The Steel Guitar Forum

If you were given a choice between these two volume pedals, which would you choose ?

1.Fender Classic
2.Ernie Ball VP Jr.

I have the Ernie Ball VP Jr., and I have to say, I am not impressed with it. I had an Ernie Ball from the 80's & it worked great. My issue with the Jr. is that it is not "even volume" the whole way through the pedal travel.

It starts out gradual and then suddenly shifts to a higher volume.

I'm sure I could replace the pot with something better...but I bought the pedal "new" so I wouldn't have to fiddle with it & repair it right out of the box. So for now, it sits unused & I use an old Dunlop.

Maybe I got a bad one...YMMV.

Tim, mine is the 6180 I think and it has a small taper switch just inside behind where the jacks plug in. The up position fixes that issue. The down position puts more emphasis on the second half of travel. I tried it. It works. Its a micro switch.Just lower the volume all the way and look behind the jack plate.

Mine would be neither.

If you want a "pot" pedal for steel, Goodrich is the only way to go. IMHO

Bill Ferguson wrote:Mine would be neither.

Ditto. For a free-standing pedal I would get a vintage Sho-Bud, and for one to hang from a pedal rack I would get a vintage Emmons. Install a new Dunlop or Goodrich pot and it'll be good to go for years. And it will hold its value if & when you decide to sell.

Brian Waits wrote:Tim, mine is the 6180 I think and it has a small taper switch just inside behind where the jacks plug in. The up position fixes that issue.

Brian,
Thanks for this tip. Mine had this switch and man, it's a lot better now !
Thank you
JB

Your very welcome John. Now, send me something of that talent ya got....lol

Brian,

Thanks for that tip! I am usually pretty thorough, and if that switch is listed in the manual, I'm sure I would have tried that. But, I can't recall...

Anyway, I do see that switch and I have now switched it to the "down" position. Is that where you guys have it? I can't try it out right now, but I will when I get a chance and report back later.

If that takes care of the issue I described, that I would say I would be pleased with the pedal. I would like to own a Hilton or Goodrich, but I just cannot bring myself to spend that kind of money on one...at least not right now, and especially since I have played using cheap pedals for years and they always worked fine for me.

I've also owned a big chrome Sho-Bud pedal, and that rectangular De Armond in the past, and they worked fine for me to. The Emmons clip on pedal worked great for me as well.

As long as I can get a smooth, steady volume taper out of it, I guess I'm not that fussy.

Tim,
I have mine in the up position which is where it has the slight boost in the front of the sweep creating a more gradual swell.

I just check mine. It is the 6180 model. Set in either position, it did not fix my issue. What I am experiencing is this;

From the off position, just opening up the pedal slightly, it "jumps" to volume, instead of coming on from full silence to fading in. It is sort of a "jarring" effect, like if you switched a radio on and the volume was preset to 3 or 4, that sudden blast of sound.

I have tried moving the pot/string, case it was an adjustment issue, but I guess I must have a defective pot.

Tim,
I just checked mine and it doesn't seem to have a volume jump with the switch in the "up" position. It is a gradual increase throughout the travel. In the switch "down " position, it has a jump in the second half of travel. Unfortunately, it does sound like you have a issue with the pot itself. Might could order just a new pot.

Tim Russell wrote:I just check mine. It is the 6180 model. Set in either position, it did not fix my issue. What I am experiencing is this;

From the off position, just opening up the pedal slightly, it "jumps" to volume, instead of coming on from full silence to fading in. It is sort of a "jarring" effect, like if you switched a radio on and the volume was preset to 3 or 4, that sudden blast of sound.

I have tried moving the pot/string, case it was an adjustment issue, but I guess I must have a defective pot.

Time for a new pot buddy.
JB

Going back to your original question, why do you ask?

And just as a rule of thumb: If you are going straight from guitar to volume pedal, I would suggest a pedal with a 500K pot minimum.
The amount of highs that can be lost between a 250K versus a 500K versus a 1 Meg is subtle, but can be heard in the right circumstances.

If you like the taper type like the old AB and Clarostat pots, Goodrich is the best. Very smooth on and no jumps as you call them..Great pot and last forever...

Paul Carie wrote:...Goodrich is the best.

I recently installed one of the new Goodrich pots in an old Sho-Bud pedal and can't hear much difference from its original Allen-Bradley pot.