Fender BooWah Pedals

Marc Weller · From: Upland, Ca. 91784

Just wondering how these pedals compare to Bigsby's. I doubt I'm going to be able to locate the latter, and there is a Fender currently on ebay. How aggressive I should get with my bidding ? Do any of you have one of these pedals, and if so, how well do they work?

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

I have never played a Bigsby pedal, but I'm reasonably happy with my Fender tone/volume pedal. I need to have some work done on it to fix the scratchiness currently happening in the wah part, but the boo part works just fine.
The relationship of the overall volume to the position of the pedal is quite nice. It feels smoother and more natural to me than the Ernie Ball volume pedal I was using.
If this is the pedal you're talking about, that price seems too high already. There are a couple of other Fender pedals on eBay right now, but I can't tell if they have the wah option.
For what it's worth, I got mine from eBay for $100.

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A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

The sound of course,is the same - it's just wire,pots and jacks.The Fender is gonna be more plentiful.As I recall,on the Bigsby there is a floor plate upon which the whole rest of the up and down part of the pedal rests and swivels side to side for the boo-wah effect.On the Fender,the side to side part is also a thin plate - but it is on top of the up and down part.Therefore,on the Fender,you're not moving as much mass during the side to side motion.I have two Fender tone/volume pedals(not for sale) I paid $85 for one about 7 years ago down in Hollywood on "guitar shop row" and another I got in a trade from Junior Brown for a regular Fender volume pedal about 5 years ago.But nowadays I would never pay more than $150 for one - more like $100 - there's just too many of them around.And I wouldn't expect to get one cheap on E-Bay - that's a sellers market.Small town mom&pop type music stores,pawn shops,,steel guitar shops and this forum - that's where I'd look first. -MJ-

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

I've had several Bigsby pedals, and currently own one. I could never get the sound or the feel I wanted out of one, even after Paul Warnik overhauled it for me.

On the flip side, I've got two Fender Vol/Tone pedals and they both have the correct mojo for me. I paid $35 for one and $90 for the other, but I don't think those deals are representative of what someone would realistically have to pay nowadays.

If clean, I'd say $150 would be a reasonable ballpark, given that no one else is making this type of pedal and other contemporary pedals are in the $150+ range retail.

Again, as with most vintage type gear, it's a GFAO (go find another one) situation.

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Dave Mayes · From: Oakland, Ca.

I've owned both and sold both. My reasons for offing them were:

1. Pedals adversely "colored" the tone of my guitar.
2. Pedals drained power from my amp.
3.Pedals are high and not comfortable.
4. Never used the side-to-side.

I found the Fender much easier to work on. c The Bigsby - well, it requires a lot of patience (I'm being very kind here).

One of these days I'll buy a Hilton.

Sorry about all the "sour grapes".

Marc Weller · From: Upland, Ca. 91784

This forum is the greatest. Thanks to all.

MW

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Do those of you who have a Fender T&V pedal
accompolish the same effect of tone change variation with the pedal as you would with
the use of the tone control on the guitar?

I had a Bigsby as as Herb and MJ posted...I do agree. They are both good opinions of the Bigsby pedal.

I would be interested if those of you who have a Fender T&V pedal can tell me if there
is a noticeable difference in tone if any with the use of the pedal as opposed to the
tone control on the guitar.

I have some time on my hands.Im here at home.
I have a reason for my question. I would appreciate someone to reply,,dont get too
technical,,,,Im not an electronic engineer

I am well aware of the Fender T&V pedal,,,but
the Bigsby was the most sought after back when. My objection was the "high profile" of the Bigsby,,,,the other objection was a guy by the Initials L.F.

Appreciate a few comments on the question above. I know the pedal free's the hand from
getting the desired tone change,,,but is it the same as using the hand?,,,and do you feel
you have as much control with the pedal effect as you do with the use of your hand.

I can use your input. Thanks.....Hi Herb

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

Jody, when I was a young player I never could afford to buy one of those "combo" pedals...........but, I wonder if it could duplicate the "touch" of manipulating that tone control on the Fender Custom with the little finger!!!!!

Gene

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

It shouldn't color the tone any more than the volume and tone controls on a Telecaster do.It's just that steel players nowadays are used to having the tone wide open and many are using a photocell or other modern volume pedal which also does not color the tone.But sure,having those controls in line are gonna give you a little different tone to begin with but it's nothing you couldn't make up with amp EQ.And it should make little difference whether it's on the guitar or on a pedal.I use one with my Stringmaster to get the do-wah trick and incidently,I also have the tone pot on my Stringmaster replaced with a push/push switching pot with the latching spring removed - in effect a momentary off button - like a doorbell button.This is wired up to short out the output jack when I tap the tone knob - giving me the Speedy West bar chatter trick without outwardly modifying the ax. -MJ-

Jussi Huhtakangas · From: Helsinki, Finland

I have both of them, and I like them both. They sound a little different because they have different valued pots. The action on the Bigsby is a little smoother, but that's probably because it's one of those "new ones". My Fender is a bit "clunkier", but works equally good. Actually the tone works a bit better than on the Bigsby. But I actually use the tone knob on the guitar more than the pedal ( for doo-wah ), depending on the lick of course.

Jussi Huhtakangas · From: Helsinki, Finland

Oh yeah, mine were both around $150, but that was several years ago.

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Gene
You are aware of the effects I get with the
pedal I use,,you have heard it on Idaho and
Limehouse Blues,,,,HCOA,,,Iam using a tone & volume pedal ,,,not a Fender or Bigsby,,and in addition using my tone control on the guitar.

In addition to MJ comments,,I dont use any switching modification to get the rapid machine gun runs,,,maybe you can explain it better than I. Its hard to explain how its
done,,,maybe since Im nervous and jerky Its
a lot easier for me...

agree??? agreed.

Chris DeBarge · From: Boston, Mass

I'm with Herb, I have both, and the Fender works better for me. Sure the Bigsby is "cooler" (sorry Jody), but I just can't get it to work just right.

Jim Smith · From: Midlothian, TX, USA

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

Didn't Wright make a big cast aluminum tone/volume pedal that looked somewhere between a Sho-Bud and a Bigsby pedal? I think I saw one laying around Chas Smith's house.

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

The combination volume/tone pedal was anomalous when it was first introduced....like the later questionable attempts to adapt "pedals" to a steel guitar. (It'll never work)Years ago when I was working the famous (infamous) Trianon Ballroom in Oklahoma City, I found Jimmy Days volume control laying on the bandstand (obviously missed when he loaded up from the night before with Willie Nelson)like a fool I passed it on to the club manager, never knowing what really happened to it!www.genejones.com

[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 01 March 2002 at 03:46 PM.]

[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 01 March 2002 at 03:52 PM.]

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Chris
What cant you get to work right? the Fender or the Bigsby?? what are you and Herb doing????
you guys ganging up on me??

That Herb is always picking on me, Hi Herb,,,,only kidding
my man,,,

your answer please and why.

I want to report this to the "board of directors" of Fender Past...(CBS) some of them are mumified,,,but I can shake em up.

Herb is always starting trouble,,,,keep that quiet Chris,,,

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

JIm
Many years ago,,I knew a man who was building
Volume and Tone pedals,,,,his name was Tony
Rocco. He built one for me,He designed these
back in 1934,,,,thats right,,,I was born in
1932. No I wasn't (2) when I bought one,,but I did give him a deposit and asked him to put it on lay away.

App 1948 I met him and he sold me one of his pedals,,,I have used it since then,,Epiphone
then hooked up with Tony Rocco and they named
it the Epi-Rocco Tonexpressor...It works on an entirely different principal than any I have ever seen.

I get three different tonal qualities,,,bass,treble,,and extreme treble.

When I crash bar,,I go from "bass left" on the swivel plate,,and bypass the middle treble position and when I crash the bar the
effect is most definite. Natrually the extent
of bass or treble depends on the amp setting as well as the tone control setting on the guitar.

Example,,,,If I want to get a real crash effect,,,I by pass the middle normal treble, and far right the treble cuts thru like a hot knife on a slice of butter.

For some reason back then,,very few used this pedal,,,I beleive Alvino had one,,there
were only about 125 manufactured.

I remember Leo Fender asking me to send my pedal to him,,,,as I bragged on it,,,I did and he felt it was too invloved,,,this was a while before the Fender T&V pedal came out.

There are a number of parts,,,resistors caps,
tranformers etc,,but I'll tell you this,,,it really does the job for me.

Paul Bigsby called me years ago,,,he was a nice man and since I owned one of his great guitars,,,he asked me to send it to him as he
was about to start a legal action against Epiphone,,,I told Mr. Bigsby,,,it was of no use to him as this pedal is nowhere near anything I have ever seen.

Tony Rocco passed away years back and he gave me another one of his pedals,,,his own
personal pedal....If you want a photo of him with his first ever pedal,,,I can e mail a picture of him and his first pedal.

When I crank up my quad and turn the blend control full on and then use this pedal,,,,it
sounds like a full brass section and then some. I almost,I said almost sound as good as Herb Steiner.

Here it sounds something like this,,,,,the Fender is Boo Wah,,,,bass to treble,,,,somewhat like the tone control on the guitar,,,,the Bigsby ditto. Boo Wah

The Rocco is Boo Wah Waaaaaaaa crash. Im not trying to plug my antique LP,,,but if you can
listen to what it sounds like on Idaho,,,I used the Fender T&V pedal as well on the LP
but used mostly the Rocco,. Hey I never said I played good,,,but I did have good guitars and good amps and a great pedal. Why does it take me so long to explain something??????

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

Jody, I listened to your playing on those numbers again after your explanation above, and you are correct....it is really effective in conjunction with your excellant playing.

I don't think I could ever learn to use a combo pedal very well though....I'm not coordinated enough to assign that much responsibility to one foot.

Gene

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Gene
Im sure you can. Look at me,,,one foot on the
pedal and the other in my mouth.

PS.notice Iam shortening up my posts??. Im trying.,,,If they get too short,,I'll get back on the Calcitrate.

[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 02 March 2002 at 07:45 AM.]

Al Marcus · From: Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)

Hi Jody, I had one of those Rocco Tone Expressors. I used to copy Alvino Rey and yes he had one. I had it in way back in the olden days. It was the best. Easy to use too. I lost it somewhere along the way. Later I got a Bigsby from the Factory in Kalamazoo,MI , it was good but Rocco was better. Those clik stops were more effective. Idaho, one of Alvino's tunes, I copied him, crash the bar down and work that rocco, just like a brass section, right?....Ahh the old days.eh?....al

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Al
Thank you...you are probably one of the few people I know that have ever heard of the Tonexpressor. It is a great pedal. The three
stops may or may not be what most players want,,,but I couldn't think of using anything else.

Check your e mail,,,btw,,,I read some of your
articles in the PSGA newsletter....very interesting. Im glad you helped me explain this great pedal, sorry you lost it,,,I have a friend who passed away a while ago, his wife calls me once in awhile,,,he had one that I got for him years ago.

If and when I get to see her in Florida I will see if she still has it. He preffered the Fender pedal as he didnt do much with the tone effects,. He sold his Fender steel years ago as well as his amp,,but I know she has the pedal. I always told him not to sell
the pedal,,,,there are none around. I know,,,
I have tried many times to find one.

Be well ,,thanks again. check your mail....

Mark Zinns · From: Oakland CA

I have a Fender Fuzz/Wah. It looks very much like the Fender T&V except there are two foot switches on either side. The Fuzz is very warm and vintage, but the wah is is not that great (either bass or treble, but not much in between). The volume function works on the swivel. Interesting pedal with all kinds of string paths inside.

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Mark
That was not on Fenders most popular list.
It was a good idea,,but never took off. Nevertheless,,,,its probably worth more to a
metal player than you think,,,It sounded OK to me and the idea was fine,,but it lost out to MXR and other companies producing effects
pedals.

Dont sweat it,,,Its still a good pedal and very few around,,,,you can triple what you paid for that in a heartbeat,....

Mark Zinns · From: Oakland CA

Jody, I love hearing your stories about the glory days at Fender. I have become much more interested in Fender history, instruments, amps and pedals as a result. I think you are right about the value of these things and I agree that they are not really well suited to steel guitars. I also have a latter fender fuzz/wah with three controll wheels at the top of the pedal and it sounds very strange. Could be usefull in a recording situation, but I don't think I would use it live. Jody, what other effects did you guys use before they were popular with the rock crowd?

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