Volume Pedal.....Wide Open or Not

[Dennis Graves]

If I remember correctly, Jeff Newman recommended having the volume pedal in wide open position during normal playing and lowering the volume and raising to wide open again for only moods or effects.

I've been trying this lately and find it awkward and was wondering how most of you operate the volume pedal.

Thanks,
Dennis

[Bill Dobkins]

Dennis, I run mine wide open. I can adjust the amount of travel with mine so I set it where when I back it off it only lowers my volume about 20%. I've
watched John Hughey and he only backed his VP off about 1/2 inch. So I would be interested to hear some comments also.

[Ron Randall]

Well, here is one input, my 2c.

I like to set my amp volume where volume pedal wide-open is almost too much. I then play at the halfway position, and add gain as the sound starts to fade.

r2

[Jack Mattison]

Being new to the pedal steel, I have a volume pedal but never use it because I don,t know if its to be used for just volume control or for fx"s. I have listened to other players that seem to use it for other then volume control and they sound preaty bad. sounds like there pumping the thing all the time they are playing. So whats the anserw????????

[Jerry Meek]

If you listen you will notice the tone basses up the deeper you get in it if it is a pot pedal a hylton won't Jerry

[Dennis Graves]

My pedal is a Sho-Bud. I have heard that you increase the volume for more sustain, but Jeff Newman said this is not what it's for.

I don't know. Just curious as what other folks think. Guess as usual, it's a matter of opinion or choice.

[Donny Hinson]

If I remember correctly, Jeff Newman recommended having the volume pedal in wide open position during normal playing and lowering the volume and raising to wide open again for only moods or effects.

I strongly disagree with that, and I don't care who said it. If you run the pedal wide open all the time, you've got nothing left to give you extra sustain when you need it. While I'll be the first to admit I've said that there's no right or wrong way to play this thing, some suggestions just go beyond reasonability...all the way to foolishness.

And you're right, it's also very uncomfortable to play that way.

[Richard Sinkler]

I set my volume so what I think the max that I am going to play is at about the 3/4 on position. That gives me a little extra room in case I need it. I play from the almost off position to the 1/2 - 3/4 position. I use a Goodrich LDR2, so I can also set the full off position to a certain minimum volume level. Full on is really uncomfortable and affects my right knee lever technique.

Also, I've been to many Newman seminars and never remember him saying that and have watched him several times, and don't remember ever seeing him play his volume pedal that way.

[Brett Day]

When I'm playin' along with a song with a good steel solo, I usually play with my volume pedal wide open, but I leave it wide open for a solo, then turn it down where there's no steel parts. When I'm playin' shows, I usually play with the pedal halfway through a solo, but not so loud where the guitarists can't hear themselves.

Brett

[Stuart Legg]

Like all things PSG use the vol pedal the way that expresses you. But use it you must. Pedal steel without a vol pedal is like a car without a gas pedal.

[sonbone]

I play with the volume pedal wide open and back off a bit for dynamics at times. Usually don't even do that, just vary how hard I pick. Even though I understand the concept of saving some travel for sustain, that is actually uncomfortable for me. I pretty much use the volume pedal for a foot rest.

I've had my volume pedal (pot type) go out maybe 2 or 3 times over the years and played without a volume pedal with no problem. Once, I was on a gig out of town and played 3 days without a volume pedal.

This is just what works for me, I don't think it's the best way for everyone. In fact, I figure I'm in the huge minority with my approach.


Sonny

[Russ Little]

I'm with Richard
I use a Hilton

[Antolina]

I was at Jeff's school in the early '80s and recall his approach to the VP. He was attempting to break us from the "pumping" style so prevalent among newbies... and some not so newbies.

I don't recall the discussion going to things like sustain or expression. I suspect he knew we'd find our own way once we stopped the pumping.

[Jody Sanders]

What Donny said. Jody.

[Steve Broatch]

I agree totally with Donny. If you're using wide open as your starting point you can only go one way. While it's true a lot of players (myself included ) have a tendency to overuse the swell effect, if used in the right way it brings so much more dynamic to the instrument.

Just my opinion of course.

Steve

[Antolina]

I thought long and hard about that time with Jeff Newman back in the early 80s. I can't speak for other classes but I can speak for the one I attended.

The lecture concerning volume pedals did indeed center around the "pumping" habit some of us newbies were developing. I know I was guilty of starting with the volume pedal completely off. Jeff warned us about the perils of that habit and went on to say that we shouldn't avoid the sound of attacking the strings. He encouraged us to start our playing with volume to avoid that bad habit of unecessary volume swell. However, I don't recall him saying we should start playing at full volume.

Just setting the record straight.

[Ken Byng]

You can still pump the volume pedal even when playing at a lower level. That is just bad technique. To play flat out doesn't make any sense at all, and certainly doesn't allow for sustaining of a note if you are at optimum volume level from the start.

Look at the best players - Emmons has never played with his volume pedal continuously flat out, and neither did Chalker. Both of these players are/were among the foremost skilled users of the volume pedal. If beginners are encouraged to play flat out, how can they ever learn to develop the correct use of the volume pedal? Doesn't make sense.

I have to agree with Donny Hinson's view.

The only time my pedal hits the floor is when I am playing alongside a lead player who only wants to hear himself.

[Steve Alonzo Walker]

When I replace the "pot" in mine,I turn the shaft "full open" with the pedal all the way open. That way when I play my pedal is in the middle and I adjust the amp to normal playing volume and I still have half a pedal for sustain. A pot wide open is equal to coming out from your Steel directly to the amp with the hottest signal you can get from your Steel. Therfore you are getting a full signal from your Steel and the best tone is when you do this. One more thang, with your pedal not engaged set the amp volume to were you can barely hear your Steel a little. This is better because you ease into the normal volume rather than going from nothing to normal. This is what i've done for 35 years and it works for me.

[CrowBear Schmitt]

i'm w: Donny too

i have the volume on my amp set pretty high so that i don't have to floor my VP
it's quite an art & not eazy at first, but one gets used to it & havin' a lot of taper left for sustain is really appreciated
Lionel wendling insists on calling a VP an "expression pedal"

[Twayn Williams]

I tend to use the volume pedal more like a limiter, to even out the attack at times, not really looking for more sustain. I tend to hit the notes with the pedal backed off slightly, the bring it up (or down) as the situation demands.

I also use it as a "mistake-eraser"

[David Doggett]

I agree with Donny. If you watch most top pros playing ballads, they attack the notes with their volume pedal near the middle, and gradually increase to exactly counter the string die-off to get an even sustain. That's difficult enough. But the really tricky part is to bring the pedal back to the same starting spot each time for the next note. This is a very subtle and difficult technique to master.

Novices attempting this technique often over do it. They choke the note off too much at the beginning, and then swell the notes rather than sustain them evenly. I'm guessing Jeff was trying to break some people of that habit. Some teachers will have students temporarily remove the volume pedal and put their foot flat on the floor.

Obviously, when you play fast, there is not time between notes for the sustain technique. You have to set the VP at the right volume and just play. Many players on C6 will remove their foot temporarily from the VP to play the pedals. If some novices are jerking their foot around on the VP and not maintaining a steady volume level, again, putting your foot flat on the floor can help break that habbit.

But eventually, for both the slow sustain technique, and the steady volume while playing fast, you have to put your foot back on the volume pedal and learn how to use it properly.

The "expression pedal" idea goes beyond the above techniques. It is the use of the VP to subtly and smoothly match the volume dynamics to the mood of the music as it flows along. For this technique also, it would seem necessary to mostly have the VP near the middle, to allow adequate range in either direction.

I guess there are a lot of different ways to play steel guitar. But keeping your volume pedal maxed out to me seems to defeat some of its main purposes.

[Tracy Sheehan]

When i started on steel we didn't use all the termonology used now days.Now remember this was about the time fire was discivored as i recall.I believe it should be what works for the player,not how some one else does it.When my volume pedal is backed completely off it is slightly on.
I set it this way because the band leader wanted me to really punch when i came in for my ride then back off.Curley Chalker later coined this gutting as i recall.
As Bobbe S has pointed out,we played everything back in those days.The band leaders knew what they wanted and knew how to get it.
As a steel player friend of mine said,back in those days you either picked it or packed it.Not to mean you were the best picker in town but knew how to work with the band
and make the singer sound good which seems IMHO is now a lost art.
And the last thing the band leader wanted was for you to sound like any other player.Ahhh,to see those days again which i am sure we never will.
These are only my opinions and all typos are mine alone.lol

[Bill Mayville]

Here goes.
I think I may have a different way of thinking again.
I have attended Jeff Newmans classes.Always thought I was in good hands with Jeff.
My Volume does not exceed the total volume I want to use that gig.Always adjustable.
The times I am moving up or down the neck,you will not hear because the pedal is off at that time.Most of us have very good ears.In holding a note or two,for a period aof time when playing bandstand back up ,and not the melody,fitting the sounds is done with the volume pedal.I have never ever heard of setting it wide open.Doesn't mean you can't.
Our band has opened for some much better bands ,and the steel players I think I may have copied some time ago.One time opening for Hank Thompson,the steel player,JD Walker stopped and talked to me in the middle of a song.He said ,how did you do that?
He was talking about the X lever.I have no Vertical.It's on the RLK.On that little talk ,the band changed songs without me,and then I finally caught up.I guess JD made me nervous.
Bill

[Mark Lind-Hanson]

I am probably someplace in between believing in leaving it 3/4 to all the way up, or not using it at all, just setting it in one spot. At one point when I got the vol ped I was doing a fair amount of pumping- now I see the wisdom in using it basically as little as possible.
At present I have completely set it aside and decoupled it, though at some point I'll more than likely put it back. A lot of work can be done with pick blocking making the use of the pedal almost irrelevant, imo.

[Alan Brookes]

...To play flat out doesn't make any sense at all, and certainly doesn't allow for sustaining of a note if you are at optimum volume level from the start...

Exactly ! If you're already at maximum gain how can you sustain the note by increasing the volume as it decays ?