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Hi
I am looking to buy the VPM 1 model for my Ernie Ball VP jr. What controls the tension/position of the sweep pedal? I know I had the string off mine once and the pedal was very sloppy no tension at all without the spring and the sweep pedal would flop forward all the time.Thanks
Thanks for your interest in the VPM-1.
We don’t do anything to the actual pedal hardware. On the 20 or so units that I’ve modded on used Ernie Ball VP Jr pedals, all of them seem to behave properly…the treadle stays in place when it’s set in one position. It sound’s like your VP Jr may be too worn out to use this way. When I get some time I’ll take the treadle off of one of them and see if there is any adjustments that can be made to tighten the axel up.
-Brach
Thanks Brach. I’ll keep tuned in here.
Hello! I am certainly interested in the mod however I really like the “feel” of the Ernie Ball pedal and I’m under the impression the string has a lot to do with this but I may be mistaken. If anyone can provide feedback about whether the mod changes or maintains the feel of the pedal, that would be welcome information.
Daniel,
I hope other people chime in too, but i feel the same way about the feel of the EB VP Jr. The axle is in the perfect position to get good accuracy in sweeping through the taper…unlike those volume pedals build on a wah pedal chassis.
In designing this mod, i tried to make the sweep feel as natural as possible…and that’s why we gave it 5 different tapers, so people could choose the one that feels the best for them. I’ve also noticed that a big part of the feel (at least to me) has to do with where in the sweep the action happens…meaning where most of the volume change occurs. Through the calibration process you can decide where the 0 volume point is and where the max volume point is, so that, in conjunction with the different tapers gives a lot of options for setting it up in a way that feels right for your foot.
Anyway, i hope others pitch in with their opinions too.
-Brach
Thank you Brach for your thoughtful response! I also hope to see other opinions regarding any potential change in tension after this mod. The mod design is really amazingly well thought out. I’ve read the entire assembly manual from start to finish already!
I had the same complaint. The tension of the pedal became too loose when the string/spring was removed. I added an additional plastic washer to the cylinder that holds the rocker onto the chassis, and it smoothed the action nicely.
Scott Velazco, I’m curious about your fix with adding a washer. How did you get the cylinder (Think you are talking about the axle that the pedal itself sits on?) off the chassis?
So yeah, I was able to slide the axle out just by pushing it through with a screwdriver. Once it slid out, there were plastic washers that went in between the outer holes of the foot rocker and the inside holes Of the chassis. I just added an additional thin plastic washer to add a little friction.
I have a tutorial that i’m working on that describes how to tighten the treadle on these VP Jr pedals. I’m hoping to have it done within the next 2 weeks. Sorry it’s taken so long to get it done. My work schedule has suffered from this pandemic. Anyway, the process is pretty easy, you just have to take the whole pedal apart so it takes some time. I’ll post on this forum again when it’s done.
-BrachAlright everyone….
I just got done with the tutorial on tightening the treadle’s sweep. I updated both the Owner’s Manual and the Assembly Manual with an appendix called “TIGHTENING THE TREADLE ACTION.” Hopefully it’s clear enough and easy to understand. It describes the easiest way I’ve found to get a “stiffer” action in the treadle.
FYI…the original, bigger Ernie Ball volume pedals don’t have the tension washer on the axle so they depend a lot more on the string to get the proper tension. I have had success installing some tension washers on these volume pedals…after this washer mod they work great with excellent treadle stiffness. This has to be a consideration if/when we release this VPM-1 mod for the original sized Ernie Ball volume pedals.
-Brach
