I don't think the volume pedal would be any better than the volume on the guitar, in that case. With the possible exception that if you don't have a capacitor in your guitar the tone gets muddier as you roll back the volume.Originally posted by Josh O
My distortion comes from my amp, would you say that a volume pedal is more effective in cleaning up a distorted amp than the guitar volume knob? I heard a sound clip of someone playing a VHT Deliverance head that was heavily distorted and he used a Goodrich volume pedal that seemed to clean up the amp to a clean sound.
I also like the Goodrich - even the passive one. I replaced my EB with it. Taper seems better, travel seems smoother.Originally posted by splatt
+1, esp. the "active" one.
in addition to other positive attributes that v-pedal use offers which others have already mentioned, here:
pedal use allows a more dynamic control of the amp, imo:
and, one can still proceed to use one's hands dynamically (as one might do) as well as also continuing to use the volume control on the gtr in addition to/or, in place of the pedal.
also, it's *much* easier to do full-on, consistent pedal-steel effects w/the pedal.
diff strokes for diff folks, though.....
dt / spltrcl
Originally posted by StompBoxBlues
Some of the advantages of a volume pedal...
- More flexibility... as some have mentioned, you can set the vol pedal in several places and it will do different things in them...
after distortion is sort of a distortion master volume but doesn't lose the gain/dist as you turn it down.
Right from the guitar, into the vol-pedal, you have a hands-free (which, by the way is not so small a thing as implied. In a fast song, in a fast solo you come in...find out the volume is too low, or high...you got NO options. That "pinky" thing only works on strats (or BEST works on strats) but not on say a ES-335...
and even that isn't workable in a fast solo...this is where a vol pedal shines....you can ease on up or down, listening the whole time until your volume is just right...)
You can also use a combination (I like this best) and for one example, you could set your guitar volume pot according to what kind of distortion you want full steam ahead...then go into the vol pedal and use it to control the amount of gain up to the ceiling you set with the guitar vol pot. Which you can raise as the night wears on.
It's great for swells and violining. Also for that sound of a guitar coming from a ways away while soloing, getting gradually louder.
ALSO it's great for expression!!! You got a solo, you want it to start a little higher than your rythm volume, cool...but as you are playing, say it is a kind of solo where you get more intense as the solo goes on, you leave headroom and ever so slightly crank the volume up a little more as you go.
I personally love the EB vol pedals. They have a great little switch in SOME (not all...you have to check if it has it before buying) models that lets you decide the taper of the vol pot. One way it is a quicker gradiation from hell position to like 1/3 depressed that gives the biggest jump in volume...more gradual after. On the other position, it is the opposite...so when you start at heel position...it gets slighty louder, slightly louder, louder, and then about the last 3rd of travel is the "hump" where pedal travel makes more of a difference in volume.
Another nice thing is they have a tuner out jack...so no matter what kind of tuner you have (i.e. if it is a type even that doesn't mute the output when you turn it on) you can always rock the vol to heel position, tune in silence, and then up again..
I love volume pedals. They are really seen as "unsexy" pedals...almost not seen as an effect at all, but they really do HAVE an effect on the setup. I always use mine when playing with others.
Originally posted by splatt
fwiw, josh:
who was that someone?
dt / spltrcl