fish1963 - Posted - 02/22/2023:  07:58:50

Hello all. I have a Myers Feather pickup for the 5 string banjo. myerspickups.com/pickups/the-f...er-series

I like it a lot. Good sound. I play in a honky tonk band and I could use a volume gain for leads. I don't like turning up the volume switch on the unit with my hand and would prefer a simple stomp switch for a volume increase. I'm just after a volume increase ... nothing fancy.

Did a bunch of research, even sent an email to the Myer company but neither have produced a definitive answer.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

KCJones - Posted - 02/22/2023:  08:17:32

Are you looking for an increase in volume, or an increase in gain? Generally a stomp switch will be a gain increase rather than volume. Volume adjustments typically come in the form of a pedal rather than stomp switch.



The solutions are numerous and simple if you need volume. Boss makes a good one, probably the 'default', that's what I use and it works just fine. The trick is to set your volume to the low point when the pedal isn't depressed, then when you want to do a lead solo you press the volume pedal forward and increase the volume. There's a dial where you can set the low and high points. It's not quite as fast as a button, but with a bit of practice it's essentially the same thing. An advantage of the volume pedal is that it's a sliding scale, so you have more options than just "loud lead" and "quiet backup". If you get good at it, volume pedals are great for those little banjo licks that pop up between verses. And with practice, you can keep your foot on the pedal while you solo and do backup, and the pedal basically gives the same function as stepping up or backing away from a mic like you see in more traditional bluegrass groups.

Boss Volume Pedal

Edited by - KCJones on 02/22/2023 08:18:53

fish1963 - Posted - 02/22/2023:  08:46:08

KCJones ... thanks. I have an ernie ball pedal but have not tried it yet. The stomp switch I have works with the Electric Banjo but not the Myers pickup.

What I am hunting for is someone who has used this particular microphone and their solution for a volume gain.