Double Bass Volume pedal for DB

[JBarz]

Hey gang, I want to try my hand at another volume pedal. I sold my vintage Ernie Ball one because it didn’t work very well for upright - impedance mismatch, maybe?

Do you guys have any recommendations? I’m running a Full Circle directly to a PJB suitcase with a FDeck V3 in the effects loop.

Thanks, Jeremy

 

[jallenbass]

My wife uses a Dunlop Volume (X) Mini with her electric violin and it seems to work as advertised. I've not tried it with my DB but I'll try to get to it today or tomorrow.

 

[LowG]

If I recall correctly a volume pedal like the Ernie Ball works better w/ piezo if it’s in the fx loop rather than connected to the pickup first. That said, I bet piezo - fdeck - volume pedal - amp would be a working combo regardless of volume pedal style.

 

[JBarz]

If I recall correctly a volume pedal like the Ernie Ball works better w/ piezo if it’s in the fx loop rather than connected to the pickup first. That said, I bet piezo - fdeck - volume pedal - amp would be a working combo regardless of volume pedal style.

I hadn’t considered running it through the effects loop - Doh! It was probably best to flip it anyway, it was the open string kind, noisy AF unless you keep a can of lubricating contact cleaner handy. I thought I could get comfortable working the volume knob on the fdeck mounted on the bass bib, but it was too awkward. Anyone know what kind of volume pedal Rufus Reid uses?

 

[Ed Fuqua]

Anyone know what kind of volume pedal Rufus Reid uses?

It's been a few years since I've heard Rufus live, maybe 2010? But I never saw him using a volume pedal.

 

[Ed Fuqua]

This is 6 years old...don't see a volume pedal in evidence.
.

 

[JBarz]

I thought I remembered reading in the beginning of his book that he recommends using one. I could be mistaken, though. Edit: here it is:

 

[dperrott]

It works best with a preamp. I used it before for a gig that went back and forth from arco and pizz. Its your order. Its been a while but think I did fishman preamp/fdeck, then volume pedal, right into the amp. The volume pedal will change the impedance. Now I really don't because my pick has similar volume arco and pizz

 

[Wasnex]

I have a volume pedal on my pedal board. Most of the time I use it essentially as an on/off switch (full on or full off).

I find that trying to adjust volume while playing tends to be difficult and frustrating, rather than helpful. It's not actually very easy to modulate the volume to the optimum position. So when you make a change, it's not easy to get back to where you were before the change. I have seen volume pedals with a visual indicator that is supposed to make it easier.

You may find a clean boost more effective. Rather than fiddling around with a volume pedal in the middle of song, you simply toggle between two gain settings.

If you are really insistent on a volume pedal, consider an optical. When I researched my volume pedal I got the impression that a decent optical will sound better and tend to be more reliable. Unfortunately, I believe the George Dennis DG20 I bought is no longer available in the US.

Good luck!

 

[JBarz]

Yeh, that mirrors my experience with the old one. I was hoping to maybe find one with an adjustable sweep... Looks like my options are pretty much limited to this one:
Lehle Mono Volume 90 Volume Pedal | Sweetwater
But $300 for a volume pedal ... I'll give a clean boost switch a try first -- thanks!

 

[marcox]

The Fishman Platinum Pro pre-amp has an adjustable boost setting, FWIW.

 

[John Chambliss]

The Fishman Platinum Pro pre-amp has an adjustable boost setting, FWIW.

That’s what I use for switching between pizz and arco. Boost on for pizz; take off for arco.

 

[iAsh]

Trying to trim arco level with a volume pedal is usually about as satisfying as filleting a trout with a cleaver.

A warm uncompressed sounding reverb pedal like a Neunaber Wet after an impedance matching preamp can work very nicely to lower arco level.

 

[PaulCannon]

Yeh, that mirrors my experience with the old one. I was hoping to maybe find one with an adjustable sweep... Looks like my options are pretty much limited to this one:
Lehle Mono Volume 90 Volume Pedal | Sweetwater
But $300 for a volume pedal ... I'll give a clean boost switch a try first -- thanks!

I recently bought this one. It's really great!

Note: I have not yet tried this on double bass. I have only used it with EUB and bass guitar so far.

If you're only using volume as an on/off switch, then there's no reason to have an expensive volume pedal. But if you're regularly adjusting volume and dynamics while playing, this is by far the best option I've tried. Most volume pedals aren't very "even", where it feels like most of the dynamic range is in the last centimeter of adjustment. The Lehle, by comparison, is very even and smooth. And since it uses magnets, you'll never get extra noise while using it (something I've experienced with dusty Ernie Ball pedals).

Downsides are the price, and it needs power to function. Not a necessary investment for everyone, but if you want total control of volume this is the best thing I've seen.

 

[JBarz]

Paul, can I get you you to try it through the DB? I am curious if it can go on the front end of the signal chain or if it needs to go behind the Fdeck on the FX loop ... Also, if there is any noticeable tone-loss (as with the Ernie Ball), it's not worth it to me, but otherwise I can see it being absolutely worth it.
Thanks!

 

[Wasnex]

Yeh, that mirrors my experience with the old one. I was hoping to maybe find one with an adjustable sweep... Looks like my options are pretty much limited to this one:
Lehle Mono Volume 90 Volume Pedal | Sweetwater
But $300 for a volume pedal ... I'll give a clean boost switch a try first -- thanks!

Input impedance is listed as 2M, so it should work well with many piezos. Of course, if you want higher input impedance the buffer needs to be first inline.

I Googled the input impedance for my George Dennis GD20 and it's at 1M.

 

[boylebass]

The EB volume pedal is currently offered in 3 different impedances. I do not recall if the old ones did… I agree that is distracting and difficult to adjust one on the fly. I played a gig recently where I was doubling electric and double bass. The show had enough quick changes that I used 2 of em (I have 3 for some reason) one for each bass, essentially an off/on switch.

I think part of this is that I am, in some ways, pretty uncoordinated. I suck at finding the Bluetooth page turner footswitch.

Ernie Ball Guitar Volume Pedals | Sweetwater

 

[Carl Hillman]

Hey gang, I want to try my hand at another volume pedal. I sold my vintage Ernie Ball one because it didn’t work very well for upright - impedance mismatch, maybe?

Do you guys have any recommendations? I’m running a Full Circle directly to a PJB suitcase with a FDeck V3 in the effects loop.

Thanks, Jeremy

+1 for the Lehle, although I've always used it after a preamp. Never tried a pickup directly into it.

I've gone through three Ernie Ball pedals over the years. They all failed at some point, and repairing/adjusting the string mechanism is a bitch. I had a Morely optical that I modified to make for a smoother sweep, but that thing was huge and it never offered enough resistance to the foot to make precise adjustments on the fly.

The Lehle has been a game changer for me. It's quiet, adjustable, has a tuner out jack that works when you turn the output all the way down, and it's built like tank.

 

[Matt Power]

These are no longer made, but they worked really well! For 60 bucks, that's low duckets for a great solution!
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[drwv]

Miles Mosley says Dunlop.