Help me to make decision...calling all wha gurus!

[michelebis]

Hi evrybody,
i'm Michele from Italy.
i'm going to buy a new wha. in the past i had a crybaby original and i wasn't ever satisfied of. too thin, little sweep, no middle sounding and no vocal at all.
i play a les paul classic..i'm trying o get slash wah tone ( scom, civil war and so on.)
I have the opportunity to buy for the same price a used vox 847 with true bypass mode, a used ex demo 848 or a new cry baby classic or a vintage vox from early '70.
Among these three which one is the best for what i'm looking for.
The seller of the dunlop who is also the owner of the 847 said that according to him the dunlop is the best, because with humbuckers and under heavy distortion the vox is harsh in particular the 848. Is he right?!
i read on this forum in differents threads that the vox is the rounder, warmer, more vocal of the bunch.
Please your opinions are appreciated.
Thanks a lot,
this is really great forum where to learn new things
(sorry for my poor english)

 

[michelebis]

Re: Help me with wha...calling stratdeluxe !!

Re: Help me with wha...calling stratdeluxe !!

bump..
please noone can help me..

 

[darkshadow54321]

Re: Help me to make decision...calling all wha gurus!

Welcome to the forum!

I would buy either of the Vox wahs. I prefer the sound to Dunlops and I think they look cooler too!

If the 847 is only modded for true bypass and nothing else, I'd buy the 848, as that one already has true bypass plus it also has an AC outlet.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Help me to make decision...calling all wha gurus!

Without mods,the 848 has a better vocal tone and sweep and already has true bypass and a power supply...

 

[michelebis]

Re: Help me to make decision...calling all wha gurus!

thank a lot..guys
so according to you i 'll get slash wha tone the best with the 848..thanks again
havr you ever heard anything about harshness..on treble settings and too much wide sweep in comparison with the dunlop?!
Michele

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Help me to make decision...calling all wha gurus!

The Vox wahs made today are Dunlop,but they just sound better than the Crybaby wahs?

Wah sweep is never too wide,in fact most of us beg for all the sweep we can get...You can adjust the gear on the wah pot if the full "toe down" tones are too toppy....

 

[michelebis]

Re: Help me to make decision...calling all wha gurus!

thanks to everybody i pulled the trigger on the 848..clyde mccoy

 

[Relicaster]

Re: Help me to make decision...calling all wha gurus!

I have modded those old 1970's Thomas Organ cry babys to be screamers and some pretty nice clones of the Original Vox Clyde Mccoys.
You can get a decent used working one for cheap.
Spend a little time and add a few key parts and you can really get cookin.

**The difference in the voicing (vocal mod) is a different value resistor parallel to the inductor, that turns a wah-wah into more of a "wow-wow". Some boutique pedals have a pot here.

**Fasal Inductor
**true bypass
**different caps (I *sometimes* use .27mfd's for more bass)
**change the input resistor to make it louder- I like a little boost even.

If you even a begining-do-it-yourself-er you can make a lean mean wah and a wolf in sheeps clothing out of those old Thomas pedals.

But they don't have those cool chrome VOX lids.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Help me to make decision...calling all wha gurus!

I have modded those old 1970's Thomas Organ cry babys to be screamers and some pretty nice clones of the Original Vox Clyde Mccoys.
You can get a decent used working one for 35 $ every day.
Spend another 20 for parts and you can really get cookin.

**The difference in the voicing (vocal mod) is a different value resistor parallel to the inductor, that turns a wah-wah into more of a "wow-wow". Some boutique pedals have a pot here.

**Fasal Inductor
**true bypass
**different caps (I sometimes use .27mfd's for more bass)
**change the input resistor to make it louder- I like a little boost even.

If you even a begining-do-it-yourself-er you can make a lean mean wah and a wolf in sheeps clothing out of those old Thomas pedals.

But they don't have the cool chrome lids.

Welcome to the forums....Get that crappy Fasel off of your board and get a Fulltone inductor on there! :laugh2: I Leave the .22 caps alone,but I Increase the mid resistor value and I also increase the input cap and "sweep" cap values upward...Another cool mod is to put variable resistors in place of the 68k input resistor,the 1.5k mid resistor,and the gain set resistor....Now you have a really wicked wah with great sweep and vocal range! The Fulltone pots are great also and the pot and inductor are "key" to great wah tone and character! :dance: Add a buffered power supply board and jack and some outside mounted "Q" and or "Gain" pots for adjustments on the fly...

 

[Relicaster]

Re: Help me to make decision...calling all wha gurus!

Get that crappy Fasel off of your board and get a Fulltone inductor on there!

LOL!

...I Increase the mid resistor value and I also increase the input cap and "sweep" cap values upward

yup those are my mods...

...Another cool mod is to put variable resistors in place of the 68k input resistor,the 1.5k mid resistor,and the gain set resistor

yup, but me no likes teeny trim pots or drilling holes in those old chassis. I know the values I like (or that the old vox has) so I just set it and forget it. Try to use only old carbon comp res. too.

I have a total franken wah that has 5 external pots. I set if where I like it and took measurements from what I had the pot values adjusted to.

 

[xnfx]

Re: Help me to make decision...calling all wha gurus!

Where did you guys learn to do all these wah wah mods? Did it come from just tinkering and being unhappy with the sound of stock wahs? How hard would you say it is to do some of these cap and resistor changes, inductor, pot, etc.? I've been doing my guitar electronics for a while, but never tried messing with anything else.

Thanks!

 

[xnfx]

Re: Help me to make decision...calling all wha gurus!

thanks to everybody i pulled the trigger on the 848..clyde mccoy

Did it give you the Slash wah tone, or get close? To me his wah tone sounds more vintage sounding than any of the Crybaby wahs I've heard. I wonder what he uses to record, since he uses the rackmounted one live? Have fun with your 848!

 

[michelebis]

Re: Help me to make decision...calling all wha gurus!

Thanks again.guys
Could anyone post the mods and the values of the mods that you make, please. maybe i found a used fulltone inductor, it will be very hard to find a fulltone pot here in Italy..
I d like to mod my 848 to old specs. could stratdeluxe or anyone else mail me the mods or a schematic..could you elaborate a little bit more to understand what every mod would do?..
thanks Michele

 

[michelebis]

Re: Help me to make decision...calling all wha gurus!

Thanks again.guys
Could anyone post the mods and the values of the mods that you make, please. maybe i found a used fulltone inductor, it will be very hard to find a fulltone pot here in Italy..which could be a good replacement?!
I d like to mod my 848 to old specs. could stratdeluxe or anyone else mail me the mods or a schematic..could you elaborate a little bit more to understand what every mod would do?..
thanks Michele

 

[michelebis]

Re: Help me to make decision...calling all wha gurus!

sorry for the double post..

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Help me to make decision...calling all wha gurus!

I, too, was unhappy with my Dunlop wah (it was a Crybaby From Hell DB-01). It didn't have an exceptionally wide sweep, the treble was harsh and the lowend when the wah was c*cked back didn't exist. Bought a Pro Analog Supaquack and never looked back (but it's more expensive than most are willing to pay).

You might want to consider sending the wah to John (STRATDELUXER97). Run a search and you'll see just how many rave reviews his mods get. This man is _really_ on top of his game and his prices are very affordable too.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Help me to make decision...calling all wha gurus!

LOL!



yup those are my mods...



yup, but me no likes teeny trim pots or drilling holes in those old chassis. I know the values I like (or that the old vox has) so I just set it and forget it. Try to use only old carbon comp res. too.

I have a total franken wah that has 5 external pots. I set if where I like it and took measurements from what I had the pot values adjusted to.

The wah doesn't need the adjustments I agree,but it's always up to what customer wants...Most guitar players like adjustments though,,,Just most of our mentality..

I'm not at all sold on the Carbon Comp hype! I've been modding amps,and alot of different pedals for years...CC are great if you like a little bit of extra hiss in your circuit,especially in the preamps of amps...I have a bunch of those Alpha multi-position pots that I can mount different value caps on and do the Fulltone Deluxe wah thing,but I've only done that on my own wah...

Anyway....Just one's opinion...The "hype" about old TS 808s and CC resistors,people hearing differences in cap changes in guitar circuits etc...is something that grates on my nerves! :laugh2: I do use CC and carbon film,and Metal film,and again,depends on the guy that owns the wah and sometimes what they want?

 

[michelebis]

Re: Help me to make decision...calling all wha gurus!

thanks,
i know what you are saying, but you have to know that send to you my wah from italy is not easy and it's very expensive...i don't wanna pay so much money for this..
sorry if i was there i'll do it..
anyway if someone want to send a mail with some more explanation it will be very appreciated.
thanks again
Michele

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Help me to make decision...calling all wha gurus!

thanks,
i know what you are saying, but you have to know that send to you my wah from italy is not easy and it's very expensive...i don't wanna pay so much money for this..
sorry if i was there i'll do it..
anyway if someone want to send a mail with some more explanation it will be very appreciated.
thanks again
Michele

I've sent several wahs to Europe...The money you spend,would be well spent...Brow has a wah and he's in the UK...He's the first person that comes to mind....

 

[xnfx]

Re: Help me to make decision...calling all wha gurus!

michelebis,

Did it give you the Slash wah tone, or get close? To me his wah tone sounds more vintage sounding than any of the Crybaby wahs I've heard. I wonder what he uses to record, since he uses the rackmounted one live? Have fun with your 848!