The Option Knob VKnob is a volume control accessory from Option Knob, presented by the maker in the summer of 2013 as a new member of its family of knobs. Option Knob positions it as an alternative to an expression pedal: in the company's own words, "Definitely cheaper than am expression pedal, and… its footprint is so small it doesn't exist!"1
What it does
The VKnob is an electric guitar volume controller. Guitar World describes it as "designed for greater volume sweeps and dynamic interactive volume control while you are playing."2 In practice, that means the lever gives your fingers a longer handle on the guitar's existing volume knob, so swells, fades and quick dips can be made mid-phrase rather than at the end of one.
Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio, covering the launch, described it as "designed to attach to your guitar's volume knob."1
VKnob versus a volume pedal
Most volume control on a pedalboard happens with a foot pedal, such as a dedicated volume pedal or an expression pedal. The VKnob works from the guitar instead, and Option Knob points out that it is "Definitely cheaper than am expression pedal, and… its footprint is so small it doesn't exist!"1, which changes the trade-offs for a crowded board.
- No board space: De Gregorio noted it is "Definitely cheaper than am expression pedal, and… its footprint is so small it doesn't exist!"1
- Hand control, not foot control: the lever is worked with a picking or fretting hand, so it suits players who want volume swells without moving a foot.
- Uses the guitar's own knob: it attaches to the volume knob already on the instrument rather than adding a unit to the signal chain.
For players who do want foot control, the volume pedal category covers a wide range of alternatives, from the compact DOD Mini Volume to the Mission Engineering VM-1.
The VKnob is a guitar-mounted accessory, not a pedal: it has no jacks, no power requirements and no bypass, because it works the volume control already on the instrument.1
Videos
OptionKnob
Questions
Do I need a volume pedal if I have a VKnob?
The VKnob takes a different approach: it attaches to the guitar's own volume knob and is worked with a finger, so it takes no pedalboard space at all. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio noted it is cheaper than an expression pedal and that its footprint is so small it does not exist. Players who want foot control while both hands stay on the guitar would still look at a volume pedal.
Sources (2)
- Option Knob Introduces The VKnob, Delicious Audio, 2013-08-19
- New Instructional Video by Option Knob Includes Product Overview and Pedal Demos, Guitar World, 2013-07-17
