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Topic: would this pedal work on pedal steel? |
Terry Sneed
From:
Arkansas,
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Posted 14 Jun 2007 6:29 pm |
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This is a sparkle drive by voodo lab. Just wondering if it would be good for pedal steel. All I want is a boost pedal with a tad of distortion. see what ya think.I want it mainly for Tele but would use it for steel also.
http://www.voodoolab.com/sparkledrive.htm
Listen to the half clean.
Terry |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 14 Jun 2007 8:53 pm
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It does; I've tried it. You probably want to run an impedance matcher ahead of it, though. Something like a Steeldriver II or similar. WIthout it the hot steel pickup output (of most steels...pretty much anything except vintage stuff like cable Fenders) hits the pedal pretty hard, and gives you less control than when used with guitar.
It's a good pedal though - I'd go steel=>matcher=>volume pedal=>sparkle drive=>(any time based pedals - chorus, delay etc)=>amp.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Stephen Gambrell
From:
Over there
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Posted 14 Jun 2007 9:15 pm
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| I just got one. GREAT pedal, especially with the clean knob rolled on. |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 15 Jun 2007 4:24 am
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What Jim and SG said.
I like mine as you have the ability to mix in the clean signal with the distortion on this unit. |
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Terry Sneed
From:
Arkansas,
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Posted 15 Jun 2007 12:20 pm sparkle drive
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Thanks guys. Yikes, I can't afford a steel driver though. May have to just stick with using it with my Tele. would something like a 4a or 7a matchbox work in place of a steel driver?
Terry |
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Dean Parks
From:
Sherman Oaks, California, USA
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Posted 15 Jun 2007 11:33 pm
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Terry-
Check with the pros here on the forum, but I believe the Steel Driver is just a buffer amp. If so, any Roland pedal does that buffering. Just don't engage the effect itself... run the steel directly into the pedal, making sure the pedal has battery in, or AC adaptor, and it buffers. Other brands (WITHOUT "true bypass") do the same.
-dean-[/url] |
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John Groover McDuffie
From:
LA California, USA
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Posted 16 Jun 2007 2:17 am
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I love the Sparkle Drive for PSG!!! Blending the overdrive and clean sound works much better for me with steel than any other od or dist. pedal I've used.
I don't use any buffer amp, my signal chain is steel>passive volume pedal>Sparkle Drive>sometimes a Boss DD5>Fender amp.
FWIW I find that running my steel through any Boss pedal before the volume pedal results in a really ugly boosted upper midrange. Something to do with the way the high impedance of a PSG pickup interacts with the Boss input impedance. |
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Terry Sneed
From:
Arkansas,
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Posted 16 Jun 2007 6:56 pm thanks
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appreciate it guys. So would this be correct John for my riggins? steel> volume pedal> sparkle drive> Ibanez delay> amp. I've never used effects pedals before, so I'm not sure where to put them in the chain.
Terry |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 17 Jun 2007 7:00 am
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Terry,
Its a matter of taste with FX chains. I put my distortion before my volume pedal and delay after usually. I don't mess with buffers anymore. Not worth the trouble.
_________________
Bob |
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Stephen Gambrell
From:
Over there
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Posted 17 Jun 2007 12:40 pm
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| I would always put any distortion or OD pedal ahead of the volume pedal. Especially a pedal like the Sparkle Drive, which gets REAL clean if you roll the guitar's volume back. |
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Terry Sneed
From:
Arkansas,
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Posted 17 Jun 2007 2:08 pm thanks
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Ok thanks guys , I really appreciate the help.
Terry |
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Jim Ives
From:
Los Angeles, California, USA
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Posted 18 Jun 2007 8:31 am
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Try a Seymour Duncan booster pedal. AWESOME!
-Jim |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 18 Jun 2007 1:05 pm
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Regarding buffering, the matchbox does the same thing.
What Dean says is correct, but the adjustable levels or the matching devices, as opposed to the fixed level of Boss and other pedals, is a real advantage. I've had problems with even Boss pedals not "dumbing down" the hot signal from a 22k steel pickup, and having the signal distort with other boxes behind the Boss unit (especially older MXR pedals). With the Steeldriver...or a Matchbox...you can dial it down to a level that won't splatter the input of some of those classic guitar pedals.
FWIW the Steeldriver is just a Matchbox-type unit with a fuzztone channel. I never use the fuzz - it's really a noisy one. Too bad, because the "fuzz" is actually decent, but the noise is always present.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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