Before I look for another wah...

kjrocks

kjrocks

New member
tell me if there is anything I can do. I've had a Crybaby Classic fasel for a little bit now and my gripe with it is the quick/short tone change in the middle of the sweep. I've read a ton about people adjusting the pot to get more or less treble or bass and the start of end of the sweep. Thats not my issue with this wah. I like the general tone but it goes from dark to bright in very short movement. I find myself using just the high end of sweep(toe down) and having to think about not rocking back too much. If I do go though that point it changes so fast it makes a "Flub" rather than a nice "wah". Could a different inductor do it? Its funny because most of the mods done on Crybabys are true bypass,9 volt adapter(which both come stock) and the fasel inductor. I think its a lot less noticeable on the cleans but I'm playing pretty dirty 90% of the time. I've been playing a Morley for the last 15 years and while the sweep was even the voicing was a little boring so I thought I'd try a Dunlop.
Should I even bother or just move on?
 
Re: Before I look for another wah...

you may want to try the vocal mod before you change the inductor...
 
Re: Before I look for another wah...

Thanks for the links but I'm not sure if those will solve my issue or not. What could a different pot do? Would that change the taper of the sweep?
 
Re: Before I look for another wah...

im a morley user too Kj. and i know what it is that made you get a crybaby..But i used to use crybabys and had the same issues as you! Crybabys are kinda thicker and more vocal, trouble is they suffer from what you are talking about, plus and they wear out, and the stock ones suck your tone. So in the end ive just given up and kept working with the morley cos it really works well with the gain up and because its got a wide and smooth sweep.
I suspect the issue you are getting with the crybaby is kinda like the same thing that makes your tone roll off when you back the volume on your guitar. Its kind of "all or nothing" in one spot. I have tried with a stock crybaby, my 1970s vox, and a vox clone built from parts and they all do it. Maybe one of those sexy RMC or fulltone wahs may have fixed it but i have not tried one so cant help there the other one to try would be the 535q from crybaby cos you can move the mids- that might sort it out, but youd have to try ne in a gear store. Its funny tho about sweeps....the gearmanndude who does all those internet pedal comparisons/reviews in the snakeskin boots did a review on the morley bad horsie and his summation was something like this:
"ive been playing a crybaby for 20 years and the sweep feels really weird on this (the morley). Guess i didn't fall over so thats a good thig tho...."
And that was his entire review! lol
So, i guess it may just come down to what you are used to...

ps. that mxr pedal you sent me a whiloe ago is now permanently attached to my Marshall beating out an sd1, ds1sem , bd2, maxon od9, 808, mi tube zone, and a fulltone fulldrive. Thanks man!
 
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Re: Before I look for another wah...

The inductor won't fix the issue with the sweep...the pot migth help but what you're talking about is kind of what a wah pedal does...in the middle of the sweep it'll flip form lows to highs...not much you can do about that really...
 
Re: Before I look for another wah...

the guy who invented fire said:
The inductor won't fix the issue with the sweep...the pot migth help but what you're talking about is kind of what a wah pedal does...in the middle of the sweep it'll flip form lows to highs...not much you can do about that really...
Click to expand...

A wah is basically a filter and it works within certain frequencies...Knowing what key components to change,can make an overall difference in the sweep,vocalness,and tonality of a wah...Lots of trial and error on my part..A good inductor and wah pot alone,is normally an improvement.
 
Re: Before I look for another wah...

AniML said:
http://fuzzcentral.ssguitar.com/axiswah.php
http://www.home-wrecker.com/wahmods.html

I changed my V847 to a Whipple inductor, but honestly, I think the resistor changes made more of an impact
Click to expand...

Those are VOX wah mods... not crybaby, though yes... the idea is the same. Different circuit though.

All wah's have a point where the sweep changes... that's the point. Have you actually tried rotating the pot? Typically that's the only wah 'mod' I've ever done as it will change the feel of the sweep and ratio of toe to heel. The rotation on the pot if only about 50% so it might be parked in a part of the sweep you don't like.

I know all the dunlops typically use the same GCB95 circuit board with the differences between a stock crybabay and say, a Hendrix being just resistor and caps. At least that's the case on the 2-3 wahs I have around here.

To save the hassle of looking it up, what's the resistor to change for the 'vocal' mod? And is that the same as whats known as the 'jerry cantrell' mod? Swap what is it? R5 and R13? Which ones make the biggest changes?
 
Re: Before I look for another wah...

Life is too short to even give these things a second thought. There's a zillion wahs out there, and some are very tweakable like the RMC and Fulltone Clyde Deluxe, not to mention the nice signature wahs that have been coming out.

One wah I had that did that quick shift in frequency was a Budda Bud Wah. I learned to be subtle in that area, just to make the most of that dramatic vowel hump. But ultimately, I just enjoy the Clyde Deluxe. But it doesn't keep me from checking out other wah's.

XSSIVE is quite the expert on Dunlop wahs, because he collected most of them for a fun experiment. Hopefully, he'll chime in. I'm curious to hear his thoughts, because one wah I really want is the Dunlop Jerry Cantrell model. The other one I'd buy is the RMC Joe Walsh Signature wah. I really want one of those before they're gone for good.
 
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Re: Before I look for another wah...

Stick a quarter under the heel of the wah and tape it in place. It keeps you from rocking back too far.

Alternatively, if you check out a Dunlop 535Q or a Dime Wah. They have a knob that allows you to adjust how sharp or mellow the sweep is. The sharper the sweep, the more pronounced the shift over the Q.
 
Re: Before I look for another wah...

J Moose said:
To save the hassle of looking it up, what's the resistor to change for the 'vocal' mod? And is that the same as whats known as the 'jerry cantrell' mod? Swap what is it? R5 and R13? Which ones make the biggest changes?
Click to expand...

note sure about the JC mod but this page details a lot of the mods i did to my crybaby:

http://www.diyguitarist.com/DIYStompboxes/WahMod.htm

replace the 33K resistor in parallel with the inductor with a 47K resistor for a more vocal quality, my crybaby sounds really nice after the changes i made but it is no match for the MC-404 CAE wah...
 
Re: Before I look for another wah...

Thanks for all the replies guys and it sounds like maybe its a common trait with Crybaby type wahs. I dont think I'm going to bother with any mods other than maybe JM's suggestion of moving the pot, which I hadnt thought of, thanks. GJ is right ,life is too short and I think I may just try some more wahs. I'm going to keep this one around because its does sound real good with certain tones.
Being an old Morley user I'm used to being able to use heavy gain with my wah. I think I may check out the Bad Horsie II. It looks like it has few options and the switchless feature is a plus. My old Morley has the old foot switch.
G175, I'm with you, the MXR has made a permanent home on my board.I'm glad I could help you out and let me know if you ever need anything again.
 
Re: Before I look for another wah...

Another thing to try is placement in the effect chain. Is your wah pre-distortion or post-distortion? In front of the amp or in the effects loop? You can change the sound by trying different locations in the overall signal. I know it might be a bit of a stretch considering the initial concern, but it's the cheapest solution to try before buying anything.
 
Re: Before I look for another wah...

kjrocks said:
Thanks for all the replies guys and it sounds like maybe its a common trait with Crybaby type wahs. I dont think I'm going to bother with any mods other than maybe JM's suggestion of moving the pot, which I hadnt thought of, thanks.
Click to expand...

Yeah, like I said... i have three different crybaby variations here they're all unique even though the core circuit board is the same. One of 'em, an artist model I got really really cheap ($40 w/box?) from a kid who said it sucked... didn't work well. And he was right, it didn't when it got here.

Took about 20 minutes of mechanical adjustments to start getting some magic out of it. Trim the rubber feet, adjust the height of the switch and rotate the pot... why dunlop can't get that stuff right at the factory I dunno, but I've made those tweaks to many a wah...
 
Re: Before I look for another wah...

J Moose said:
Took about 20 minutes of mechanical adjustments to start getting some magic out of it. Trim the rubber feet, adjust the height of the switch and rotate the pot... why dunlop can't get that stuff right at the factory I dunno, but I've made those tweaks to many a wah...
Click to expand...

I'm assuming if I rotate the pot I'll also need to realign the teeth from the pedal with it?
 
Re: Before I look for another wah...

kjrocks said:
I'm assuming if I rotate the pot I'll also need to realign the teeth from the pedal with it?
Click to expand...

Huh? Yeah. I think so. Not quite sure what your getting at...

When you crack open the bottom of a crybaby the mechanical assembly of the whole pot/gear/teeth/shaft thing is pretty obvious.

There's a white nub that holds the teeth coming off the pedal against the teeth of the pot, like a sandwich.

Just slide that nub to the side and rotate the pot... play a bit... rotate... play a bit... rinse and repeat until you find a spot where the frequency of the wah is more to your liking.

You will have to slide the nub back to hold the gears/teeth together while you play and experiment with postions...

Generally I leave the screw for the nub a bit loose until I find the magic spot... then I tighten the nub back down to lock it in place.
 
Re: Before I look for another wah...

I thought you meant something else really. Like rotating the pot where its is mounted inside the wah. I've read about what you're saying and that just seems like it helps with the high or low end at toe or heel down. I'm not sure what it would do about the abrupt change in the middle of the sweep. I will give it a go though.
 
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