Foot pedal used for volume?

Gaylen James · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

I was wondering if anyone has hooked up a foot pedal on the pedal board to act as a volume pedal instead of just clamping a vp to the pedal board.
This would have its unique set of problems but if perfected it would be 1 less piece of equipment to haul around -2 counting the patch cord.
It would sure have other pickers scratching their heads.

Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

Several decades ago there was a "Little Buddy" pedal steel guitar that was built like that.

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

The old MSA Red Baron also had such a device. The "volume pedal" was actuated by a pedal that was identical to the foot pedals, and it hooked to a rod which activated the pot which was mounted under the guitar. While I guess it worked okay, it required a spring to pull it back to the "off" position, and it felt a little awkward. Later, they eliminated the spring and went to a standard treadle operated by the rod. It never gained acceptance, though, and was eventually they dropped from production.

One disadvantage of fastening or making the volume pedal a part of the pedalboard is that you can no longer move or adjust it. When I play on different surfaces or use different footwear, I like the ability to place the pedal nearer to or farther from the pedalboard. Cool

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

I guess we're used to a rest position somewhere in the middle of the travel, and that wouldn't translate too well to a regular foot pedal, which is designed to be up or down.
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Jon Light (deceased) · From: Saugerties, NY

A pedal that does not hold its volume position if you remove your foot is of no use (to me). But possibly revisiting the idea of a pedal rack VP, using a toe stirrup......
My arthritic toes are skeptical but I love new (or old but improved) ideas.
I'll be watching but I'm not going to go there.

Tommy Mc · From: Middlesex VT

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

I don't think a foot pedal as we know it for playing would work for a volume control. You can only operate those with your toes. A volume pedal requires back and forth movement with both toe and heel. I suppose you could put a spring on it, but I can't see getting the proper feel that way.

Concerning the Red Baron, it was my first guitar. The potentiometer and gear mechanism was mounted underneath the body of the guitar. It had an actual treadle body that mounted to the pedal rack and was connected to the mechanism with a standard pedal rod.

I still have the gear and bracket parts that I removed from it some 40 yrs. ago.

Here's a pic of a red one with the pedal that someone else posted here on the forum. Configured just like the black one I had.

Roger Crawford · From: Griffin, GA USA

Bill Dobkins has one on his Rittenberry. Maybe he’ll chime in on how it works for him. If I recall correctly, being spring actuated, it wouldn’t hold the volume steady if you moved your foot off of the pedal. That could be a drawback for C6 players who use both feet on their pedals.
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Gaylen James · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

It appears that I didnt think this thru, it would not hold a steady volume if your foot was removed.
IT NEEDS A CRUISE CONTROL !!!

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Cruise control yeah....or just don't use a pedal at all.

Thinking and scheming ideas are what lead to new developments and improvements. Nothing wrong with envisioning another method of accomplishing something.

Most of us pedal steelers just followed the methods of others before us, but there's no law it has to be a foot volume pedal.

Couple other ways of eliminating the volume pedal. Note the way no pedalers of lap and console steelers can use the volume control on the guitar body. Pedal steels don't have a volume control built in, but that can be circumvented pretty easily.

Lew Houston played pedal steel with both feet and used a body mounted control knob operated by his pinky.

That seems to be the simplest solution.
No reason why anyone couldn't get used to that if they wanted to. Certainly wouldn't be a big job to mount a volume control up there.

I'm considering losing the VP myself as I sometimes use 9 or 10 pedals and two foot them quite often. Although I've gotten pretty handy and efficient at it, I can still have some issues due to it's sensitivity and I could use more room right of the pedals.

Another option is the Telonics electronics remote sensor. Dave Beaty and company have have developed a remote sensor that has helped disabled and other steelers looking for another solution, such as the baseball cap mounted sensor and the sliding seat mounted sensor.

Still have to connect it to a volume pedal, but I asked him about putting the pedal's electronic components in a leg mounted box and using a remote sensor. He said it was doable. I think I'd want an armband mounted sensor on my right upper arm that would operate the tilt with right and left motion from the shoulder. I don't think that would interfere with my right hand picking. Many other locations to consider though.

I guess the current method has worked so well for so many for so many years that most players are content with it.

Gaylen James · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

OK, how about this.
Master volume knob on top somewhere by the pinky finger and the far right pedal raises from the master volume setting and the pedal to the left could lower the volume from the master volume setting.
I dont know that this would create a advantage of any kind but who knows?
Thoughts?

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

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