the Dunlop pot and I am very happy with the tone with my Emmons single coils going into my Fender amp or my Peavey amp.

I have been watching this forum for quite a few years now and have noticed how things come and go. It wasn't that long ago that all you heard about was the Hilton. Now its the Telonics. Both quite spendy! I would wager that in time that too will be replaced with something else and through all of them the Goodrich or even the Sho-Bud will still be in the top three. Just my two cents. Happy shopping!!!

I agree with Cliff. A Goodrich 120, with one of Tom Bradshaw's Dunlop pots, into a Sarno FreeLoader does it for me.

I haven't tried a Telonics, but my Hilton is my fav so far.

Hmmmm that's a pretty good plan imo George, hmmmmmmm....Stormy

I tried the Hilton for a while. It is very good but I found the sound a bit harsh and "brittle" after a while. This eventually got to be very annoying. I went back to my old Goodrich and it was like slipping on an old comfortable pair of shoes - warm and comforting. I also use a little buffer amp plugged directly into the steel. It's called a LoZ and is/was made in Japan. I'm not sure if they're still available but it's just a very simple op-amp with unity gain.

I agree... a nice "Goodrich" is tough to beat. Have one going on 30+ years and just one pot replacement. Smooth and sounds great.

Pot pedals, 'cause I like the sound.....

I have to say I have gone back to using a pot pedal and have never been happier with my tone. I was an early convert to the Hilton and keep one in my Steeler's Choice seat for a backup, and also have a few Goodrich LDRs that I use at home, but my favorite tone is definitely my old Emmons through the extremely cool and rather rare Franklin double pot pedal. I would love to find a backup for it. After all, if Paul uses a pot pedal, what else needs to be said?

Hope I am not adding confusion, but I would definitely encourage anyone looking to get a new VP to play through a pot pedal too and A/B it with any of the non-pot pedals out there.

Just my .45 cents (adjusted for Federal Reserve-induced inflation)

Gerald

There was a time that a good pot was hard to find, now however Goodrich is installing pots that are guaranteed to be good for 1 million cycles. The Dunlop pots that Tom Bradshaw sells are quite good as well although a titch tougher to deal with due to the terminal types, flat spot on the shaft, and lack of slot in the end making it tougher to adjust easily. That being said- it is worth the effort in times that other good pots are scarce. The Hilton is also a very good pedal and a nice choice for an electronic pedal. The Telonics pedal is the top of the line in my opinion for many reasons and my most favorite attribute is the 6th selectable taper adding a 6db boost at the end of the throw allowing for much greater sustain on any instrument. The sales price of these pedals is tightly regulated so getting a discounted price is difficult and the margin is small as they are expensive to produce.

Jim Palenscar wrote: now .. Goodrich is installing pots that are guaranteed to be good for 1 million cycles.

Do you know what they are and where we can get them?