Crybaby Bonamassa....

[tinman1]

Mainly looking at this vs the Crybaby Classic (fassel version)....

Good reviews for the JB until I saw this http://www.absolutemusic.co.uk/community/entries/dunlop-crybaby-shootout

Seems to say the Bonamassa isn't a particularly vocal wah compared to some of the others.

I've had the Slash Wah (SC95) in the past but it lacked a certain something (and I didn't like the design).

Its for Hendrix to GnR to Metallica with a true bypass if possible.

Anyone thats used the JB Wah agree with this review? Can anyone compare it directly to the Classic (apart from price)?

Thanks

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Crybaby Bonamassa....

I think the JB has a nice vocal quality.

It has a much wider sweep than a vintage wah wah and some folks find that hard to deal with but the midrange quality is quite nice.

I hate the standard Dunlop Crybaby so I can't help there...

I don't think that the JB wah (or the Hendrix wah for that matter) sounds very much like Jimi but it you can use it in the same places, it's just got a wider sweep with more low end and a less top end.

As for the Metallica think the Hammett wah would be your best bet there but I find the Hammett to be a one trick pony personally...

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Crybaby Bonamassa....

I wouldn't say the JB is less vocal. I'd just say that the vocal hump is smoother, rather than a more dramatic shift like some others.

I have the JB, the chrome top JH1D, and the white Fulltone Clyde Deluxe. I like all of them, since it's sorta like pickups.......it's not about better, it's about the tonal differences. If you know how to make a wah sound good, you'd be happy with a bunch of different ones.

The Fulltone Clyde Deluxe will give you the most versatility because of the Shaft/Jimi/Whacked settings. High to low frequency ranges.

The JB has a nice warmer quality that never punches your eardrums like a cheap wah. It's plenty vocal....but it's more of a husky man's voice, than a clear screaming wah. And it doesn't have cheesy features.....only one really useful one. True bypass/non true bypass. It's also built better than most other Dunlops.

The bottom line is that writing reviews and recommendations of wah pedals is just like OD pedals and pickups.
Everyone has a different opinion, so you've just got to listen to them or buy them.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Crybaby Bonamassa....

Joe-do you use the JB in true bypass or not?

Also, how do you like it compared to the Hendrix wah??

I have a JB wah and a Jimi wah too...my Jimi wah is the first version but there is supposed to be little to no difference in the first ones and the second ones save for the construction and the wah shell itself.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Crybaby Bonamassa....

It had been awhile since I put the Jimi next to the Bonamassa, so I just plugged them into the Pro Reverb.

The Jimi wah is way different sounding, since it seems like a wider sweep from top to bottom and a really dramatic vowel shift in the middle of the travel. You have to be better at working a wah when you have to ride around the vowel spot in the travel, but you definitely hear the Jimi sound as well as a lot of the character your mind remembers from old wah tracks.

The Bonamassa wah has another familiar character that's very linear in it's sweep from perfect lows to perfect highs. It's a very refined sound that works great for rocking back and forth on rhythm chops, and sounds more smooth for gainy leads. The wah is vocal but not in a dramatic porn soundtrack sort of way. It's more organic and natural in sound and feel. I much prefer the JB wah over the Jimi, and the JB is easier to sound good on. It doesn't seem like a wide sweep, but a sweep of all the best frequencies. The Jimi wah has a tendency to hit unpleasing resonant frequencies that can rumble the cab and rattle every hard object in the room. The JB doesn't do that, and it's more pleasing to the ear for prolonged periods of time.

So for me, the JB would be the keeper of the two. The only time I'd use the Jimi wah is if I were trying to cop "the Jimi sound" with a Fuzz Face, or if that particular wah sound worked best in a track.

Overall, I think my Fulltone Clyde Deluxe will always be my favorite, just because it's easy to get 3 classic wah sounds at the flick of a rotary knob.......and they all sound authentic because Mike Fuller knows his stuff.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Crybaby Bonamassa....

Interesting!

I know that the JB wah is based on a custom wah that Jeorge Tripps built for Joe and it was a modded JH wah.

My JH and JB wahs have a lot in common but I do agree that the JB has less low end and a different kind of midrange...it is also easier to find the "sweet" spot on the JB than on the JH too.

I love the aluminum shell on the JB...it feels (weight wise) like my old Jen built Wah Face which is something I wish more folks would go back to...those heavy ass wah pedals just drive me nuts!

When I got the JB I expected it to overlap my JH wah enough to where I'd flip one but so far I've decided to keep 'em both but between those 2, my Wah Face and my Wilson/Vox Signature wah I am starting to wonder if I have a problem!

 

[tinman1]

Re: Crybaby Bonamassa....

Thanks for the replies chaps.

Unfortunately I don't have an opportunity to try before I buy where I live so I'd be ordering online... its does sound like I probably couldn't go far wrong with the bonamassa wah though! It sure looks purty at least!

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Crybaby Bonamassa....

get an MXR/CAE wah. It has two separate switchable fasel inductors, with gain an q controls for both hidden inside so you can tailor the tones to your own ears. Awesome wah that can do pretty much anything the other dunlop wahs can do.
http://www.jimdunlop.com/product/mc404-cae-wah

 

[Bludave]

Re: Crybaby Bonamassa....

Why not just go to a music store, bring your guitar, play through a bunch of different wahs & find the one that suits your needs. I think the JB wah is a great choice but there are better ones out there. I prefer the Teese wahs or the Fulltone over Dunlops. They just sound better to my ears & if you buy a Dunlop and mod it you are going to be right around the same cost so its just easier to buy what you hear.

 

[tinman1]

Re: Crybaby Bonamassa....

get an MXR/CAE wah. It has two separate switchable fasel inductors, with gain an q controls for both hidden inside so you can tailor the tones to your own ears. Awesome wah that can do pretty much anything the other dunlop wahs can do.
http://www.jimdunlop.com/product/mc404-cae-wah

I think this may be the best shout...

However it was probably a stupid question to begin with....if its good enough for Joe its most certainly good enough for me!

 

[d1dsj]

Re: Crybaby Bonamassa....

Don't forget that for the most part JB favours buckers over singles and his sig Wah is more than likely voiced for buckers. I have a JB and a Teese Wizard, both great for rock tones although the JB works better with singles. Wished I hadn't sold my Area51 though.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Crybaby Bonamassa....

get an MXR/CAE wah. It has two separate switchable fasel inductors, with gain an q controls for both hidden inside so you can tailor the tones to your own ears. Awesome wah that can do pretty much anything the other dunlop wahs can do.
http://www.jimdunlop.com/product/mc404-cae-wah

This looks pretty cool! But Ill bet it costs a mint..??

I had a bad horsie, but didnt care for it. Wanted a more standard wah. Got a vox (847 I think?) and not happy with it either. Im sure its my lack of skill with it, but doesnt seem to have as much impact on the tone as I hear in recordings. Also, kinda high pitched. I did move the potentiometer around alittle to get alil more meat out of it and am more pleased, but still not what I think it should sound. Those pretty good units? Is it in my head??
Sounds like the Cantrell is more my speed.. Although Im a versatility junkie since im still finding my way, I like as many options as I can, so Id probably like the Bradshaw one, but sure I cant afford it.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Crybaby Bonamassa....

The MXR/CAE is around $170 new give or take depending on sales and the retailer, etc...

As for the V847 from Vox it is a pretty bad sounding wah stock IMHO...I have one and didn't even bother trying to mod the board, I just pulled all the guys and bought a drop in kit for it. I'm not trying to be mean about it but it's just not a great sounding wah to my ears.

To be blunt I was not blown away with the MXR/CAE wah either...it does a bunch of stuff I just wish I liked one of it's sounds a lot. To be clear, I demo'ed it at a store on crap gear with a lot of background noise so I might dig it in real life but I was so unimpressed I haven't even tried it out again.

 

[jpage]

Re: Crybaby Bonamassa....

Another vote for the MXR, but IMO you should be able to get pretty good tones out of an Vox 847.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Crybaby Bonamassa....

This looks pretty cool! But Ill bet it costs a mint..??

nah its the same price as most dunlops. it pretty cool. i actually cant work out why people buy the sig model (or standard) dunlop wahs when you can get all their sounds in this one.

 

[RealtyViking]

Re: Crybaby Bonamassa....

nah its the same price as most dunlops. it pretty cool. i actually cant work out why people buy the sig model (or standard) dunlop wahs when you can get all their sounds in this one.

I had a CAE wah. I messed with that pedal endlessly.

So, for some of us, simple is better in a wah.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Crybaby Bonamassa....

Do any of the aforementioned ways play nice with a fuzz face? (Or do they all require a buffer to function well?)

 

[tinman1]

Re: Crybaby Bonamassa....

nah its the same price as most dunlops. it pretty cool. i actually cant work out why people buy the sig model (or standard) dunlop wahs when you can get all their sounds in this one.

Is that really true? Could I really get a Crybaby Classic (fassel) tone and a Slash signature and a Cantrell sig etc with this one wah? If so it seems dramatically under priced! Do you own a CAE?

I had a CAE wah. I messed with that pedal endlessly.

So, for some of us, simple is better in a wah.

Thats kinda my concern with this and the 535Q...I'm bad enough with modelling gear!

Do any of the aforementioned ways play nice with a fuzz face? (Or do they all require a buffer to function well?)

According to the official blurb and a Bonamassa interview I saw on youtube, this is specifically designed to work well with that kind of pedal (particularly in factory set non true-bypass mode). JB after all has a copper fuzz face sig to match.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Crybaby Bonamassa....

Do any of the aforementioned ways play nice with a fuzz face? (Or do they all require a buffer to function well?)

The Bonamassa has a fuzz buffer built in. I personally don't think it works quote as well as my Wilson Signature wah's buffer but it is a buffer and it does work.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Crybaby Bonamassa....

Is that really true? Could I really get a Crybaby Classic (fassel) tone and a Slash signature and a Cantrell sig etc with this one wah? If so it seems dramatically under priced! Do you own a CAE?

IMHO, no...the MXR/CAE wah is versatile and does do a bunch of different sounds and some of them might even be very close, even the same as some other wahs but don't think that the CAE wah is a Bonamassa, Hendrix, Cantrell, BUddy GUy, etc all in one wah...if it was Dunlop would only make one wah!

Thats kinda my concern with this and the 535Q...I'm bad enough with modelling gear!

It's a fine wah even if you don't like to tweak but if you're not a tweaker a more simple wah might be more your style

According to the official blurb and a Bonamassa interview I saw on youtube, this is specifically designed to work well with that kind of pedal (particularly in factory set non true-bypass mode). JB after all has a copper fuzz face sig to match.