The Steel Guitar Forum

Volume pedals come in various designs. Most steel players prefer the simple potentiometer (i.e. "pot") pedals due to their superiority in maintaining tonal quality. There are usually two types of these pedals. One type uses a string around a pulley or bushing that is mounted to the pot's shaft. The other type uses a 'gear driven' method to turn the pot. The advantage of this latter type is that you don't have to worry about string breakage at inopportune times. With this in mind which type AND BRAND do you use and why?

HI David, I tried in my Goodrich 120 pedal a rack & barrel,I then went back to the string because I though the string was a little faster than the rack.

David, I've never tried a "string " operated volume pedal as I originally bought an MSA pedal to go along with my new ( at that time ) MSA guitar. The MSA pedal is gear driven.

Not too long ago, I bought one of Doug Earnest's, Stage One volume pedals, which is also gear driven. It is a fine piece and I'm using it most of the time, now.

So, for me, a gear driven volume pedal works just fine and I don't have to think about string breakage/replacement. I watched a friend have that problem during a performance. Not good.

Maybe I should try a string operated VP, just to see if there is any noticeable difference. Good question.

Doug

I think that string is preferred, to allow the pedal to have a lower profile

A gear-driven pot pedal could also have a low profile if the rack was horizontal. but the main reason I don't like the gears is that you can feel the bumpity-bump when you move the pedal. On all the pedals I've tried, they use square-cut gears. Helical-cut gears would eliminate or substantually reduce that rough feel.

Of course, If a gear is all you've used, then you would never know the smoothness that you get with a string or tape.

I have a Goodrich 120 (with an original Allen Bradley pot). But I use a Hilton - no pot and no string or gear.

I have an old MSA , a Goodrich and a Hilton.
I don't see a noticeable change in tone, enough to bother me, between the pot pedals and the Hilton.

The Hilton is my stage pedal, the MSA is currently on my practice set up, mostly because it attaches to the pedal board.
The Hilton has seen little use, ever since i bought as a spare.

If the gear driven one annoys you or is distracting, try adjusting the tension of the drive stick , on the MSA there is a metal plate you can adjust.

I went to Hilton because of the lack of good pots at the time. I don't need to carry a spare.

Has anyone ever noticed an interaction between stage lights and a Hilton?

I've been using a Hilton for 6 months now and never experience anything negative from stage lighting.

I've used Emmons pot/string pedals almost exclusively for forty years and never broke the string.