The Steel Guitar Forum

RE: my Goodrich Volume Pedal model 120...

The bottom of my pedal near each jack says "AMP" "AMP" and "INSTRUMENT" (all 1/4 inch of course)...

Why does it have two outs for amps? Is there one I should use and one I should not?

Advice?

Either is fine. This setup enables you the choice of using one or two amps, or one output for amp, one for your tuner. (The output jacks are wired together).

Excellent thanks!!

Many people opt to rewire the rearmost jack to come off the input, rather than the output, so one can tune in silence

Speaking of that sort of thing, where in my chain should I put it? I am playing in a cd release show and I want to use the pedal but have never used a vol pedal in a show before.

I will be using:
boss tuner
preamp
compressor
reverb pedal
volume pedal

How should I set em up for best possible sound?

If your reverb can handle line levels, I'd run
Guitar- preamp- volume pedal (taking tuner off 2nd output) reverb- preamp (if it has effects loop: if it doesn't, take volume pedal off preamp final out)

Why a compressor? If you must use it, put it before the volume pedal.
Not a fan of compression on steel.
Were it my rig, I'd take compressor to music store: trade for chorus or phase shifter.

If your reverb doesn't like line levels, then: guitar - (comp) - volume pedal (tuner off J3) - reverb - preamp

My steel will be separate. This particular chain is just for my acoustic guitar actually! The comp pedal will be on very lightly.

My verb pedal is a Holy Grail by EH.

The preamp is basic and has nothing in the way of effects loop.

Given this scenario is your advice still the same?

I think it depends on how hot the line levels are. The Grail is fairly tolerant. I just prefer reverb after the volume pedal

I always put my compressor before the volume pedal and reverb after the volume pedal.

The tuner should be before the volume pedal so you can tune with the pedal off. Most tuners have an input and an output so you can just connect it "in line" between the steel and the volume pedal.

But some tuners can have a negative affect on your sound when connected in-line, in my experience. The method that Lane described is a better way to go. You can do essentially the same thing by using a "y" adapter at the jack on your steel, with one output going to the tuner and the other to your volume pedal input.

I am struggling with the logic of not having the tuner and preamp first and vol pedal at the very end.

I was planning on using the vol pedal as a boost for solo passages and feature moments.

I have never used these many pedals tho and admittedly am pretty ignorant on these matters...

I wrote that before seeing the previous three posts... Good advice from Lane.

Reverb should go after the volume pedal so that the reverberations never get cut off when lowering volume using the pedal.

Compressor should go before the pedal because the nature of compression can throw off the response of the pedal.

If you're not used to using it, then you'll probably only want to use it in its most basic form: off, nearly off (if you're comping chords, that belongs deep background), a bit louder than that for fills, and way up for solos. Most of us use it for sustaining long notes and for added dynamics, but forget that stuff unless you have practice time.

Bruce Derr wrote:
Compressor should go before the pedal because the nature of compression can throw off the response of the pedal.

And vice versa. Mostly vice versa

Okay that makes sense. Just to be sure I understand then...
1. Guitar (obviously)
2. Compressor
3. Vol Pedal with tuner off second jack(?)
4. Reverb
5. Preamp


Is this right?

Right. If you have time, inclination, soldering iron and skills (and a 4" piece of wire), I'd modify the volume pedal so that J1 feeds J3 (so you can tune in silence).
But that's how I'd run it

I do indeed have wire, solder and an iron! The skill... not so much that I trust myself just yet. But I have a great tech in mind down the block who can whip that up in a splash.

Thanks much brah.

Peace,
J

Many recommend putting about a 1M resistor on the jumper between the two. My phone (my tuner) doesn't seem to suck tone, so I skipped that step. Yeah, an amp tech could do it in ten minutes max

Lane Gray wrote:Many recommend putting about a 1M resistor on the jumper between the two.

Thx, I will mention this to him!

Lane Gray wrote:Many people opt to rewire the rearmost jack to come off the input, rather than the output, so one can tune in silence

Yep. I bought a new one from Tonetronix a few months ago. They offer to deliver it rigged up that way. It would be easy enough to do yourself but they only charge something like $10 or $15 to do it so I saved myself the minor hassle and had them do it. I have no need to feed 2 amps and I like having the tuner out.



JSB

Its a great idea and I am getting 'er done this aft!