HELP ! I need a Volume/Tone Pedal

Lap steels, resonators, multi-neck consoles and acoustic steel guitars

Moderator: Brad Bechtel

Guitar_Bobby_Leach
Posts: 45
Joined: 2 Jul 2000 12:01 am
Location: St.Louis, MO USA

HELP ! I need a Volume/Tone Pedal

Post by Guitar_Bobby_Leach »

Hi Everyone, My name is "Guitar" Bobby. I play Western Swing and need a Volume/Tone pedal, Fender or Bigsby. Herb Remington built me the most beautiful sounding triple neck 8 string last winter. He's a very nice man.
I need the pedal very much ! It would be so much easier than using the tone control. I'm using a Goodrich right now and wish the would make a V/T pedal. If anyone can help me, I would be forever gratful ! Please feel free to e-mail me anytime. "Guitar" Bobby

------------------
User avatar
Jon Light (deceased)
Posts: 14336
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Saugerties, NY

Post by Jon Light (deceased) »

Someone is taking bids on one right now at Buy & Sell--
http://www.b0b.com/forum/Forum3/HTML/004871.html
User avatar
Brad Bechtel
Moderator
Posts: 8529
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: San Francisco, CA

Post by Brad Bechtel »

There's only volume/tone pedal currently up for auction on eBay, and it's a DeArmond:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=368942353
I see three Fender pedals were recently sold on eBay for between $96-150.

------------------
Brad's Page of Steel:
www.well.com/~wellvis/steel.html
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
Guitar_Bobby_Leach
Posts: 45
Joined: 2 Jul 2000 12:01 am
Location: St.Louis, MO USA

Post by Guitar_Bobby_Leach »

Thanks to everyone for replying. Bobby
sliding bill
Posts: 90
Joined: 30 Jul 1999 12:01 am
Location: UK

Post by sliding bill »

Does anyone still manufacture these ?
I did write to Bigsby but got no reply.

Bill
Chris DeBarge
Posts: 811
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Boston, Mass

Post by Chris DeBarge »

I bought a "reissue" Bigsby about 2 years ago, but I doubt they are making them anymore - this one was just made from leftover parts. It would be good if someone made them again(hmmm...maybe I'll do it!), but I doubt the demand is very high.
Adam
Posts: 317
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Seattle,WA

Post by Adam »

It seems that Gretsch bought out Bigsby last year and the word was the Kalamazoo business would continue to supply parts as usual.I waited for a reissue for eight months a coupla years ago.The woman who answered Bigsby's phone told me they had the parts for months,but couldn't agree on how to put them together the right way.I've already got a Bigsby and a Fender that aren't set up properly,but if someone was interested in getting a reissue,Gretsch would probably be the right people to pester.
User avatar
Eric Stumpf
Posts: 520
Joined: 9 Jul 1999 12:01 am
Location: Newbury, NH 03255

Post by Eric Stumpf »

I have always wanted a functioning volume/tone pedal. I had a Bigsby which I poured money into only to be very dissatisfied with the repair jobs. I'm very hesitant to buy another or even a Fender vol/tone pedal because I know how difficult it is to fix them. They really have to be done up exactly right or the tone swell is worthless. It seems to me that some enterprising workbench experimenter (like Shot or Red Rhodes were) should redesign the thing and start knocking them out. Who really needs the volume function incorporated into the same pedal? Make a separate pedal for the tone that travels up and down like a conventional volume pedal and which is spring-loaded like a gas pedal.
Bob Kagy
Posts: 1285
Joined: 28 Aug 1998 12:01 am
Location: Lafayette, CO USA

Post by Bob Kagy »

There are several wah pedals advertised in the Musicians Friend catalog - the original Crybaby Wah, several souped up versions, and combined volume/wah - although this last one is either in the volume or tone mode, not both simultaneously. Their website is at www.musiciansfriend.com.

Sonny Garrish used a wah pedal very nicely on his Country Soul Stew cut. Then of course there was Speedy West.

I used to dream of a spring loaded wah pedal I could operate with my right arm, between my waist and elbow. Kind of like the old schoolboy armpit pump.

There are other brands, I'm not sure which is considered most desirable by steel players.
Adam
Posts: 317
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Seattle,WA

Post by Adam »

Has anyone ever modified a wah to be passive like a tone pedal?Can it even be done?A normal wah sounds bad on western swing nonpedal and affects the normal tone too much,sometimes even when turned off.
Chris DeBarge
Posts: 811
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Boston, Mass

Post by Chris DeBarge »

I don't know why it couldn't be done. Just replace the pot with the correct value, and wire it to bypass the little circuit board in there, or just take it out all together. Not a bad idea, especially if you got a wah cheap!
db
Posts: 682
Joined: 12 Jan 1999 1:01 am
Location: Bethlehem, PA 18015 USA

Post by db »

I am talking with Fred Gretsch about the reissue of the Bigsby Volume/Tone pedal.
He has a large inventory of parts, but is not interested in manufacuring them.
Is there still an interest in them, what would you pay for a brand new one?
User avatar
J D Sauser
Moderator
Posts: 3277
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Wellington, Florida

Post by J D Sauser »

I think any good pot volume pedal is around, say $120.oo. Then make it a vol/TONE pedal... $150.oo to 170.oo(?) (intrinsic value). And then the fact that it's a "limited" issue (extrinsic value)... = total of $200.oo to 249.99 maybe.
Is Fred Gretsch considering selling those parts and if yes, how many pedals could be assembled without making any "new" parts?
What condition are these parts in?

------------------
The future belongs to culture. Image jaydee@bellsouth.net<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by J D Sauser on 08 September 2000 at 06:11 AM.]</p></FONT>
Adam
Posts: 317
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Seattle,WA

Post by Adam »

If somebody made them properly with the right pots and capacitor so they really made a good "doo-wah",instead of acting like a regular tone control with a long sweep like the crappy Bigsby reissues,I would easily drop $200 or so and would probably buy two of them.
this is a little off the subject,but what happened to the guy that was making the capacitor push button unit like the one on Bigsby steels that makes the chattering sound?
Tele
Posts: 965
Joined: 18 Nov 1999 1:01 am
Location: Andy W. - Wolfenbuettel, Germany

Post by Tele »

Indeed a bit Off Topic but a very good question. I think he fooled quite a few people here...

Anyone?

Andy

PS. oh, maybe $200 for the vol/tone pedal

------------------
..want to learn more about this stupid fella ??
http://hometown.aol.com/altec639/page1.html

ShoBud Gallery