The opposite wah problem...

[ayayay!]

Usually folks suffer from too low an output on a wah.  I've got the opposite problem with this one:  Too much.  I've got trimpots on the 390r and 82k, and I've still got lots of output even with the trimpots turned almost completely off.  I even have 2n2222 trannies in there! Low gain.

The problem, I believe, is this Whipple inductor.  I've done a couple of these and I didn't have any problems.  I sent this particular inductor back months ago because it quit working after one night.  He fixed it (nice guy) and sent it back.  I finally got around to installing it and it doesn't sound anything like the other Whipple's.  I'm not knocking the guy.  He makes good stuff. 

I modify wah's to taste using every and any trick I see fit to get the sound I want.  I usually remove the input buffer, but not always. 

I'm thinking maybe I should put the input buffer back in on this one, but my gut tells me it's the inductor.

Have any of you had an inductor experience like this? 

[Top Top]

Why not just put a volume control on the output? Trimpot inside if you want.

[ayayay!]

Meh.  I put the stock inductor back in and it sounds better both gain-wise and tonally.  The other Whipple's I've put in have that super throaty sound, but this one was just a piercing high and loud sweep no matter what I tried. 

[ayayay!]

What's the manual way to measure Henries?  Anyone? 

[zombiwoof]

Read the GEO "Technology of the Wah", there is a resistor you can change to control the output of the wah.  I don't remember which one it is, but it should be simple.

Al

[ayayay!]

Oh yeah, I've got that whole page nearly memorized.  I can control that easily enough more than one way.  The problem was that when biased to where the wah had a useable sweep, it was unbearably loud.  Like I said, putting the stock inductor back in fixed it.  That's why I want to measure the Whipple to see how many mH it is. 

Thx. 

[zombiwoof]

This is what I'm talking about (from Wah-Wah.co.uk):

Volume

If you've converted to true bypass, replace the 68K series input resistor with a lower value, say 47K. This gives a slight increase in volume. Too low a value is likely to result in the pedal picking up radio interference. This can be addressed by adding small value (10 - 20pF) capacitors between the collector and base of each transistor.

No matter what the inductor measurement is, you can change the volume of the wah by changing that resistor.  In your case, you'd want to raise the value of the resistor, instead of lowering it.

Al

[ayayay!]

Yes I know that.  I heard you the first time.  Like I said, there's more than one way to deal with it, and that's one of them. 

[zombiwoof]

Yes I know that.  I heard you the first time.  Like I said, there's more than one way to deal with it, and that's one of them. 

Well, you said that the problem was that when it was biased up correctly, it was too loud.  The fix I told you about would fix that problem.  So why didn't you try that?.  I don't understand why you took out the Whipple without changing that resistor to get the loudness down. Obviously there must be some other problem, other than the loudness.  And you don't have to be rude about it ("I heard you the first time"). I was just trying to help.

Al