Derby volume pedal

[Marc Muller]

Question: I have 3 and all when fully depressed still have a lot more volume to go. They stop at the floor only halfway in the volume sweep. The metal foot stops it. No matter where I set the little screws for height. Is this normal? Built like that for a reason? Yeah sure, I can just turn the amp up but sure would like fully depressed volume if possible. I generally use the Hilton at home but hate having to plug in at a gig and bring the Derby. Thanks!

[Jerry Overstreet]

Been a long time since Charlie showed me how to adjust the pot volume by slipping the string without any disassembly. I've forgotten how it's done, but it's probably the same as the Emmons or other pedals built on that same model. Probably other players here know what I'm referencing to instruct you.

[Stew Crookes]

Question: I have 3 and all when fully depressed still have a lot more volume to go. They stop at the floor only halfway in the volume sweep. The metal foot stops it. No matter where I set the little screws for height. Is this normal? Built like that for a reason? Yeah sure, I can just turn the amp up but sure would like fully depressed volume if possible. I generally use the Hilton at home but hate having to plug in at a gig and bring the Derby. Thanks!

Like Jerry says, it's presumably like a Goodrich or other passive pedal where you loosen the little clamp thingy on the pot shaft and rotate it a bit and retighten - but are you certain that there's that much of the taper left on the pot? Passive volume pedals even turned fully up will always be quieter than plugging in direct, or with an active pedal like the Hilton (which can even cleanly boost the signal)

[Marc Muller]

Thanks all. Weird all 3 stop at half taper because of the metat foot. I could try adjusting the string, as long as it's a smooth taper from off to full with only half the rotation. Yes, the Hilton is much louder with no signal or tone loss and is used home in the studio. Mine is older with the boat anchor plug.

[Charlie Powell]

I think you are having the same problem I have had with Emmons from time to time. In my situation, the pedal bar was just too low, too close to the floor so the "foot" protrusion in the volume pedal hits the floor before you are at full volume with the pot. Easy solution, make your legs 1/2 inch longer and mount your pedal bar a little bit higher above the floor. That will allow your volume pedal to operate in its full sweep. I put a shaft collar on my legs just above the rubber foot to prevent the bar from creeping down. See attached pic. It will also make your pedal heights change and you will need to re-adjust them. If you count the turns to adjust one, (I use B pedal to start), it will be the exact same number of turns on each pedal to get them back where they started. Hope my explanation was not too confusing.

[Marc Muller]

I think you are having the same problem I have had with Emmons from time to time. In my situation, the pedal bar was just too low, too close to the floor so the "foot" protrusion in the volume pedal hits the floor before you are at full volume with the pot. Easy solution, make your legs 1/2 inch longer and mount your pedal bar a little bit higher above the floor. That will allow your volume pedal to operate in its full sweep. I put a shaft collar on my legs just above the rubber foot to prevent the bar from creeping down. See attached pic. It will also make your pedal heights change and you will need to re-adjust them. If you count the turns to adjust one, (I use B pedal to start), it will be the exact same number of turns on each pedal to get them back where they started. Hope my explanation was not too confusing.

Was thinking the same thing. Until I figured out I'd have to adjust pedal height too, then said fck it and used the Hilton. Too bad, I actually like the feel of the traditional volume pedals. Smoother and easier to control and not over volume pedal your playing.

[Ron Pruter]

Just a thought. A larger diameter wrapping pulley/spindle, would get you somewhere faster. Might take a little getting use to. Ron

[Marc Muller]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I just find it so odd that each pedal, no matter how they're set up, or on what surface, stops the volume at halfway. Do others like Goodrich do the same thing? I've just pivoted back to the Hilton and deal with the boat anchor power supply.

[Larry Dering]

Looking at the design of the pedal you can see there's no way to get a full travel. I'm not sure the geared design does any better because the pedal has to set low to the floor. But the legends have used these same design pedals on all the music you heard since the beginning. If it's good enough for them then who am I to complain?

[Marc Muller]

I must say I do prefer the feel of the old pedals, more control and less prone to that hyper volume pedal overuse. And of course, you can always turn the amp up.

[Bobby D. Jones]

What is the diameter of the spindle sleeve that attaches to shaft of the pot?
How much string travel does the pedal have from Off to full on?
From the problem you you are describing, Sounds like the spindle may be around .410 to ,425 in diameter.
I had the same problem with a volume pedal. The pot only turned about 1/2 turn/180 degrees.
Most pots have 3/4/270 degrees of travel from Off to Full On.

[Lane Gray]

All pot pedals don't give you full travel of the pot. That's because the internal stops of the pot could be wiped out by your calf muscles with no trouble at all. So the pedal contains stops that don't let you get near the stops in the pot.
Half volume? That seems odd. I always set mine for full-on at full throw, but it doesn't shut all the way off.

[Jerry Overstreet]

What I was trying to describe is a way to hold that string and slip the pulley to advance the pot toward full travel, pedal open. This procedure is done without loosening or disassembling anything on this style of open bottom pedals.

I've forgotten exactly how it's done, but I can't be the only here who has done this with the Emmons style pedal bar mount pedals. Players everywhere have used these style pedals without problems for years and there must be someone out there that can describe better what I'm talking about.

So you can't have it both ways, true, so if you adjust it full travel at open it will not shut completely off when closed.

[Lane Gray]

Since I've always wound the string around the screw, I have always just undone it from one end or the other, advanced both pedal and pot to wide open, and reattached the string.