tsp17 Posted January 9, 2012 Posted January 9, 2012 Used a borrowed CryBaby last night at a gig for the first time. worked nicely for a couple of tunes where we were trying to get a little spacey/ambient, and a couple funkier tunes. I am definitely unskilled with it (got by last night), so any tips on use and what wah pedals to consider for purchase would be appreciated. would like it to be a little firmer to lean into, a little more resistance to the pedal might make it easier to control(?), but maybe i am just not used to it. thanks tad
DetroitBlues Posted January 9, 2012 Posted January 9, 2012 Used wah pedals are difficult because they slowly lose their springy-ness. The resistance is greater when new then eventually wear down and you either get used to it or replace it. Also, very few do this, but the tone pot is only used about 1/2 or so for its sweep with the pedal. you can adjust its start/stop point to change to vocal range you hear on the pedal. Also, the older wah's are not built with true bypass, so they do suck some tone.
tulk1 Posted January 9, 2012 Posted January 9, 2012 Not sure I agree with everything Det is saying about wah pedals. The Crybaby uses a gear and toothed rail style to actuate the pot. I don't recall there being anything built into them to effect the tension of the pedal movement, itself. Is there? Could be wrong. But!! They can suck tone unless you get either a buffered input or true bypass. That is most definitely right on.
DetroitBlues Posted January 9, 2012 Posted January 9, 2012 There is nothing in there that is adjustable except for the spring on the back of the pedal on some models (I think the Zak Wilde is one).... That spring helps push the pedal back up when not in use. Plus the pots wear down to the point where when you rock it back and let go, the pedal drops back down, just not all the way.
tsp17 Posted January 9, 2012 Author Posted January 9, 2012 there was noticeable tone suck. so what i need is one with true bypass? what is buffered input? the CryBaby was at least a few years old. was very loose. suggestions on models with better tone pass through?
yoslate Posted January 9, 2012 Posted January 9, 2012 Afraid he's right, Kenny. I have a Vox, Clyde McCoy, patent pending pedal from the late Sixties, I think. Not much resistance in the pedal at all. Too much funk...?
DetroitBlues Posted January 9, 2012 Posted January 9, 2012 True bypass is where the signal path from input to output is bypassed from the circuit board of the pedal/effect. Buffered bypass is where the electronics are still active and boost the signal when the effect is off. Many boss pedals have this now (at least the newer ones like my old Boss ST2)
DetroitBlues Posted January 9, 2012 Posted January 9, 2012 For the money, I believe the Dunlop GCB95 Classic is the best for the money. It is true bypass and has a fasel inductor right out of the box... Since I consider the Wah to be an almost disposable effect, its the best for the money IMHO, $99...
tulk1 Posted January 9, 2012 Posted January 9, 2012 Afraid he's right, Kenny. I have a Vox, Clyde McCoy, patent pending pedal from the late Sixties, I think. Not much resistance in the pedal at all. Too much funk...? Dang it!!!! ................... And is there ever too much funk? Hmmm ?? As for Buffered Bypass (sorry, I wrote buffered input ... duh!). And an interesting article on certain Dunlop Wah Pedals.
DetroitBlues Posted January 9, 2012 Posted January 9, 2012 That signature wah is just like Gibson signature artist model guitars. Really not much different from the stock models except some artist gave it a thumbs up and their name on a cheap truss rod cover... Glad that website is right up there with my opinion of Boss. Word of advice on Buffered Bypass pedals. Those pedals are ALWAYS on. The buffer needs power increase the output. It took me three batteries to realize why my powerstack was always dead the next day. Unless you unplug the cables going into the pedal, it continues to draw power.
tsp17 Posted January 9, 2012 Author Posted January 9, 2012 How about Morley Bad Horsie 2? clean bypass and i really like the simplicity of no switch and adjustable 2d channel. i did hear that it needs a 300mA power supply. thoughts?
koula901 Posted January 9, 2012 Posted January 9, 2012 Fulltone Clyde Deluxe - true bypass, so, no tone suck. Was happiest with my old "Purple Haze" springloaded wah that I had in the '70s. I felt I had a lot of control with it because of the resistance - it was spring loaded. Can't find like that today, for the life of me. $245 at MF.
DetroitBlues Posted January 9, 2012 Posted January 9, 2012 How about Morley Bad Horsie 2? clean bypass and i really like the simplicity of no switch and adjustable 2d channel. i did hear that it needs a 300mA power supply. thoughts? That's Steve Vai's personal favorite. Its a digital effects wah that is not prone to the wear or dirty pots. Very consistant, but it has a different sound. I'd suggest going to your nearest Guitar Center and try several wah's out. Once you find one that sounds good, check it for true bypass. The cheaper models, like Dunlop GCB95 or Vox 847 are typically not true bypass. However the fix for that is really simple though.
tsp17 Posted January 9, 2012 Author Posted January 9, 2012 i am not going to have time to go demo anything this week so i went for it. found a good ebay deal ($107 new in box, local seller). will post report next weekend after the gig.
tsp17 Posted January 9, 2012 Author Posted January 9, 2012 Very consistant, but it has a different sound. what do you mean "different"?
JeffB Posted January 10, 2012 Posted January 10, 2012 It has a deeper action than any of my other wahs but I use it the most. Open to closed is physically further. But it always starts in the up position which I like. Theres no click on, as soon as you depress it its activated. Think it maybe a little generic sounding compared to an older vox and crybaby I have but I still like it. Works well with high gain.
tbonesullivan Posted January 10, 2012 Posted January 10, 2012 Personally, I like the Morley Bad Horsie II. it's rugged, and has some controls over the sweep. It also is optically actuated, and automatically turns off, so you use it, and then it shuts off in a few miliseconds after you take your foot off. Also, it has a buffered output, so it's great for driving the rest of the signal chain without signal or tone loss.
DetroitBlues Posted January 10, 2012 Posted January 10, 2012 what do you mean "different"? The Bad Horsie is a digital wah with a slightly different sound than an analog wah, but the tone is consistant from one wah to the other. There shouldn't be any adjusting the position of the tone pot like analog wahs.
Trouble Posted January 11, 2012 Posted January 11, 2012 Wilson Effects vintage spec 6 position Q Wah owner here. Best wah I've ever used.
tbonesullivan Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 Is the bad horsie digital? I thought it used analog circuitry, like the volume pedal does. It uses an optical sensor in place of the potentiometer which gets rid of the mechanical problems, but I don't think the actual sound is digitally processed through.
tbonesullivan Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 The schematic is viewable online, and it definitely does not appear to be digital. http://www.morleypedals.com/vai-2es.pdf
DetroitBlues Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 ....automatically turns off, so you use it, and then it shuts off in a few miliseconds after you take your foot off.... That's one reason why I don't like the Bad Horsie II. In some cases when doing a solo, there is a cool sound when you rock the pedal and leave it there while doing a solo....
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