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Topic: Best volume pedal these days? |
Johnie King
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 12 Sep 2018 12:16 pm |
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| What choices do steel players have today for a reasonable priced volume pedal? |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 12 Sep 2018 12:32 pm
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For what sort of value of "reasonable"?
The L-120 is a classic, but more expensive than the Moyo.
The Stage One is getting rave reviews.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Paul King
From:
Gainesville, Texas, USA
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Posted 13 Sep 2018 1:20 am
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| I used the Goodrich L120 for years. The only issues were the string would break and the pots would get scratchy. I had more trouble with pots than the string. However, for the money I believe it is the best value. Today I use a Telonics but there is a big difference in price and quality. |
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Eric Philippsen
From:
Central Florida USA
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Posted 13 Sep 2018 3:10 am
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The Goodrich 120 (or L120) is a standard of the steel guitar world. I’ve been using them for 40 years. A Telonics is great, and I use ‘em, but it costs about 3-4x more.
Potentiometer failure? All pot pedals experience that eventually. Yes, there are those decades old pedals that, amazingly, still have functioning pots but they’re really the exception. I mean, think about it. Who or what in this world rotates a volume pedal pot 300 or more times a session than a steel guitarist? Nobody that I can think of. So, it’s not a matter of “if†a pot will fail, it’s a matter of “whenâ€. |
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Bill Myers
From:
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 13 Sep 2018 3:17 am
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I still use my old Goodrich L10k. Sounds great.
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Carter D10 9 x 5, Nashville 112, Goodrich L10K |
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Dennis Detweiler
From:
Solon, Iowa, US
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Posted 13 Sep 2018 8:37 am
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I'm still using my 1970 ShoBud pedal. I've replaced the pot a few times. The Allen Bradley pots were the best. I had a spare NOS Allen Bradley in my parts drawer and finally had to replace the old pot last year. My current spare pot is Dunlop.
I had to replace the string about 30 years ago and used nylon cord and put a spring in it to keep it tight. Still working.
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1976 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics 427 pickup, 1975 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics X-12 pickup, Revelation preamp, Carbon Copy Delay and Hall Of Fame Reverb, Crown XLS 1002, 2- 15" Eminence Wheelhouse speakers, ShoBud Pedal, Effects Pedals. 1949 Epiphone D-8. |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 13 Sep 2018 9:41 am
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I've got a Goodrich 120 that I recently had to replace the pot. It had the desired Allen Bradley pot but it finally gave up. I replaced it with a Dunlop pot and I'm not "enthused" with the Dunlop pot's response curve. My wife uses it with her GFI Expo S-10 and at home and is OK with it.
My pedal of choice that I use is a Hilton. |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 14 Sep 2018 2:51 am
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My favorite pedal is the Telonics,I've been using it since they were first introduced...my back up pedal is a Hilton that I bought from Mickey Adams and it's also a good pedal.
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Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Dale Rottacker
From:
Walla Walla Washington, USA
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Posted 14 Sep 2018 7:35 am
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I played with the big Sho~Bud pedal and AB pot for 40 years, but the height started to bother me after an ankle break made my ankle somewhat stiff.
I then went to a Goodrich L120 which was lower and which I really liked/like
About 3 years ago I got a Telonic’s Multi-Taper and fell in love with it... very smooth and very clean.
Then about a month ago I bought a Goodrich OMNI ~ An Active/Passive pedal with a newly designed Pot, that to my ear closely rivals the Original AB.
The INSTANT I struck the strings using this pedal, AND with the news on the computer, I went, Wait, WHAT?... is this thing warmer sounding or is it my imagination.
The Omni is an incredible pedal, if you want that AB grit you have it, if you want it a little brighter, you’ve got that too... this is a GREAT Hybrid Type of pedal.
I think the best of both worlds, at a reasonable price.
Read what Johnny Cox and Jay Dee have to say about it and then call Bill Ferguson if you want to get a good rundown and good price on it.
_________________
Dale Rottacker, Steelinatune™
https://www.youtube.com/@steelinatune
*2021 MSA Legend, "Jolly Rancher" D10 10x9
*2021 Rittenberry, "The Concord" D10 9x9
*1977 Blue Sho-Bud Pro 3 Custom 8x6
https://msapedalsteels.com
http://rittenberrysteelguitars.com
https://www.telonics.com/index.php
https://www.p2pamps.com
https://www.quilterlabs.com |
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 14 Sep 2018 9:44 am
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I'm with Stu - Telonics best, Hilton considerably less expensive and possibly therefore better value. The Hilton goes out and the Telonics stays in in my beer-free room.
I have done all my pot-changing.
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 14 Sep 2018 10:03 am
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I got about 22 years on my first Allen Bradley pot and am running over 7 years on it's replacement, a conductive plastic Dunlop HotPotz from Tom Bradshaw.
I've had the Telonics, Hilton, Goodrich LDR Goodrich 120 pot pedals, and a few others. I've gotten back to liking the classic sound of pot pedals.
If I were starting over I'd buy the Goodrich OMNI (nice to have both pot and preamp tones) for my main pedal with a Moyo for a backup.
I'd like to see the next iteration of the OMNI pedal eliminate the pot entirely when in preamp mode. That way if the pot goes bad, you could switch over to the preamp mode and keep on truckin' without the pot.
Last edited by Greg Cutshaw on 14 Sep 2018 12:26 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 14 Sep 2018 10:05 am
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These "best" topics really have no answers; however, they always produce plenty of opinions!
You then asked about choices. We are blessed with quite a few volume pedals to choose from. Only your wallet can tell you if they are reasonably priced.
I am perfectly happy with my two old Goodrich 120 pedals. Both have the extra, extra long life pots that Tom Bradshaw offers. A few folks dislike the taper of those pots. I really don't have an issue with that. Perhaps it's because I've been using them for so long. These pedals, combined with a Sarno FreeLoader, do just what I want them to do ... increase and decrease the volume ... and I'm pleased with the resulting sound.
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Lee, from South Texas - Down On The Rio Grande
There are only two options as I see it.
Either I'm right, or there is a sinister conspiracy to conceal the fact that I'm right.
Williams Keyless S-10, BMI S-10, Evans FET-500LV, Fender Steel King, 2 Roland Cube 80XL's,
Sarno FreeLoader, Goodrich Passive Volume Pedals, Vintage ACE Pack-A-Seat |
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John Sluszny
From:
Brussels, Belgium
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Posted 14 Sep 2018 10:07 am
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| Goodrich ldr for years ! |
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Fred Justice
From:
Mesa, Arizona
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gary pierce
From:
Rossville TN
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Posted 14 Sep 2018 10:47 am
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| I have an AB Mexico pot 500k Type J with a 3/4" shaft is someone wants it I'll mail it to you. I checked it with ohm meter and shows good. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 14 Sep 2018 10:56 am
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I was using a Hilton but had the itch for a Telonics pedal.
I'll tell you what a great guy Tom Bradshaw is, he said that he would send me a Telonics to try and if I didn't like it, I could send it back, otherwise send him a check.
I'm sure Fred would have done the same.
I gave the Telonics pedal a good try, back and forth between the Hilton and the Telonics and I couldn't tell enough difference to justify the price, so I sent it back.
Erv |
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 14 Sep 2018 1:50 pm
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| Erv Niehaus wrote: |
| I gave the Telonics pedal a good try, back and forth between the Hilton and the Telonics and I couldn't tell enough difference to justify the price, so I sent it back. |
I couldn't tell much difference either but I kept it anyway  I keep it at home for recording and I know that whatever other improvements I make the pedal will never need upgrading. This is on the same principle that applies to hi-fi - spend money starting at the source. The Hilton goes to the pub where I just need to be loud and clear.
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 14 Sep 2018 6:17 pm
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I used a Goodrich pot pedal for decades. Last year I switched to the Telonics, and I'm very happy with it. The only minus is having to plug in the very special 24v power supply. I keep a pot pedal in the car in case something goes wrong. You can't beat an old Goodrich for simplicity.
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-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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John Macy
From:
Rockport TX/Denver CO
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Posted 14 Sep 2018 8:17 pm
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Telonics as my main and keep a Moyo for a backup.
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John Macy
Rockport, TX
Engineer/Producer/Steel Guitar |
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Randy Owens
From:
West Central Indiana, USA
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Posted 15 Sep 2018 2:56 am
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I'm still a beginner but I felt like the more that I used my old pedal, the more I needed an upgrade. The Hilton that I used at Lucky's was smooth, quiet and just worked so I was set to order a new one (Hilton). I ran across a used Telonics in excellent condition at a nice savings. I sent the numbers to Sophie and she sent the code so I could use the Toolbox to upgrade the firmware and get all 8 tapers. I couldn't be happier. I had to change several settings on my amp since these pedals don't load the pickup. It has definitely helped my playing as I feel I have more control with this pedal.
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2003 Mullen Royal Precision, Walker Stereo Steel, Ampeg G-15, Telonics FP-100 |
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Glenn Taylor
From:
Denver, CO, USA
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Rick Barnhart
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 15 Sep 2018 8:54 am
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Love my Moyo
Love my Bigsby
Love my Goodrich
& I love my Sho-Bud
I really liked my Hilton, but it when it goes south, it’s dead in the water. Passive pedals may scratch a little when the pot gets dirty, but as least they’ll keep going.
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Clinesmith consoles D-8/6 5 pedal, D-8 3 pedal & A25 Frypan, Pettingill Teardrop, & P8 Deluxe. |
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Eric Philippsen
From:
Central Florida USA
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Posted 15 Sep 2018 9:27 am
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| For bar gigs I use either a 120 or L120. Built like a tank, I can toss it on the floor, plug in and go. For big venues and studio stuff I use a Telonics. |
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George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 15 Sep 2018 7:46 pm Volume pedal?
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| Had two Hiltons, didn't like them. Got an Omni in July and just sold it. I did like it a lot, so I would recommend it. I was having trouble getting the sound I wanted at a big outdoor show. I tried both passive and active settings. I then pulled out my spare 120 pedal with an old AB pot. It had the sound that was evading me, my sound. I have one last pedal I am going to try on a 30 day return basis and that is the Lehle 90. The craftsmaship, design, features, technology, and reviews are very impressive. You can do a YouTube search NAMM 2018 Lehle Volume Pedal to take a look. I have high hopes for this pedal. If it doesn't work out, I am done with pedal experiments and will stick with what I started out with in 1969, Goodrich with vintage AB pot. |
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 16 Sep 2018 1:06 am
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Randy, I'm pretty much a beginner too but I'm glad I have a top-quality item at the front end that I can forget about. If there's something I don't like about my playing, I know it ain't the pedal!
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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