Swell/Volume Pedal

[Gary Allen]

Hi Justin and ta for the reply........gary

[Twangaway]

Do the Boss pedal and Morley pedals combine the dual volume and tone feature of the Dearmond Pedal but in one vertical up and down plain somehow ?

Twangaway

[JimN]

Do the Boss pedal and Morley pedals combine the dual volume and tone feature of the Dearmond Pedal but in one vertical up and down plain somehow ?
Twangaway

No.

[noelford]

Do the Boss pedal and Morley pedals combine the dual volume and tone feature of the Dearmond Pedal but in one vertical up and down plain somehow ?

Twangaway

No, you're thinking of the Burns Shad-0-Tone. The only other pedal I know that works exactly as the DeaArmond, is the Fender reissue (up and down for volume, sideways for tone). I have both. The Burns is a lot easier to use, the Fender I'm just getting used to (it's been well over 40 years since I had a DeArmond!). Not sure yet which I am going to prefer.

[JimN]

Do the Boss pedal and Morley pedals combine the dual volume and tone feature of the Dearmond Pedal but in one vertical up and down plain somehow ?

No, you're thinking of the Burns Shad-0-Tone.

The Burns Shad-O-Tone pedal (we at SMSE have one as part of the equipment) only controls the tone, albeit via an up/down movement.

As you rightly say, the Fender tone/volume and the DeArmond 610 control both volume and tone via movements in two separate plains. It has also apparently been announced that a new Burns pedal will control both (though not yet available).

JN

[noelford]

Jim, I would disagree, though I understand why you might say that. My Burns pedal definitely appears to produce both a volume and tone change. However, the volume element covers a very small range compared to a normal volume pedal. It doesn't start from zero but from just below full volume and the MAIN effect of the pedal is, I agree, tonal. This it what makes it so hard to choose between the Burns and Fender pedals for me. The Fender is closer to the DeArmond but the Burns is easier to control. Certainly on the Burns you cannot produce the violining effect properly. The forthcoming Burns pedal, incidentally, is going to cost a whopping £195. However, if it does provide a zero-volume facility, I'll be tempted!

[AlanMcKillop]

The Burns Shad O Tone was quite peculiar (at least the one I had was) in it's operation. To get near to the sound, you had to be quite forceful/quick with the downward movement, I couldn't play it in a more measured way and get the tone. It has only one tone pot, although because of the frequencies it sucks out, it gives the impression of being a volume pedal, which it is not.

The Fender volume/tone pedal I love, built like a tank and very firm to use, so it takes a bit of getting used to, but well worth percevering with, you'll eventually get there.

[noelford]

Yes, the volume effect could well be a factor of the tonal frequencies, but the effect is certainly there. The difficulty I have with the Fender is that the sideways movement is quite stiff and the smooth volume/tone sweep is a lot harder to achieve, especially when used in a fast progression, than with, I recall, the DeArmond. I am persevering, though!

[dave robinson]

As much as I like it, I gave up using the Fender tone/volume pedal in favour of a DeArmond 610 that I bought from the USA Ebay. This is the third one I've owned and by far the best, as the others were troublesome within the mechanism, the first one that I used in my Dave Berry days actually collapsed and went in the dustbin. My latest one gives the perfect balance of tone and volume when sweeping the treadle down and across to the right, providing the exact sound on 'The Crying Game', as played on the record by Big Jim Sullivan, which was the technique employed by Hank when he later bought one.
The Fender, as good and as sturdy as it is, doesn't have quite the same sound character when used in this way, though it is superior to the DeArmond in build. I once had the Burns Shadowtone and it sounds nothing at all like the DeArmond and I kept it for all of two weeks before selling.

[cockroach]

Dave,

Speaking of UK users of the DeArmond foot pedal in the '60's, I have some video footage of Joe Brown and the Bruvvers playing 'It only took a minute' live on 'Crackerjack' in 1962- and Joe is using a volume pedal on the guitar solo using his old Gibson 335- getting a sort of steel guitar effect on this country flavoured hit tune. He must have been an early user, even before Big Jim- who I think did the Dave Berry solo in about , what- 1964 or 1965? ...although I wouldn't be surprised if dear old Bert Weedon may have used a Dearmond pedal or similar before them?