Goodrich LDR 2 Volume Pedal

Danny Hullihen · Post by **Danny Hullihen** » 28 Dec 2004 2:25 pm

Has anyone had an opportunity to try the new Goodrich LDR 2 volume pedal? I recently got one of these, and I have a bunch to say about it, but I would like to see if anyone else has tried one of these new pedals yet, and if so, what your thoughts and opinions are on this new pedal.

George Macdonald · Post by **George Macdonald** » 28 Dec 2004 4:57 pm

Danny, Is the LDR-2 a replacement of the original LDR? What is the difference in the "2"? Thanks, George

Danny Hullihen · Post by **Danny Hullihen** » 28 Dec 2004 5:59 pm

George. The Goodrich LDR2 is actually an upgrade from the original LDR, and it's got some very cool features. I'll give you an update on this new pedal real soon.

David Spires · Post by **David Spires** » 28 Dec 2004 8:42 pm

Hey Danny,

I'm interested to hear too. I love my LDR, and was just thinking about getting a backup. Let me know what you think or find out!

Happy Holidays,

David Spires

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 29 Dec 2004 6:56 am

I'd like to know more also. Like David, I love mine and am close to ordering a second one, too...

Danny Hullihen · Post by **Danny Hullihen** » 29 Dec 2004 7:52 am

Okay guys, here's the scoop on the new Goodrich LDR2 volume pedal...

In a conversation I recently had with the folks at Goodrich, they say that for the past 35 years they have been focused on something that's been a bit of an illusive target... building a worry-free volume pedal that would perform perfectly everytime, all the time, and would be "fail-safe" and from what I've seen and experienced with this new pedal so far, I believe they just might have accomplished their goal.

The requirements Goodrich wanted to achieve was to build a volume pedal that would exceed all other units in areas such as, no change in tone of the signal going through it at ANY frequency, or at any volume level that doesn't distort the signal, the correct volume taper, is maintenance free, and most importantly... is "fail-safe."

Here's where the "fail-safe" part comes in. The new LDR2 pedal has 2 light sources in parallel. If after a very long time one of these light sources should ever fail, there's a back up light source built into this pedal that will automatically take over, and the pedal will continue to function as if nothing happened at all. The way you'll notice that there is a problem is that you will notice a slight difference in the pedals response, which will alert you to check these light sources through the top of the pedal. If one of them isn't lit, you will know then to return the pedal to Goodrich for replacement. Until such time though, you will still be able to use the pedal as you normally would.

Personally speaking, considering the inherent problems associated with practically anything electronic, I think incorporating a "fail-safe" device was a great idea, and if nothing else, it indeed does offer a little more peace of mind. Now if we could just find a way to do the same thing with amplifiers.

The LDR2 pedal features "selective inputs" allowing you to choose between Normal, and Full Frequency mode. The impedance of the Normal input jack is adjustable by rotating a Blue pot labeled TONE, in doing this it allows the user to obtain a particular desired sound. When you plug into the the Full Frequency jack, jacks 3 and 4 then become isolated outputs to drive 1 or 2 amps, or you can use one output to go directly to a mixing board with absolutely no losses or noise. There's also a gain pot on the bottom of this pedal which is adjustable. In addition, if you want to still have some volume when the pedal is in the Off position, there's also an adjustment for that.

Here again, the LDR2 pedal has no internal moving parts, no racks or pinions, no pot, and no battery. This is an extreamely quiet pedal, and it is free of distortion no matter what volume level you play at, and no tonal change whether the pedal is full on or full off, regardless of what input is being used, and no clipping no matter of how hard you pick the strings.

Another interesting thing I found with this new pedal is it has an adjustable tensioning device that allows the user to set this until he gets the "feel" he's looking for. With this, no matter what brand of pedal you're use to using, you can find a setting that will have the feel you're use to.

In any case, guys, I am very impressed with the new Goodrich LDR2 volume pedal. It looks like the folks at Goodrich covered all the bases with this one, and it's the best I've seen or used compared to just about anything else, and I've had them all!

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 29 Dec 2004 8:16 am

Seems like I recall that Goodrich's light beam pedal from the 70's also had two light bulbs for the same reason, however those were user-replacable. Too bad the new ones have to be sent back for replacement. That would pretty much mandate having a spare pedal just for those occasions.

Hook Moore · Post by **Hook Moore** » 29 Dec 2004 11:06 am

I am using that myself Danny..I love it

Hook

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HookMoore.com
Allen Moore

jim milewski · Post by **jim milewski** » 29 Dec 2004 4:57 pm

I wanted a light pedal back in the seventies, was told to contact Jim Gurley, he got me the Goodrich with the two bulbs, (I was expecting an Edwards) I think it may have been their first pedal, it worked great and the bulbs were easily replaced if need be

John Daugherty · Post by **John Daugherty** » 30 Dec 2004 7:26 am

Danny,is this the Goodrich pedal that has a power cord plugged in under the heel? I hear that it continually gets unplugged by the heel when playing.
It seems to me that the features "off point","signal strength" and "tone" are inovations used in the Hilton pedal before Goodrich decided to add these features. Did Goodrich copy these features?
Just my thoughts: I prefer to use a pedal made by the original inovator of these features. I prefer the Hilton pedal rather than choosing a "knockoff" from another manufacturer.
These are my opinions only and were added to this topic in an effort to balance the equation. I am in no way affiliated with a pedal manufacturer. However,I am sold on the integrity and quality support and service by Keith Hilton............JD

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 30 Dec 2004 7:36 am

<SMALL>I prefer to use a pedal made by the original inovator of these features.</SMALL>

FYI, granted Hilton has come up with a new design, but Goodrich, Edwards, and others were selling light-beam volume pedals at least as far back as the early 70's, long before Keith started making his.

John Daugherty · Post by **John Daugherty** » 30 Dec 2004 7:50 am

You are correct about the light beam Jim. Look at my reply and you will see that the features I referred to are in "quotes".
However, Keith does have a patent on the way the "infrared" light beam is controlled.
His patent was recently approved.......JD

Danny Hullihen · Post by **Danny Hullihen** » 30 Dec 2004 10:19 am

John. Those are interesting thoughts and questions you have there. Regarding where the pedal plugs in, there's a strap on the back that keeps the cord from pulling out of the back of the pedal, and it seems to work very well.

Regarding the Hilton pedal, I have one of those as well, and I think it's a great pedal too. However, I wasn't comparing the two against each other, but moreover, giving my professional and personal opinion on the new Goodrich LDR2 pedal. Like a lot of things in this industry, it's many times a "to each their own" kind of thing, and the only intentions in this post was to share a bit bit of info about "what's new" and my opinion of the product.

Regarding integrity, quality, support and service, I believe it's safe to say that these two companies are equal in these areas, and for the most part, I seem to find the same with practically all manufacturers involved in the steel guitar market.

I believe the steel guitar industry is a very unique industry, and I think we are all very fortunate to have the close-knit community we have with each other, including the ability in many cases to be able to communicate with the builders directly.

Hook Moore · Post by **Hook Moore** » 30 Dec 2004 12:36 pm

I have had no problems with the pedal coming unplugged or even my foot touching the cord..

Hook

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HookMoore.com
Allen Moore

Jimmie Martin · Post by **Jimmie Martin** » 30 Dec 2004 2:36 pm

where do you get this pedal and how much do they cost.

Danny Hullihen · Post by **Danny Hullihen** » 30 Dec 2004 3:07 pm

Roger. The Goodrich products are sold through a network of dealers they have, and I believe the list price for the LDR2 is $299.00. You can call the folks at Goodrich and get a dealers phone number from them.
231-893-5702

Gerald Menke · Post by **Gerald Menke** » 7 Jan 2005 10:51 am

I had been using a Hilton for about a year or so, and got an LDR2 for a backup pedal. As nice as the Hilton sounds, I prefer the Goodrich now, the Hilton has become my backup. I like the slightly higher profile of the Goodrich too. And there's that killer green light emitting diode...is it cosmetic or is the LED also the light dependent resistor?

Anyway, I love this pedal.