I Think I'm Ready For A Volume Pedal, But Which One?

Doug Burling · From: Ohio, USA

I'm using a Sierra S8 through a Fender Princeton Reverb, but I'm considering a Nashville 112. Which volume pedal do you recommend?

Mike Neer · From: NJ

I think the Goodrich pedal (120) is real nice, but the one I have needed a replacement pot not long after I bought it, which put it on my sh*t list. I did eventually replace the pot with one from Tom Bradshaw and it is very reliable and quiet now. I don't know if Goodrich ever straightened that issue out.
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Brian Hunter · From: Indianapolis

Just dropped an envelope to Mr. Bradshaw into the mail myself today. My Goodrich was great. Bought it used too but the pot went. The new one should do the trick. I'd like to try a Hilton some day when I can afford it.
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Dom Franco · From: Beaverton, OR, 97007

I have had many volume pedals over the years, all have worked ok.
My suggestion is to get the lowest profile pedal you can find/afford.

This is especially important if you will be standing. It is very hard to balance yourself with a tall pedal.

If playin with a lap steel, it can be tricky because your steel will be at an angle with one foot on a pedal...

I use a stand with my steel, so the pedal height is not too big a problem.

I used to use a morley (high profile) and when I wore my cowboy boots my leg wouldn't fit under my pedal steel!

Dom
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Fred Justice · From: Mesa, Arizona

Hilton / Free Shipping Very Happy

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Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Or, you could go the cheaper pinkie route and use the non-pedal volume knob...

Mark Mansueto · From: Michigan, USA

I've never used a Goodrich so I'm wondering what makes this pedal better than others?
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Doug Burling · From: Ohio, USA

Peter Darling · From: United Kingdom

I think that that is a very fair question.
I used a Jim Dunlop high gain pedal without any problems. Now and again I experienced some weird noises from it and later discovered that I had not plugged in the jack lead properly. My fault! Anyway I was advised that Goodrich was the thing to have so I bought a very little used 120. I needed to manipulate this one more so than the Dunlop and found that the degree of movement needed was indeed adjustable.
They have had problems in the past with pot failure but if fitted with the new one million cycle pot then you should be OK.
They are built like an Abrams Tank and have a nice feel to them. By that I mean it's a big pedal and it's like the accelerator to a JCB or in American terms the biggest damned monster truck you can think of.
About the only thing that can go wrong with them IS the pot unless you accidentally run over it with your steam roller.
Conclusion????? In my opinion....A good well made pedal which is very strong structurally and works well but nothing to really write home to mum about. Rolling Eyes

Doug Burling · From: Ohio, USA

Ok! Now I'm really confused. I've been reading post/reviews here in the forum history. I'm reading about "Tone Sucking" of the passive volume pedals like the Goodrich. Then I read others saying they like the Goodrich passive pedals because of the tone. On the other hand I read how transparent and clean the Hilton sounds, but others say it sounds sterile. I understand that we all hear things differently. What I can say is the last thing I want is "Tone Sucking". "Transparent" sounds good to me. That is unless someone can explain why "Transparent" is not Good.

The other issue that kept coming up is the fact that the passive pedals use a long lasting battery instead of a power supply that needs to be plugged in. Who wouldn't want the battery over the power supply for convenience. That said, I certainly wouldn't sacrifice tone for convenience.

Can anyone give me the straight poop on all this? Maybe those who have had experience with the Goodrich and Hilton would give their Pros and Cons of each.

Thanks, Doug

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

This belongs in Electronics, not Steel Without Pedals.

I own a Goodrich L10K volume pedal that I got when I bought my pedal steel. It worked really well, then started becoming scratchy about a year ago. I set it aside and went back to using my old Ernie Ball volume pedal.

When I went to the Texas Steel Guitar Jamboree, I stopped by the Goodrich booth and bought a new potentiometer. I asked plenty of questions and they showed me how easy it was to replace the old pot. When I got home I did just that. It took me less than a half hour all together once I found the proper sized Allen wrench.

I now use the Goodrich instead of the Ernie Ball. I find them both very usable, but the Goodrich seems smoother (in the sense of having the contrast between no volume and full volume).
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Tony Glassman · From: The Great Northwest

If you want a pedal that does not color tone (cut highs) then they're only two answers. Neither is cheap nor do they use volume pots.

- Hilton

- Telonics

Georg Sørtun · From: Mandal, Agder, Norway

Peter Darling · From: United Kingdom

Yeah Brad I agree with you mate.
It is an electronic problem because the only thing that can make any difference to "tone sucking" etcetera IS the potentiometer . Personally I have had no problems with "tone suck" both with my Goodrich 120 or the Jim Dunlop. I have not experienced "tone suck" from either forms. I think we are able to proceed quite normally without having the horror of "tone suck" as a threat!
Stop worrying so much!
Pete

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

The thing that makes Goodrich better/more popular than the other passive pedals is the heavy-duty housing. I suspect it would survive anything the late Mr. Swayze did to a Timex.

As to Tone Suck, it's usually minimal, but noticeable. For lap steel, I would imagine that the on-board volume pot, being the same circuit, "pre-sucks" the tone, so a passive pedal would have minimal effect (conclusion based not on technical knowledge, just filtered through what I call my common sense, since the pickup already saw a load).

For pedal steel, like others said, there are lots of buffers out there that preserve the tone. My two favorites are the Lil Izzy and the EHX Holy Grail (only acts as a buffer when on).

Or you can avoid the phenomenon with the Hilton or Telonics.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Doug Burling · From: Ohio, USA

Mike Neer · From: NJ

You will be just fine with the Goodrich.
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Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Doug, the "Tone suck" is an interaction between pickup and volume pedal, the choice of amp won't affect it. Tone Suck is a slight rolloff of the highs and a certain change in the mids.
Rather than avoiding it, many choose to twist the knobs to find a tone they like.
Or buffers are out there that range from fifty bucks on up. I like my Lil' Izzy buffer, but I can play without it and get a real good tone.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

James Hartman · From: Pennsylvania, USA

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Agreed. Tone Suck didn't bother all the lap steel stuff from the 30s on up, nor all the pedal steel recorded before the early 80s.
I suspect, rather than being an ACTUAL bother, Tone Suck is something on which folks dissatisfied with their tone can place the blame. But once the new wears off of the buffer or that Hilton pedal, or that Black Box, you still got your hands.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Georg Sørtun · From: Mandal, Agder, Norway

Doug Burling · From: Ohio, USA

Thanks for all your input. The people on this forum are extremely helpful. I think "Tone Sucking" really got my attention and I maid it into more than it is. This really doesn't make any sense since so many people use and love the the Goodrich. Since I do most of my playing sitting, should I go with the L120 or the standard 120? Or maybe it really doesn't make any difference.

Ransom Beers · Posted 11 Apr 2012 9:56 am

Just buy the Goodrich L120(low profile) & be done with it,you'll be happy you did.

Justin Griffith · From: Taylor, Texas, USA

Rick Winfield · From: Pickin' beneath the Palmettos

I'm with Mr. Neer on this one
Goodrich 120 and Tom Bradshaw pots.
Use my pedal every day for hours, and the Bradshaw pots can't be beat, IMHO
Also
a good used one, that's priced right, can often be found here on the forum
That's how I got mine, several years ago, and never had a problem.
Good luck whatever you decide
Rick

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