reverse wah ??

[1878]

Hello Everyone...

I've been reading about Dave Gilmour's 'reverse wah' that he used for the middle section of Echoes. I'd always thought it was the sweep of the pot that had been reversed, but it seems it's the input/output ?!?! How would I go about doing this ?? I basically need to be plugged into my CryBaby as usual, then flick a switch to make the input the output and vice versa.

I reckon this is really easy, but I'm just a lowly beginner

Thanks in advance.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

There is considerable debate (and conflicting theories & reports) about this here:
http://www.guitarzone.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t173279.html

[Auke Haarsma]

it seems most people seem to agree on just swapping the input- and output jack. Easy to try, I'd say

[1878]

Sorry, I didn't mention that it DOES work for me when I plug in the wrong way 'round. I just want to know how to do this with a switch rather than fiddling with everything 'on the run' pardon the pun. It works less on my humbucker loaded guitars though. You might like to consider this when trying it out. I use my Strat and it's laughing... literally !!

Matty

[Auke Haarsma]

I'd say use a 2PDT switch, like:


These are the pins:
1 - - 6
2 - - 5
3 - - 4

connect 2 with input-jack
connect 5 with output-jack
connect 1  and 4 with normal wah-input on pcb
connect 6 and 3 with normal wah-ouput on pcb

This switch has two positions:

In the up position (1st) 1 connects with 2 (thus the input jack is routed to the normal wah-input) and 5 connects with 6 (thus output is normal wah output). This is a normal wah.

In the down (2nd) position 3 connects with 2 (thus the input jack is routed to the normal wah-OUTput) and 5 connects with 4 (thus output is normal wah INtput). This is a reversed wah.

[Auke Haarsma]

Ofcourse, If you don't want to drill your Wah Enclosure, you can easily do this with a simple True-Bypass looper-like box. Instead of bypassing the effect in the 'off'-position, you swap the input and output, to get the reversed wah.

[1878]

Thanks for the replies.

I've thought of another way. I might just get another CryBaby and connect everything back to front. This might sound a bit extravagant, but they're pretty easy to find in second hand shops and usually quite cheap. I've picked up tatty one's for as little as £15 in the past, and they've been fine after a bit of servisol in the pot.

I'll try the 2PDT idea first though. I'll wire it all without any drilling first !!

Thanks.

[Santi]

Perhaps I haven't got the idea but, what about to swap the 1 and 3 tips of the pot?

[Auke Haarsma]

Perhaps I haven't got the idea but, what about to swap the 1 and 3 tips of the pot?

you haven't got the idea

Read the link Paul posted and you'll understand what this is about.

[Santi]

mmmmmm ....... yeah I didn't understand the subject   I am not a fan of gilmour to make and idea of this seagull sound, but I'm currently finishing a McCoy project so I can test swaping the input an output tonight.

Thanks a lot ponq!

[scott_v]

I haven't tried reversing the output and input cables on my dunlop crybaby wah (more recent version) but considering that i do like what i hear i'm invisioning that this is not as easy of a mod it may seem (sorry i'm abit of an amatuer).  I'm pretty sure on my crybaby, there are marshall type jacks which are hardwired directly to the pcb, so i'd have to desolder them from the board find the points on the pcb and solder in the 2pdt and then wire switchcraft jacks... or is it not that difficult, as can i just wire in the 2pdt finding the right pcb points for the "reverse wah" and then leave the other contacts on the 2pdt alone such that switch will either alternate from normal wah (without contact connections on the 2pdt) to the reverse wah???

[gigimarga]

from the greatest gilmour site, www.gilmourish.com...with many thanks to bjorn riis:

The "seagull" effect in the mid-section is done using a wah wah and reversing the input/outputs.
Note that this effect doesn't work with humbuckers or active pickups pickups. It's best achieved with either Vox or Dunlop Cry Baby wahs.
1. Connect your guitar to the OUTPUT and your amp/next effect to the INPUT on the wah wah,- reversed connection.
2. Set the pickup switch on your guitar in the 4. position (2. position from the bottom). Make sure that all 3 knobs are on 10.
3. Turn on the wah wah and let it stay with the "heel" all the way down. You should now hear a loud feedback.
4. Adjust the pitch of the feedback by carefully rolling down the lower tone knob (farthest from you). You should hear that the tone is pitched down. Somewhere between 2-3 the tone fades, but by making a really slow fadeout you can achieve the "laughing" effect.
5. Combine these techniques with switching the pickup switch up and down from position 1-5 and by adjusting the pitch on the wah wah.
- you'll need to play quite loud and use some delay, 310ms.

The build up from the mid-section is played with echo/delay similar to Another Brick in the Wall 1. Use middle pickup and rich delay (310ms). Mute the strings with your palm and pick really hard. You can also add a little overdrive to make it fatter. During the '72-'75 performances, David would use a Leslie for an even greater sound.

[joegagan]

wow, i love the ingenuity of these guys when they were in their prime. i remember being young and adventurous, pluggin stuff in all wrong and having a sound party ha ha

as i get older, i am enjoying becoming more childlike in my attitude towards experimenting and learning.

[scott_v]

yeah i read the gilmourish page on this seagull effect and eventhough i only have guitars with humbuckers and not a strat which this effect is setup and designed for, i tried it anyways... i have an orginal crybaby newer version thats slightly modded (some resistor value changes) and when plugged in reverse i get a feedback tone when the sweep on the wah is rolled off to a certain point, then i tried backing off the tone on my guitar and at a certain point i got an interesting phaseshifting/trem type of effect on the feedback tone, however when i tried playing any strings i would get no sound, i assume because this is the nature of the humbuckers.