I wired an expression pot into one of my lap steels
Posted: 21 May 2011 8:18 pm
I built an expression pedal from the carcass of an old Wah pedal, but I thought about my old Electar Model M (which I have used and abused and foolishly modded since since I bought 20 years ago) and decided to try to do the same onboard. The old Model M initially had 3 knobs, so there are 3 holes on the top. I used one of holes the for the stereo jack and the other for the new pot.
Got to say, it is pretty cool being able to change certain parameters of an effect with a knob on the guitar. For instance, on my VF-1, I can change my rotary settings from slow to fast, or select any other parameters I want to change. I can still use my foot for the volume pedal.
This has given me many new ideas and I am already thinking about what my next steel will be like. I was somewhat inspired by the Moog lap steel, as I see a lot of possibilities there, but I'm not convinced that their guitar is the way to go (especially at $3.5K). I am fascinated by the Moogerfooger pedals, though, especially since you can control each parameter with a separate expression pedals. I'm thinking knobs are going to take up a lot of real estate on my next steel.
It is very exciting for me to be getting back into this kind of experimentation, as it is what I had done for years as a guitarist. I built and modded (and sometimes ruined) so many of my own guitars, pedals and amps, and I learned a lot. Now I have very specific goals and I know how to get there, so I can really concentrate on that aspect.
Got to say, it is pretty cool being able to change certain parameters of an effect with a knob on the guitar. For instance, on my VF-1, I can change my rotary settings from slow to fast, or select any other parameters I want to change. I can still use my foot for the volume pedal.
This has given me many new ideas and I am already thinking about what my next steel will be like. I was somewhat inspired by the Moog lap steel, as I see a lot of possibilities there, but I'm not convinced that their guitar is the way to go (especially at $3.5K). I am fascinated by the Moogerfooger pedals, though, especially since you can control each parameter with a separate expression pedals. I'm thinking knobs are going to take up a lot of real estate on my next steel.
It is very exciting for me to be getting back into this kind of experimentation, as it is what I had done for years as a guitarist. I built and modded (and sometimes ruined) so many of my own guitars, pedals and amps, and I learned a lot. Now I have very specific goals and I know how to get there, so I can really concentrate on that aspect.