Members AJ6stringsting Posted July 7, 2017 Members Share Posted July 7, 2017 Some people use their volume knobs only to back the gain off for going from lead to rhythm or viseversa. Many will use them for dynamics / tonal ambience to alter the mood of a song , while others use it to emulate a Cello, Horns or Violin effect / dynamics. Some use a volume pedal to get the same effect. How about you ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 It depends in part on the guitar I'm playing - for example, it's easier to do volume swells with a Strat than with a Tele. And of course, for some things, it's easier to do it with your foot since your hands might be otherwise occupied - so I voted for "both." FWIW, I have an old Morley EV5-VC volume pedal, which can also be used as an expression pedal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted July 7, 2017 Members Share Posted July 7, 2017 Depends on my rig at the time. If I'm just effects+tube amp I don't use a volume pedal, but when I'm using a digital rig I do, because I can choose whether it goes in front of the amp section or after everything. I prefer after for volume swells (sparingly) on leads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bucksstudent Posted July 7, 2017 Members Share Posted July 7, 2017 Neither. My brain isn't coordinated to multitask like that, so I rely on auto swell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted July 8, 2017 Moderators Share Posted July 8, 2017 It depends in part on the guitar I'm playing - for example, it's easier to do volume swells with a Strat than with a Tele. And of course, for some things, it's easier to do it with your foot since your hands might be otherwise occupied - so I voted for "both." FWIW, I have an old Morley EV5-VC volume pedal, which can also be used as an expression pedal. Unless you do the Bill Kirchen-style Tele plate flip. I did it to my Tele copy recently, and am now developing the swell technique for that set up. Using the selector is a bit of a challenge because it now sits almost against the tone knob when you are on the neck p-up, but I'm getting the hang of it. I used a Morley VBO [volume/boost] for many years until I decided there was too much stuff on the floor and I got rid of about 85+% of my pedals [i kept my delays and my original Boss BE-5, Big Muff pi, and Mutron III] in the early 90s. I started just plugging straight in to the amp and using the volume control. At one point I reversed the volume pot on my Strat so it was just an on/off and developed my picking hand's attack to control volume. Once I had that more or less mastered, I put the pot back to normal, and for my blues and R&B bands I plug straight in [occasionally I may stick my Cry Baby in if the song calls for it], and control everything from the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members badpenguin Posted July 8, 2017 Members Share Posted July 8, 2017 I've always used both. I have a Dearmond I have had for decades.And I am recently working on a tone pedal, since I play with my tone knob a bit more then I used to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bucksstudent Posted July 8, 2017 Members Share Posted July 8, 2017 I've always used both. I have a Dearmond I have had for decades. And I am recently working on a tone pedal, since I play with my tone knob a bit more then I used to. The geezers at TDPRI thought the tone pedal was stupid, but I think it's a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted July 8, 2017 Members Share Posted July 8, 2017 I use the vol (what's that anyway?) more as a tone control than anything else. Full or not quite for most stuff and right around 1 for that Dumbly, single coil, bridge tone. Anything active would have to be done with my mouth. Breath and/or bite controlled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted July 8, 2017 Members Share Posted July 8, 2017 I'll get shot for saying this, but... I've always thought that guys who use the volume knob instead of a pedal were forcing a compromise that didn't need to be made. Free up the picking hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members t_e_l_e Posted July 8, 2017 Members Share Posted July 8, 2017 i don't have a volume pedal, but i'm not heavy user in the volume knob either, but yes i do some swells with them.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members badpenguin Posted July 8, 2017 Members Share Posted July 8, 2017 You can get some wonderful Carlos type tones with a good tone control. Why not free up the picking hand, and use a foot? Besides my EH Mel 9 NEEDS some type of tone control, and it works wonderfully for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stormin1155 Posted July 10, 2017 Members Share Posted July 10, 2017 I'm not that coordinated with my feet, knob is way more precise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted July 10, 2017 Members Share Posted July 10, 2017 I can get by using either depending on the rig I'm using. I usually use the volume knobs for adjusting tone balance between pickups and setting maximum gain use the volume pedal for swells and kills. Playing live I don't usually use a pedal because I maintain a steady volume and let the sound man adjust my levels as needed including using a solo button for leads. The most I may do is small volume tweaks before the song starts. I instead use my gain boxes to take me up and down in steps of gain/volume from clean, slightly overdrives, regular drive then highly overdriven. I can use them individually or in pairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted July 10, 2017 Moderators Share Posted July 10, 2017 this brings up a related question, although maybe it deserves its own thread and poll: Aside from traditional Fenders, when you have a two p-up guitar, do you prefer to have individual tone and volume, or just a two know master tone/master volume setup?I need to have that ability to switch the p-up to a softer setting. I struggle with my Tele copy [one of the reasons I reversed the plate a la Bill Kirchen] so I could get better volume control. I categorically refuse to buy a two humbucker style guitar [like PRS] with only two knobs...anyone else feel that way? I want to be able to set the tones differently and the volumes differently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted July 10, 2017 Members Share Posted July 10, 2017 Definitely a 1 Volume + 1 Tone guy here. I have more than enough tone shaping options without having to blend the pickups like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted July 11, 2017 Members Share Posted July 11, 2017 ^^^ Try a 4 way switch which allows you to run both pickups in series. When run in series the setting is hotter sounding and when you switch to the neck its lower in gain and cleaner in tone. As far as preference goes, I rarely if ever use tone knobs, the exception being a tele when the strings are new I may dial it back a little. Some of this comes from growing up playing Gibson's. Gibsons are wired with pickups that normally get darker as you turn them down. Fenders often have a bleeder cap that passes treble to keep the tone bright as the volume's turned down. 2 different animals that produce 2 different results. If I'm needing to change tone I'd prefer to get it from pedals or simply dial it up on my amp. I'm not linked by the hip to tone bottlenecking the notes I play, in fact its one of the worst things you can do as a player. One thing you learn playing out is your tone is going to constantly change gig to gig, room to room. One night you play in a place that's carpeted and sounds dry and warm, the next you're playing in a room with brick walls and is highly reflective and bright. You'll go nuts trying to play out if your hung up on highly consistent tone every place you play. The most you might have time for is a little tweaking to get the stage sound good but the audience will simply adapt to whatever the room does to color the sound. Again, If I'm playing live I get myself a consistent sound preferably where he can set the EQ at 12 o'clock in an acoustically balanced room. Then If I play a bright room or a dark room he has the range to dial up what he needs. After that I ignore my tone and simply acclimate to what I'm hearing. I know that mics getting great tone needed and the audience is hearing what's its supposed to. I don't have to jump through hoops and double as sound man on stage to nail every tone possible. It requires too much work and you loose focus on entertaining an audience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UlfHansson Posted July 13, 2017 Members Share Posted July 13, 2017 Not that my hands are busy or something (I'm mediocre enough to play only simple parts), but my male brain ain't wired to turn that volume pot at he same time as strumming or plucking. So, when the music calls for it, I use the pedal swell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AJ6stringsting Posted July 14, 2017 Author Members Share Posted July 14, 2017 I use both.The volume pedal sounds awesome like when I'm using a synth on the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RaVenCAD Posted July 15, 2017 Members Share Posted July 15, 2017 I use both. The knob is for setting the drive level and getting the tone I want. The pedal is for doing dynamic changes, like volume swells. I know Eddie made it look easy, but my pinky just doesn't make it swell and nicely as my foot can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted July 15, 2017 Members Share Posted July 15, 2017 Where do you guys place your volume pedal in the chain? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nice keetee Posted July 16, 2017 Members Share Posted July 16, 2017 Where do you guys place your volume pedal in the chain? bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members badpenguin Posted July 19, 2017 Members Share Posted July 19, 2017 Vol & tone per pickup please. I grew up Gibson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AJ6stringsting Posted July 19, 2017 Author Members Share Posted July 19, 2017 Where do you guys place your volume pedal in the chain? After the compressor, distortion and Eq. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted July 21, 2017 Members Share Posted July 21, 2017 I use the volume pedal through the effects loop in my amp as an "attenuator". Can really max out the power tube saturation. then mix in as much preamp gain as desired. all at humane volume levels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve_man Posted August 14, 2017 Members Share Posted August 14, 2017 I use both, but I typically prefer using the volume knob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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