Morley Volume Pedals for Guitar/Bass

The Morley little alligator is an optical controlled volume pedal. Most volume pedals operate with s volume pot similar to the one on your guitar with a string attached to the foot treadle. There is no internal potentiometer or string to wear out inside this pedal. It has standard 1/4" input and out put jacks, 9 volt DC jack, bottom battery compartment, and a knob for minimum volume when in heel down position. UTILIZATION This is as simple as it gets in the pedal world. I do not think I even ever opened the manual when I bought it. SOUND QUALITY I have used this both in front of my amp as well as in the effects loop with similar results. Many people complain about volume pedals sucking high end and fullness from their signal but I do not notice any of that with the Morley. It seems to preserve your tone even when dialing down the volume and I like it much better than using the guitar's volume control as that normally kills your high end. In the effects loop this pedal works great as a control for lead boosts. The minimum volume knob allows you to have the pedal all the way back in the heel down position for your main volume and then kick it up during solos. I like that much better than an abrupt volume change using some amps solo boosts. Using it in the effects loop also allows you to swell in distorted tones without reducing the amount gain. OVERALL OPINION I think this is one of the better volume pedals out there. I have tried the large Ernie ball pedals and they seem to roll off some high end. It is not really noticeable in the amp's effects loop but I use the volume pedal in different ways depending on the gig. I also prefer the optical set-up as opposed to the string in the Ernie ball. I have seen those things break on people in the middle of a gig and it's not something that can be fixed with a quickness. I have owned this pedal for many years now and not had one hang up with it.

This is just your basic volume pedal. As far as those go, it's pretty good. It's analog, old-school and to the point. Nothing extra thrown in but that's how I like it. Nothing in the way of midi or audio/outs. UTILIZATION It's easy to set up and easy to use. It's a big pedal, and it's pretty awkward to carry around, but if that's not a problem for you then it won't matter. I personally don't like to drag big pedals around very much, so I have a hard time with that. There's not much need for a manual but If you must consult it, the manual lays everything out pretty well. It's easy to grasp. At one point I had an issue with the pedal where it wouldn't go to full volume, but I looked inside and noticed that the runner was loose and that I simply needed to tighten it. I tightened it a little too much, but then went back and fixed it and it worked fine. SOUND QUALITY I generally like the sound I get out of it. It doesn't really rob you of clarity when it's working at half-strength or lower, like some other volume pedals tend to do. I use it with my '67 Strat and my Fender Deluxe Reverb and it works great. Sometimes that amp really cooks and you need to ease it back, and this pedal is good for doing that without making it sound muddy and unclear. OVERALL OPINION There are certainly better-sounding pedals out there but they tend to be more expensive. In my honest opinion, unless you have a large budget or are a pro, there's no real need for anything that much better. I've never had a problem in the 4 years that I've had it. I think that I lucked out finding a used one for really cheap, but even then, new ones aren't too pricey. I tried some other models and I liked them, but not as much as this, and this being used, it ended up being cheaper. I ultimately believe I made the right choice. Now, I'd probably shop around a little bit more and see what else is out there. I'm sure there's something better, but I don't regret this purchase at all.