I've had a Boss FV-500 pedal I've used for the past 13? years. Never had any issues whatsoever. It's definitely a pedal I don't even think about "needing" but it's absolutely one of my most used pedals.
Really interesting video, nice one! My most important piece of gear is a reverb pedal/effect. Besides a semi overdriven amp and a tuner, this effect has to be in my signal chain. The sound of a dry guitar is fine, but I always come back to stepping on my reverb pedal. It‘s funny that I‘m using the reverb of my hx stomp most of the time, so I guess I don‘t need a specific reverb(-pedal).
What reverb pedal are you using? I just got an HxStomp and am trying to build a nexgen pedalboard around it, but the reverbs are somewhat underwhelming.
There's another contender in the VP game, and that's the Xotic Volume Pedals, no tone suck, smaller footprint, output doubles as an isolated splitter for output signal and tuner, more durable material, they make one for passive pickups, and another for active pickups, etc.
Dude! Lehle Amp switcher has been on my board for a decade . . . Lehle is bad ass bro. Are we going to reference the typical german mechanical engineering stereotype?
Hey Michael thanks for this video.I've been playing guitar for 51 years and just bought my first volume pedal.I just bought a Lehle stereo volume pedal.It would be great if you could make a video on how you use yours.
i worked for years with Ernie Ball VP and Ernie Ball VP JR - never again !! . It is so complicated to change the potentiometer, although after the 5. change i was a professional and could do it in about half an hour. I will buy now the Lehle. This Name is here in Germany (for longtime) a warrant of very best quality. I can not imagibe, that i might be disappointed. Anyhow, thanks for the video and for bringing into my mind the Lehle-pedal !
Hi Michael! Nice video. I´ve been using the EB Jr for a while and i´m also a fan of the tuner out. I used to run a buffered pedal in front but i realized that you can compensate the loss in highs by switching on the Bright switch on the amp (if it has one). It totally works for me. Also, could you make a video on how you use the volume pedal? Just for swells? Thanks!
Yeah, I know! But... I’ve had so many break over the years I could have saved my self a lot of money if something like this had been around a long time ago.
@@MichaelWWestbrook I don't doubt that, but I happen to be extremely familiar with the magnetic sensor IC used for this "no touch" application and it's only about $1! LOL $300 is right past boutique and utility and right on to robbery.
@@SparkyGoldsmith Don’t you think that there’s a little difference between a hall sensor only and developing, manufacturing and distributing a high end pedal all over the world? A mechanical pot costs around $1, too, while these volume pedal have the price of, …well, you said it.
Very interesting! I don't really want a volume pedal, less is more for me. But this certainly gives good insight into what volume pedals are all about, cheers!
I’ve been using the New Ernie Ball Volume With the Tuner built in for almost a year....It has a Buffer and a More Durable String and a Huge Screen with Tuner and Volume Level Gauge...It’s Awesome and comes in different Colors!!! They pretty much took the idea from Schnobel unfortunately, but they made it Cheaper and the Overall Layout is pretty sweet...I went through about 5 Ernie Balls over the years and was about to switch over to the Lehle, but then they released this and I’m pretty Happy Now...Thanks for the Video!!
The boss is great! I used one for a long time. The pot eventually got scratchy and I never changed it. I didn’t cover it in this video because I couldn’t find it
I have the Dunlop mini. I was about to say something about the sweep on it, then you brought that up! I probably just don't have the control I should... no blaming the tool.
I have been using volume pedals on my guitar rig for many decades & have tried 3 different brands/models before buying this Lehle Mono model. This pedal hands down is the best I have ever owned and it's not even close! I just replaced my Dunlop model with low friction band drive which replaced my ancient DeArmon volume pot pedal. For starters, the Dunlop caused serious tone suck & made my rig noisy when using it in concert with my other pedals. Also the sweep pales in companion to the Lehle. I was very reluctant to pay this much for a volume pedal, but it's worth every penny as it's a superior product in every aspect: Sweep is phenomenal! It COMPLETELY eliminated tone suck! Doing guitar swells of chords, single notes & octaves all sound magnificent! Build quality is fantastic.
Hi Michael, thanks for the great video. Apologies if I missed this, but where do you place the volume pedal in your signal chain? After your guitar or after overdrives? And what is your reasoning behind the placement decision?
I didn’t mention it. I like mine after my Fuzz and compression but before my overdrives. Swelling into the drives sounds more natural to me and when I’m using it dynamically it lets me clean things up by pulling my volume back a touch. Like a volume knob on a guitar
I just gave up. I wasn’t even riding it hard and I went through about four exchanges. I settled on a little Boss FV-30H... not as nice a throw but it just works. I recently got a powered Morley Volume/Wah with boost combo. Pretty good, but I felt it was doing a little thing to my tone I wasn’t unsure of...
I just stumbled on your video this morning. Thanks for all your knowledge and info. I never had a volume pedal. I just bought my first expression pedal, a $50 Moog. Maybe if I get a volume pedal like that Dunlop that doubles as an expression, I can sell my Moog. We'll see. Thanks
Some very nice sounds and a great demo on volume pedals. I can see how a volume pedal can be used for great effect. Then I watch Steve Morse use the volume knob on his guitar so effortlessly, and I think more time should be spent by guitar players practicing this highly under rated skill. And once that skill is mastered, then how about using the tone knob as a wah pedal? Try it folks. You will stand out for all the right reasons. This is how the old farts used to do it when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.
Totally get why younger cats have to have , The whole Ambient worship thing depends on it . Like the Wah it lives off the board for me and Use when called for . Michael How many Boards Ya got ? I am up to 3 . A rig B rig and C rig (acoustic only ) with many many options to fit the gig .
There are two holes in front of the jacks on that “flange”… are there two screws holding that jack plate to the chassis? Like, can you unscrew the jack plate and move it to those two front screw holes?
I'm a fan. Just put together a bigger board specifically to have a permanent setup that includes a VP (old Ernie Ball passive). I think tone suck and the various misconceptions about VPs keep a lot of people from trying them who would really benefit. Tone suck with a passive VP is real, but it can be solved without spending $300. Given how useful a VP is to me now I would definitely not rule out getting a Lehle or something else in that price range in the future though.
I agree with you 100%. Today i broke the string on my old Ernie Ball VPJr and I dont have another volume pedal to switch it out with at the moment. My board feels incomplete. Ive been wanting to get a Lehle for a while now, and it's definitely going to be my next pedal purchase when i can afford one, but for the meantime i ordered a replacement string for the VPJr, just have to wait a couple days for it to show up, but it is a really odd feeling not having a volume pedal on my board for the first time since i started building my board. Edit: crazy u break them every 6 months
To me, my Sonuus Voluum is the only pedal that will stay on my board no matter what. It's one of the most impressive (and pretty 🌼) analog pedals ever made, but it is also so much more than a volume pedal: it's a gate, compressor, limiter, slow-gear and very sophisticated tremolo that goes all the way from optical tremolo to ring modulation (I've saved a preset where the ringmodulation is tuned to toe-down E and toe-up A, so I always have a drone to noodle to) , it has save banks and on top of that, it has expression out and midi in & out, which makes it the most versatile VCA- and midi expression-pedal ever. All can be minutely tweaked via pretty good software, yet anything to do with signal processing is completely analog. It really lifts the other effects up to another level. Oh, and there's no wire or anything to wear and tear! Highly recommended, and incredibly cheap for what it can do. It also now and then gets sold for way under it's value used, because the company has failed to properly promote what a sophisticated beast it actually is, which means that potential buyers just go: "250€ for a volume pedal!? Get out of here!" I bought mine for 190€
@@MrJohnnyDistortion If not part of a pedalboard I use it right after the guitar, because I'm lazy and it's easier than going through the fx loop. If I'm using my pedalboard I basically do a souped-up version of what "TheGuacamoleXplosion" does in his video on the Voluum. In fact I immediately bought a ProStage RemoteWah after watching it I'm not sure if it's possible to link to other videos here, but I'll try: th-cam.com/video/w46XLNQA5AI/w-d-xo.html
Pros: if you’re using the amps preamp gain/overdrive having the volume pedal in the FX loop means you can cut the noise b4 delay & reverb and not have noise interfere with trails when not playing.
I was wondering about that flange in the front & how it would affect using right angle 1/4” jacks and right angle power cable jack…glad you addressed that.
I have but I was very disappointed for a number of reasons. The first one I had broke in a matter of days (literally brand new) right before I was about to leave for tour - I bought the JHS EB Jr to get me through while I waited on a replacement from Tapestry. Once I got the replacement I sold it
My question is if a car will run 100mph in a quarter of a mile Then will it go 400 mph In a mile ? Have you ever tried Reversing your control plate and useing your volume knob like old school.
Great video dude, you were able to get some huge sounds with that pedal in your playing portions of the vid. I’m thinking about getting a mini expression pedal for use with my HX stomp and Meris enzo; do you have a favorite one of those? I figure I can use it as a volume pedal as well if I use it with the stomp
I totally get that. I use mine more or less depending on the style but I also use it to tune silently. Anytime I just use a tuner to mute in a live scenario it feels so weird to me!
I've had a Boss FV-500 pedal I've used for the past 13? years. Never had any issues whatsoever. It's definitely a pedal I don't even think about "needing" but it's absolutely one of my most used pedals.
I have the Lehle. I love it. I have the same complaint about the flange.
Really interesting video, nice one!
My most important piece of gear is a reverb pedal/effect. Besides a semi overdriven amp and a tuner, this effect has to be in my signal chain. The sound of a dry guitar is fine, but I always come back to stepping on my reverb pedal. It‘s funny that I‘m using the reverb of my hx stomp most of the time, so I guess I don‘t need a specific reverb(-pedal).
What reverb pedal are you using? I just got an HxStomp and am trying to build a nexgen pedalboard around it, but the reverbs are somewhat underwhelming.
@@MatthewSpringer I use the HX Stomp for all of my modulation effects except for uni vibe. I‘m fine with the hx stomp‘s reverbs :)
$300.00 for a volume pedal man that thing better be making me coffee, get me beer. rolling joints.
Your guitar needs dusting please
I add a treble bleed circuit on the volume pot like on a guitar. It keeps that shimmer as I turn it down.
My favorite Volume pedal is a Vertex Boost controlled via an expression pedal.
lehle is the most durable it’s really built like a tank and will last forever. worth the extra money.
There's another contender in the VP game, and that's the Xotic Volume Pedals, no tone suck, smaller footprint, output doubles as an isolated splitter for output signal and tuner, more durable material, they make one for passive pickups, and another for active pickups, etc.
Dude! Lehle Amp switcher has been on my board for a decade . . .
Lehle is bad ass bro. Are we going to reference the typical german mechanical engineering stereotype?
Yeah, I’ve got a couple of their switches. Great stuff
Hey Michael thanks for this video.I've been playing guitar for 51 years and just bought my first volume pedal.I just bought a Lehle stereo volume pedal.It would be great if you could make a video on how you use yours.
The Lehle Mono volume 90 has the jacks and power on the side so perhaps no need for cutting the end bits off.
Yeah but I prefer to have the jacks on top. Either way it’s not a huge deal to me. Really happy with it so far
I don't know why they're not designed like wah pedals
I put big holes in all the right places, sooo much easier to work on.
i worked for years with Ernie Ball VP and Ernie Ball VP JR - never again !! . It is so complicated to change the potentiometer, although after the 5. change i was a professional and could
do it in about half an hour. I will buy now the Lehle. This Name is here in Germany (for longtime) a warrant of very best quality. I can not imagibe, that i might be disappointed.
Anyhow, thanks for the video and for bringing into my mind the Lehle-pedal !
Hi Michael! Nice video. I´ve been using the EB Jr for a while and i´m also a fan of the tuner out. I used to run a buffered pedal in front but i realized that you can compensate the loss in highs by switching on the Bright switch on the amp (if it has one). It totally works for me.
Also, could you make a video on how you use the volume pedal? Just for swells?
Thanks!
$300??? I love boutique pedals, but F..... $200 for a volume pedal is a stretch. $300 is ridiculous.
Yeah, I know! But... I’ve had so many break over the years I could have saved my self a lot of money if something like this had been around a long time ago.
@@MichaelWWestbrook I don't doubt that, but I happen to be extremely familiar with the magnetic sensor IC used for this "no touch" application and it's only about $1! LOL $300 is right past boutique and utility and right on to robbery.
@@SparkyGoldsmith Don’t you think that there’s a little difference between a hall sensor only and developing, manufacturing and distributing a high end pedal all over the world? A mechanical pot costs around $1, too, while these volume pedal have the price of, …well, you said it.
How on earth do you change the string? Never seen it done successfully
There definitely is a treat at the end of the video. I'be interested in checking it out.
Very interesting! I don't really want a volume pedal, less is more for me. But this certainly gives good insight into what volume pedals are all about, cheers!
I suck now if I don’t have a volume pedal.
I have / had Ernie Ball VP and VP Jr, Dunlop X, Boss, and now Lehle. Lehle is gonna stay for sure.
The last one EB put out has “min & max” levels control. That’s amazing for me.
the lehle is the Michael Jordan of volume pedals
Haha
I’ve been using the New Ernie Ball Volume With the Tuner built in for almost a year....It has a Buffer and a More Durable String and a Huge Screen with Tuner and Volume Level Gauge...It’s Awesome and comes in different Colors!!! They pretty much took the idea from Schnobel unfortunately, but they made it Cheaper and the Overall Layout is pretty sweet...I went through about 5 Ernie Balls over the years and was about to switch over to the Lehle, but then they released this and I’m pretty Happy Now...Thanks for the Video!!
That’s great! Yeah, I think EB has finally gotten hip to the string thing and is making a better version
I’ve have Ernie Ball, Morley, Schaller, and Boss FV volume pedals, the Boss (incredibly) have never failed, all the others have.
The boss is great! I used one for a long time. The pot eventually got scratchy and I never changed it. I didn’t cover it in this video because I couldn’t find it
I love my Xotic Volume pedal! NO TONE LOSS
Pro tip: buy a guitar that sounds good with the guitars vol at 8 and the tone between 5-7.
This leaves headroom
I have the Dunlop mini. I was about to say something about the sweep on it, then you brought that up! I probably just don't have the control I should... no blaming the tool.
Some are easier to get used to for sure. I haven’t used any small VP’s but I’ve heard the sweep can feel different because of the size.
It's a " Party Town" Atlanta GA
I plug into a buffered tuner first, out to the EB VP Jr
I have been using volume pedals on my guitar rig for many decades & have tried 3 different brands/models before buying this Lehle Mono model.
This pedal hands down is the best I have ever owned and it's not even close! I just replaced my Dunlop model with low friction band drive which replaced my ancient DeArmon volume pot pedal.
For starters, the Dunlop caused serious tone suck & made my rig noisy when using it in concert with my other pedals. Also the sweep pales in companion to the Lehle.
I was very reluctant to pay this much for a volume pedal, but it's worth every penny as it's a superior product in every aspect:
Sweep is phenomenal!
It COMPLETELY eliminated tone suck!
Doing guitar swells of chords, single notes & octaves all sound magnificent!
Build quality is fantastic.
It really is the best!
My tuner out actually reduces the noise in my pedal board when it's on.
Hi Michael, thanks for the great video. Apologies if I missed this, but where do you place the volume pedal in your signal chain? After your guitar or after overdrives? And what is your reasoning behind the placement decision?
I didn’t mention it. I like mine after my Fuzz and compression but before my overdrives. Swelling into the drives sounds more natural to me and when I’m using it dynamically it lets me clean things up by pulling my volume back a touch. Like a volume knob on a guitar
Thanks for this video. Been rocking a vp jr for about two years and replacing that string is a horrible job.
For sure on the string change. The Kevlar string is great and definitely recommended.
I just gave up. I wasn’t even riding it hard and I went through about four exchanges. I settled on a little Boss FV-30H... not as nice a throw but it just works. I recently got a powered Morley Volume/Wah with boost combo. Pretty good, but I felt it was doing a little thing to my tone I wasn’t unsure of...
have you considered using a braided fishing line?
I just stumbled on your video this morning. Thanks for all your knowledge and info. I never had a volume pedal. I just bought my first expression pedal, a $50 Moog. Maybe if I get a volume pedal like that Dunlop that doubles as an expression, I can sell my Moog. We'll see. Thanks
Thanks for watching!
Great reviews, Michael!
What reverb pedal were you using in the demo with your black Gretsch?
I don’t remember exactly but either the Big Sky (most likely) or the H9 Blackhole.
Some very nice sounds and a great demo on volume pedals. I can see how a volume pedal can be used for great effect. Then I watch Steve Morse use the volume knob on his guitar so effortlessly, and I think more time should be spent by guitar players practicing this highly under rated skill. And once that skill is mastered, then how about using the tone knob as a wah pedal? Try it folks. You will stand out for all the right reasons. This is how the old farts used to do it when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.
Ha
And that my friend is exactly why dinosaurs are extinct because of old farts.
Totally get why younger cats have to have , The whole Ambient worship thing depends on it . Like the Wah it lives off the board for me and Use when called for . Michael How many Boards Ya got ? I am up to 3 . A rig B rig and C rig (acoustic only ) with many many options to fit the gig .
There are two holes in front of the jacks on that “flange”… are there two screws holding that jack plate to the chassis? Like, can you unscrew the jack plate and move it to those two front screw holes?
I'm a fan. Just put together a bigger board specifically to have a permanent setup that includes a VP (old Ernie Ball passive). I think tone suck and the various misconceptions about VPs keep a lot of people from trying them who would really benefit. Tone suck with a passive VP is real, but it can be solved without spending $300. Given how useful a VP is to me now I would definitely not rule out getting a Lehle or something else in that price range in the future though.
I agree with you 100%. Today i broke the string on my old Ernie Ball VPJr and I dont have another volume pedal to switch it out with at the moment. My board feels incomplete. Ive been wanting to get a Lehle for a while now, and it's definitely going to be my next pedal purchase when i can afford one, but for the meantime i ordered a replacement string for the VPJr, just have to wait a couple days for it to show up, but it is a really odd feeling not having a volume pedal on my board for the first time since i started building my board.
Edit: crazy u break them every 6 months
To me, my Sonuus Voluum is the only pedal that will stay on my board no matter what. It's one of the most impressive (and pretty 🌼) analog pedals ever made, but it is also so much more than a volume pedal: it's a gate, compressor, limiter, slow-gear and very sophisticated tremolo that goes all the way from optical tremolo to ring modulation (I've saved a preset where the ringmodulation is tuned to toe-down E and toe-up A, so I always have a drone to noodle to) , it has save banks and on top of that, it has expression out and midi in & out, which makes it the most versatile VCA- and midi expression-pedal ever. All can be minutely tweaked via pretty good software, yet anything to do with signal processing is completely analog. It really lifts the other effects up to another level. Oh, and there's no wire or anything to wear and tear! Highly recommended, and incredibly cheap for what it can do. It also now and then gets sold for way under it's value used, because the company has failed to properly promote what a sophisticated beast it actually is, which means that potential buyers just go: "250€ for a volume pedal!? Get out of here!" I bought mine for 190€
Is that V pedal after the guitar or through the effects loop?
@@MrJohnnyDistortion If not part of a pedalboard I use it right after the guitar, because I'm lazy and it's easier than going through the fx loop. If I'm using my pedalboard I basically do a souped-up version of what "TheGuacamoleXplosion" does in his video on the Voluum. In fact I immediately bought a ProStage RemoteWah after watching it
I'm not sure if it's possible to link to other videos here, but I'll try: th-cam.com/video/w46XLNQA5AI/w-d-xo.html
@@Herfinnur
Linked. Thanks
could the volume pedal be put in the effects loop & what would be the pros & cons?
Pros: if you’re using the amps preamp gain/overdrive having the volume pedal in the FX loop means you can cut the noise b4 delay & reverb and not have noise interfere with trails when not playing.
I was wondering about that flange in the front & how it would affect using right angle 1/4” jacks and right angle power cable jack…glad you addressed that.
Pro tip: buy a guitar that sounds good with the guitars vol at 8 and the tone between 5-7.
This leaves headroom
Ever tried a Tapestry Audio Bloomery? I found it to be a great flowing volume
I have but I was very disappointed for a number of reasons. The first one I had broke in a matter of days (literally brand new) right before I was about to leave for tour - I bought the JHS EB Jr to get me through while I waited on a replacement from Tapestry. Once I got the replacement I sold it
@@MichaelWWestbrook wow! I love mine, but I really don't use it as a staple pedal. Interesting, thank you for the reply.
Great video, you explained it perfectly, which unfortunately a lot of videos do not.
Ever use a Morley? I have an old volume/wah combo that is built like a tank.
What do you think about mission engineering vm pro ?
Great info
My question is if a car will run 100mph in a quarter of a mile
Then will it go 400 mph
In a mile ?
Have you ever tried
Reversing your control plate and useing your volume knob like old school.
Dude, you’re slide playing this past Sunday at Passion was amazing! I loved that Silvertone you were playing.
Any chance it is online?
Thanks!
@Tom Keenan Yes! But only for a limited time - th-cam.com/video/5I5Rjk4sfqA/w-d-xo.html (music starts around 15 mins or so)
@@MichaelWWestbrook That is some great slide playing. Heck of a service too!
Great video dude, you were able to get some huge sounds with that pedal in your playing portions of the vid.
I’m thinking about getting a mini expression pedal for use with my HX stomp and Meris enzo; do you have a favorite one of those? I figure I can use it as a volume pedal as well if I use it with the stomp
I haven’t tested it with those but the Dunlop is great for an expression as well as the Moog ones!
@@MichaelWWestbrook thank you!
I've been playing guitar for over 30 years, and never once felt the need or desire for a volume pedal. My style of playing just doesn't require one.
I totally get that. I use mine more or less depending on the style but I also use it to tune silently. Anytime I just use a tuner to mute in a live scenario it feels so weird to me!
Nice