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Fireguy8402 « Nice volume pedal, but I like the Big Boss Version. »
Published on 12/23/11 at 08:11The VP JR. is a passive volume pedal from Ernie Ball. There are no bells and whistles; there is an input jack to plug your instrument into, an output jack to plug your amplifier into, and an output jack to plug your tuner into. It has a potentiometer with 250k ohm of resistance, so it is suitable for passive instruments. A micro switch offers two different styles of swell rates. Dimensions are 3-12" wide x 10" long x 2-3/8" high.
UTILIZATION
The actual foot pedal and shell of this pedal is built out of solid metal, and the pivot shaft and springs are made of stainless steel, so they should last. This pedal uses a Kevlar string, that over time, wears out and needs replacing. That isn’t too much of a pain since they are available for purchase online, but I would think Ernie Ball would come up with a better system or provide an extra string or two with your initial purchase. Having the tuner output is a good bonus not found on all volume pedals, but I would like to have seen a minimum volume setting like on the Boss models.
SOUND QUALITY
This pedal does change your tone a little when it’s in your signal path. I’ve tried it in the loop of my amps and in front of the amp, it sucks a little tone. When I used this pedal I just compensated a little more high end on my amp and it was fine, but I thought it needed mentioning. The two tapers are very smooth and the pedal rolls back very cleanly. You can go from clean to dirty if it’s in front of your amp, or as a more dramatic volume only alteration when it’s in your effects loop. I like to do volume swells and violin like passages, and the tapers on this pedal work well for that.
OVERALL OPINION
Overall I liked this pedal until I picked up the Boss volume pedal. The Boss pedal is huge in comparison, but is built to last a lot longer and incorporates a minimum volume knob. This is great for going between two different settings and not having to worry about over shooting it. The Boss also does not seem to suck as much tone off the high end as the Ernie Ball. I have to give the smoothest taper feel to Ernie Ball though. If reliability and tone suck is more important to you, I’d go with the Boss. If pedal feel and pedal board real estate is more important go with the Ernie Ball.
UTILIZATION
The actual foot pedal and shell of this pedal is built out of solid metal, and the pivot shaft and springs are made of stainless steel, so they should last. This pedal uses a Kevlar string, that over time, wears out and needs replacing. That isn’t too much of a pain since they are available for purchase online, but I would think Ernie Ball would come up with a better system or provide an extra string or two with your initial purchase. Having the tuner output is a good bonus not found on all volume pedals, but I would like to have seen a minimum volume setting like on the Boss models.
SOUND QUALITY
This pedal does change your tone a little when it’s in your signal path. I’ve tried it in the loop of my amps and in front of the amp, it sucks a little tone. When I used this pedal I just compensated a little more high end on my amp and it was fine, but I thought it needed mentioning. The two tapers are very smooth and the pedal rolls back very cleanly. You can go from clean to dirty if it’s in front of your amp, or as a more dramatic volume only alteration when it’s in your effects loop. I like to do volume swells and violin like passages, and the tapers on this pedal work well for that.
OVERALL OPINION
Overall I liked this pedal until I picked up the Boss volume pedal. The Boss pedal is huge in comparison, but is built to last a lot longer and incorporates a minimum volume knob. This is great for going between two different settings and not having to worry about over shooting it. The Boss also does not seem to suck as much tone off the high end as the Ernie Ball. I have to give the smoothest taper feel to Ernie Ball though. If reliability and tone suck is more important to you, I’d go with the Boss. If pedal feel and pedal board real estate is more important go with the Ernie Ball.