Need advice on wah pedals

one way needle

Ok im doing my best to work my student budget lately but hey! I'm looking to get a wah pedal soonish. I'd opt towards the dunlop crybaby models at the mo, but dont really know much about different makes. So any advice anyone could give would be great thanks!!

Pacomc79

http://www.analogman.com/kraft.htm - literally info on the Wah Pedal.

FinsburyParkCarrots

That's a great link, paco. As far as I know, Frank Zappa was the first major guitarist to work with a wah wah, a Jennings Cry Baby I think but I might be wrong. Zappa personally introduced Hendrix to the wah wah in the July of 1967. Jimi used one for the first time in public at the Fifth Dimension Club, Ann Arbor, Michigan, on 15 August 1967. By 1968 Hendrix was using a Vox.

There are many different wah wahs around as the link clearly states. I'm always rather fond of the colorsound wah wah. Although it doesn't look very pretty to say the least, it has a good sweep.

I've seen crazy pedal boards of Dunlop wahs lined up in a row, all tuned to different sweeps. How many feet does one need for that?

JofZ

FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:

That's a great link, paco. As far as I know, Frank Zappa was the first major guitarist to work with a wah wah, a Jennings Cry Baby I think but I might be wrong. Zappa personally introduced Hendrix to the wah wah in the July of 1967. Jimi used one for the first time in public at the Fifth Dimension Club, Ann Arbor, Michigan, on 15 August 1967. By 1968 Hendrix was using a Vox.

There are many different wah wahs around as the link clearly states. I'm always rather fond of the colorsound wah wah. Although it doesn't look very pretty to say the least, it has a good sweep.

I've seen crazy pedal boards of Dunlop wahs lined up in a row, all tuned to different sweeps. How many feet does one need for that?

Paco sent you to one the nets best resources. For a ton of info from the best wah man out there you need to visit Teese:
http://www.realmccoycustom.com/
If you are strapped for cash you might want to consider saving up, looking for a used on on ebay, thegearpage.net or through various want ads. I have the pic wah and it nails the vintage vox wah sound so many are after.
If you want the colorsound wah tone, I would suggest doing a lot of research. I am sure someone is making a clone. Ronsound might be a place to start.
Chicago Iron does a nice Tycho clone, check it out.
Fulltone has a nice coopy of the vox as well.

JofZ

JofZ wrote:

Paco sent you to one the nets best resources. For a ton of info from the best wah man out there you need to visit Teese:
http://www.realmccoycustom.com/
If you are strapped for cash you might want to consider saving up, looking for a used on on ebay, thegearpage.net or through various want ads. I have the pic wah and it nails the vintage vox wah sound so many are after.
If you want the colorsound wah tone, I would suggest doing a lot of research. I am sure someone is making a clone. Ronsound might be a place to start.
Chicago Iron does a nice Tycho clone, check it out.
Fulltone has a nice coopy of the vox as well.

Scotty a pro analog has a used Colorsound Wah on his homepage for $200...
http://www.proanalog.com/

Pacomc79

J do you also have the Foxrox Retrofit installed?

JofZ

Pacomc79 wrote:

J do you also have the Foxrox Retrofit installed?

No, I thought about it. To be honest, I like the feedback and it never bugged me a ton.

enharmonic

That's a silly deal on a Colorsound. Kim Thayil used those on Down on the Upside.

If you're on a budget, just get a crybaby. Down the line...if you are still playing and have some extra dough, you can always buy a teese upgrade kit. If you want to splurge, get a Crybaby 535.

Stinkfoot

FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:

That's a great link, paco. As far as I know, Frank Zappa was the first major guitarist to work with a wah wah, a Jennings Cry Baby I think but I might be wrong. Zappa personally introduced Hendrix to the wah wah in the July of 1967. Jimi used one for the first time in public at the Fifth Dimension Club, Ann Arbor, Michigan, on 15 August 1967. By 1968 Hendrix was using a Vox.

There are many different wah wahs around as the link clearly states. I'm always rather fond of the colorsound wah wah. Although it doesn't look very pretty to say the least, it has a good sweep.

I've seen crazy pedal boards of Dunlop wahs lined up in a row, all tuned to different sweeps. How many feet does one need for that?

Zappa moved onto a Vox also in the seventies......

JofZ

enharmonic wrote:

That's a silly deal on a Colorsound. Kim Thayil used those on Down on the Upside.

If you're on a budget, just get a crybaby. Down the line...if you are still playing and have some extra dough, you can always buy a teese upgrade kit. If you want to splurge, get a Crybaby 535.

Don't forget the original poster is in the UK, his exchange rate=buying power in the USA. I'd say spend them duckets!

FinsburyParkCarrots

Stinkfoot wrote:

Zappa moved onto a Vox also in the seventies......

Thought so. What's he using on "Hot Rats"? (1969)

Stinkfoot

FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:

Thought so. What's he using on "Hot Rats"? (1969)

I'm not sure what he used then, but I know that he had definitely switched to a Vox by 'Roxy and Elsewhere' (1974) - I have video footage from concerts before that, but the gigs around this time are the only ones where I can see his pedal!!

The modern day composer refuses to die! - Edgard Varese/FZ

BinFrog

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/fg=101/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/151425/

Stinkfoot

Speaking of Zappa and Wah Wah pedals....I was watching a performance of 'Cosmik Debris' from 1974 (BBC Archives) the other day and Napolean Murphy Brock was playing his Saxaphone through a Wah pedal and it sounded AMAZING!!! I just wondered if you guys knew if he was the first to do this??? It really did sound quality

FNYNKEZ

I have a Dunlop Crybaby 525Q (Mike uses one). It's adjustable so you can tweak it for a ton of different forms of wah sounds and ranges. I like it.

Pearl Jam and toast

FNYNKEZ wrote:

I have a Dunlop Crybaby 525Q (Mike uses one). It's adjustable so you can tweak it for a ton of different forms of wah sounds and ranges. I like it.

Doesn't Mike (and stone for that matter) use a 535 or was that a typo?

mccreadyisgod

Stinkfoot wrote:

Speaking of Zappa and Wah Wah pedals....I was watching a performance of 'Cosmik Debris' from 1974 (BBC Archives) the other day and Napolean Murphy Brock was playing his Saxaphone through a Wah pedal and it sounded AMAZING!!! I just wondered if you guys knew if he was the first to do this??? It really did sound quality

Hard to say... I've seen some horn players use wahs and other FX myself, though. Pretty cool.

It's funny, the first wah pedals were built to reproduce the effect of trumpet players using a mute for a wah effect. Everything comes full circle, I guess.

As for the original question, on a budget, I'd get the basic Vox wah. I had an original Crybaby RI and it was terrible. I have a simple Vox now and I love it (admitting there are better wahs out there, if you wanna spend for them).

FNYNKEZ

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

Doesn't Mike (and stone for that matter) use a 535 or was that a typo?

That would be type-o on my part. It's a 535