Volume

[Zumbilly(Murdoch)]

Prompted by something I read in the U.S.Forum....
Do You set Your amplifier volume to maximum and then control Your final volume using the volume pedal?
I control My final volume by adjusting the control on My amp.
Just curious.
Billy

[SteelieAJK]

Makes sense to me to set amp to required volume so that you use the same sweep on the volume pedal every time.

[Ken Byng]

..........Do You set Your amplifier volume to maximum and then control Your final volume using the volume pedal?...........Billy

Yep - every time Billy. Master output volume on max, and input volume a third on so that it doesn't overload. I pick hard at times so a lot of the dynamics come from my right hand rather than the volume pedal.

[Zumbilly(Murdoch)]

I had occasion to use a friend's amp some time ago at a charity gig.I used the amp with My mate's setting and nearly blew My Heid aff I guess one would have to get used to the sweep of the volume pedal.
After reading Your reply Ken,I would ask if there is a "tonal" benefit with the amp volume high,perhaps something to do with the position of the volume pedal giving Less/greater signal to the amp.
Billy

[Willie Gamble]

Billy, as a rank amatuer, my opinion (for what it is worth ) would be this, I would keep my amp volume quite high for the following reasons

1/ there is less likelyhood that you would overdrive the amp, and as a direct result, lessen the possibility of distortion.
2/ if the band gets a little bit lively you always have a little head room to play with volume wise.

As I said this is only my opinion, what do I know.

incidently was it my amp which nearly "blew yer heid aff"

Asleep at the Steel

[Ken Byng]

Well firstly, Mr Gamble doesn't speak with a forked tongue. Willie is spot on.

I like to use the 'meat' of the amp where the volume pedal is only used in the first 30 - 40% of its travel. Headroom or reserve power is vital to steel guitar. If you are playing with the volume pedal wide open for much of the time, then you lose expression and feel. I love listening to Curly Chalker's use of his volume pedal. He's a master.

Billy, since using active volume pedals for the last 10 years or so, I find no tonal advantage of having the amp master volume on full. However, I do feel that pushing the speaker(s) will give a better bass response, but if the pre amp level is too high then you are in danger of encroaching into distortion territory. I have to be very careful when using my Telonics combo on full volume as it can blow your testes off if you really welly it.

My Webb amp has a linear volume control on the pre-amp, which unlike Peavey amps doesn't give you pretty much full volume on number 3 or 4. Full volume on the Webb pre gain is number 10. Therefore you have to know how to use the pre gain on an amp. Buddy Emmons used to set the pre gain on his Peavey amps very high, but he never got distortion on live shows. That shows just how much control he had over his volume pedal.

[Davie Holland]

From my point of view, it depends on the equipment you are using and how noiseless you would like your setup to be..

If you have your backline amp at Max then you will increase the chances of noise, hiss, etc which I detest.

If you use a pre-amp like the Pod going into the front of a backline, your volume will prob not need to go above 3 or 4 as you are pre-amping it twice.

With my new setup, i.e. Steel-Hilton-Telonics Pre 1000- power amp in on amp, I have to use more volume than previously, but the results are astounding.

Currently using 3/4 on Telonics and 3/4 on Nash 1000.

Hope this helps

Davie

[Tony Smart]

One thing here is that having excess volume on the amp means the pedal becomes more sensitive to its slightest movement.
In my opinion it's detrimental as you will tend to get the swooping sound as I call it, that a lot of beginners get by over use of the pedal.

Far better to have the amp volume set to as loud as you will possibly need, plus some. In that way you will have far more travel in the pedal for a lesser swell effect. This makes it more controllable in my opinion.
You shouldn't need your amp set at full blast to get a good sound. If you do it isn't much of an amp.

Of course I could be wrong - it's got to happen sooner or later....

[Davie Holland]

Agreed Tony