FAQ

01. Does Ernie Ball make a Wah pedal for Kirk Hammett in Metallica?

02. Explain the way the 6165 Volume/Pan Pedal works.

03. I'd like to know detail features of the 6165 and 6168 pedals. And what are the differences? On the 6165, does it mean the volume pans left and right sides? And on the 6168 pedal, what does the switch actually do?

04. Can I get my Ernie Ball volume pedal rebuilt/repaired? What is involved, and for what cost?

05. What does the little switch in my 250k volume pedal do?

06. What does the toe-tap switch on the #6168 pedal do?

07. When would I use an active (25k) pedal as opposed to a 250k/500k "passive" pedal, and why?

08. My string & spring came off of my volume pedal? How do I reinstall it?

09. I have a guitar with a Piezo Acoustic pickup and a stereo output. Can a volume pedal be made with a single TRS input and dual outputs? Can it be set to simply blend between the 2 sounds? with toe or foot position closing out one or the other sound?

10. Can I interchange or replace the potentiometers in my EB Volume pedal with any other type of pot? For example, can I change a stereo pedal to a mono? How about using a different type of pot altogether?

11. Is the tuner output active in the volume off heel position?

12. What are the dimensions and weights of your volume pedals?

13. Is there any way of adding the minimum volume feature that was on the old Stereo Volume Pedals?

14. What changes have been made to your volume pedal line? I understand that in 1998 they went through an almost complete design change.

15. What are the values of the potentiometers that you use in your pedals, and are they audio or linear taper?

16. Can the Ernie Ball Volume Pedal be used as an expression pedal?

17. I recently had you guys rebuild my older EB Volume Pedal and the new pot does not distribute the volume like the old pot did. Is this correct?

18. Do you have schematics for your volume pedals?

19. My volume pedal sounds scratchy. What should I do?

20. My sound is affected when I plug my tuner into the TUNER jack of my pedal. Is my pedal defective?


Q: Does Ernie Ball make a Wah pedal for Kirk Hammett in Metallica?
A: No, he's using our Mono Volume pedal as a voltage controller for his Dunlop Wah rack effects.

Q: Explain the way the 6165 Volume/Pan Pedal works.
A: In addition to controlling volume, it can also pan a mono guitar to two separate amp rigs or separate channels and allow a player to "pan" between the two separate outputs, for example being able to blend "clean" and "dirty" channels. It also has a stereo input to keep a stereo instrument true stereo while allowing panning. Another use could be controlling two instruments' volume at one time. A flick of the toe-tap switch changes it from a volume pedal to a pan pedal.

Q: I'd like to know detail features of the 6165 and 6168 pedals. And what are the differences? On the 6165, does it mean the volume pans left and right sides? And on the 6168 pedal, what does the switch actually do?
A: Although they may look similar, the #6165 and the #6168 pedals are very different. The 6165 volume/pan pedal is a most versatile pedal. In addition to controlling volume, it can also pan a mono guitar to two separate amp rigs or separate channels and allow a player to "pan" between the two separate outputs. Example: being able to blend "clean" and "dirty" channels. It also has a stereo input to keep a stereo instrument truly stereo while allowing panning. Another use could be to control two instruments' volume simultaneously. A flick of the toe-tap switch changes the function from a volume pedal to a pan pedal. The toe-tap switch on the #6168 is designed to replace an amp function switch, very often a channel selector switch. It allows a player, while he is already adjusting the volume, to perform a function for which a separate switch is normally needed. Another difference between the two similar looking pedals is that the #6165 is a stereo pedal and the #6168 is a mono pedal.

Q: Can I get my Ernie Ball volume pedal rebuilt/repaired? What is involved, and for what cost?
A:

Yes, your Ernie Ball volume pedal can be rebuilt/repaired no matter how old or new. (All pedals carry a 6 month manufacturer warranty) We replace the potentiometer, Kevlar cords, spring, feet, jacks, matting, bushings, and virtually everything except the outer casing. We even clean it for you! Lastly, we thoroughly test your volume pedal to ensure it once again works good as new! If you wish to have your volume pedal rebuilt/repaired (USA only -for outside the U.S., see below) click here to download the volume pedal return form. Please be sure to completely fill out the form and send it in with your volume pedal and payment*. The same form can be used for warranty repairs. The costs for rebuild/repair are as follows:

Stereo - Jacks on sides (P06159): US$75 Mono - Jacks on sides (P06160): US$55 Keyboard - Jacks on sides (P06163): US$75 Stereo/Pan - VP98 (P06165): US$75 Mono - VP98 (P06166): US$55 Stereo 25K - VP98 (P06167): US$75 Mono/Switch - VP98 (P06168): US$55 Mono - VPJR (P06180): US$55 25K - VPJR (P06181): US$55

*For string and spring replacement only, cost is $25. *All volume pedal rebuilds under our 6 month warranty are free of charge, but a copy of the original receipt must be sent in with the volume pedal. You pay shipping to us, and we pay shipping back (U.S. only). We recommend shipping UPS. Click here for instructions on how to replace your VP spring and string (PDF) For International customers: Please click here to get contact information for the distributor in your country: http://www.ernieball.com/international-dealers/

Click here for instructions on how to replace your VP spring and string (PDF)

Click Here for the Volume Pedal Return Form (PDF)



Q: What does the little switch in my 250k volume pedal do?
A: It is a micro-switch that controls the sweep of the potentiometer. The pot has an audio taper: from the heel postion to toe position it has a gradual sweep of volume until the last 1/3 of travel, then the volume has a more dramtic increase. The micro switch boosts the front of the sweep when switched to the left (or to the up-position on the 6180 VPJR), giving the pedal a slightly more gradual volume increase from heel to toe.

Q: What does the toe-tap switch on the #6168 pedal do?
A: The toe-tap switch to which you refer on the #6168 is designed to replace an amp function switch, very often a channel selector switch. It allows a player, while he is already adjusting the volume, to perform a function for which a separate switch is normally needed. In addition, like our standard 6166 volume pedal, a micro-switch inside the pedal controls the sweep of the potentiometer. The pot has an audio taper, from the heel postion to toe position it has a gradual sweep of volume until the last 1/3 of travel, then the volume has a more dramtic increase. The micro switch gives the pedal a smoother, more gradual volume increase from heel to toe.

Q: When would I use an active (25k) pedal as opposed to a 250k/500k "passive" pedal, and why?
A: Passive vs. Active: Whenever there is a passive signal leading into an EB pedal, the 250K or 500K pedal is recommended (mono VP & VPJR 250K and stereo 500K VP pedals available). Whenever there is an active signal (powered preamp in the instrument, effects loop, etc.) leading into an EB pedal, the 25K pot is recommended (stereo VP and mono VPJR pedals available). If an active signal is placed before a 250K or 500K EB pedal, or if a passive signal is placed before a 25K EB pedal, then the consequence may be that the swell of the pedal does not act as designed. Either way, as stated above, try whatever combination you desire, and determine if it works for you. All of our volume pedals are designed to be as transparent as possible in a signal chain. However, whenever you add any component to a signal chain, the signal will change whether it is audible or not. Keyboards are generally served best by the 25k pedals as well.

Q: My string & spring came off of my volume pedal? How do I reinstall it?
A: To replace the string and spring: [RIGHT CLICK HERE AND "SAVE LINK AS..." FOR INSTRUCTIONS WITH PICTURES] (PDF)

Q: I have a guitar with a Piezo Acoustic pickup and a stereo output. Can a volume pedal be made with a single TRS input and dual outputs? Can it be set to simply blend between the 2 sounds? with toe or foot position closing out one or the other sound?
A: When using our 6165 Stereo Pan Pedal, the A input/outputs are mono and the B inputs/outputs are stereo. If you are using a stereo cable, you should run the cable to the B side and then out both A and B jacks. Any effects should go ahead of the pedal if possible. You will be able to control both volumes simultaneously, or, when using the toe-tap switch, be able to pan the volume to each output.

Q: Can I interchange or replace the potentiometers in my EB Volume pedal with any other type of pot? For example, can I change a stereo pedal to a mono? How about using a different type of pot altogether?
A: Replacing potentiometers with different values and/or from different manufacturers: For all of our pedals, VP and VPJR, unfortunately the answer is no. In our VP line, the MONO 250K pot cannot be replaced with our STEREO 25K pot, due to design differences in both the circuit and the potentiometer. As for the VPJR line, the 2 pedals were designed so that the user could choose the pedal they desire, and again, the pots cannot be changed due to design differences in the circuit. As for switching the pots between the 2 lines of pedals, this also cannot be accomplished due to size differences in the assembly components. Remember, if you attempt to modify the pedal in any way it voids all warranties!

Q: Is the tuner output active in the volume off heel position?
A: The tuner out is wired directly to the input jack and usable at all times.

Q: What are the dimensions and weights of your volume pedals?
A: The VP's dimensions are approximately 11" x 4" x 2.75" and they weigh about 3.75 lb. The VPJR's dimensions are approximately 10" x 3.5" x 2.5" and they weigh about 2.25 lb.

Q: Is there any way of adding the minimum volume feature that was on the old Stereo Volume Pedals?
A: Unfortunately we are unable to add a custom minimum volume feature to our current pedal design.

Q: What changes have been made to your volume pedal line? I understand that in 1998 they went through an almost complete design change.
A: Some of our old style MONO pedals were fit with a taper pot on the side, which gradually modified the taper of the volume pot. In 1998, these taper pots were replaced with a taper switch, which you can now find in all of our 250K mono pedals. This switch was designed to enable the user to choose between the 2 best sounding tapers available in the previous models. Some of our old style STEREO pedals were fit with a minimum volume pot on the side, which set the volume level of the pedal at the sweep's minimum position. Sometime before 1998, the minimum volume pot was removed from the pedals. In 1995, the tuner jack was implemented into all of the mono pedals that can be found in our current line of VPs.

Q: What are the values of the potentiometers that you use in your pedals, and are they audio or linear taper?
A: VP line potentiometers: 25K Stereo Audio (log) taper, 250K Mono Audio (log) taper, 500K Stereo Linear taper; VPJR line potentiometers: 25K Mono Audio (log) taper, 250K Mono Audio (log) taper

Q: Can the Ernie Ball Volume Pedal be used as an expression pedal?
A: Normally the answer is no. Our volume pedals very simply require a signal input into one jack and an output is sent out of another jack. Most expression pedals are sent a single TRS cable from the device it is to control which both sends and receives an electronic signal. These are two markedly different functions and one cannot be substituted for the other without intense modification. An expression pedal controls the amount of voltage that allows certain functions, such as, delay, distortion levels, volume, etc. in a keyboard or an effects processor to perform to whatever parameters the user sets it up to do. Our pedal may work as an expression pedal, but the manufacturer usually suggests what type of pot needs to be used, 500k, 250k, 25k, etc. in a pedal, keyboard, or an effects processor. The pedal might require a more sophisticated design. It is best to contact the manufacturer to determine what type of pedal is necessary.

Q: I recently had you guys rebuild my older EB Volume Pedal and the new pot does not distribute the volume like the old pot did. Is this correct?
A: We have used at least 4 different companies to custom-build our potententiomers since the pedal's inception in the 70's. Since 1998, we have been using Tocos pots, which we feel are among the very best available today. However, they do have a different "sweep" than the older pots do. On top of the fact that potentiometers in general have very wide tolerances, the fact that upon rebuild we are removing one vendors pot and replacing it with another, there will be some obvious differences in the pedal's sound. Here's the scoop: we no longer stock the pots of old, not only because we can't get them, but also because we do not think they are as consistently good as the Tocos pots. The Tocos pots are the most consistent, high quality pots we have tested. With regards to the sweep changing, that is due to modern day pot manufacturing techniques that are used across the industry.

Q: Do you have schematics for your volume pedals?
A: Yes, you will find the schematics for the majority of our volume pedals, old and new, in PDF below: po6165_vp_stereo-pan_500k_1999-10-12.pdf po6165_vp_stereo-pan_500k_with_trim_pot_1985-01-22.pdf po6166_vp_mono_250k_1987-06-29.pdf po6166_vp_mono_250k_with_taper_pot_1979-01-03.pdf po6166_vp_mono_250k_with_taper_switch_1997-08-20.pdf po6166_vp_mono_250k_with_tone_pot_1984-01-24.pdf po6166_vp_mono_250k_with_trim_pot_1976-10-04.pdf po6166_vp_mono_250k_with_trim_pot_1984-05-15.pdf po6167_vp_stereo_25k_1997-08-15.pdf po6168_vp_mono_250k-switch_with_taper_switch_2003-02-10.pdf po6180_vpjr_mono_250k_with_taper_switch_2003-02-10.pdf po6181_vpjr_mono_25k_2003-02-10.pdf

Q: My volume pedal sounds scratchy. What should I do?
A: It sounds like the potentiometer might need replacing. If your pedal is old or hasn't been used for a while, there might be some oxidation in the potentiometer. Often times you can work-out the scratchiness simply by rocking the pedal back and forth many times. Information on our rebuild program is addressed in a previous question.

Q: My sound is affected when I plug my tuner into the TUNER jack of my pedal. Is my pedal defective?
A: No. Certain tuners can potentially affect the circuit. The Tuner itself is not "in" the signal path, but it is still connected to the circuit. A tuner with a low input impedance can potentially load down the signal, affecting the volume or tone of your instrument. We recommend experimenting with a different tuner.


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