Byrd's volume pedal

David Cook · From: Florida, USA

Hi, Has any one tried Jerry Byrd's reverse volume pedal configuration where it's loudest with the pedal in the "up" position? What is the reason for this? Maybe if I do it, I will sound like Jerry Byrd.

Jack Byrd · From: Kalamazoo, Michigan

Jerry told me the reason he used a reverse wound pedal was for more exact control. He related it to a car accelerator pedal. He felt you had much more foot control on the up sweep than on the push down. I think when you relate to accelerating your car and de-acclerating you can see his point. He always felt he had much more precise control coming up than pushing down. That is how I remember him describing it years ago. I think I got this right, not being a player myself it sure made sense to me when it came to driving a car. It it much easier to contol your foot action coming up than pushing down.

Vince Luke · From: Iowa, USA

I don't know about Byrd, but I saw Junior Brown play last night and I think he was using something like you're describing (I say 'I think' because I don't know much about hardware--I'm strictly unplugged thus far). He stood on the pedal throughout the show and eased up on it to make a truck air-horn sound and also a train's steam whistle sound. Probably used it at other times too for less glaringly obvious effects, but I was mostly hypnotized by his hands as opposed to his foot!

Vince

John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

Jerry also stood with his weight on his right foot and operated his pedal with his left-foot! And when he sat to play a Lap-Steel, such as a Frypan, he used his left foot on the pedal also, because; the guitar body wouldn't bounce under his picking-hand! But, he could have played upside-down and backwards and it would have still sounded the greatest! He was “The One”!
_________________
<marquee> Go~Daddy~Go, (No), Go, It's your Break Time</marquee> L8R, jb
My T-10 Remington Steelmaster

Don Kona Woods · From: Hawaiian Kama'aina

Yes, I have used the foot pedal volume control like Jerry and I felt that it did have more control and/or was smoother in the transition. However, I was never ever able to play like Jerry. Wink

It is simple to do. Just reverse the wiring and you are ready to go for your noble experiment.

In conclusion: I am not a fan of the foot pedal volume control. I started with it, but dropped it because I felt that it interfered with developing a style of playing, developing smooth playing with good touch in a natural way because it relied on a technical aid. IIJMOHO

Aloha, Smile

Don

Jeff Au Hoy · From: Honolulu, Hawai'i

I've been playing steel about 6 or so years now and have purposely shunned the volume pedal for two reasons. 1) I've always felt it out of place in the music we play here and 2) I worried that I'd use it as a crutch and develop sloppy technique (i.e. I worried I'd use the pedal to hide deficiencies in my playing instead of forcing myself to develop smooth transitions from note to note). In the past month however, I've been fooling around with a volume pedal and have been having great fun with it trying to get that Byrd country sound. I'd agree with Jerry that it is smoother to have the pedal wired his way.

I'm not ready condemn the pedal as "cheating" because the pedal allows one to do many things that would otherwise be impossible... however, I was surprised to discover that one can use it to mask all kinds of bad technique, from uneven picking to sloppy harmonics to jerky bar movement. Now I find amusement in listening to Byrd recordings with volume pedal, imagining what the same recording would sound like sans pedal. I think I will continue with my volume pedal practice just to be able to do it, but it's not something I plan to use in my music any time soon.

Gary Lynch · From: Creston, California, USA

If we went down the 'cheating road' state of mind, we would either all be playing Spanish guitars or tricones on our laps with no electricity involved or maybe just beating on rocks and logs. It's all great if it comes from the heart.

Kay Das · From: Los Angeles CA

I think it depends on the tune you are playing, where in the tune you are, and the mood you are trying to portray. A nice attack is sometimes preferable especially on lap steel and Hawaiian music, but a more languid attack gives variability. In my opinion, Buddy Emmons was one of the greatest exponents of its variability on any kind of steel guitar. I agree with Jeff that it should not be used as a crutch. I did once experiment with reversing the wires and felt I could get used to it, but it did not do too much for me. More important, I feel, is the travel and dynamic range of the sweep; the better pedals give more room for expression and variability of dynamic range.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Does anyone know if the Goodrich pedal he was known to have used from time to time was rigged the same backward way, or would he likely simply have adapted himself to the difference?

Don Kona Woods · From: Hawaiian Kama'aina

Ray,

I don't know if this is answering your question, but I believe that Jerry is the one who told me that all he did was reverse the wiring in the volume control foot pedal.

This is what I did and it reversed the direction of the pedal to produce sound. When you pushed down it reduced volume.

Aloha, Smile

Don

Bill Creller · From: Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)

Reversing the wiring is what I thought about doing, but a pot with audio taper may not work out as well as a reverse audio pot. I'm building a clone of a Princeton Reverb, and it uses a reverse audio pot for the speed control on the trem portion of the amp. So the reverse type is available.

Regards BILL

Rick Aiello · From: Berryville, VA USA

As per JB's advice ... I have always used a "come on in reverse VP".

On the Goodrich ... I rewound the waxed cord ... in the opposite direction ...

You can also adjust the sleeve ... to adjust the come on point.

I always kept it so it's never off ... but is at it's lowest "usable" volume in the "off" position (all the way down) ... but most folks that "violin" wouldn't like that.

I later had Keith Hilton build me one of his ... he said it was a "bear" to test ... being so use to a conventional pedal.

That said ... I "shelved the VP" years ago ... choosing to use vibrato over volume ... to hold a note.

Much to some folks chagrin ... Laughing

Dave Zielinski · From: Pennsylvania, USA

Interestingly enough, My old Bigsby VT pedal is wired this way....

I don't use it all that much, but it is wired inthe way Byrd used it. After reading this thread I checked it out.

Maybe its worth a billion dollars, who knows?!! hahahaha

All you gotta do is switch the outer two wires on the volume pot.

John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

Actually, reversing the wires is not the same as reversing the cord! If you want to reverse the exact action of the pot, you must reverse the cord, not the wires! The taper is not the same in both directions!
_________________
<marquee> Go~Daddy~Go, (No), Go, It's your Break Time</marquee> L8R, jb
My T-10 Remington Steelmaster

Paul Honeycutt · From: Colorado, USA

I have an old DeArmond Volume Pedal that is heavy enough that if you take your foot off of it, it falls to the full volume setting. Reverse wiring would make it a lot more useable. Thanks for the great tip!

Forum Index > Steel Without Pedals		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: