Guitar Tech GTE005 Active Volume Pedal review

This is a unique volume pedal in that it includes independent minimum and maximum level pots as well as a dedicated fixed-level output for connection to a tuner.

The untidy plastic strip on the treadle and inconsistently-bent chassis wings let the construction down somewhat, but the pedal seems robust enough. It rests on a quartet of removable rubber feet and the battery compartment is also located on the bottom panel.

In Use

The pedal uses a special MAG-POT system based around a magnetic sensor rather than a traditional potentiometer at the heart of its operation, which will certainly extend the pedal's life.

The treadle is smooth and nicely balanced, which equates to a satisfactory volume swell, and the only criticism we have is that the fade-down to no signal can be a little abrupt.

The MAG-POT system is quiet and unobtrusive and, most impressively, the two level controls allow the pedal to be set as a genuine and stable boost for solos from minimum to maximum levels, which is simple to pull off every time.