Published on this page in the GuitarFella archive — what our editors chose at the time, not a lab test.
Last Updated November 19, 2019
Volume guitar pedals fall into the category of gizmos that don't really affect your sound in an extreme manner, but are essential nevertheless and can make your performance significantly better.
If you're wondering about what volume pedals do, we can say that their functionality is quite self-explanatory – they control the volume of your guitar. When your guitar is plugged into one of these puppies, the volume gets increased when you floor it and gets decreased as you pull it back. So in a way, a volume pedal is
a must have guitar pedal if you want to be have a full control over your output.
So essentially, it's up to the user to determine whether the device will be used for increasing the volume, decreasing it, or both.
Top 10 Best Volume Pedals:
And that one wraps it up, folks! However, we believe that answering a few standard questions regarding volume and expression pedals is in order so you can get a clear image of what to expect and what you should know before making the purchase. Here goes!
What To Look For When Buying A Volume Pedal For Guitar?
Granted, volume pedals are much more simple devices than the majority of other guitar pedals and effects, but there's still a few things to watch out for when buying one. First of all, this is a pedal you will probably stomp more than the majority of your other devices (except for the wah pedal, that is), and that requires extended durability.
Thankfully, a solid portion of these fellas really is sturdy as a tank, but there are also cheaper models you have to be more delicate with or risk damage in the long run.
Another thing to take into consideration is the option of buying a mono or a stereo device. As is often the case, mono devices (one input and one output) are capable of covering the needs of the majority of musicians, but stereo pedals (two inputs and two outputs) allow you to insert two instruments into the mix on one side and utilize stereo rigs on the other.
Finally, see if you need a device just for volume control or an expression pedal in the same package. The difference is that volume pedals allow you to control only the output strength of your instrument, while the expression jack allows you to connect any effect to the pedal and control its level.
What Does A Guitar Volume Pedal Do?
We already addressed this question in the intro, but we might as well dedicate a separate segment to it. So, a volume pedal's basic function is to control the output volume of your instrument. Additionally, it can be combined with the expression function, allowing the pedal to control the level of any desired effect pedal you connect it with.
Finally, there are a few models out there that also include the wah effect in the package. This is not exactly a common case, but they're out there. If you find the concept intriguing, we recommend checking out the Hotone Soul Press pedal.
What's The Best Way To Use A Volume Pedal?
Needless to say, there is no "best" way to utilize one of these devices, but there is a certainly a variety of ways to put them into use.
One way to use them is to pull the pedal all the way up and set up your town. This way, you will be able to crank up your volume whenever needed by pressing the pedal and returning it to normal value by pulling it back up. As you might have guessed, this is great for solo spots.
Second way to use the pedal is essentially the opposite thing to the first one – floor the pedal and then make the adjustments. This way, you will be able to decrease your power whenever needed. However, bigger portion of players prefers the first way and then just uses the volume knob or control on their instrument to decrease the power when needed.
Finally, you can leave the pedal somewhere in the middle and then set up. This way, you will be able to go up and down and both increase and decrease your sonic strength. It's the most versatile way for sure, but the tricky bit is returning the pedal to that middle spot once you want to get back to the original value. That's where the first feature from the next segment comes in super handy. Read on!
Useful Features To Watch Out For
There's a nifty a feature called minimum volume comes in very handy, as it allows you to set the amount of volume that will be delivered when the pedal is set to the lowest value. In our opinion, this is basically the key thing to look out for as far as extra features go.
The second thing would be the ability to adjust the flexibility of the pedal, or how hard do you need to stomp to move it. This option gives a personalized feel and allows the player to get the best out of the device.
Finally, some pedals have a tuner out, which allows you to separately plug in a tuner and keep your instrument in proper shape during shows. Not a bad option, but hardly a necessary one.
How Much Money Should I Spend On A Good Volume Pedal?
The answer to that question greatly depends on the quality you're looking to get. But to get a solid pedal, we say at least $60 to $70. If you want a great model, though, around $100 should cover it. Finally, if you want to get cheap volume pedal that will actually do the job despite a few drawbacks, you can get one for as low as $30.
However, if you're delving into the budget-friendly domain, we highly recommend choosing one of the two models we have listed above - Yamaha FC7 or M-Audio EX-P. There's a lot of cheap crap out there – pardon the expression – and these are two low-price models that are definitely decent in our book.
Do I Need To Get Any Additional Paid Accessories With A Volume Pedal?
Actually, volume pedals are the least demanding type of musical gear as far as additional equipment goes. The majority of other devices at least requires you to get a power supply or batteries on the side, but seeing that most of volume pedals are passive tools, they don't even require that. All you will need is an extra cable, so you can connect your instrument to the pedal and then the pedal to your amp, and that's it. Simple and easy stuff, just how we like it!
New vs. Used Volume Pedal
In general, we are pretty much always for getting new stuff. It's safer, cleaner and secured with a warranty. As far as volume pedals go, we most definitely do NOT recommend getting a used cheap pedal. Cheaper models tend to be more prone to damage, and you don't want to end up with a device you can't use for anything. When it comes to more expensive models, they actually are sturdy enough to take a solid beating and still be perfectly usable even as second-hand goods.
But if you are going to delve into the used market, we thoroughly recommend bringing along someone who knows their stuff. Or even better, be someone who knows their stuff!
Conclusion
And this steadily bring us to the very end of our journey, folks. We hope you enjoyed the ride, and may even have found your perfect choice for the best guitar volume pedal. If you're still not determined, we recommend jotting down your exact needs, preferences and spending budget, sifting through our reviews some more, and pinpointing that perfect product.
In our opinion, each of the listed products is worthy of attention of just about any musician, as they all do a stellar job for their respective price range. As long as you are after a solid volume or expression pedal, these are the choices you cannot regret making.
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