Wah pedals. The good, the bad and the ugly!!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter slyym
  • Start date Start date
Oxbow Studios wah is a great wah that I just picked up. Adding a foxrox buffer to it for in-front-of-fuzz-face stuff. Like this wah better than some of the others I have had.
 
For high gain, to me, the wylde wah can't be beat. For clean I really like the vox wah
 
LED's should be on the top, where you place your foot. Would be much easier to see. Why hasn't anyone done this?
 
fretout":3cfejt1d said:
I recently started getting into way pedals, and after trying a few different types, I found myself going back to my Cry Babys, but there was always something that just didn't feel right, so I got into modding them, and I couldn't be happier!

I started with the true bypass mod, and then added an LED, just because I could. Tonality-wise, I added a selector switch that will allow me to voice the wah to match the standard GCB-95, Wylde wah, Cantrell wah, VH wah, Adam Jones' wah, and everything in between. Then I added a pot to adjust the Q setting, as well as pots for the mid control, gain control, and an adjustment for the treble response like the Cantrell wah. After all these changes, I can literally get any type of tone I want.

Here's a pic of the cleaned-up completed product...


After my first modded wah, I left this on my pedal board, and I started looking for other wahs, and found an old Thomas Organ Wah, which I've left one stock. Here's the other wahs...
Click to expand...

how much to hook a brother up? Ive got an original laying around that could do with some updates?
 
BTW, I did recently purchase a used Slash wah (newer version) just because of the LED's and its simplicity..
 
535 on a budget, xotic otherwise. Inductors make a huge difference, find what YOU prefer. For me it was red fasel, even over stack of dimes. I though Whipple was awesome also.
 
I have a dunlop dimebag crybaby from hell. I've had it for years - I'm happy with it.
 
tubortski":2emwtcma said:
LED's should be on the top, where you place your foot. Would be much easier to see. Why hasn't anyone done this?
Click to expand...
Snarling Dogs Wonder Wah 2 has the led's on top.
 
ob1clyde":29l0m4jk said:
fretout":29l0m4jk said:
I recently started getting into way pedals, and after trying a few different types, I found myself going back to my Cry Babys, but there was always something that just didn't feel right, so I got into modding them, and I couldn't be happier!

I started with the true bypass mod, and then added an LED, just because I could. Tonality-wise, I added a selector switch that will allow me to voice the wah to match the standard GCB-95, Wylde wah, Cantrell wah, VH wah, Adam Jones' wah, and everything in between. Then I added a pot to adjust the Q setting, as well as pots for the mid control, gain control, and an adjustment for the treble response like the Cantrell wah. After all these changes, I can literally get any type of tone I want.

Here's a pic of the cleaned-up completed product...


After my first modded wah, I left this on my pedal board, and I started looking for other wahs, and found an old Thomas Organ Wah, which I've left one stock. Here's the other wahs...
Click to expand...

how much to hook a brother up? Ive got an original laying around that could do with some updates?
Click to expand...

Hey man, sorry form of responding sooner! I didn't know his thread was this active! The cost of materials is pretty low. I found a lot of stuff at the local Radio Shack, and just went to town! I'd bet that the shipping cost is more than the cost of materials! I'd be happy to hook a brother up as soon as I get some free time!

I actually built one for my brother, and when he set one of the knobs to zero, he said that there was no sound. I explained that when one of the values is set to zero, it's literally zero, so I reworked his wah to where when any of the knobs is set to zero, it defaults back to a stock GCB-95 setting, and I set up my way the same way since I didn't have much use for the super low settings.

The two knobs on the side adjust the Q and the treble bleed. I've wired all the settings so that at each knob's lowest setting, it reverts back to a stock GCB-95, but I also added little detente to where the knob clicks into each Cry Baby model, so you can be sure that the settings are exact, while also having the ability to choose other settings in between. It is by far the best and probably last wah I'll ever need.

Along with the Q and Treble bleed knobs, I installed mini pots on the inside that control the gain, mid curve, volume and bass settings...all with detents for each Cry Baby model, and detents for my favorite tones.

The ones I have built, are all set up for true-bypass, and all have LEDs. My next mod will be a relay that changes the color of the LED based on what Q-value is selected (ie. yellow for Cantrell, green for CFH, red for VH, blue for Wylde, purple for Hendrix, red for Hammet, white for Adam Jones, etc.), but I haven't had the time to mod it lately.

I also want to add a clipping relay for the other LED that blinks based on where the treadle is set, but that will come after the color changing LED.
 
jlbaxe":3kh9381e said:
fretout":3kh9381e said:
I recently started getting into way pedals, and after trying a few different types, I found myself going back to my Cry Babys, but there was always something that just didn't feel right, so I got into modding them, and I couldn't be happier!

I started with the true bypass mod, and then added an LED, just because I could. Tonality-wise, I added a selector switch that will allow me to voice the wah to match the standard GCB-95, Wylde wah, Cantrell wah, VH wah, Adam Jones' wah, and everything in between. Then I added a pot to adjust the Q setting, as well as pots for the mid control, gain control, and an adjustment for the treble response like the Cantrell wah. After all these changes, I can literally get any type of tone I want.

Here's a pic of the cleaned-up completed product...


After my first modded wah, I left this on my pedal board, and I started looking for other wahs, and found an old Thomas Organ Wah, which I've left one stock. Here's the other wahs...
Click to expand...

How do you like the Rotovibe? I was looking at them the other day and deja vibe/mxr vibe etc. I like the idea of controlling the Rotovibe speed
Click to expand...

I love my Rotovibe. I looked for years to find one, no joke, and I finally found one locally a few years back! It's more subtle than most chorus/tremolo pedals, but the knob on the side controls the effect volume. The Rotovibe has two small mini pots on the inside that control the overall effect and rate, but Dunlop 'advises' not changing the settings, but I've been pretty happy with it, so I see no reason to mess with them.

I like using it when I'm playing on the clean channel, so I can add a little color to the tone, or using it to add motion to leads. I feel it works best when I'm playing leads that are more for melody (think leads like Comfortably Numb, or anything AIC), but it doesn't track very well for fast lead playing. It may take some getting used to, but once you're comfy with it, I miss it when it's not on my pedalboard.
 
I use 2 Wah Pedals:

1: Steve Via - Bad Horsie (original)
2: Zakk Wylde - ZW45

The Bad Horsie gives he just about anything I want out of a Wah pedal. Step on it and it's on, step off and it's off. When your on stage and soloing, that's about the best you can do.

For in the studio and practice I use the ZW45. The Fasel inductor does make a huge difference giving you a much thicker sound down low and screaming highs. Very well defined tone. Does not get muddy in the lows. Built like a brick shit house.
 
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