Picking the best expression pedal to add to your pedalboard that you can use with your other guitar effects pedals isn’t easy. Some volume pedals can’t be used for this and other ones aren’t always compatible with your current setup.
Expression pedals can linked into your pedalboard to give you some control over the effects later in your chain. Typically, a expression pedal controls the signal to the pedals behind it in the chain. This could control the volume, the wah, or simply the amount of signal that gets through to other pedals to be processed.
It’s a great way to add texture to your sound, add effects to different song sections, and of course, express yourself. Yeah, I know that was a bad joke.
Anyway, let’s jump in and check out some of the top expression pedals for guitar on the market today.
Click Below to Compare the Top Expression Effect Pedals in 2020
Contents
- 1 Click Below to Compare the Top Expression Effect Pedals in 2020
- 2 What We Recommend and Why
Here is a list of the best expression guitar pedals that will turn your pedalboard into an extension of your personality. Check them out!
- Ernie Ball VP Jr. P06180
- Moog EP-3 Expression Pedal
- Mission Engineering EP-25K Expression Pedal w/25k pot
- Fender EXP-1 Expression Pedal
- Roland EV-5 Expression Pedal
- Boss EV-30 Dual Expression Pedal
- Donner 2 in 1 Viper Mini Passive Volume Cheap Expression Guitar Effect Pedal
Ernie Ball VP Jr. P06180
Specs, features, and benefits
Built in a sturdy aluminum case, the Ernie Ball VP Jr. is a great volume pedal, specially designed for instruments with passive electronics.
Ernie Ball VP Jr. is a compact and generally speaking smaller volume pedal so it can fit your pedalboard perfectly. The pedal has an internal micro-taper switch that allows you to choose between two different swell rates.
The pedal has a tuner input on the back panel (right above the line in/line out) so you can tune your guitar silently.
Pros and Highlights
- Compact – This pedal will perfectly fit a pedalboard – which is not so common with volume pedals;
- Great construction – The pedal is built like a tank – it is built out of aircraft grade aluminum;
- Good sound quality – The pedal sounds great with passive pick-ups; it doesn’t suck a huge amount of tone like some other volume pedals would;
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Not very durable – Although the casing of the pedal is rock solid, the string that connects the potentiometer and the pedal can be easily broken, and it’s very likely for this to happen during the performance. It’s not easy to fix it. Also, the potentiometer starts to make some scratches after some time of usage, this is due to the open case of the pedal, and it starts to corrode.
Bottom line
Although many players are happy with this unit, many who owned this pedal are highly disappointed because of the poor design of the mechanism. The string can easily be broken, and the potentiometer doesn’t last a long time. Not recommended.
Moog EP-3 Expression Pedal
Specs, features, and benefits
The Moog EP-3 is an expression pedal that works with every kind of instruments, from guitars and guitar pedals to keyboards and crazy Moog synths. The pedal is built in a rock-solid case that can take the beatings of the touring musician with a laugh.
When you flip over the pedal, you can see a switch, that has two modes, Standard and Other, this will allow you to use the pedal with any gear available on the earth.
On the left side panel, there is a level adjustment control knob, that lets the player set the range of the motion
Pros and Highlights
- Universal – Just plug this pedal in your expression pedal input and rock on! Works with every gear out there that has an expression pedal input;
- Rock solid – The Moog Ep-3 is built out of plastic, but don’t let this fool you, the pedal will take the beatings of your foot without a single teardrop;
- Great performance – The fact that you can set the level range is a great feature. The pedal sounds great! You won’t have any problems with things like tone suck;
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Big! – This pedal is not the smallest one on the market; it will take a lot of space on your pedalboard.
Bottom line
The Moog Ep-3 is truly one of the best expression pedals ever made. I forgot to mention that this pedal is very affordable too! It comes for half the price of the other expression pedals, and the performance of this unit is outstanding! The switch makes it compatible with any kind of gear you are using, and the level adjustment control knob is a great feature for tuning in the sweet spots. The pedal is very durable and touring-friendly. Great pedal!
Mission Engineering EP-25K Expression Pedal w/25k pot
Specs, features, and benefits
The Mission Engineering EP-25K is a robust expression pedal with great tone quality that will last a lifetime. The on-foot control is smooth and reliable.
The feature that makes this pedal unique is the two outputs, which means that you can use it with two pedals at the same time.
The pedal is specially designed for use with Eventide, TC Electronic, Strymon, and Moog devices.
Pros and Highlights
- Sturdy-built – The pedal will last decades. It is built like a tank!
- Two outputs – The two outputs allow you to use this unit with two devices simultaneously.
- Great performance – The top-quality components and the great build of the pedal will allow this pedal to perform flawlessly;
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Pricey – The pedal has a higher price than the other pedals in this list. This might be a drawback.
Bottom line
The Mission Engineering is a top-notch expression pedal designed specially to work with Eventide, TC Electronic, Strymon, and Moog devices (not all devices are suitable with this unit, we recommend doing research before buying one!). The pedal is very sturdily built and it is going to last for decades. The pedal is pretty pricier than most of the expression pedals, and this might be a drawback for some players, but the quality of this unit justifies its price. You can use this pedal with two devices at the same time.
Fender EXP-1 Expression Pedal
Specs, features, and benefits
With the Fender EXP-1, you can control the volume and the effects on the Fender Mustang (III, IV, V) amplifiers and on the Fender Mustang multi-effects guitar pedal.
You can switch between the two modes (volume and expression) with stepping on the pedal with your toe.
There are two LED lights on the pedal, red and green. When the green LED light is on – the Volume mode is on, and when the red LED light is on – The expression mode is on.
The pedal is sturdy-built, tour-friendly guitar pedal.
On the back panel, this pedal has a Tuner input so you can tune your axe silently.
Pros and Highlights
- Sturdy – The pedal is built out of metal, and it will last you for years!
- A great add to your Mustang amp – With this pedal, you can explore your Mustang amp to the fullest!
- Volume and Expression – You can easily switch between these two modes, with just stepping on the toe switch;
Cons and Potential Flaws
- It needs programming – You must read the instructions to know how to set it up. This is not so hard – you just need to spend a few minutes before setting it up.
Bottom line
If you are an owner of the Fender Mustang III, IV, or V amp, or you own the Fender Mustang multi-effect unit, this pedal is highly recommended. It will bring a lot of control, right under your foot. While it needs a bit of programming before use, owners say this can be done in a couple of minutes.
Roland EV-5 Expression Pedal
Specs, features, and benefits
The Roland EV-5 is famous among guitar and keyboard players. Although the pedal is made out of plastic, some owners claim that this pedal can last years of use.
On the side of the pedal, you can find a Volume range control knob, that lets you tune in how much responsiveness you want out of it.
This pedal can be used both as a Volume and Expression pedal, depending on what you are going to plug it in.
It is compatible with many Roland and Boss products, and many others.
Pros and Highlights
- Good responsiveness – You can set the range you want with the control knob on the left side panel;
- Simple to use – It might get tricky with some pedals, but with most of them is just plug & play;
- Compact and light-weight;
Cons and Potential Flaws
- It tends to wear out – The pedal is built out of plastic, and although some users claim to be using it for years without any problems, there are some better options that will last longer for sure. Take notes, Roland!
Bottom line
The Roland EV-5 has served a lot of guitar and keyboard players, and some of them are highly recommending this unit, while others don’t recommend it at all. We suggest that you should try it before you buy it. And maybe look at some other options too. Some of the Roland keyboards, however, work with this pedal only.
Boss EV-30 Dual Expression Pedal
Specs, features, and benefits
Boss company is known for its effective products, it is hard to find a Boss product that doesn’t do exactly what it should do! Well, of course, this is the case with the EV-30 Expression pedal.
The pedal is very sturdy built and compact, this makes this pedal great fit for your on-tour pedalboard. The EV-30 has two expression outputs, which means you can use it with two pedals at the same time. This will save you money and space!
The polarity switch between the two outputs makes this pedal compatible with most of the guitar pedals out there! Pretty cool, right?
It also has a separate range control knobs for each polarity.
Pros and Highlights
- Dual – You can use this unit with two different effects at the same time!
- High quality – The pedal is built very sturdily, it is very compact, you won’t have any issues with things like noise or hum due to the electronically – isolated outputs, and it operates very smoothly and precisely!
- Compatible with every pedal – Due to the polarity switch, you can use this pedal with most of the pedals that have expression inputs;
Cons and Potential Flaws
- No cons and flaws!
Bottom line
Definitely one of the best Expression pedals on the market, the Boss EV-30 is favored by a ton of experienced guitar players and pedal nerds. Its small footprint makes it compact for the pedalboard, and the fact that can be used with two effects at the same time makes it even more effective. The polarity switch is something amazing if you ask the big-pedalboard guys because it makes every kind of pedal suitable with this unit.
Sturdily built, high-quality guitar pedal, awesome for the working musician!
Donner 2 in 1 Viper Mini Passive Volume Expression Guitar Effect Pedal
Specs, features, and benefits
The Donner Viper pedal with its all analog circuit provide the player with two effects in one single box. If you want to use it as a Volume pedal, connect it like you would connect any other pedal, the instrument cable in the input, the amp cable in the output. If you want to use it as an Expression pedal, just connect it with your effect with one cable in the output.
The pedal is very compact; the small size of the pedal makes it a perfect fit for a crowded pedalboard. The Donner Viper is built out of plastic and it’s lightweight, but it feels very though.
Pros and Highlights
- Small and compact – The pedal is pretty small, which is great for pedalboards!
- Two in one – The pedal has two modes, you can use it as Volume, and Expression pedal;
- Affordable – This unit is very cheap. It is one of the cheapest expression pedals ever!
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Small sweep – Due to the small sweep the pedal is not very expressive;
Bottom line
The best part of this pedal is that is very cheap. Many owners are completely satisfied with the performance of this unit, while others are not. The small size of the pedal is great for saving space on your pedalboard, but the small sweep due to the small size it’s not so great.
Our recommendation is that you should try this pedal before buying it, that way you can prevent disappointment.
What We Recommend and Why
The best of the best in this list is the Boss EV-30 without any second thoughts. It’s not the cheapest one, but the quality and effectiveness this pedal provides are amazing.
The Boss EV-30 is compatible with most of the pedals that have expression outputs, and you can use it with two pedals simultaneously. It is sturdy built, and it will save you headaches.
Great, high-quality Expression and Volume guitar pedal!
