Amp volume vs volume pedal - Sticky?

[Gregg TeHennepe]

I came to PS from other instruments and no volume pedal. I played on my own for a while and (not knowing any better) had things setup so that my peak volume was at the top end of the volume pedal throw.

Then I got a chance to sit with Dana Flood from Northern Kingdom music in Maine, who has a long history in the PS world and a remarkable collection of instruments. I sat down at his lovely custom Mullen G2 D10, and almost blew the windows out of the room. That's how I learned that you set your peak volume in the middle of the pedal throw, not the top. It took some getting used to, but wow what a difference, you get sustain into next week, and a much richer sound from the amp.

Maybe this is duh for most PS players, maybe I'm the one noob who didn't find the right FAQ, but this should be somewhat right near the beginning of the "Getting Started with Pedal Steel" material.

[Dave Grafe]

A worthy share for those just beginning the psg journey, one of these things is not like the other

[Mark Hargrove]

Great topic. I have been thinking about this too and would love to hear some of the experienced players weigh in. I find it tough to set the peak volume in the middle because of the challenge of returning to it accurately. And when using the right knee levers its a challenge to keep the volume pedal set in the middle. Is this in fact the right way to approach the volume pedal?

[Dave Grafe]

Great topic. I have been thinking about this too and would love to hear some of the experienced players weigh in. I find it tough to set the peak volume in the middle because of the challenge of returning to it accurately. And when using the right knee levers its a challenge to keep the volume pedal set in the middle. Is this in fact the right way to approach the volume pedal?

Best not to obsess about foot position, focus on what you hear, starting with the VP all the way off and bringing it up as needed. Most real world playing involves striking strings with VP well below halfway and pushing it up smoothly to achieve sustain. Also if it is a passive pedal it will have a sweet spot that you want to be located at the nominal playing volume.

Try setting your amp volume so that you get the volume you want when you strike two or more strings with the VP only 1/3 up, then let the strings ring and practice using the VP to keep them at the same volume for as long as you can as the strings die out. With a bit of bar vibrato this can be a surprisingly long time, limited only by the point at which the pickup feeds back the amp sound (if the amp is close to the pickups and turned up loud enough). This is the ONLY scenario in which the VP should ever be full on.

Volume pedal technique is a huge part of getting a smooth, musical sound, so don't skimp on practice time fading notes in, modifying their attack, and sustaining them across slides and other movements.

[Gregg TeHennepe]

Best not to obsess about foot position, focus on what you hear...

It took me several years of listening to get to a point where my foot does the right thing. A friend I play with (also a PSG player who was also at the session with Dana) commented the other day that I finally had the attack, peak volume, and sustain relatively consistent. The volume pedal is a huge source of expressiveness.

Also if it is a passive pedal it will have a sweet spot that you want to be located at the nominal playing volume.

I have both passive and active pedals, and switching doesn't make things any easier. Totally agree re: tone on the passive pedal, also be aware the volume curves are probably different between pedals. If I switch, it takes 5-10 minutes to adjust.

[Mark Hargrove]

This is great advice. I'm committed. I will also be in Bangor next week so I plan to check out Northern Kingdom music!

[Gregg TeHennepe]

This is great advice. I'm committed. I will also be in Bangor next week so I plan to check out Northern Kingdom music!

Re: Northern Kingdom, I recommend calling ahead, I haven't talked to Dana for a bit, but last time I was up, the separate building he had for steels had a different purpose. I'm not sure where he's keeping the guitars these days, but coordinating in advance is likely to result in a much better experience.

And if you're down towards Acadia National Park/Bar Harbor/Ellsworth and would like to connect, let me know. I'm a homebrewer if that helps .

- Gregg