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Author
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Topic: History of volume pedal
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Dan Beller-McKenna
Member From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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posted 24 February 2006 04:47 PM
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Question to the collective memory/wisdom:when did steel players (pedal or non) start using the volume pedal as a standard piece of gear? Thanks. Dan ------------------
Dan Beller-McKenna
Durham, NH
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Dan Beller-McKenna
Member From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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posted 25 February 2006 07:09 AM
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Anyone? |
Gene Jones
Member From: Oklahoma City, OK USA
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posted 25 February 2006 07:18 AM
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I don't know the answer to your question, but I do know that volume pedals were already available when I started playing in the 1940's when I owned a DeArmond. |
Dan Beller-McKenna
Member From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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posted 25 February 2006 07:21 AM
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Thanks Gene--that's a start.Dan ------------------
Dan Beller-McKenna
Durham, NH
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John Daugherty
Member From: Rolla, Missouri, USA
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posted 25 February 2006 08:12 AM
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Gene, We have the same memories. The first pedal I ever saw,and used, was a DeArmond, gear drive volume pedal (1950s).
DeArmond also manufactured the first "add on" guitar pickup I ever saw.------------------
www.home.earthlink.net/~johnd37
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Donny Hinson
Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A.
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posted 25 February 2006 09:35 AM
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Like Gene said, there were many around during the WWII era, and it seems that I remember them being used from the mid-to-late '30s too. The DeArmond was one of the first, and was probably the most popular at that time, but I think the earliest one I saw was called a "Baxter", or something like that...maybe "Basco"? |
Michael Lee Allen
Member From: Fresno CA USA
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posted 25 February 2006 09:49 AM
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Gibson, Epiphone, National-Dobro, Vega, Regal, and Rowe-DeArmond all had volume pedals available by 1938. |
Dan Beller-McKenna
Member From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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posted 25 February 2006 12:42 PM
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Thanks for the replies guys.Interesting: it seems that the volume pedal was applied almost as soon as guitars were amplified (frying pan is 1931, no?). I'm wondering what sort of sound ideal would have prompted someone to think up the volume pedal in the first place. Dan |
Marlin Smoot
Member From: Atlanta,Georgia, USA
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posted 25 February 2006 12:50 PM
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This information is from around 1922. If you do some more research on Lev Termen, you may be able to find more information even on his "Aetherophone". Evidently, this fellow was way ahead of his time and had some interesting concepts. This is the earliest "volume" changing device I could find and this article suggest he built a "volume pedal". It may be first one(?) This may not even apply to your question, but here goes; Lev Termen called his first instrument "Aetherophone", where the pitch of the tone would be changed through his non-touch principle through the use of an antenna, over a range of 3 to 4 octaves. To be able to change the volume and create dynamics, Termen developed a volume pedal. To be able to give demonstrations he build a headphone on a huge scale, as loudspeakers didn't exist in those days. (See also the principle of Cahills Telharmonium, only to be heard through the telephone.) A little later a second antenna was used to be able to control volume, using the same proximity principle as with the pitch antenna, but now connected to an amplifier. |
Dan Beller-McKenna
Member From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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posted 25 February 2006 03:42 PM
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Marlin,I'm pretty sure that's what later became known as the Theremin, an instrument that has had something of a renaissance in the last ten or fifteen years. Dan ------------------
Dan Beller-McKenna
Durham, NH
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Tim Jones
Member From: Andover, KS, USA
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posted 25 February 2006 10:42 PM
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well, I'm sure that players were using them, but while viewing several old country music TV programs from the 50's, alot of the players don't use volume pedals....two to name of are Don Helms and a guy called Johnny Siebert. It seems that they used the volume knob to swell into a solo or something.I also viewed a show with Buddy Emmons and his Bigsby, and he does use a pedal, so perhaps it was just a preference thing? Tim Jones
)~Fender 1000 and NOTHING else~( |
Willis Vanderberg
Member From: Bradenton, FL, USA
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posted 26 February 2006 07:19 AM
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We built the first volume pedal that I used in 1948. It was made of plywood and used a rack and pinion gear to operate the pot. I glued a strip of light rubber on the bottom to keep it from sliding around on the floor.
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Ron Steenwijk
Member From: Greensburg,PA
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posted 26 February 2006 02:36 PM
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I got an old volumepedal my dad used to use when he played Lapsteel.It is a pedal that has a spring on it that returns the volumepedal to the zero position when you lift your foot.A great piece of work.Still has the original pot in it.
Its not a DeArmond pedal but the same model and my dad told me once that it is from the early 40's.Ron ------------------
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