Eliminating Pedal Noise

Thomas Heath · From: Saint Louis, Missouri

Young steel player here. Bought a GFI starter (3x4) a few months ago and the pedals seem to be clicking and clacking more and more. Does anyone know the best way to reduce/eliminate pedal noise? It seems to be coming from the floor and not up in the body. Can I use any old mechanical lubricant? Anything I shouldn't do? Is aggressive playing harmful, as I can get a little too carried away sometimes.. Many Thanks

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

There should be no clanks at the pedal bar. Any lubrication should be either in a light oil like 3 in 1, or a teflon lube like TriFlow dry or Dupont dry film.
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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

Paul Sutherland · From: Placerville, California

Is the pedal noise coming through the amp? If it isn't, I wouldn't worry about it.

Lubricate when necessary for everything to work properly, which mainly means to make the guitar play in tune. Don't drown your steel in lubricants to try to silence every little noise.

My old push-pull Emmons has a ton of pedal noise, but I only hear it when playing in the bedroom. On stage, or even at low volume rehearsals and in a recording studio, it's simply not an issue.

Lynn Fargo · From: Fort Edward, NY

I notice pedal noise when I'm making vids for YouTube. Someone suggested I can use some type of foam to cut down on pedal noise. I really don't know exactly what he meant. I just figure if I've got pedal noise, you know it's live and not Memorex. Oh Well

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Sho-Bud Pro II Custom, GFI Ultra SD-10, Fender Pro Amp, Fender Mustang II Amp, Morrell 8-string lap, Epiphone 6-string lap, Galveston reso, etc.

David Nugent · From: Gum Spring, Va.

Please correct me if wrong, but from what I understand 'GFI' guitars are not supposed to require any lubrication. My guess is that the "clacking" noise that you are experiencing may be the result of slack in the mechanism. In other words, there is a certain amount of free travel in the pedals before the pull is engaged (required in a P/P mechanism?)...The reference made by Lynn regarding the addition of foam I believe is placing small blocks of foam between the underside of the guitar body and the pullrods. This reduces the rattling noise made by the rods when pedals/levers are engaged or released. (The foam pieces should only be wide enough to permit them to be held in place by the rods, thus allowing the rods to move freely without any added drag or bending).

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Zum uses a "comb" of a soft foam (probably under 1 lb. density) to separate, quiet and, to a lesser extent, align the pullrods.

EDIT: I guess I should also ask, since you say you're new, to listen carefully. Does the noise come from the pedal bar or the underside of the guitar? Just like in car repairs, different noises mean different things, and some noises are just "sorry, sir; they all do that."
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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

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

The GFI's are "permanently" lubricated, at least the Expo and Ultra models.

There are mechanical stops and most guitars will have some (some less than others) noise. If you are sitting in a quiet room any noise can be heard or "amplified". If you are pressing the pedals hard (harder than required) that can also cause more noise.

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

If it's the little clamps that hold the pedal rods, and the pedal hinges (both places are going to have an unavoidable amount of play), I have had some success with slitting open little 2" lengths of the foam sold as "grip" material, much like this:

http://compare.ebay.com/like/190040968666?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar

If you have a drugstore that sells crutches & knee braces and such, they may have it already or can order it. 1/4" ID X 1" OD. I only put it on when trying to record through a mike rather than some direct means. I am something of a foam connoisseur, no home should be without a bin full!

Chuck Blake · From: West Virginia, USA

I agree with Jack, GFI says "no need to lube your GFI, period"! I think anything mechanical is going to have some noise. My GFI had a cabinet knock which turned out to be the brass bushing which the connector rod attached. The brass bushing did what is was supposed to do, it absorbed the wear. I called GFI and they sent me 3 new bushings.

My TCW Very Happy

Thomas Heath · From: Saint Louis, Missouri

Thanks for the help yall. After further investigation, I realilzed that *most* of the noise in the A pedal comes from underneath the body and the and it is most significant in the A pedal and not as severe as in the other ones. Also, my C pedal seems to have two stages of resistance...very easy at first and "normal" in the second half. Is this uncommon? ALSO, when I press the A pedal, the C pedal moves down a bit. ("the first stage"). Yes I should be practicing; not worrying about these little things... But im loving this thing and want it to be perfect. FURTHERMORE, My C pedal has a lot more travel than the other pedals...is this unusual? Thanks again people.

Paul Sutherland · From: Placerville, California

Generally: the B pedal has the shortest travel; the A pedal has the second most travel; & the C pedal has the longest travel.

It takes more pedal travel for a changer to raise the E to F# than to raise the B to C#.

Because it takes more travel to raise that 4th string a whole tone, than to raise the 5th string a whole tone, the 4th string raise on the C pedal has to start sooner than the 5th string raise. When you are feeling the increased pressure on the C pedal, it's probably because you have now fully engaged both raises on the pedal.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Paul pretty much nailed it.
Try putting the guitar in the case and working the pedal. you'll see that one string will start before the other. The modern ideal is for both strings to start and end together, but the C pedal is trickier, and takes a back seat to the A when rodding.
It might be possible to speed up the longer throw, but it'd become even stiffer.
I'd suggest just playing the top side: playing the underside becomes addictive.
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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

Ken Pippus · From: Langford, BC, Canada

There were two whole threads describing someone's mod using silicone washers to get rid of the "clunk" in GFI pedal rods. I can't remember who did it (I think he was even providing kits to do the fix), and I can't find the thread, but it's on here somewhere.

KP

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

David Nugent · From: Gum Spring, Va.

i believe that it was Dale Hansen (Bessdang Gizmos) who posted the thread that Ken referred to.

Ken Pippus · From: Langford, BC, Canada

Yup. It looked like this:

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=133031&highlight=[/b] http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=182900&highlight=

Franklin · Posted 2 Jun 2012 7:10 am

Recording instruments is the only time instrument or chair noise is an issue. Move the amp as far away as possible and use a directional microphone like a 421 or a 57.....If that is not an option put a baffle between the amp and the guitar........I vaguely remember on a Strait session they had to put a blanket over Gimble's amp to keep the squeaky chair noise out. Donnie's right, don't worry about the guitar, keep learning to play it, as is.......Paul

Twayn Williams · From: Portland, OR

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