Hilton Volume Pedal Question

Gary Cosden · From: Florida, USA

I have a Hilton I got a year ago or so from a forum member. It has 3 blue "trim pots" underneath. I know one adjusts the volume in the "off" position and I have recently seen post references to one being a tone control of sorts. Can someone tell me which is which and what they do? Thanks

Ulric Utsi-Åhlin · From: Sweden

Pedal upside-down,the trimpot at lower left is the
control that sets the "volume on"-point ; the tone-
control is in the very middle of the bottom-plate.
McUtsi

Bo Borland · From: South Jersey -

according to Keith Hilton there is a volume (output signal strength), off point and a tone control.
"adjustments are set at the factory and
do not need additional adjustment."
They only move about 90 degrees total.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I've never touched mine, I leave them in the factory position and put tape over the adjustment holes.

Ulric Utsi-Åhlin · From: Sweden

Mine´s pre-drilled for 3 controls,but just "on" &
"tone" are used,plastic cover in position 3.McUtsi

Chuck Snider R.I.P. · From: West Virginia, USA - Morgantown, WV

You can go to the Hilton website and print off a copy of the Owner's Manual which will discuss the adjustments/settings for all three of those controls. And it also explains what to do if you want to set them back to "Factory" settings.

I just printed that off yesterday for myself, so it should work.

-Chuck
_________________
GFI U-12 Ultra Keyless, Carter Black U-12, both with Alumitones, and a sweet '70 Sho-Bud Permanent D-10, NV400 in Rick Johnson cabs, NV112, '73 Vibrosonic in Rick Johnson cabs, Hilton pedal, Steeler's Choice seat, Bessdang Gizmos from Dale Hansen, and a few other widgets and doodads.
I may not sound good, I just don't wanna sound bad.

Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

Thanks to everyone using my pedals. For many years I had 3 adjustments on the bottom of the pedals. Sometime early in the summer of 2008 I eliminate one of the adjustments, the "volume" adjustment. That is set at the factory and can not be user set. For the pedals with 3 adjustments, looking at the bottom of the pedal, left to right: Off Point ajustment, Tone adjustment, and Volume adjustment. To get in the ball park with the 3 adjustments do the following. Turn the tone control all the way like a clock moves. Turn the volume control all the way like a clock moves. Turn the off point to about 12 o'clock. Then hook to your guitar and amp. Have amp set at very low volume. Strum your guitar and listen, then you will hear where to set the off point. Hope this information helps.

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

When I first got mine, the volume trimpot was way too high, such that the guitar was almost twice as loud as wit my old pedals. I turned it down, and now the "sweep" is now much more comfortable for me to use.

David Doggett · Posted 10 Jan 2009 7:00 pm

The tone control on the pedal can be useful for matching your instrument to an amp. Set the amp tone controls at their midpoints. Now set the pedal tone control to give the best tone possible, without changing the amp tone controls. From that point on, don't change the pedal tone control, but fine tune the amp tone controls as you like. This gives you the full range of the amp tone controls in both directions. This may not be necessary with steel amps. But I find my pedal steel sounds very bright through many guitar amps. I end up turning the amp treble way down and the bass way up, and sometimes the treble won't go down far enough. The method above gets me back to the middle range of the amp tone controls, and so gives me more flexibility with them.

Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

I'm an old guy, but I still play out in bands and pick in steel shows. Everyone has a method that works for him. Here is what works for me: I leave the tone control all the way off, which would be all the way like a clock goes. If there is a "volume" control on a pedal made before January 2008, I leave it all the way like a clock goes. If no "volume" control, like the pedals made in 2008, there is nothing to adjust. I like the off point set where there is a little sound left on in the pedal off position. I think it makes me play smoother, instead of having the pedal go all the way off. The off point of this adjustment will depend on several things, like what effects you have in line and effect volumes, and your amp volume. All the tone control on the pedal does is remove highs. That is why I like to leave it off and get all my tone settings from either my effect unit or my amp. To each his own, but this is the way I do it.

George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

My Emmons PP and Steel King have too much high. I have cut all the treble and trim control on the SK completely off. I have tried turning the tone control on the Hilton, but I can't hear any difference. Perhaps the tone control is defective. I am using long cords even from my guitar to the volume to try to tame some of the highs. George L cords just make the highs worse. I am getting by, but I sure wish I could loose some more hight end. Any suggestions? Maybe I will have to buy an external tone control or parametic EQ, but I am hauling too much stuff already.

Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

George, try putting the Hilton pedal first in the signal chain, right after your guitar. If the Hilton pedal is put down stream after powered effect units, that are turned up, the signal gets so strong it blows right by the tone control. The tone control will work if the pedal is the first thing right after the guitar. If you do it this way, you can make your sound so bassy it will sound like a wet blanket thrown over your amp. Hope this information helps.

George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

Great Tip, Keith. I can't wait to try it. I have been going from the guitar to an RV-3, then to the volume pedal. I will put the RV 3 in the effects loop on my Steel King, then I will be clean from the guitar to the volume pedal, then the amp. Thanks for clearing it up for me. It makes sense and I am optimistic that it will work great.

Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

George, I can't help but say more on the subject of how much trebble to use. Over the years I have found what I like concerning tone changes. Because of a loud guitar player, who is no longer in our band, I was forced to use more high end and presence, to cut through. If I didn't use the high end and presence I had to crank up the volume, and that caused lots of complaints about me being too loud. Once the guitar player left, we are playing at the same volume level and I have not been told once anyone was too loud. I did learn something from this: I really started liking the trebble and presence turned way up on a Peavey Nashville 400 amp. I mean trebble clear over to 7 or 8 and the precence way over to around 8. In the past I could have never lived with this sound, but I like it now. The guys in the band seem to like it also. Just proves a person's tastes changes, maybe it is a sign I am getting OLD. Very Happy

George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

Keith, you were dead on it 100 % suggesting that I go direct from the guitar to the volume pedal. The tone control on your Hilton pedal now works like a charm. I have tamed the highs at last. I do run my highs up to cut through and to keep from sounding muddy, but the way it was, it was even too high for my ears. I won't be playing with the band until Friday and Saturday nights. I am eager to see how it works and cuts through with the band. Thanks so much for reading the forum posts and chiming in to help me out. BTW guys, if you don't have a Hilton pedal, you don't know what you are missing. Treat yourself to one. You can return them for a refund if you are not satisfied.

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