Printable Version of Topic

Posted by: fkalich Sep 5 2009, 04:41 PM

Just to mention this. I knew about these items, however JVM mentioned it. You can get a new one a a good price now, $63 free shipping in the US.

http://www.music123.com/Tone-in-Progress-Third-Hand-Expression-Pedal-150146-i1175542.Music123

Just an item most of us would find use for. Here is Gilbert using it.



Now I don't envision myself using it like that. I don't have unrealistic expectations, this is like the kind of technology that hooks up to your Dremel Tool to drill into spots otherwise inaccessible, or clean your sewer pipe. I will use it to change modes on stomp boxes. For example my Boss PS-5 has 5 operational modes. Or maybe to change scales on my harmonizer, things like that, where there is no expression pedal capability. Actually 2 or 3 of these would be nice. However as I already have 2 expression pedals, 7 Boss pedals, a Zoom G2, Amp channel and reverb switch, and a Wah hooked up, at a certain point clutter becomes an issue. I will live with one, clearly that is enough for Paul Gilbert, I should be satisfied with one and just live with the limitations.

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Sep 5 2009, 05:02 PM

Hehe this is a pretty crazy invention but I can imagine some interesting use for it! ehehe its link an analog expression pedal!

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Sep 5 2009, 10:36 PM

ehheh that is the most awesome expression pedal I've ever seen. Where can I get one

Posted by: fkalich Sep 9 2009, 12:36 AM

Hi: Sorry I did not see the other questions. I think an English company manufactures this in China. You can get it at 123Music (or is it Music123?), or Musicians Friend, or sometimes on Ebay. The sale at 123 is over I think though.

I got it today. The use I will make of it for now, is for a harmonizer. I have heard that if you fork out a grand ($1,000) you can get a good one, but the affordable ones (Digitech and Boss) have limitations. I feel you need two things (1) ability to instantaneously change key while playing (without any delay), and (2) Ability to pan the mix in and out, or straight signal to harmonized signal.

Even though I do have a Boss PS-5, really with this my Zoom G2 is my good harmonizer. It tracks well, and I can do all the above. The "third hand" shifts the key, and the expression pedal the mix. So I can work it real well (I use thirds, like Iron Maiden, or like Hot does in that nice Quaterworlds theme....really, don't see much point in anything but thirds anyway).

For example I just played Gabriel's Iron Maiden 1, which is a nice composition, and I start out with it set to F/Dm. Then later in the song he shifts to Fm, so I just pan the "Third hand" pedal up 3 keys with my foot, and instantly shift my harmonizing up, works real well. I think the mix expression pedal is also important, so you can change how much of the harmonizing you want, or take in out real smoothly where you want, very quickly.

you just pull out the knob of the effect, and tighten the fitting on the metal stem. I doubt I will change is much, just leave it where it is for now, that was my most important need, so I have a real nice harmonizer that does what I want it to.

Posted by: JVM Sep 9 2009, 01:34 AM

This is a really cool pedal I think. There is another option too, if you don't need a volume pedal kind of thing, much cheaper is the http://www.optionknob.com/ which can provide more or less the same function, though not as smoothly probably.

Posted by: Marc_Maiden Sep 10 2009, 04:28 PM

ive always wanted one!


john petrucci used this pedal in the new dream theater album a lot!

sorry i meant this style of playing with expression, not the actual pedal itself...JP uses a TC electronics G system