Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

[RW James]

I'm taking the Cry Baby off my pedal board.

I don't play lead anymore (yeah!) and the only time I could imagine playing a rhythm wah is if we decided to cover the Theme from Shaft (not likely).

The problem is, my board is so crowded, and my feet are so big, I keep hitting the wah accidentally and turning it on, and then wondering what happened to my tone.

The Cry Baby doesn't have a light, so I can't tell if it's on or not. A friend has a Bad Horsey that reverts to the off position when you stop using it -- I like that.

This will free up some space and make it that much easier to carry around.

Not a big deal really - just felt like telling you.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

I had a gig on Saturday night and got all setup and started running through the amp channels to make sure we were all set. I started on the clean channel and it was all trebly with no bass. I moved around the knobs and it just had no depth. Very thin. Finally I got a clue and pushed on the Crybaby until the dang thing switched off. Instant bass came back. Geesh! That drives me crazy when that happens. A light would certainly be nice...

 

[RW James]

Re: Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

exactly!

 

[bungalowbill]

Re: Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

I gave up the Wah a while back and don't miss it at all.

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

Re: Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

I never wanted whah till I read about Bad Hoarsie, now I love it, especially quick step for a pick harmonic - WICKED !

 

[Imp]

Re: Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

might make a volume pedal out of mine :burnout:

 

[mediumpimpin]

Re: Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

Get a crybaby that switches off automatically. I've got a 95q (don't know if they still make it) and I've never had probs with it not turning off. I also really like the 15db boost it gives on the top end, really cool for an almost octave type of thing.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

We do quite a few Cream,Hendrix,Ole Grand Funk stuff,and these tunes do require the wah..I own 3 wahs though! ;o) I guess I Kinda love em!

 

[metlking]

Re: Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

I love 'em, but I added a 3PDT (triple-pole, double-throw) switch so I could tru-bypass as well as add an LED indicator, don't know how I lived without that modification!

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

I never liked the Crybaby/old wah style footswitch.

Now, the Weeping Demon, OTOH, has an LED indicator. The pedal can be set to be turned on by a switch next to the wah control pedal, or like the Bad Horsie by using it. It is almost infinitely tweakable.

Rick, from my experience with the Crybaby, how in the world could you "accidentally" engage that beast? I had enough trouble getting it to engage when I WANTED it on.

 

[RW James]

Re: Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

Rick, from my experience with the Crybaby, how in the world could you "accidentally" engage that beast? I had enough trouble getting it to engage when I WANTED it on.

You are absolutely right - and I had the same problem - so I replaced the switch with an improved switch and also rewired it with true bypass. It's really a lot nicer - but it switches on too easily now.

(Of course, when it was hard to switch ON before, it was equally hard to switch OFF)

In retrospect, I probably should have taken the extra step to include the LED indicator - but the pedal just doesn't seem to be set up well for it. And after trying the Bad Horsie, I just really think that's the way I want to go.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

Way back in the day, I read an interview with Paul Gilbert, talking about LEDs on pedals. He said he thought they were silly, because if he needed a red light to tell the pedal was on, he didn't see the point in having it.

I agree, and can't believe you guys can't tell a wah by the sound alone.

 

[RW James]

Re: Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

Way back in the day, I read an interview with Paul Gilbert, talking about LEDs on pedals. He said he thought they were silly, because if he needed a red light to tell the pedal was on, he didn't see the point in having it.

I agree, and can't believe you guys can't tell a wah by the sound alone.

You are right - to a point. Here is my scenario: I'm between songs, I set the pedals for the next song and I accidentally hit the wah pedal, turning it on - but I don't know because I'm not playing yet. Then I start the song and I immediately know something is wrong. What is it? I could have messed up a control on the guitar (I've done that). One of the pedals may have a bad setting caused by me hitting it with my foot (I've done that). I could have knocked the mic away from my amp (I've done that). Or it could be the wah pedal - how do I check that? The only way would be to actually play through it and try moving the pedal. There is no passive way to determine if it's on. So the only solution is to make some noise when you are supposed to be playing something.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

You are right - to a point. Here is my scenario: I'm between songs, I set the pedals for the next song and I accidentally hit the wah pedal, turning it on - but I don't know because I'm not playing yet. Then I start the song and I immediately know something is wrong. What is it? I could have messed up a control on the guitar (I've done that). One of the pedals may have a bad setting caused by me hitting it with my foot (I've done that). I could have knocked the mic away from my amp (I've done that). Or it could be the wah pedal - how do I check that? The only way would be to actually play through it and try moving the pedal. There is no passive way to determine if it's on. So the only solution is to make some noise when you are supposed to be playing something.

Yup.

And as hard as those things are to switch on and off when you WANT to do so, it's AMAZINGLY easy to do it when you don't want to.


As far as the Bad Horsie wah, I had a friend's at my house for a month just recently. It's cool, but I hate spring-loaded pedals where it returns to some point. Part of the coolness of the Crybaby is when you crack it open to some point and leave it there for a while as you wail away. Can't do that with a spring-loaded pedal.

 

[RW James]

Re: Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

As far as the Bad Horsie wah, I had a friend's at my house for a month just recently. It's cool, but I hate spring-loaded pedals where it returns to some point. Part of the coolness of the Crybaby is when you crack it open to some point and leave it there for a while as you wail away. Can't do that with a spring-loaded pedal.

Good point... I had forgotten about that feature

 

[ErikH]

Re: Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

I've owned a wah since '91 and rarely EVER used it until the last few years. I just was never happy with it. When I started doing mods, that changed things. True bypass was first then a couple other circuit mods.

Since putting in the Area 51 inductor and pot, I use it more now. Sometimes I use it in toe down during leads for that extra bite, sometimes in mid throw (ala Michael Schenker), and we do a few songs where it's needed.

I'd like to add an LED but drilling through that metal is not an easy task.

In a way, I've done the exact opposite as you, Rick. I added the Crybaby and took everything else off....LOL. Now all that is on the floor is the Crybaby, tuner and amp channel switcher.

metlking - you have a 3PDT (triple-pole, double-throw) switch. you reversed it a little bit...lol.

 

[metlking]

Re: Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

metlking - you have a 3PDT (triple-pole, double-throw) switch. you reversed it a little bit...lol.

I knew it was something like that, the Bud Lights of last night where telling me otherwise! One more reason I need an LED on my WAH!

I'll go back and edit it! Thanks!

 

[RW James]

Re: Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

In a way, I've done the exact opposite as you, Rick. I added the Crybaby and took everything else off....LOL. Now all that is on the floor is the Crybaby, tuner and amp channel switcher.

I'm keeping the wah - and plan to set it up on the floor next to the pedal board if I need it. But as I said, I don't play lead anymore and just don't see a need right now.

 

[CapoFirstFret]

Re: Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

you could always get a cheap true bypass pedal (or build one) to put your wah pedal into it's loop so when you wanna use the wah you tap on the pedal to send your signal through it and just use the pedal, then when you don't want wah anymore, tap the pedal again ...and it has an LED!

 

[RW James]

Re: Cry Baby leaving my pedal board

you could always get a cheap true bypass pedal (or build one) to put your wah pedal into it's loop so when you wanna use the wah you tap on the pedal to send your signal through it and just use the pedal, then when you don't want wah anymore, tap the pedal again ...and it has an LED!

Now that is a cool idea! I could remove the switch I put in there when I did the mod and build my own bypass. Thanks!