volume pedal question

[Barcode80]

i'm about to use an empty wah shell and a hot potz to make a volume pedal. i was wondering if passive was the best way to go or should i buffer it to keep tone sucking down?

[Barcode80]

bbumpp

[oskar]

Check out Craig Andertons Volume Pedal Descratcher. ( Electronic Projects For Guitarists )

If you have the volume on full on your guitar and use a passive volume pedal with the same pot. value the
result should be equivalent right?

oskar

vote SLEIPNER!

[Barcode80]

Check out Craig Andertons Volume Pedal Descratcher. ( Electronic Projects For Guitarists )

If you have the volume on full on your guitar and use a passive volume pedal with the same pot. value the
result should be equivalent right?

oskar

vote SLEIPNER!

i would think the resistance would then be double, as you essentially have two resistors in series. i'm not sure if this would cause problems or not, which is why the question

[Ben N]

i would think the resistance would then be double, as you essentially have two resistors in series. i'm not sure if this would cause problems or not, which is why the question

No, the two pots would be in parallel to ground. If there is no buffer in between this might load your signal down. Note that Ernie Ball and other passive volume pedals come in two varieties, one with a low-value pot (25k, I think) for low-impedace (buffered) sources, and one with a high-value pot (500k, IIRC) for high impedance sources (unbuffered guitar).

BTW, aren't Hot Potz a special taper for wah? I would think that ordinary audio taper woud be the ticket.

Ben

[oskar]

Oops, yes that would halve the resistance... forgot that... why don't you just try it?
"If it sounds good and feels good, then it IS good!" Duke Ellington

oskar

[CGDARK]

To obtain a good sweep out of a passive volume pedal you will need a special pot, an antilog 500k (or reverse audio), because when you put it in the pedal shell the travel will be backwards so a common audio taper pot will be useless. Or use a linear taper and modified it with a resistor in parallel from terminal #1 to terminal #2 (not #3 and #2 because of the backwards travel).

CG

[Ben N]

Oops, yes that would halve the resistance

Only if the two resistances are the same value. Otherwise, the formula is (R1*R2)/R1+R2.

CG, thanks for the pot information.

[CGDARK]

CG, thanks for the pot information.

Thanks for reading it.
CG

[Barcode80]

problem with switching the pot is trying to get the gear off the hot potz and putting it on a regular pot. hard stuff.

[CGDARK]

problem with switching the pot is trying to get the gear off the hot potz and putting it on a regular pot. hard stuff.

You are right, but it can be done. A few years ago I asked a friend who work for GE here in PR if he can drill a tiny hole to a common pot shaft (an Alpha pot with solid shaft). Of course he did it and better than I expected so I put a gear with a pin like in some wah pots but it works for a short time, because the pot thread was to short so I replace it with a 2 watt pot (3/8"thread not 1/4") and perfect; a custom wah pot and for the fraction of the price.

CG