Best Volume Pedals for Guitar (top 4 picks)

The volume pedal is a simple, one-dimensional piece of guitar gear.

While some of them have added features (like a stereo connection, tuner output or adjustable boost), most of these pedals just control volume.

The technology is simple, which makes picking out the best volume pedals a little trickier.

Are there features that actually matter?

There are, and we'll look at those features while covering a list of the four best volume pedals for guitar, having filtered out everything we don't like or haven't tested ourselves.

The Ernie Ball VP JR is by far one of the most popular volume pedals in existence, and also happens to be one of the most affordable.

You'll note that there is a 25K and 250K version available, which mean a low and high impedance option.

The "feel" of the VP JR foot pedal is a lot smoother than pedals like the Dunlop High Gain. It feels as if it's not letting you push down or roll back too quickly. Cheaper volume pedals can feel a little clunky and haphazard in this regard, but the VP JR does a good job of leading your foot and sort of guiding you into certain positions.

For the basic functionality of a volume pedal, guitar players usually don't look any further than the VP JR, and neither do we.

It's our first recommendation for all musical styles and skill levels.

Morley's Volume PLUS is designed to work in both high and low impedance scenarios - which basically means we can use it either in or out of an effects loop. 

These pedals are also designed without any pots, in favor of an electro-optical design that's a lot quieter. 

The design is similar to the Morley Little Alligator, which used to circulate as another Steve Vai signature pedal.

Morley also adds a minimum volume knob allowing you to go back and forth between two specific points. This is a fantastic feature we don't see with many other volume pedals in this price range.

If the minimum volume setting is something that you'd use frequently (and that you'd prefer over the tuner output), the Volume PLUS should get a ranking bump over the Ernie Ball VP JR.

This iteration of the Ernie Ball volume series adds two notable features to the front control panel: Minimum volume and gain control.

The minimum volume knob functions the same way as the Volume PLUS, allowing you to go back and forth between two distinct volume points at the top and bottom of the pedal's sweep position. The gain knob is basically a boost option. This turns your volume pedal into a signal booster that you can use for solos- making the MVP ideal for live performances.

The MVP retails somewhere around $20 - $30 (more than the VP Jr.), which means we'd only recommend it above that pedal (and the Morley) if you'd use the gain knob and the minimum volume control. Those are performance-friendly features, so folks shopping for a gigging pedalboard might want to invest in the MVP.

Boss's entry into the volume pedal arena is - in our opinion - a successful one, particularly since they offer two variations of the FV-500: 

An H and L version for a mono/high impedance connection and a stereo/low impedance connection. 

The sweep motion on the pedal is also really smooth - comparable to both the Ernie Ball and Morley offerings. We also like the rubber grip on top of the pedal which gives an additional level of control since the surface isn't completely flat.

The only knock against the FV-500H is the lack of a minimum volume control.

We like the FV-500H (assuming you need the more common high impedance version), for any and all volume control situations.

Strymon has an article that explains this in detail and provides some helpful graphics. For volume pedals, they would be placed near the front of your signal, after compression (if you're using compression) but before wah or filter effects.

Best Way to Use a Volume Pedal

In most cases your volume pedal should connect like any other pedal, with the input coming from your guitar and the output continuing onto your next pedal or amplifier. 

Stereo Volume Pedal Connections

The connection for a stereo volume pedal is also simple in that it allows you to plug two instruments into an A and B input or send the signal of one instrument into two A and B outputs.

Here's what it would look like on the 25K Stereo volume pedal from Ernie Ball.

A setup example would be if you wanted to run the signal from one guitar to two different amps or two different pedal lines. If you're using only one input, you're running a "mono connection."

If you're using both inputs you're running a "stereo connection."

Volume Pedal VS a Guitar Volume Knob

The important thing to understand when you're using either a volume knob or a volume pedal to reduce your signal is that you're technically reducing gain.

The difference between gain and raw volume is the following:

• Gain- Refers to signal levels going into the preamp
• Raw or "Master" Volume- Refers to signal levels going into the power amp

In other words, gain is the signal coming directly from your guitar before it gets to the three-band EQ in your amplifier. In this respect, both a volume knob and volume pedal are controlling the gain, since they're able to reduce signal before it reaches a preamp.

The difference is that volume pedals are easier to control and often have more dynamic features like swell points or "pan" mode. 

Conclusion

Have questions about these volume pedals that we didn't address?

Jot it down in the comments section below and we'll see if we can help.

We also love hearing pedal suggestions and recommendations for these types of articles. So if you know of a pedal that you think should make our best volume pedals roundup, let us know about it.