Wah pedal

  • Thread starter Thread starter monkie
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monkie

monkie

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I just bought my first wah wah pedal today. It's a Dunlop original wah pedal. It's so damn fun and creative to play with it. It's funky, man.:cool: The problem is that it's hard as hell to turn the effect off without giving it a hard stomp. After a while I don't think the on and off button is even working anymore. I tried to press it really hard and it still won't shut off. It stays on. It's not a lot of fun just trying to turn it on or off. I think I'll return it tomorrow or get an exchange for a better one or just return and buy a different model.

Anyone had the same problem? Which wah pedal do you have?

Thanks in advance for all comments.:D
 
I had a Dunlop Cry Baby for a long time but it got little use due to its clunkiness and difficulty in changing out batteries, which it ate. Adding an AC adapter mostly added hum, so I gave up on it.

Now I use a Line 6 Floor Pod Plus, and I'm back into playing with a wah. It's more controllable than the CB, with a similar tone. The downside is that it's about $300; the upside is that it has quite a few FX and amp models. It's not perfectly quiet, but it's better than the Dunlop, which gets scratchy sounding as the pot ages.
 
You could try to shave down the rubber stoppers on the top of the pedal-they are way too big and that's the problem with activating/deactivating the wah.
Okay--I decided to try it on my own Dunlop wah and found that I could shave off about 1/16" from only 1 of the stoppers it makes it simple to turn it on & off. I very carefully used a utility knife and it worked out fine!
 
You'll get used to it I think. I did. At first I found it so hard to control but I'm cool with the original crybaby now.
 
I had to replace the switch on my Cry Baby, but after 20 years of use/abuse. It's a pre-Dunlop Thomas organ and is extra skanky, to my ears, than the Dunlops. Still, can't go wrong with Cry Baby. I also have a recent Vox issue which is OK, and a Budda Bud-wah which is pricier, but very vocal. Don't abandon your wah! :)
 
I have a very crusty old CB I got for $30 ,I don't think it's as tough to turn off as you're describing. Personally, I'd like to upgrade to something with an adjustable frequency, but the CB is fun as is!
 
The old ones are easier to turn off & on because they have been used enough for the rubber to shrink down and compress.
I also have an old Thomas Organ built Cry Baby that doesn't leave the house and the rubber has shrunk away to almost nothing. Still works fine though!
 
My craybaby has been going strong for me since 1992 when I bought it. Never had an issue beyond the battery change out, which I got used to real quick.

You can either shave it down, or wait for it to wear, but it's worth it to keep because IMHO, nothing else sounds like it.
 
If I remember correctly, You can adjust the height of the switch. Just raise it slightly so it engages before the little rubber bumpers compress.
 
Rokket said:
My craybaby has been going strong for me since 1992 when I bought it. Never had an issue beyond the battery change out, which I got used to real quick.

You can either shave it down, or wait for it to wear, but it's worth it to keep because IMHO, nothing else sounds like it.
Click to expand...

Have you ever tried any of the dunlop models with a freq sweep knob? Like the dimebag or slash models, I believe.
 
Wow. Thanks for all replies.

Does all wah pedals have the same problem with activating and deactivating the switch? On the side, if it doesn't work out I might consider the Vox847A wah pedal. Any opinions on that? How's that compared to the CB?
 
monkie said:
Wow. Thanks for all replies.

Does all wah pedals have the same problem with activating and deactivating the switch? On the side, if it doesn't work out I might consider the Vox847A wah pedal. Any opinions on that? How's that compared to the CB?
Click to expand...

I think some pedals will activate as soon as you put pressure on the rocker. Is it really that bad? Sounds like you might have a bogus pedal.
 
TelePaul said:
I think some pedals will activate as soon as you put pressure on the rocker. Is it really that bad? Sounds like you might have a bogus pedal.
Click to expand...

Yes, it's really that bad. It's not even activating the switch. I'm going to return it or get an exchange. What other wah pedals do you like?
 
Wah mod

Yes the dunlop wah is cool, but like you I hate the switch and I tried shaving the stoppers...so I gave it a mod which eliminated the switch and replaced it with a blade switch which is depressed my a rod attached the foot platform the mod cost me about 20 bucks, but now it works like a Morley wah...when you move it a fraction of an inch its on. No buttons to stomp on.
 
Pain of Truth said:
Yes the dunlop wah is cool, but like you I hate the switch and I tried shaving the stoppers...so I gave it a mod which eliminated the switch and replaced it with a blade switch which is depressed my a rod attached the foot platform the mod cost me about 20 bucks, but now it works like a Morley wah...when you move it a fraction of an inch its on. No buttons to stomp on.
Click to expand...

What do mean by shaving the stoppers? What does it do? What's the benefit of it?
 
I got a Dunlop Crybaby Fasel wah for $40 a few months ago. Awesome wah.
 
I've actually got three. An original Dunlop, a Morley Steve Vai, and the one built in to my PODxt Live.

I bought the Morley because I love the way Steve Vai's wah sounds--and I found that I also like the switch. The pedal's spring loaded, so step on it and it engages (no button); step off and the pedal comes back up and turns off. I like it.

But I found the sound was different enough that I kept my Cry Baby too. I use it for a classic wah sound with my Strat.

And all these options let me stop using my Pod's pedal for wah--for most patches now, I have it set as a volume pedal or an effect tweak (I really like to use it control my reverb level.)

So even with other options, I'm still glad I have my Cry Baby.
 
I've got a Dunlop Original and a Dunlop Mister Crybaby on my board. Love them both to pieces! Never had any probs with the switches though. I don't even get much noticable hum from them and I'm even using one of those single wall plugs that daisy chains power to multiple pedals. I don't even recall the brand, but it was teh cheap. Works pretty damn good though.
 
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