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BATTLE OF THE WAH PEDALS


mdrs

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Posted

I've seen several threads asking for info/advice on which wah pedal to purchase. There has been a lot of good info in those threads.

 

I thought I'd post sound clips of eight different Wah Pedals so that we could all do a sort of aural comparison of them.

 

I played two simple licks thru each pedal. I played my home made Tele thru each different pedal, then thru my Fuchs ODS 30 2x12 combo, and recorded it on my Digi/protools setup.

 

I purposefully did NOT mention which pedal is used on the clips on the soundclick site.

 

:idea: I'd suggest you go to the link, and listen to them all first WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE LIST BELOW!! :idea:

 

That way you can do a real "blind" evaluation and comparison, with out any preconcieved bias.

 

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=593452

 

The adjustable pedals, such as the 535Q, and the Dimebag camo, are set to where I personally liked the sound best. This is very subjective, but I couldn't set it to every setting....Also, I used the factory pre set on the Bad Horsie 2 (i.e. I didn't record it using the contour settings).

 

Here's the list of what pedal is on what track;

 

#1 Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Wah

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Dunlop-Jimi-Hendrix-WahWah-Effects-Pedal?sku=151213

 

#2 Morley Steve Vai Bad Horsie 2 Contour Wah

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Morley-Steve-Vai-Bad-Horsie-2-Contour-Wah-Pedal?sku=150751

 

#3 George Dennis GD-30 Wah

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/George-Dennis-GD30-WahWah-Pedal?sku=154249

 

#4 Budda BudWah Wah

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Budda-BudWah-Wah-Pedal?sku=152111

 

#5 Vox V847 Wah Wah (note; this one is 9 volt batt operated ONLY....i.e. not set up for an AC adaptor)

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Vox-V847-WahWah-Pedal?sku=702160

 

#6 Dunlop 535Q Multi-Wah

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Dunlop-Crybaby-535Q-MultiWah-Pedal?sku=151016

 

#7 Dunlop Original Cry Baby Wah

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Dunlop-Original-Crybaby-Wah-Pedal?sku=151000

 

#8 Dunlop DB-01 Dime Crybaby From Hell

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Dunlop-DB01-Dime-Crybaby-From-Hell?sku=151011

 

For what it's worth, I've owned two Dunlop Crybaby Classic Fasel Inductor Wahs, but the potentiometer failed in each within weeks of buying them (loud scratchy sound), so I returned both.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Dunlop-Crybaby-Classic-Fasel-Inductor-Wah-Pedal?sku=151026&src=3SOSWXXK

 

I have also owned a Vox V848 Clyde McCoy Wah. I just didn't like it's tone and returned it...

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Vox-V848-Clyde-McCoy-Wah-Wah-Pedal?sku=151688

 

 

After you listen to the clips, come back and let us know your favorites, etc.. :thu:

Don

 

"There once was a note, Pure and Easy. Playing so free, like a breath rippling by."

 

 

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=574296

 

http://www.myspace.com/imdrs

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Posted

My favorites were the Bad Horsie and the GD-30!

 

Thanks for posting this, cool idea!

"My two Fender Basses, I just call them "Lesbos" because of the time they spend together in the closet."-Durockrolly

 

This has been a Maisie production. (Directed in part by Spiderman)

Posted

You are most welcomed! It really was a good excercise for me as well. I've got this idea in my mind of what I want my Wah to sound like. But, I don't think I've yet found it. And, I find that I'll play one, and really like it, and think it's "the one". Then I play another that I had put on the back shelf because I felt it was not good, and now I like the first one better!

 

I've been playing the Hendrix Wah (#1) for about the past year. I really like it. But, after playing them all this morning, I like the Dimebag Wah (#8) the best!! The 535Q is a close second (#6), for me anyway. I also really like the Bad Horsie, esp. since it's instant on. I also like the tone of the Budda!!

 

I wonder if anyone out there know anything about custom or boutique Wah pedals? Also, does anyone know about the Dunlop Crybaby Rack Wah?

 

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Dunlop-Crybaby-Rack-Wah?sku=151130

 

Are there any other professional level, rack Wah's out there?

Don

 

"There once was a note, Pure and Easy. Playing so free, like a breath rippling by."

 

 

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=574296

 

http://www.myspace.com/imdrs

Posted
Originally posted by mdrs:

I wonder if anyone out there know anything about custom or boutique Wah pedals?

Rack.... hmmmmm.... I don't get the love of racking stuff up. Takes up several times as much space, weights more, harder to carry, needs a case, takes a lot more shock in travel, and always costs more....not for better sound, or better performance, just in a format that fits in a rack. As a guy who has owned TONS of rack gear, trust me, this is cute, it impresses the hell out of people, but it is really money for nothing.

 

I use the Fulltone Clyde, after a lot of mental research. The Teese is supposed to be the most authentic, and the Fulltone came in in a respectable position. All of the boutique guys say that there is no way that the stock modern wahs from the average company can compare th the boutique models from the top boutique guys.

 

What I found was that after I moved to a low end boutique amp (THD UniValve) I cfould hear my cheap pedals and the viel that they threw over the sound. So I moved to boutique pedals and the sound opened back up. I was already using vintage or good quality Fenders and Gibsons.

 

Bill

"I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."

 

Steve Martin

 

Show business: we're all here because we're not all there.

 

 

Posted

Bill....Thanks for the excellent info. I did some searching, and can't find a Teese Wah in stock anywhere!! Do they still make the RMC wahs? Which is the one to get? The RMC3??

 

Also, tell me more about your Fulltone Clyde. Apparently Robin Trower plays one as well. Do you have the Clyde standard, or deluxe?

 

Thanks again!!

Don

 

"There once was a note, Pure and Easy. Playing so free, like a breath rippling by."

 

 

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=574296

 

http://www.myspace.com/imdrs

Posted

Only issue I have with this test is that we're assuming you were hitting every single wah point at the same time on every sample.

 

That said, the only glaring deficiencies I heard were between #6 and #8 and the rest - #8 was thin and really didn't "wah" very much compared to the rest, and #7 had a lot more (what I would perceive to be) unwanted hf overtones...

 

(edit: seems I got fooled - I own an original cry-baby - #7, not a 535Q - #6...)

Posted
i got myself some behringer one....... preeetttyyy bad i must say. i played around with a cry baby though and that was real nice.
"There is more stupidity in the universe than hydrogen , and it has a longer shelf life ." - Frank Zappa
Posted

Based on the sound samples I heard at Musician's Friend...the 535Q was my choice...

...and the fact that it allows you to dial in all kinds of variations.

 

Only mod I did to it was to lower the On/Off switch so that you can step all the way down on the pedal and you won't engage the switch.

I turn it on by reaching under and pressing with my finger.

 

Of course...I only use it in the studio...where I don't have a need for constant On/Off during tracking.

miroslav - miroslavmusic.com

 

"Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important."

Posted

Well, I got a Fulltone Clyde Deluxe. It is they best wah pedal I currently have. I'd say, it's head and shoulders above the rest. It has three settings....a "Jimi" for classic wah, a "Wacked" for a more exagerated wah, and a "Shaft" for an '80's like wacka wacka tone. There is also a volume knob, and a little red LED so you know when the pedal is on.

 

I did investigate the Reay McCoy, by Teese. I was somewhat confused by the number of wah's he offers. I'm really not sure how one would know which to choose, especially since it looks like they sell as soon as he makes them, and they hit the dealer shops.

 

Does anyone know anything about the Teese Real McCoy Wahs?

 

Thanks Bill for the heads up about these wah pedals. :wave:

 

If I have a chance, I'll try to post a clip like those above using the Fulltone Clyde Deluxe.

Don

 

"There once was a note, Pure and Easy. Playing so free, like a breath rippling by."

 

 

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=574296

 

http://www.myspace.com/imdrs

Posted
I may not be able to record and post the sound of the Fulltone Clyde today....I'm taking my son, who is 14 y.o. today, to see Asia with Steve Howe and Carl Palmer, at a small local venue tonight. Hopefully, I'll post it over the weekend.

Don

 

"There once was a note, Pure and Easy. Playing so free, like a breath rippling by."

 

 

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=574296

 

http://www.myspace.com/imdrs

  • 3 months later...
  • 4 months later...
Posted

I've gotten more use out of my 535Q in the last 2 months than I did the entire year I've owned.

 

It's a great pedal. You can really dial in a lot of stuff with it.

 

Posted

Hey, Don--

 

please, once you get that RMC2, would you please post a review and compare it to the Clyde Deluxe?? Thanks!

"Without music, life would be a mistake."

--from 'Beyond Good and Evil', by Friedrich Nietzsche

 

My MySpace Space

Posted
x.x

Still confused sorry..

 

So the first wah I listen to will be the hendrix? Or is it Wah Pedal #8...

 

Because it has the wahs in reverse order

 

The song "Wah pedal #8" is the number 8 that Don posted which says "#8 Dunlop DB-01 Dime Crybaby From Hell".

 

Song clip #7 is "#7 Dunlop Original Cry Baby Wah".

 

The numbers match up.

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