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Topic: Goodrich lightbeam volume pedals |
Jim Phelps
From:
Mexico City, Mexico
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Posted 15 Jun 2005 5:27 pm |
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I have one I bought in about 1982, still works great. I can't even tell what model it is because the model number's worn off.
Anyone know what model this is likely to be? It's A.C. operated, have to plug an extension cord into it.
Anyone notice any difference in tone when using a Goodrich lightbeam pedal compared to straight-in? |
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Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 15 Jun 2005 6:16 pm
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It may be a "Steelman", it's the right age, anyway.
Mine has a short AC cord coming out at the heel and a littel hubble connector to the longer portion of the cord.
It can sound "thin" at low levels, but I usually can get that to work for me. |
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Larry Jamieson
From:
Walton, NY USA
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Posted 15 Jun 2005 6:38 pm
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| I had one of those years ago, and it made it through many, many gigs. I always carried around a spare light bulb, never had to use it. After 20 years or so, it got where it didn't work well, and I called Goodrich about repairing it. He advised that they didn't make it anymore, and that I should update, so I did. I now have the model with the battery in it, H10K, and it works great. I don't have to plug it in the wall, and it is easier to find a spare 9 volt battery than one of those light bulbs... Larry J. |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 15 Jun 2005 6:43 pm
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Jim - I still have my Steelman Model 400 that I bought back in the early to mid 1970's. I used it for about 15 years, until I bought a regular pot pedal.
My old pedal still has the original bulbs in it and works like a charm. I keep it for a spare. I don't notice any change in tone; however, I usually use a matchbox of some sort.
Lee, from South Texas
(Almost in Mexico) |
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Jim Phelps
From:
Mexico City, Mexico
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Posted 16 Jun 2005 5:54 pm
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Thanks for your help, guys.
Jim
(almost in Texas) 
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Kiyoshi Osawa
From:
Mexico City, Mexico
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Posted 16 Jun 2005 6:24 pm
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Hey there!
So what's the difference between this lightbeam pedal and the newer potless ones? I know there's the infra-red one, but isn't the newer goodrich using something different?
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(almost in Texico)  |
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Jim Palenscar
From:
Oceanside, Calif, USA
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Posted 17 Jun 2005 6:29 am
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| For twenty five years I had a stereo Goodrich lightbeam pedal- despite Jeff Newman telling me to get rid of it 'cause it robbed my tone he said (little did he know it was my technique that was robbing the tone). Anyway- after spending 3 solid weeks with Frank Carter rebuilding an EMCI- totally new undercarriage, new cabinet, etc.- having only 2 hours left before having to take off for home (10 hours away)- we finally got it done and, with great anticipation, fired it up only to be really disapppointed in the sound- we both thought that it sounded kinda dark, despite all the amp fooling we could come up with. Finally we saw that I had the Goodrich pedal in question in-line and replaced it with Frank's Hilton and WOWOWOW!- what a difference- much to my relief-the tone became crystal clear and all was well. I now use the new(er) Goodrich LDR pedal and never worry about strings or pots being a problem. And- yes- I still have the old light beamer and it still works perfectly! |
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ed packard
From:
Show Low AZ
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Posted 17 Jun 2005 6:48 am
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Atta boy JIM P! VP input impedance and line driving capability is a must for getting the tone. Been harping on that for years. 500k ohms (most pot pedals) is not a high enough load for most common pickups! Costs about -6db to -12db for the 2K Hz to 4K Hz range. Try adding a simple voltage follower circuit before the VP and die happy with the tone improvement.
Frank had a great sound from his EMCI before ... clearest finger harmonics that I have ever heard.
The Goodrich LDR that I have loads the pickup(s) about like the Goodrich 500K pot pedal, but line drives better (apparently).
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Al Marcus
From:
Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)
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Posted 18 Jun 2005 7:25 pm
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I have a Goodrich Light beam Photo Cell pedal and been using it for years. There is just no comparison between it and the regular pot Goodrich I had.
I like it! It gives me more clean , power with the same amp settings and better tone to boot.
Ed-I have about a 5 foot cord that runs into a electronic Box from there into an outlet. It also has a tone wheel on it.
I can adjuts with my toe.
What is in that Box? Is that why it works so good, Ed? I figured you would know.Thanks...al
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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/
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thurlon hopper
From:
Elizabethtown Pa. USA
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Posted 19 Jun 2005 2:31 am
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I have a Goodrich 400 light beam pedal that works great also one of the old Curly Chalker models that still works fine. But i use the 120 all the time, don't have to use
extension cords. Akso have a ShoBud pedal that probably could stand a pot replacement.
Any of you still use Sho bud pedals? TJH |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 19 Jun 2005 6:11 am
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I had a Goodrich lightbeam pedal that I thought something was wrong with it. I sent it to Goodrich to have a look-see and they wouldn't send it back to be because of liability concerns. That pedal works on full 110 volt current and some players had been shocked when using it on a wet stage. However, they were kind enough to apply considerable credit toward a new pot pedal.
Thurlon,
I have two Sho~Bud pedals. One is the big old free standing model with the Sho~Bud logo emblazed on it and also a clip on model that I prefer.
Erv[This message was edited by Erv Niehaus on 19 June 2005 at 07:13 AM.] |
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Jim Phelps
From:
Mexico City, Mexico
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Posted 19 Jun 2005 10:13 am
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Wow, my pedal is the 110-volt version too... never thought about getting zapped but I can see how it might happen...on the other hand, seems like playing electric steel or guitar on a wet stage isn't too safe (or smart) anyway, with or without the 110-volt pedal...
I haven't noticed any tone change with mine, especially any darkening of the tone as someone posted above. I can hear the difference of tone in certain guitar cables... maybe I'll have to give the old lightbeam pedal another tone-test. I could definitely hear the darkening of tone in my old Sho-Bud pot pedal. I can't stand playing a guitar with the volume knob anywhere except all the way up, because the resistance in the pots cut some of the high freqs when they're not completely open.
I used a Sho Bud pot pedal for years, until I got this lightbeam pedal. I don't even know now whatever happened to my old Sho Bud pedal. [This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 19 June 2005 at 11:15 AM.] |
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ed packard
From:
Show Low AZ
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Posted 19 Jun 2005 3:54 pm
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Al: I do not have access to the "light beam" pedal by GOODRICH. I have both their 500K pot pedal and the newer LDR unit. I have a MORLEY light pedal somewhere, also a Sho-Bud pedal.
Comments re your question will be vague and general as I don't know the signal chain with which we are dealing.
Generality #1: The impedance of a common magnetic pickup increases as frequency increases, up to a point. It is made up of the Resistance of the wire in the winding, the Inductance of the winding, and the Capacitance of the winding ... = RLC.
Generality #2: IF the impedance of the pickup at 3KHz is found to be 500K, and a 500k pot is placed across it, less highs will be available to the rest of the signal chain. This pot could be either a built in volume control pot, with or without a tone pot, or it could be a VP. The lower the combined value (ohms) of this pot/pots, the less highs will be available to the following part of the signal chain.
Generality #3: What is in the box? Some boxes are passive (no power or batteries needed), most are active, as is the case with the light cell types of pedals. The input impedance of the box, in parallel with the impedances of G#1 & G#2 above further reduce available highs. The active boxes/VPs may have amplification built in. The amplification may be shaped so as to attempt to restore some of the highs by amplifying them more than it does the mids and lows. It is well if the active box/VP make use of line driving principles (LoZ out) to allow driving effects, cables, and the preamp/amp input impedance.
Even tube devices seldom have an input impedance of greater than 500K Ohms.
Generality #4: If just the passive 500K ohm VP is across the pickup, the resulting impedance is 250K ohms ... If the VP output goes to a preamp/amp/? having an input impedance of another 500K ohms, Then the load (impedance) shown to the pickup will become even less as the VP is used to increase the sound level, hence a tone change vs. volume.
Generality #5: Those that like/want the mellower Hawaiian electric lap sounds, as produced with instruments having an on board volume and tone control may find the sound of an "unloaded" pickup too bright for their taste. They may also find that that the result of adding VP, long cables, etc. does not appreciably alter their sound.
My choice is to gett all that the pickup can give, then remove what you do not want in the preamp/amp via EQ or other filtering method. This usually provides a lower noise level than trying to boost the highs by frequency selective amplification.
I hesitated to post an answer here (where you asked) as last time I posted re pickup impedance/RLC et al someone wanted to let me know that he thought that I was showing off (at least that was my take)... not important, some folk know some things, some know others ... share your ideas and opinions on these subjects.
[This message was edited by ed packard on 19 June 2005 at 04:55 PM.] |
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Al Marcus
From:
Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)
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Posted 19 Jun 2005 5:13 pm
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Ed-Thanks for your usual very detailed explanation of the various scenarios.
I don't know or expect you to know what that box is but I just plug into the wall outlet and then it goes through the box to the pedal.
It has two jack plug ins. The bottom is somewhat wore, so I can't read the model number.
It has a tone wheel to get tone from Treble to Bass and it works good with my Sho-bud Pro 1 , the combination sounds real great compared to other guitars and pedals I have had.....al
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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/
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Jim Phelps
From:
Mexico City, Mexico
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ed packard
From:
Show Low AZ
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Posted 21 Jun 2005 6:41 am
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Ahoy senor Jim (please add the tilde): You are probably right re the "overkill" explanation, but it served several purposes:
1 = It gave the "jargon" with which to do searches (GOOGLE or ?) if one wanted to look into it further;
2 = It let one know that the pickup thing is not a mystery religion but has been , for the most part, reduced to a set of terms and arith' description;
3 = I brought to the party what I had to offer, one could throw it out if it was not to their taste.
I will apologize to all who are offended by such rants, but most of my life has been spent solving "technical" problems and providing descriptions and hardware solutions for the same ... too late to change now, and do not plan to.
My mentor, one Homer F. Teague, would tell people "if you ask Ed what time it is, he might tell you how to build a watch!".
Your apology is accepted, but not necessary. I read some of your other posts and decided that you were not someone looking for a verbal battle.
Back to track ... do you know what is in the GOODYEAR light volume pedal? |
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Jim Phelps
From:
Mexico City, Mexico
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Posted 21 Jun 2005 10:24 am
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Ed, thanks, and your explanation is also not necessary. I have come to know you better since then. At the time I didn't, and mistakenly did think you were being a wise-acre, that was my mistake. I'm much the same way regarding "ask what time it is and he'll tell you how to build a watch", with the things I know about, which I'm sure are not as many as you!
However...... 
Re. your last sentence, I have no idea what's in a GOODYEAR light beam pedal, I can only guess, maybe air or helium?
(Did you mean GOODRICH or has GOODYEAR made a volume pedal? Typo, right? That doesn't mean I'll let you get away with it! |
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ed packard
From:
Show Low AZ
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Posted 21 Jun 2005 10:56 am
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| I guess that I am "tired"! yep, GOODRICH (not B. F.). |
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Jim Phelps
From:
Mexico City, Mexico
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Posted 21 Jun 2005 11:01 am
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Actually I'm not sure what's inside it, the last time I changed a bulb was years ago and then I noticed a small circuit board with the light and photocell circuitry, and a small power supply for stepping-down the 110 VAC to whatever it uses in the circuit, that's about all I noticed.
What in particular do you mean I should look for inside?[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 21 June 2005 at 12:16 PM.] |
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ed packard
From:
Show Low AZ
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Posted 21 Jun 2005 2:43 pm
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Jim; Just curious as to what circuitry is used as I have notseen one of those as far as I can recall. Es no muy importante.
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Jim Phelps
From:
Mexico City, Mexico
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Posted 21 Jun 2005 6:56 pm
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| Sorry Ed, can't tell you anything there. I don't have a schematic for it, can't find one online, and didn't even pay any attention to it when I had it open to change the bulb. I don't even remember what side of the pc board faced the bottom of the pedal now.... |
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John Daugherty
From:
Rolla, Missouri, USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2005 5:22 am
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Ed, the field effect transistor{FET) is being used as the input transistor in some guitar preamp applications. It shows a very high impedance to the pickup. I am sure you know about this. I wanted to get that info in here to add to the content of the topic.
I saw an FET preamp that was built inside of a 1/4" guitar plug and powered through the cord (phantom power). |
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ed packard
From:
Show Low AZ
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Posted 22 Jun 2005 6:37 am
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| Jim, thanks for the feedback. John, good input. FET's were an answer to the transistors typically low impedances. I did not go FET, but used Darlington circuits for Hi Z. At least Evans used FET's in their amps/preamps. Not sure how the "tube" people felt about FET sound ... any feelings on the subject out there? |
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John Daugherty
From:
Rolla, Missouri, USA
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ed packard
From:
Show Low AZ
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Posted 22 Jun 2005 6:20 pm
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Thanks for posting that link John; The FET circuit Zin is indeed "high" though actually a bit less than the stated 3M (input resistor value). 2M or 3M are a sight better than 500K.
I really do not share their blanket view on op amps, but then I am not pushing FETs.
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