8 Best Volume Pedals for a Total Control of Your Sound

This top-notch volume pedal from Dunlop won our Editor’s Choice for its multitude of features. To start, the pedal is passive, so it’s relatively affordable and you don’t have to worry about finding a power source for your pedal.

Users particularly liked the construction of this pedal. It’s about the length of the average foot and wide enough for your whole shoe. Plus, it’s made of aluminum for durability and the top of the pedal is covered in a non-slip rubber tread. The rocker tension is fully adjustable, so you can actually customize how much pressure it takes to change the volume with this pedal.

Users also loved that this pedal has an expression jack, so it can double as an expression pedal. Essentially, you get two pedals for the price of one and can switch between the volume and expression functions simply by changing which jack you use.

The only notable downside to this pedal is that it doesn’t have a true bypass switch. However, users found that it was nearly imperceptible in the effects panel when the pedal wasn’t being used. There also isn’t a minimum volume control, although users didn’t find this to be an issue.

What stands out?

• Anti-slip rubber tread
• Rocker tension is adjustable
• Expression jack
• 250k Ohm resistance

What cons did we manage to find?

• No true bypass
• No minimum volume control

This volume pedal from Ernie Ball is beloved by users because it’s simple and effective. Essentially, it’s the perfect device if you want to turn up the gain on your guitar without distorting your sound. The pedal is equipped with a minimum volume knob, which makes it extremely easy to make large volume sweeps with this device. The only downside that users noted was the lack of a true bypass switch, but most didn’t find any issues with the pedal when it wasn’t activated.

The pedal is overall quite simple – it’s a true volume pedal with few other add-ons. There’s a tuner out jack that you can use during gigs, but that’s about it. Just beware that the minimum and maximum gain switches aren’t labeled, so it can take some trial and error to find the volume range you want.

Users were also very happy with the construction of this volume pedal. The heavy-duty aluminum isn’t the most lightweight option available, but users are confident that this pedal will last for years. The pedal is on the larger side, at one foot per side, so you will need to plan on having plenty of space on your pedal board to add in this unit.

What makes it stand out?

• Simple, effective volume pedal
• Minimum and maximum gain controls
• Tuner out jack
• Durable construction

Which disadvantages must you keep in mind?

• Gain controls aren’t labeled
• No true bypass switch

This active pedal from Morley is one of the highest-quality volume pedals that we’ve seen. To start, it’s made from cold-rolled steel and is extremely durable. The base is slightly wider than the pedal, which users didn’t love because it increases the size of the pedal on your board. But, it’s still small enough that this is hardly a problem for most users.

What really sets this volume pedal apart is that it uses electro optical circuitry. That means that it’s virtually impossible to wear out the ports, which is a concern with other well-used volume pedals. It also comes with an onboard battery so you don’t have to worry about plugging the pedal in, and the battery is easy to access for when it comes time to charge the pedal.

The sweep on this pedal is more linear than many of the other options we reviewed. However, keep in mind that you can’t control the torque on the pedal. In addition, users appreciated that this pedal comes with a minimum volume knob, which comes in handy when you want to take advantage of the pedal for big volume sweeps.

What stands out?

• Active pedal with built-in battery
• Electro optical circuitry
• Cold-rolled steel construction
• Linear volume sweep
• Minimum volume control

What cons did we manage to find?

• Pedal torque is not customizable
• Base is slightly wider than pedal

This small and lightweight pedal is the perfect choice if you are running out of space on your pedal board. On top of that, the pedal combines active volume control and a vintage crybaby-style wah effect into a single pedal. So, you save space by eliminating the need for a separate wah pedal. Users were also extremely impressed with the wah effect – many actually recommended this for the wah effect even if you don’t need the volume control.

However, you can’t use the volume control and wah effect at the same time. Instead, you switch between the two using a switch on the side of the pedal. A pair of LED lights makes it easy to tell which mode is activated at any time. Users also noted that the volume control wasn’t as nice as on some of the other pedals we reviewed – for example, it’s difficult to make smooth volume swells with this pedal.

The pedal itself is quite small and constructed from hard plastic. That presents some concerns about durability, but users reported that this pedal is surprisingly solidly built and holds up well to abusive use. The compact size and light weight also make it very easy to travel with.

Why is it special?

• Compact and lightweight
• Doubles as a wah pedal
• Users loved the crybaby wah effect
• LED lights show which mode is active

What are the flaws?

• Volume controls make it hard to sweep
• Can’t use volume and wah effects at same time

This all-in-one pedal combines wah, volume, and distortion effects into a single unit. The distortion control can be used independently from the wah and volume controls, and the volume is controlled optically when the wah is bypassed. Better yet, users were extremely happy with both the included wah and distortion effects. The distortion comes with three effect controls so you can truly adjust your sound. While the distortion is a bit muddy, users felt that it is still very good.

As a volume pedal, you’ll need to make some modifications out of the box. The volume comes on suddenly rather than with a linear sweep. Modifying this can be difficult and requires taking apart the pedal, so it’s not something that beginners will want to mess with.

In addition, users noted that this active volume pedal sucks up battery fast – especially if you’re using the distortion effect. They highly recommended purchasing an external power supply, which adds to the cost of this already expensive pedal.

That said, you can rest assured that your investment in this pedal will last. The pedal is made of steel and users agreed that the pedal feels extremely sturdy when stomping on it.

What are its best features?

• Combines volume, wah, and distortion pedals
• Optically controlled volume
• Three distortion controls
• Durable construction

What could be improved?

• Volume comes on suddenly, hard to modify
• External power supply is recommended
• Expensive

This large, passive volume pedal from BOSS offers high impedance and a number of simple customizations. For example, you can control the torque that needs to be applied to push down on the pedal using an easy-to-access set screw. On top of that, this pedal doubles as a volume pedal and expression pedal thanks to the inclusion of a second input jack.

Users loved the construction of this pedal, which is made of heavy-duty aluminum. One users noted that it’s built like a tank, and there’s very little question that it will last as long as your music career. Despite that solid construction, the pedal still weighs only 3.5 pounds. While it’s somewhat large if your pedal board is crowded, the pedal is the perfect size for the average foot.

The one thing that users didn’t love about this volume pedal, unfortunately, is the volume control itself. Users noted that most of the volume change was in the last bit of travel of the pedal, which makes it hard to create smooth volume transitions. In addition, the pedal doesn’t have a true bypass, and users found that it was akin to damping your guitar’s tone signal even when the volume pedal wasn’t activated.

What makes it special?

• Very solid construction
• Controllable pedal torque
• Includes expression pedal input
• Tuner-output jack

What cons did we find?

• Expensive for passive pedal
• Most volume control is in last bit of travel
• Doesn’t have true bypass

This miniature volume controller from Mooer isn’t truly a volume pedal, which is partially why it is able to be so small. Instead, it offers sense and attack controls that allow you to modify your guitar’s sound in a way that is similar to a traditional volume pedal. Users wished the range of control on the sense and attack functions was slightly greater, but they overall really liked the effect – particularly for clean, undistorted sounds.

It’s worth noting that this is one of the only models we reviewed that comes with a true bypass footswitch. That’s a huge advantage if you need your sound to be absolutely clean when you’re not using the volume pedal. However, users did note that there was a slight buzzing noise underneath the guitar when the controller is activated.

The controller is active and requires an external power source. It comes with an adapter, but users noted that it definitely requires a standard outlet as it draws too much current for most small batteries. If you don’t meet the controller’s current requirements, users found that the background humming gets bad enough to cause interference with your music.

What stands out?

• Extremely small and lightweight
• True bypass control
• Effect mimics volume control

What cons did we manage to find?

• Slight buzzing when activated
• Requires high-current power source
• Users wished for greater range of control

This passive volume and expression pedal from Donner is a steal if you’re looking for both effects and facing a tight budget. The pedal switches between the two automatically when you stomp down on the pedal, although it can be hard to control whether you’re using volume or expression mode otherwise.

Importantly, users warn that this isn’t the pedal for big volume sweeps. The volume control is very nonlinear, so it’s ideally designed for ramping up your volume between two points. In addition, there is no minimum volume control or true bypass switch, so the functionality is relatively limited. That said, it’s one of the cheapest volume pedals on the market that can achieve this effect reliably and won’t break on you after a few uses. You do get a tuner jack, but this is only so helpful for the majority of guitarists.

When it comes to durability, this pedal is made of lightweight hard plastic. That’s certainly less long-lasting than aluminum or steel, but users felt that this pedal seemed very solid when they were using it.

Why are we impressed?

• Combined volume and expression pedal
• Inexpensive

What negatives must you be aware of?

• Plastic construction
• Nonlinear volume control
• No minimum volume control or true bypass
• Difficult to control whether you’re using volume or expression