Jeez, is anything modern, er, good...wahs

[More-Gear-Than-Skill]

Here in this part of the world we don't have Super-wide product ranges, brands and choices. Only the really big, or privately imported arrive. I will see an artist endorsed item and think "well if it's good enough for that super-star, then it must be good for me" I will sometimes buy it based on that. sucker Also it a big risk buying some unbacked exotic online.

I bought a used wah, which i tested and liked. I checked out prices on-line before paying, just to be sure that i am paying the appropriate price. Some times I'll check reviews to make sure others' havent found serious problems and such.

My question is... eg: if the Dunlop Wahs are said to suck soo much, how can someone like Zakk Wilde endorse and claim to actually use one? Is it a marketing hoax-sellout thing, and actually under the case it's a vintage Vox under the Dunlop logo?

Or are the products very decent and the "vintage snobs" just nay-saying cause, well, they're kinda grumpy.
Or is it really a case of "modern standards and mass-cheap production makes crappy products, that sound nasty. This nastyness is only evident when you hear a carefully made item of old.?

Anyway im sure this is an old old subject matter, just curious about artist endorsed pedals, FX, amps and guitars. Surely Slash would get an original Vox if todays stuff sucked. Ahh, here i go again

 

[joelap]

Re: Jeez, is anything modern, er, good...wahs

That's where Stratdeluxer97 comes in...

I dont think the Dunlop wah's suck. I just dont think they're vocal enough for me. I like a vintage wah sound though.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Jeez, is anything modern, er, good...wahs

A wah is a filter and basically the filter has to be tweaked with the right components to get it vocal and smooth...Alot of the Dunlop stuff stock,is shrill and lacks the vocal range of the early wahs of the late 60s...These late 60s wahs were the wahs that guys like Teese and Mike Fuller copied for their own wahs...You need the right combination of a god inductor,pot,and caps and transistors within the circuit to open up the sound...

 

[shredaholic]

Re: Jeez, is anything modern, er, good...wahs

don't take every advert you see at face value, just because an artist is endorsing a product it doesnt mean the version the company gives them is the same as the one they sell to the mass market. besides, these guitarists will have techs to fine tweak all their equipment anyway....

 

[More-Gear-Than-Skill]

Re: Jeez, is anything modern, er, good...wahs

aaah well...corporate evil. Where does it all end. So uch Chinese made junk out there. Make it cheap, quick, no attention to detail...sell it not too cheap. BUT make sure it LOOKS like a good, old, quality item. That'll sucker em.
And make zero innovation. But i suppose costs are where it's at.

Also on the other hand, I'm sure something like a wah back in the 60's was a "pro-muso" only. Now any geek can pick one up anywhere for the price of a couple of new albums...

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Jeez, is anything modern, er, good...wahs

If I recall, you're in S. Africa? So it's got to be much harder to go gear shopping... You kind of need to be conscious of where your information comes from. I'll lay dollars to doughnuts that a stock Dunlop wah will perfectly suit a majority of players. There's so much stuff that's parroted around as "truth" because someone believes in what someone else says. Besides that, everyone's concept of tone is subjective- you and I may have very different ideas of what the perfect tone is- or even what "acceptable" tone is.

By the same token, a lot of gear is a lot cheaper than it's been, mostly because of cheaper parts and overseas construction.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Jeez, is anything modern, er, good...wahs

don't take every advert you see at face value, just because an artist is endorsing a product it doesnt mean the version the company gives them is the same as the one they sell to the mass market. besides, these guitarists will have techs to fine tweak all their equipment anyway....

Bingo! When your a big star you can get techs fighting for your business and they will do any mods you could ask for!

 

[More-Gear-Than-Skill]

Re: Jeez, is anything modern, er, good...wahs

Which is why endorsement is such crud really. I trust radiohead and telecasters more since they choose to use the product, and even go out of their way to say that they don't endorse. But then you look close and see that it's modified to hell. Teles with strat necks and such. But imagine getting a deal for free strings from the manufacturer you hate most! What to do?

The other part of my rant was about sonic quality in modern day products. After the dissillusionment of cheap-medium price items, you head for the expensive stuff. There you believe you will get a proper sounding, properly built with care and sound in mind... But here you'll have to fork over huge cash. But what annoys me too is this "replica of the classic-vintage" stuff you see these days. But in plastic...ha

 

[Imp]

Re: Jeez, is anything modern, er, good...wahs

find one, mod it to your liking

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/s.castledine/greenfuz/wah.html

i have a normal crybaby.. never liked the original inductor, but changing the Q resistor from 33k to 100k gives you a lot more 'vocal' tendancy..

tom