Emmons Volume Pedal

Boo Bernstein · From: Los Angeles, CA

I know this subject has been discussed before -- I found an old thread -- but I just came to the realization that my Emmons volume pedal is bottoming out before it is all the way open (the post on the front of the pedal hits the floor before it is completely open). Apparently this is a problem with some Emmons pedals. One of the solutions posted early was to just make the front legs slightly longer. This works great. My question is this -- now that the pedal board is not resting against the legs' rubber feet, does this put undue stress on the pedals? In other word is the weight of the pedal board eventually going to be pulling on the rods and possibly cause tuning problems? I'd appreciate any input on this -- thanks in advance. Boo

David Higginbotham · From: Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA

Boo, this should cause no concern. The pedal rods actually are pulling tension up on the pedal board. The retention springs on the changer are pulling pressure to keep the pedals up. The stops on the underside of the guitar control the travel distance of the pedals when pressed down. When you press on a pedal, the springs and are actually trying to pull the pedal board up, so the large nut on the legs where the adjustments are made is actually stopping the pedal board from going up rather than the rubber feet stopping it from going down. Just my 2 cents worth.
Dave

------------------
Carter S-10 3&5,MSA D-10,Webb 614-E,Nashville 400

Boo Bernstein · From: Los Angeles, CA

Thanks, David -- I greatly appreciate the input. If anyone has any other thoughts, I'd like to hear those as well.

Just to add once again, I love this forum! Thanks again, David.

Sam White R.I.P. · From: Coventry, RI 02816

Boo I have a freind of mine in Rhode Island that had the problem with a new Emmons pedal and he sent it back and they sent it back to him and told him there was nothing wrong with it. This man has been playing for 60 years. He called them and they told him they would give him his money back. He did not want that he wanted the pedal that was why he bought it. He fially took it to Tommy Cass in Gardnier Mass and Tommy fixed the pedal.He is very happy with it now. It had a bad POT in it.
Sam White

Mike Cass · Posted 12 Apr 2004 6:56 pm

If you raise a pedal rack to get more room for the volume pedal to bottom out, and then lengthen the pedal rods to get the pedals back to their original height, you will lose mechanical advantage on the pedals as you will be pulling way past center. Your guitar will then play very spongy. Better to redajust the pot to get a bit of signal while the v/p is in the off position. This will get you more signal without modifying your horn or v/p.

Roger Crawford · From: Griffin, GA USA

Here's what I did to my Emmons pedal to correct the problem. Cut the tongue off approximatly 1/4" and grind it to the same angle as the frame member, then reattach the small plate on the bottom. This gives you longer travel downward. Then grind the frame member that the tongue plate hits in the up (off) position by the thickness of that plate. This gives you more travel upward. Between the two you will have close to full travel on the pot. It takes about an hour, assumong you have access to a bench grinder.

John Swain · From: Winchester, Va

Boo,when I put my Emmons Volume pedal on my Carter I realized the same problem((the post on the front of the pedal hits the floor before it is completely open). I lenghthened front legs enough to get clearance then added small hose clamp under pedal bar to keep it from sliding down to rubber foot again..This works fine and only cost $1.00....JS

Bruce Bouton · From: Nash. Tn USA

What Mike Cass said! Folks, I've been knowin this man for alot of years. He knows his stuff.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I'm a tinkerer at heart, so I re-engineer most of the stuff I buy. The average player, however, sometimes doesn't have the skill and tools to do this sort of stuff. For these players, I'd recommend just getting another pedal. There's s lot of good pot pedals and powered pedals out there that don't require "re-engineering" to make them work well.

My advice is to get one.

Skip Cole · From: North Mississippi

A friend of mine suggested that i turn the shaft about 1/4 to 1/2 a turn and then tighten the string, which as i understand it, makes the vol pedal a little "hot" , where i can hear my amp even with the pedal in the "off" spot. It has worked well so far.

------------------
"I Can Only Imagine" Mercy Me

Boo Bernstein · From: Los Angeles, CA

Thanks everyone for your creative and helpful input! Boo

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

Gotta go along with Donny on this one.

In my 40 yrs of teaching technical courses, I have to say that most people are NOT mechanically inclined enough to do some of the things us mechanical "nurds" take for granted.

I will give you just one example. One of my dearest friends on this earth was the late and great Gene O'Neal. Incredible steel player for Charlie Pride during his rise to fame. Gene could look for a zillion years under his guitar and not have a clue to what a single part was doing. But on top of that guitar he was a genious.

There are many many players like Gene. When our precious Savior gave out gifts, he gave some of us this and some of us that. And "that" is one of the things that make life precious. And "life" on earth is the second greatest gift God ever gave us.

Best to buy a pedal that works the way you want it to; unless ya be one of us minorities.

carl

A Better Way

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I think one of the reasons I like pedal steel guitar is because I'm maybe a better mechanic than musician. I enjoy being "under" the guitar as much as being on top of it. I'm working on a 12 string Sho~Bud now and it will actually be kind of let down when I get it like I want it.
Erv

Forum Index > Pedal Steel		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: