For a player, it does what any passive volume pedal does: rock the treadle with your foot to swell volume in and out, for violin-style fades, pedal-steel style swells, or just riding your level from the floor. It needs no power at all1.
What it is and what changed
The pedal sits in the compact VP Jr sized chassis rather than the full-size enclosure, with a slate black aluminum body and updated graphics for what the maker calls a striking appearance on and off stage21. MusicRadar's reviewer thought it "looks really slick in a new slate black finish"4. The treadle surface is a rugged black mat with the Ernie Ball Eagle logo for non-slip action3.
The construction underneath is familiar. MusicRadar's Trevor Curwen found the metal-brushed steel chassis casing to be "the same solidly-built construction as before"4, and Ernie Ball describes the compact extruded aluminum housing as virtually indestructible2.
The Kevlar cord
The headline mechanical change is the cord. Where earlier Ernie Ball volume pedals used a length of string to turn the pot as the treadle moves, a design Curwen notes "didn't always inspire confidence," the 40th Anniversary model uses a PVC-coated, braided Kevlar cord4. Ernie Ball says the new cord:
"ensures improved potentiometer traction, consistent tension, and a smoother foot sweep for highly expressive volume swells with unmatched confidence."
In MusicRadar's review, Ernie Ball says the cord "dramatically improves strength, increases traction, and ensures consistent tension throughout the foot sweep"4. For a player, the practical promise is a sweep that feels even from heel to toe and a drive mechanism less likely to stretch or break than the old string.
Controls, connections and power
The pedal is passive, so there is nothing to switch on and no battery or power supply involved1. Its features as announced:
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Treadle | Rocks to control volume, with a rugged black mat surface for grip3 |
| Switchable taper | Two distinct swell rates, so you can choose a faster or slower response1 |
| Tuner output | Tune at any volume level, independent of what the amp hears13 |
| Active/passive compatibility | Designed and engineered to work with both active and passive audio signals23 |
The switchable taper is worth knowing about if you have only used one volume pedal before: it gives you two swell characteristics, effectively two pedals in one, without any electronics involved1.
How it differs from the standard Ernie Ball volume pedal
Ernie Ball positions the 40th Anniversary VP as "the next generation of the world's best-selling volume pedal," a line that dates back to 19772. Against the standard Ernie Ball VPJR and the Ernie Ball 250k Mono Volume Pedal, the differences are:
- Finish: limited edition slate black aluminum chassis with updated graphics, instead of the standard finish213
- Cord: braided, PVC-coated Kevlar cord replacing the previous string drive4
- Chassis size: compact VP Jr sized body1
- Everything else: same solidly-built construction as before, per MusicRadar's review4
What reviewers said
MusicRadar's Trevor Curwen reviewed the pedal and addressed the common worry about passive volume pedals directly, noting that they "sometimes get a bad rep for sucking tone." In his testing for the review, he noticed no such treble loss with the VP4.
He also reported no problems with the pedal wherever he placed it in the signal path, given its design for both passive and active signals4.
Videos
Rob Chapman
Riffs, Beards & Gear
Guitar Interactive Magazine
Questions
Does the Ernie Ball 40th Anniversary VP Pedal need power?
No. The pedal is entirely passive and requires no power of any kind, so there is no battery to change and no power supply socket to worry about1.
Does it work with active pickups?
Yes. Ernie Ball designed and engineered it to work with both active and passive audio signals, and MusicRadar's reviewer reported no problems wherever it sat in the signal path42.
What is different from the standard Ernie Ball volume pedal?
The slate black finish with updated graphics, and the Kevlar cord replacing the string drive. The chassis construction is otherwise the same solid build as before42.
Does it have a tuner output?
Yes. The tuner output lets you tune at any volume level, so you can roll the treadle back to silence the amp while still feeding a tuner13.
Sources (4)
- NAMM 2018: Ernie Ball Reveal Expression Tremolo + 40th Anniversary VP, Guitar.com, 2018-01-25
- 40th Anniversary Volume Pedal, Ernie Ball
- Ernie Ball Announces 40th Anniversary Volume, Expression Tremolo Pedals, Guitar World, 2018-01-26
- Ernie Ball 40th Anniversary VP Pedal review, MusicRadar, 2018-08-12
