Jerry Cantrell Wah Review
- Thread starter some_dude
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Empty Pockets
BadHairDayologist
Re: Jerry Cantrell Wah Review
did you use it as a sweetener in a baked good, or for your coffee or tea?
i'm used to using a little bit of honey and sugar in my tea but i would be interested in switching to Dunlop wah pedals if the tone is right.
did you use it as a sweetener in a baked good, or for your coffee or tea?
i'm used to using a little bit of honey and sugar in my tea but i would be interested in switching to Dunlop wah pedals if the tone is right.
eschoendorff
New member
Re: Jerry Cantrell Wah Review
This is not the first such review that I've heard about the JC wah. I needs to try me one.
This is not the first such review that I've heard about the JC wah. I needs to try me one.
Re: Jerry Cantrell Wah Review
Thank you so very much for that in depth analogy of that pedal! I was able to use the information gathered as a comparison between the Wah I currently employ to determine that it would indeed be beneficial for me to summon up the funding in which to purchase said Jerry Cantrell Wah. It became visible to me that there seems to be a differential in implied level of sweetness, that mine simply does not possess. :scratchch
Thank you so very much for that in depth analogy of that pedal! I was able to use the information gathered as a comparison between the Wah I currently employ to determine that it would indeed be beneficial for me to summon up the funding in which to purchase said Jerry Cantrell Wah. It became visible to me that there seems to be a differential in implied level of sweetness, that mine simply does not possess. :scratchch
Empty Pockets
BadHairDayologist
Re: Jerry Cantrell Wah Review
^ werd
^ werd
some_dude
Raging BB Gunologist
Re: Jerry Cantrell Wah Review
It's similar to the Wylde wah in that it is a bassier wah that has a really resonant filter effect, yet differs in that sweep is much more narrow and easier to use since it lacks the extreme bottom and has a tunable top end.
The best way to describe it is that I've always liked the Wylde wah but it gets really extreme in the heel down position and can sound a little wonky if you're trying to flog your wah like your Kirk Hammett's protégé. I find it more useful if I stick a couple of quarters under the heel to keep it from rocking back too far. I thought about modding the sweep so that I wouldn't need the quarters, and it seems as though Jerry Cantrell thought the same thing, only he had Dunlop do it for him and stuck it in a cool brass case with a knob to dial in the top end. The end result is a great wah that has a really usable sweep that can be quickly dialled in from a thick and chewy sound to a brighter, more screaming sound. The strong resonance cuts well with high gain, will give a howling sound to guitars when parked near the heel down position and adds a talk-box like growl to wah lines.
It's similar to the Wylde wah in that it is a bassier wah that has a really resonant filter effect, yet differs in that sweep is much more narrow and easier to use since it lacks the extreme bottom and has a tunable top end.
The best way to describe it is that I've always liked the Wylde wah but it gets really extreme in the heel down position and can sound a little wonky if you're trying to flog your wah like your Kirk Hammett's protégé. I find it more useful if I stick a couple of quarters under the heel to keep it from rocking back too far. I thought about modding the sweep so that I wouldn't need the quarters, and it seems as though Jerry Cantrell thought the same thing, only he had Dunlop do it for him and stuck it in a cool brass case with a knob to dial in the top end. The end result is a great wah that has a really usable sweep that can be quickly dialled in from a thick and chewy sound to a brighter, more screaming sound. The strong resonance cuts well with high gain, will give a howling sound to guitars when parked near the heel down position and adds a talk-box like growl to wah lines.
UberMetalDood
New member
Re: Jerry Cantrell Wah Review
Nice pedal for sure. Man I checked out a lot of Dunlop signature wahs before buying a wah pedal. The Cantrell model was very nice, so was the Slash, and probably above them I liked the EVH. However, I didn't walk away with any of them.
I was surprisingly taken by the Dimebag signature wah. It's the best sounding wah pedal I've ever owned next to a Teese RMC3. It's got EQ controls and a gain boost as well. Moreover it looks cool in camouflage.
Nice pedal for sure. Man I checked out a lot of Dunlop signature wahs before buying a wah pedal. The Cantrell model was very nice, so was the Slash, and probably above them I liked the EVH. However, I didn't walk away with any of them.
I was surprisingly taken by the Dimebag signature wah. It's the best sounding wah pedal I've ever owned next to a Teese RMC3. It's got EQ controls and a gain boost as well. Moreover it looks cool in camouflage.
some_dude
Raging BB Gunologist
Re: Jerry Cantrell Wah Review
It also has a really good buffer. The only area I couldn't take it is into the bass range that the Wylde and Cantrell get into. It'll come close, but it tends to stay a little more subtle and doesn't have as strong of resonance.
It also has a really good buffer. The only area I couldn't take it is into the bass range that the Wylde and Cantrell get into. It'll come close, but it tends to stay a little more subtle and doesn't have as strong of resonance.
crguti
New member
eschoendorff
New member
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: Jerry Cantrell Wah Review
I know you like your Dime Wah, so it's good to see that there's another good signature wah. I feel I get a good Cantrell type vibe out of the Whacked setting on my Fulltone Clyde Deluxe.......it sweeps the low frequencies really good. Lower frequencies in a wah are good for wound string single note riffs.
Regarding the sweep, have you opened it up, pulled the treadle's tensioner aside, moved the pot sweep higher or lower, then put the tensioner back?
I know you like your Dime Wah, so it's good to see that there's another good signature wah. I feel I get a good Cantrell type vibe out of the Whacked setting on my Fulltone Clyde Deluxe.......it sweeps the low frequencies really good. Lower frequencies in a wah are good for wound string single note riffs.
Regarding the sweep, have you opened it up, pulled the treadle's tensioner aside, moved the pot sweep higher or lower, then put the tensioner back?
some_dude
Raging BB Gunologist
Re: Jerry Cantrell Wah Review
I never tried it on the Dime wah but I've done it with other wahs in the past. I also tried it with the Wylde wah hoping to get it so it wouldn't drop so far into the bass region, but it was already maxed out towards the treble side.
The Dime sounds great as is so I don't really feel the need to mess with it, it just doesn't have the same strong filter/resonance effect that the Wylde or Cantrell wahs have.
Tonight I got a chance to try the Cantrell with the beginnings of my band. It sounded really good... the sweep didn't disappear or sound like an on/off switch.
I never tried it on the Dime wah but I've done it with other wahs in the past. I also tried it with the Wylde wah hoping to get it so it wouldn't drop so far into the bass region, but it was already maxed out towards the treble side.
The Dime sounds great as is so I don't really feel the need to mess with it, it just doesn't have the same strong filter/resonance effect that the Wylde or Cantrell wahs have.
Tonight I got a chance to try the Cantrell with the beginnings of my band. It sounded really good... the sweep didn't disappear or sound like an on/off switch.
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mrfunnyman
Member
Re: Jerry Cantrell Wah Review
I used to own the Kirk Hammett wah, I thought it was cool at first but after a couple tries I realized the wah was on the flat side tonewise and that the only thing it has going for it was it's look's. Now as for Jerry Cantrell goes, I have been a huge Jerry Cantrell fan since I was 13 and as for the Jerry Cantrell wah I got to try that wah out last week in a local music store and it sounds pretty good but honestly I wouldnt pay the $159.00 for the wah, I mean come on, it's not even true bypass and you guys are all gonna say the buffer is better than a stock GC-95 but thats not true, the JC-95 carries the same circuit board and buffer as a stock GC-95. The only diff circuit wise between the GC-95 and the JC-95 is a capacitor and a resistor, and the 5K linear pot that the JC-95 sports. You could buy a used GC-95 in excellent condition for $30 bucks, go out and spend $2 bucks for the .56K resistor for the Q tone, and a .015 capacitor for the sweep response, and another $8 bucks for a fulltone true bypass switch, use your soldering skills and have that same exact tone of JC-95 at your feet and it will also be tone sucking free.
I used to own the Kirk Hammett wah, I thought it was cool at first but after a couple tries I realized the wah was on the flat side tonewise and that the only thing it has going for it was it's look's. Now as for Jerry Cantrell goes, I have been a huge Jerry Cantrell fan since I was 13 and as for the Jerry Cantrell wah I got to try that wah out last week in a local music store and it sounds pretty good but honestly I wouldnt pay the $159.00 for the wah, I mean come on, it's not even true bypass and you guys are all gonna say the buffer is better than a stock GC-95 but thats not true, the JC-95 carries the same circuit board and buffer as a stock GC-95. The only diff circuit wise between the GC-95 and the JC-95 is a capacitor and a resistor, and the 5K linear pot that the JC-95 sports. You could buy a used GC-95 in excellent condition for $30 bucks, go out and spend $2 bucks for the .56K resistor for the Q tone, and a .015 capacitor for the sweep response, and another $8 bucks for a fulltone true bypass switch, use your soldering skills and have that same exact tone of JC-95 at your feet and it will also be tone sucking free.
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Empty Pockets
BadHairDayologist
Re: Jerry Cantrell Wah Review
^ yeah but for me, that takes way more time and effort than does just buying the pedal how i want it
i'm all about DIY and mods to make your sound better but i'm not into wasting time. People forget that time is money sometimes and if i sat down with the parts and schematics to build a Wah pedal (even just doing some subtle mods) that would be at least two or three hours of my time that i wouldn't get back. If i figure I'm worth as much money as my day job pays me per hour, then i'm not saving any money by doing my own mods on pedals...
Besides, the money you spend at the store eventually makes its way back to the designers and artists who brought us the pedal in the first place...giving credit where it's due.
Not trying to fight, just saying there's a reason it costs what it does and no, I'm not stupid if i go out and buy it the way i want it.
^ yeah but for me, that takes way more time and effort than does just buying the pedal how i want it
i'm all about DIY and mods to make your sound better but i'm not into wasting time. People forget that time is money sometimes and if i sat down with the parts and schematics to build a Wah pedal (even just doing some subtle mods) that would be at least two or three hours of my time that i wouldn't get back. If i figure I'm worth as much money as my day job pays me per hour, then i'm not saving any money by doing my own mods on pedals...
Besides, the money you spend at the store eventually makes its way back to the designers and artists who brought us the pedal in the first place...giving credit where it's due.
Not trying to fight, just saying there's a reason it costs what it does and no, I'm not stupid if i go out and buy it the way i want it.
mrfunnyman
Member
Re: Jerry Cantrell Wah Review
I feel what you are saying 100%. But I'm all about tinkering with stuff lol. For those that are interested in modding their wah to true bypass or enhancing it JC tone I have supplied pix for what needs to be done.
The part circled in red is stock a .010uf capacitor, this controls the bass response on the sweep, that needs to be changed to a .015uf cap, or if you guys wanna go bassier a .022uf cap will do. The part circled in black is stock a .36K resistor, this needs to be changed to a .56K resistor which will give it more vocal qualities. For the true bypass part all you need to do is run a wire to the resistor in the pic where the wire is, wrap the wire around the top of leg, put a little bit of solder on it to secure it to the resistor, then run the wire to the lug on the true bypass switch as it is shown in the second pic, then hook the rest of the wires up as show in the pic aswell and there ya go true bypassed, no more tone sucking! Some people will tell you that you have to pull out the buffer stage, but that is all personal taste, I feel that on a crybaby that by doing that you lose some of the characteristics that makes the crybaby what it, so I just leave it intact.
I feel what you are saying 100%. But I'm all about tinkering with stuff lol. For those that are interested in modding their wah to true bypass or enhancing it JC tone I have supplied pix for what needs to be done.
The part circled in red is stock a .010uf capacitor, this controls the bass response on the sweep, that needs to be changed to a .015uf cap, or if you guys wanna go bassier a .022uf cap will do. The part circled in black is stock a .36K resistor, this needs to be changed to a .56K resistor which will give it more vocal qualities. For the true bypass part all you need to do is run a wire to the resistor in the pic where the wire is, wrap the wire around the top of leg, put a little bit of solder on it to secure it to the resistor, then run the wire to the lug on the true bypass switch as it is shown in the second pic, then hook the rest of the wires up as show in the pic aswell and there ya go true bypassed, no more tone sucking! Some people will tell you that you have to pull out the buffer stage, but that is all personal taste, I feel that on a crybaby that by doing that you lose some of the characteristics that makes the crybaby what it, so I just leave it intact.
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some_dude
Raging BB Gunologist
Re: Jerry Cantrell Wah Review
The only reason I haven't tried a Hammett wah is due to the looks. It would've been cool when I was 12...
It's all about the brass case dude. It's all about the brass case.
That, and your plan leaves out the external treble pot.
As for the buffer, I think Dunlop switched the circuit up so that the buffer is only inline when the pedal is engaged, so even though they don't true-bypass it it doesn't have near the amount of tone suck the old Dunlop wahs used to have. I remember my first Crybaby being a horrible tone suck, but these newer ones hardly colour the sound.
The only reason I haven't tried a Hammett wah is due to the looks. It would've been cool when I was 12...
It's all about the brass case dude. It's all about the brass case.
That, and your plan leaves out the external treble pot.
As for the buffer, I think Dunlop switched the circuit up so that the buffer is only inline when the pedal is engaged, so even though they don't true-bypass it it doesn't have near the amount of tone suck the old Dunlop wahs used to have. I remember my first Crybaby being a horrible tone suck, but these newer ones hardly colour the sound.
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mrfunnyman
Member
Re: Jerry Cantrell Wah Review
I will agree that the JC-95 casing is the shizzle, however I have to disagree with you on the buffer side of the crybaby, I own a 2009 JH1-B wah that comes with the red fasel inductor, I modded that to JC-95 specs w/ the external treble pot. I also own a GC-95 modded to JC-95 specs w/o the external treble pot, and a true bypass switch. And I own a stock GC-95. Plugged into JH1-B and the stock GC-95 straight into the front of an amp you do notice a tone loss with or without the pedal engaged. Dunlop may have improved the buffer but the tone loss is still there. Now as for the newer crybay wahs out there with the high tech pcb boards I can't speak for those b/c I've never messed with one of them, but I really doubt they are true bypass like they say they are. As for not posting on how to install the 5K linear external treble pot, thats easy, buy a mini 5K linear pot, drill a 3/8 hole or smaller on the side of the wah, install the pot, then on the plug that clips to the circuit board you will see a row of wires the 3rd wire in from the left which is the black wire that goes to the hot pot needs to be cut in the middle of the wire. After the wire has been cut, take another piece of wire and add on to both wires to give you more length, then take the wire that runs from the clip and solder it to the 1st lug on the left side of the pot, then take the wire that runs from the hot pot and solder it to the middle lug and there ya go! Sorry I forgot to mention that part of the mod.
And as for the KH-95, don't even waste your time brotha!
I will agree that the JC-95 casing is the shizzle, however I have to disagree with you on the buffer side of the crybaby, I own a 2009 JH1-B wah that comes with the red fasel inductor, I modded that to JC-95 specs w/ the external treble pot. I also own a GC-95 modded to JC-95 specs w/o the external treble pot, and a true bypass switch. And I own a stock GC-95. Plugged into JH1-B and the stock GC-95 straight into the front of an amp you do notice a tone loss with or without the pedal engaged. Dunlop may have improved the buffer but the tone loss is still there. Now as for the newer crybay wahs out there with the high tech pcb boards I can't speak for those b/c I've never messed with one of them, but I really doubt they are true bypass like they say they are. As for not posting on how to install the 5K linear external treble pot, thats easy, buy a mini 5K linear pot, drill a 3/8 hole or smaller on the side of the wah, install the pot, then on the plug that clips to the circuit board you will see a row of wires the 3rd wire in from the left which is the black wire that goes to the hot pot needs to be cut in the middle of the wire. After the wire has been cut, take another piece of wire and add on to both wires to give you more length, then take the wire that runs from the clip and solder it to the 1st lug on the left side of the pot, then take the wire that runs from the hot pot and solder it to the middle lug and there ya go! Sorry I forgot to mention that part of the mod.
And as for the KH-95, don't even waste your time brotha!
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some_dude
Raging BB Gunologist
Re: Jerry Cantrell Wah Review
If you're talking the ones with micro-componants the only one I have experience with the Dime wah. It's not TB and the buffer is on all the time, but the buffer in it is good. That said, it needs to be properly buffered due to the dual outputs.
As for the bypass, in my experience if Dunlop says they're true bypass they actually are. If they say they're "True Hardwire Bypass" then it's the old school type with a bit of tone suck. The trick with these hardwire bypass pedals is that they only exhibit tone suck if unbuffered, so if you have a buffer anywhere in the chain before one of these pedals you'll have no issues with them.
If you're talking the ones with micro-componants the only one I have experience with the Dime wah. It's not TB and the buffer is on all the time, but the buffer in it is good. That said, it needs to be properly buffered due to the dual outputs.
As for the bypass, in my experience if Dunlop says they're true bypass they actually are. If they say they're "True Hardwire Bypass" then it's the old school type with a bit of tone suck. The trick with these hardwire bypass pedals is that they only exhibit tone suck if unbuffered, so if you have a buffer anywhere in the chain before one of these pedals you'll have no issues with them.
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: Jerry Cantrell Wah Review
I noticed that some have the colored logo on the top and some are solid black. How did yours come?
I noticed that some have the colored logo on the top and some are solid black. How did yours come?
