Hands-free effect box adjustment Gizmo??

Hiro Keitora · From: New York, New York

Folks, I may be totally losing my mind, but I think I remember seeing a gizmo in "Vintage Guitar Magazine" while back.

It's like a volume pedal with a cable wire coming out of it, and when you operate the volume pedal, the cable "rotate". You attach the cable to one of the knob on effect box, so you can adjust the effect box while playing.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about??

Or I'm totally gone insane??

James Mayer · Posted 3 Aug 2009 11:49 am

THIS?

Hiro Keitora · From: New York, New York

James, Bingo!!

Boy, so I didn't lose my mind after all( yet!!)

Thank you, now I can sleep~ Mr. Green

Rich Peterson · From: Moorhead, MN

Electro-Harmonix made such a thing back in the '80's, too. It had a longer cable, I think about 3 feet.

Hiro Keitora · From: New York, New York

Rich, do you remember the name of E-H product?

<H>

Rich Peterson · From: Moorhead, MN

Hiro, I don't recall the name. It was black, cast aluminum, and longer and wider than a typical wah-wah pedal. I think it was adapted from a volume pedal made by EH. The cable attached at the side, instead of on top, which would be better, both for appearance and so the weight of the cable doesn't tip the pedal over.

Local store got one in, I didn't grab it in time, and then the company fizzled. But it was built stronger than the T.I.P. unit. Don't know if many were made.

Hiro Keitora · From: New York, New York

Hmmm... You know what I'm trying to do, right? LIke Webb 614E came with remote contorl for reverb. (You can attach that on the leg, and you can tweak it on the fly.)

I'm trying to do stuff like that with Digitech Hardwire reverb( or delay, whatever~), now, I don't know where is the good place to have this pedal on the floor...The concept is, without letting go neither of hands off the strings,we can tweak the effect by foot. Confused

Rich Peterson · From: Moorhead, MN

Hiro, you could get one of the Fender volume/tone pedals, and rewire it so the swivel gave you the control signal instead of being a tone control. You would still have both hands and your left foot free for the steel.

Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

I love the idea of that 3rd hand pedal with the flex cable coming out of it. Brilliant. Just think of the possibilities. Control the delay level on a delay pedal. Control the amount of drive on an overdrive pedal. Control the speed of a phaser or chorus. On and on. I think it's quite clever and 19th century simple.

Brad

James Mayer · Posted 4 Aug 2009 9:06 am

Hiro Keitora · From: New York, New York

Well, technically, we can find out the value of one of the pot that you like to turn on your stompbox, and and use that value of pot installed in another volume pedal, and hardwired them to the stompbox will do the same...

But this 3rd hand makes experimentation a little easier, and no-invasive mod there.

Again, technically, if we have long enough cable with some mechanical rigging, I don't see why not one of knee lever can do the same thing...

Actually, wouldn't that be cool to end the song with your right foot swelling volume and left foot stepping on AB pedal while tweaking reverb/delay with a jnee lever??? Very Happy

Julian Goldwhite · From: Alhambra, CA, USA

The Electro-Harmonix pedal was called the Hot Foot. I have one, great idea, but you do need to have both it and the pedal that it is controlling locked down or the torque will just twist the pedal around rather than twist the knob.
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Hiro Keitora · From: New York, New York

Julian, I can see that problem already~

Alright, so we need to strap them both on a board or something. But as Brad said, it's so 19th century approach, it should be simple, and idiot proof Mr. Green

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Now that I know what you are trying to do, have a look at this--

http://www.optionknob.com/

So stupidly simple and low tech and it might be perfect for your needs.
If it interests you, shop around online because I've seen lower prices than their factory direct price.

Marc Jenkins · From: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

That Option Knob is simple genius. Thanks Jon!

Hiro Keitora · From: New York, New York

Jon, I know that plastic "wing" thing, but I'm afraid to snap the shaft of pot by kicking this "wing" by mistake...

Trust me, it's a great idea, thou.

(I think it's hard to fine-adjust the swell with this "wing", what do you think??)

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Never used one---no...I can't see it for fine tuning (at least not by foot....I keep everything at finger's reach and I could see that wing being easier than trying to get at some small knobs with picks on. May make something like it for myself.)

Hiro Keitora · From: New York, New York

Well, you got the point, if we mount the box on the leg, the wing certainly make it easier to turn with picks for sure.

if I mounted right, I may be able to hit that with my elbow...Then again, my $350 Maxon AD-9Pro snaps it's knob, I'll be very,very sad. Sad

Hiro Keitora · From: New York, New York

OK, folks, so I bought it( you knew that was coming~).

First, with delay, you get really interesting effect out of it. while playing, you boost up the delay amount, and it's pretty cool.

I tried Overdrive box, and you get what you expected. Now, I hooked this sucker to a compressor!! you can control attack and decay now by foot!!

Warning Maxon AD-9Pro Users!!
Those knobs won't come out easily, I even had to quit trying to take it off because I didn't want to distory $300 pedal. Don't even try it, you'll be very sad if you break that. Oh Well

So far, it's fun, but for pedal steel, pretty much all of your body parts are already doing their tasks, so taking a foot off from either pedals or Vol.pedal to tweak this foot pedal is not very comfortable...Tele player, that's another story. Very Happy

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