Recommend me a great sounding Wah circuit ?

MartyMart · August 23, 2006, 05:50:31 PM

I have a nice chunky Vox shell ( bright red ! ) and need a superb wah circuit to go in it.

What should it be and pointers to some schems please ?

I'm after a good "Meaty" wah for rock use ....
( I dont like that "thin n weedy" cry baby tone BTW )

Thanks.
MM.

anti-idiot · August 23, 2006, 06:16:13 PM

maybe a modable wah (generalguitargadgets) or somthin like these...

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/s.castledine/greenfuz/wah.html
http://www.stinkfoot.se/andreas/diy/mods/dunlop.htm#_modding_the_wah
http://diy.erikhansen.net/gcb95.htm

Paul Marossy · August 23, 2006, 06:53:39 PM

If you ask me, I think that the Maestro Boomerang is the best sounding wah. Next would be the FatWah mod for the CryBaby GCB-95 circuit.

tcobretti · August 23, 2006, 06:55:58 PM

Some people like the shinei wah because it is kind of fat sounding. However, I think it doesn't wah enough, and would have to mod mine in order to use it.

I love my stock Vox V847 too much to use anything else anyway.

MartyMart · August 24, 2006, 03:55:12 AM

Thanks for the suggestions chaps , I suppose that a V847 would "suit" the enclosure
even if it's "tweaked" !

The "Boomerang" looks incredibly simple, does it really sound good Paul ?

MM.

Cliff Schecht · August 24, 2006, 03:57:49 AM

@#$% that! Build the Colorsound inductorless wah and be ready to shit yourself. The thing has a few weird values, but aside from that it's a simple one transistor trick.

RaceDriver205 · August 24, 2006, 04:25:32 AM

How does the tonepad wah compare?

darron · August 24, 2006, 06:20:53 AM

i have a vox v847 that i like. i've lent it out a bit to people who have crybaby-s (haha.. poor people) and they've always loved it. havn't heard anything better yet at least.

of course i had to do true bypass mod and stick a power socket on it.. but if you are building something then that's not an issue. make sure you get a good inductor also i suppose.

Paul Marossy · August 24, 2006, 10:06:08 AM

QuoteThe "Boomerang" looks incredibly simple, does it really sound good Paul ?

I think it sounds better than any of my other wahs. It's not nessarily the fattest sounding, but definitely the most vocal sounding. Mine's a DIY circuit with a Yellow Fasel inductor, though. I have a real one on the way, it should be here in the next day or two. I'm anxious to see how mine sounds compared to it.

If you want fat, try this FatWah mod for the GCB-95: http://www.diyguitarist.com/DIYStompboxes/WahMod1.htm

Gringo · August 24, 2006, 10:27:24 AM

I'll have to try that FatWha mod (and finally add true bypass to my beloved wha while i'm at it

)

MartyMart · August 24, 2006, 12:07:52 PM

Quickly breadboarded a Colorsound Inductorless wah ( Thanks CD & Cliff

) and it sounds GREAT !
Very simple, took 45 mins , little heavy on the "Q" so need to tinker, but it's soooo much better
than any crybaby !
I might make the 33k a 50k pot for tunable Q
May add a buffer to it also ....

jmusser · August 24, 2006, 08:39:40 PM

Hey Marty, I was just remembering that quite awhile back, Joe Gagan designed a wah that I believe was called "The Freaper" or something like that. I was interested to see if anyone ever built it, and what it sounded like. It may be something your interested in. I'm sure somewhere I have the schematic stuck in a file if you don't find any info on it.

Cliff Schecht · August 24, 2006, 09:26:18 PM

Quote from: MartyMart on August 24, 2006, 12:07:52 PM
Quickly breadboarded a Colorsound Inductorless wah ( Thanks CD & Cliff ) and it sounds GREAT !
Very simple, took 45 mins , little heavy on the "Q" so need to tinker, but it's soooo much better
than any crybaby !
I might make the 33k a 50k pot for tunable Q
May add a buffer to it also ....

Glad to hear you like it! I had one in a Crybaby shell for a while before I switched it out for the M.C. Hammer Chaos pedal with the tone control mounted on the rocker. I want the inductorless wah back though, that thing was a great wah. I used a bunch of makeshift values which messed up the sweep a little bit, so this time around I plan on building it with the right values.

Paul Marossy · August 24, 2006, 10:53:33 PM

Yeah, I've heard that the Freeper sounds cool, too. That's another Twin-T type circuit...

JasonG · August 25, 2006, 02:02:03 AM

Go with the boomerang ! I have had 3 wah pedals newer cry baby, vintage vox v846 and a boomer 2 . When I had to choose between the vox and boomer it wasnt a hard choice. So Jimi used a vox big deal. I have heard Curtis Mayfield used a boomer. But in the end you will be useing it so maby doing the bread board thing is a good idea.
In reality they are almost the same circuit. Vox forgot to patent the wah before they shipped them out and every one who could copy it did. So really the big choice is the resister value and inducter kind.

Paul Marossy · August 25, 2006, 08:00:10 AM

QuoteGo with the boomerang ! I have had 3 wah pedals newer cry baby, vintage vox v846 and a boomer 2 . When I had to choose between the vox and boomer it wasnt a hard choice.

Pretty much the same for me as well.

QuoteIn reality they are almost the same circuit. Vox forgot to patent the wah before they shipped them out and every one who could copy it did. So really the big choice is the resister value and inducter kind.

Well, almost. There are some differences on the output section that I think make it a different animal.

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Recommend me a great sounding Wah circuit ?