Expression pedal

Hey all, what exactly is a expression pedal and how does it work? Is it the same as a volume pedal? Thanks in advance. Dale

Originally Posted by: 69deville

Hey all, what exactly is a expression pedal and how does it work? Is it the same as a volume pedal? Thanks in advance. Dale

Expression pedals can be used to control how much (from 0-100%) an effect has on your sound. It typically allows you to alter some specific parameter (how much modulation, delay, gain, etc.) on the fly. But the effects pedal or unit has to have the built in ability to have an expression pedal built in.

For example, think of a volume pedal but that controls not the volume, but the amount of an effect.

Short demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXIwaiiDeHc

Long demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k92L8ddw_Ws

Hope that helps!

Thanks Christopher, it did help indeed. The pedal on an old Digitech RP7 I have does those things, in a much more basic way. Videos helped, loved the Lester. If you know of a good video for setting the sweep on a Crybaby let me know. Mine just sounds flat. Thanks again. Dale

You're welcome!

Originally Posted by: 69deville

If you know of a good video for setting the sweep on a Crybaby let me know. Mine just sounds flat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycgw0OaluZI

I've had to do this myself a few times over the years when my wah pedal had been pushed out of whack by performance use & abuse. :)

Thx again, I've done this on the original Crybaby I own, and yeah it's touchy to say the least. I've gotten the Slash wah about a year ago and something just doesn't sound right in the sweep. Thinking the tone (guitar/amp) settings have something to do with it. Some settings sound fairly decent, others are like no sweep at all or very thin? Is there a "standard" setting with gear that's used like neck vs bridge, treble vs bass vs mid etc that I'm missing or should I jusr shut up and play around with it haha. Again thanks, Dale

Originally Posted by: 69devilleI've gotten the Slash wah about a year ago and something just doesn't sound right in the sweep.[/quote]

I'm assuming you've changed the battery. If you haven't changed guitars, amps or overall settings, but noticed a significant change in the operation of a wah pedal, then it could be a failed capacitor or a bad solder joint on the board.

Originally Posted by: 69deville

Thinking the tone (guitar/amp) settings have something to do with it. Some settings sound fairly decent, others are like no sweep at all or very thin?

[p]Sometimes. The best way to test this is to set the amp to a clean tone, set all the EQ to 50% then try your guitar on the neck & bridge pickups. Give it try.

[quote=69deville]Is there a "standard" setting with gear that's used like neck vs bridge, treble vs bass vs mid etc that I'm missing or should I jusr shut up and play around with it haha.

There are settings that will squash the effectiveness of the wah. For example putting it at the end of the singal chain after a bunch of gain or modulation effects. I prefer the wah first in order to get the most out of it & have it boosted by the gain instead of slightly squashed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT-vDDYx4aM

Hope that helps!

Thanks again, I've always put the wah first in line after tuner. I'm only putting the wah in front of a Blues Driver. The Slash wah does sound better than the original but there's still that one point of when the tone goes from nasily (for lack of better words) to muffled that the signal just thins out. I'm trying to coordinate the full sweep of the wah with a nice slow bend which sounds great until I hit that one spot where it doesn't? I appreciate all the help, time and links you've provided Christopher. I'll keep playing around with it. Thanks again. Dale

Originally Posted by: 69deville

Thanks again, I've always put the wah first in line after tuner.[/quote]

I don't think it would make much or any difference, but I put my tuner last. Have you tried that?

Originally Posted by: 69devilleThe Slash wah does sound better than the original but there's still that one point of when the tone goes from nasily (for lack of better words) to muffled that the signal just thins out.[/quote]

At what point in the sweep of the pedal does the sound go muffled? If it's close to the bottom end of the sweep (all the way back on your heel), that's pretty common & can sometimes be adjusted by pulling the gear teeth apart & advancing the potentiometer a "tooth position" or two.

This is tricky & sometimes requires some trial & error in order to get it right. :)

If the muffled tone happens in the middle of the sweep then I'm not sure what's going on there. I know that those things do work better at louder volumes & more clean head room. A lot of gain or distortion tends to flatten them out & reduce their apparent effect on the tone.

[quote=69deville]

I'm trying to coordinate the full sweep of the wah with a nice slow bend which sounds great until I hit that one spot where it doesn't?

[p]That's always a fun technique to practice & use! Frustrating that you are having gear trouble with it!

[quote=69deville]I appreciate all the help, time and links you've provided Christopher. I'll keep playing around with it. Thanks again. Dale

You're welcome! Best of success with it.

I have not tried the tuner at the end of the chain. SInce the issue happens with just the wah alone I'm ruling out the chain. It's not the muffled tone I'm concerned about, it's literally where the cross over from muffled to bright occurs. I have been experimenting with different guitars/pups. I've noticed a BC I have (ST-3) the "screamin' demon pup I put in as well as the single coils all seem to sound fine as do the Phat Cat P-90s I put in a 06' LP Special. I bought a 60s reissue Standard a couple years ago with Burstbuckers and it gets this at that midway point? Wasn't sold on the Burstbuckers from the start (ice pick high E) so may be looking to swap them as well. Still work in progress haha. Thx, Dale

Putting any pedal before any other can change it's tone or behaviour as it can affect the impedance of the audio signal. For example, some fuzz circuits can seriously fail to produce a decent tone if placed after a wah pedal, but start to behave again if a buffer is placed between the two (there is also a myth that a stupidly long guitar lead will do the same trick).