Just Curious

Jim Landers · Post by **Jim Landers** » 24 Jun 2000 9:45 pm

I was just wondering how many of you that play non-pedal steel guitar use a volume pedal.

I have pretty much quit using the volume pedal on just about everything except some of the Country and Western Swing, and there's a lot of that I don't use it on anymore.

I seem to be able to get more of the sound I'm looking for without using the volume pedal, especially on the Hawaiian music.

So I was just curious what everyone else is doing, and what your thoughts are on using the pedal.

Jim

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 24 Jun 2000 9:50 pm

I always use a volume/tone pedal for the effect on live shows. I however; never record with a volume pedal under my foot. I like to change the extream of volume dynamics when playing live with the pedal; but recording; I like the diversity of dynamics with the hands and keeps the signal prevelant during the session; without the pedal.
Ricky

------------------
Ricky Davis
http://hometown.aol.com/sshawaiian/RickyHomepage.html
http://users.interlinks.net/rebel/steel/steel.html
sshawaiian@aol.com

Maurie Junod · Post by **Maurie Junod** » 25 Jun 2000 7:01 am

Hi Jim,

This is why I use a volume pedal.

My original lap steel is an E100 series
1936 Gibson six string. The tone of this
instrument is satisfactory to me but I
envied other players who had guitars with
much greater sustain. So I began to listen
to some of these players very carefully on
their tapes. At one point I actually heard
sustained note get louder instead of tapering
off normally. It was then that I realized
that a volume pedal was creating the great
sustain.

Since then I have used the pedal with good
results.

Also, I use it to play near violin sound
effects on some of my music.

I was taught to vary my volume in selected
parts of songs to make the music sound more
interesting. On an electric guitar it is
difficult to control the volume without the
pedal.

By the way I just use a simple Ernie Ball
pedal.

As lomg as we are discussing this JB also
uses a volume pedal with the unique feature
that his pedal is reversed. When he pushes
it down it gets softer, raises it up it gets
louder.

Maurie

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 25 Jun 2000 8:36 am

Maurie,

He also uses his left foot!!

AND standing up!

But then he is the master of it all.

God bless Jerry Byrd,

carl

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 25 Jun 2000 7:26 pm

Yes, God Bless the 80 year old Master !
J B's pedal is definitely reversed. Of interest, Dick McIntire never used a pedal to my knowledge. He always had his pinky finger wrapped around the volume knob whenever he played those great violin effects. What a master he was ! I find lugging a pedal around with all the rest of the gear to be a d****d nuisance so I long ago quit using a pedal and make a hap-hazzard effort to do it the way Dick did ... usually not too successfully !

Jim Landers · Post by **Jim Landers** » 25 Jun 2000 8:55 pm

Thanks for the responce guys. I just thought I would add that I have nothing against using the pedal. In fact, I also have a Sho-Bud D-10 8x5 that I play at too, and I always use the volume pedal with that. I'd be lost without it.

I guess I have a different approach to the non-pedal though, because like Ricky said, I just seem to be able to control some of the little inflections better without it. I guess I have better control of my hands than I do my feet. I'm probably just weird. My wife says there is no probably to it!

Jim