Question for the Teese Wah Wah experts...

[Lewguitar]

An obvious one: which one should I get?

I'm a guy who owned one of the first Vox Wah Wah's when they arrived in the USA. I had one by '67 or '68. When that one died I got a Vox Crybaby in the early 70's but didn't like it as much as the orginal Vox Wah Wah I had.

When I got my Fulltone Clyde Wah Wah a few years ago I felt I was getting back to the tone of my earliest Wah again.

John Spina modded my Vox 847 to Fulltone Clyde specs and I've been very happy with those two: my modded Vox 847 and my Fulltone Clyde.

I prefer the feel of the Vox but they both sound the same.

But you know me: if I'm missing something I want that last 5% of ultimate tone!

So which Teese should I get? The Picture Wah?

My benchmark for fabulous Wah Wah tone would be Jimi Hendrix on the Axis Bold As Love and Electric Ladyland albums. Although I also liked the tone of Clapton's stuff on Tales of Brave Ulysses.

Hendrix would be my biggest Wah Wah influence though.

Between my Fulltone '69 Fuzzface clones and my Vox and Fulltone Wah Wahs, I feel like I'm already getting about as close to Hendrix's tone as I'm capable of as a player. But still - if I could get even closer...

Our own forum member Wah Wah contributed a killer Wah Wah demo on the Teese website, BTW, using a Picture Wah he says he had modded for Unity Gain - whatever that means! I would assume no boost and no loss either. Regardless of the verbage, his playing and tone sounds wonderful!

I'd love to have that tone too...

Lew

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Question for the Teese Wah Wah experts...

Personally Lew I vote either the Picture Wah or the RMC-3. The Picture Wah is going to be almost a copy of your original...so that's why I suggest that one. However if you get the RMC-3 and the Picture Wah setting is a little too much this, or not enough that you can tweak it out. Christian is the one that sold me on a picture wah, even over the phone it sounds impressive. Also he turned me on to Tinsley Ellis who uses a picture wah and it sounds GREAT!

Luke

 

[wahwah]

Re: Question for the Teese Wah Wah experts...

Our own forum member Wah Wah contributed a killer Wah Wah demo on the Teese website, BTW, using a Picture Wah he says he had modded for Unity Gain - whatever that means! I would assume no boost and no loss either. Regardless of the verbage, his playing and tone sounds wonderful!

I'd love to have that tone too...

Lew

Truthfully, I feel like

Lew, I just wanted to point out that the wah in that clip was an RMC-1, rather than a Picture Wah. You've got the idea with the unity gain mod. Normally, Geoffrey makes them with a 6dB volume boost when engaged, but I asked him to build me one that stays at the same volume. Being the guy that he is, he also included the parts required to add the boost if I decided I needed it. I should point out that this was back in '04, and I strongly doubt that he would be in a position to do the same custom builds that he could back then due to the success of his business.

I also have both a new Picture Wah, and an older '03 model that I found second hand. My personal leaning is toward the older one. The Picture Wah has that classic "vomiting duck" sound of the original Italian wahs. It's often a hard decision to make as to which one to take to a specific gig, between the RMC-1 and the PW, and it usually depends on whether a little extra aggression is required. For the mellower stuff, the RMC-1 that you heard in that clip wins out, but if a little more bite and front is required, the PW comes to the gig.

In any of Geoffrey's wahs you will find the appealing characteristic that you would already love about your Fulltone, a smooth, noiseless, musical sweep. There's just something about the specific depth of that sweep that has the Teese wahs winning out for my taste, as mentioned in another wah thread. By the sounds of it, your modded 847 is going to be hard to beat, but the Teese wahs are certainly worth a listen, even if just for the fun of it and your own peace of mind!



Cheers.................................. wahwah

 

[LunaticFringe]

Re: Question for the Teese Wah Wah experts...

I love my RMC2 as I can change its settings on the fly with the external sweep, volume, and Q controls. I'm still getting used to whats right for me, so this is great for fiddling around with. I have to admit now that I'm getting more familiar with wahs, I'm kind of wishing I had gone for the RMC3. It sounds to me like you should get a Picture wah though.

 

[Thunder]

Re: Question for the Teese Wah Wah experts...

An obvious one: which one should I get?

I'm a guy who owned one of the first Vox Wah Wah's when they arrived in the USA. I had one by '67 or '68. When that one died I got a Vox Crybaby in the early 70's but didn't like it as much as the orginal Vox Wah Wah I had.

When I got my Fulltone Clyde Wah Wah a few years ago I felt I was getting back to the tone of my earliest Wah again.

John Spina modded my Vox 847 to Fulltone Clyde specs and I've been very happy with those two: my modded Vox 847 and my Fulltone Clyde.

I prefer the feel of the Vox but they both sound the same.

But you know me: if I'm missing something I want that last 5% of ultimate tone!

So which Teese should I get? The Picture Wah?

My benchmark for fabulous Wah Wah tone would be Jimi Hendrix on the Axis Bold As Love and Electric Ladyland albums. Although I also liked the tone of Clapton's stuff on Tales of Brave Ulysses.

Hendrix would be my biggest Wah Wah influence though.

Between my Fulltone '69 Fuzzface clones and my Vox and Fulltone Wah Wahs, I feel like I'm already getting about as close to Hendrix's tone as I'm capable of as a player. But still - if I could even closer...

Our own forum member Wah Wah contributed a killer Wah Wah demo on the Teese website, BTW, using a Picture Wah he says he had modded for Unity Gain - whatever that means! I would assume no boost and no loss either. Regardless of the verbage, his playing and tone sounds wonderful!

I'd love to have that tone too...

Lew

Truthfully, I feel like

Hey Lew. Have you been able to get in touch with John yet? Would love to mod my 847.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Question for the Teese Wah Wah experts...

The Picture wah is the ticket for vintage Vox tone, best wah pedal I've ever owned!

I was blown away when I bought mine and found no special inductor, no NOS caps or transistors and no special caps...there are no mojo parts in a Teese wah but Geoff doesn't need them! His wahs have the old tone in spades!

The Joe Walsh wah is also vintage vox tone but has a slightly different sweep to it and the sweet spot is in a different place in the sweep...both would be a great wah for you Lew but I have a Picture wah and love it.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Question for the Teese Wah Wah experts...

I also have both a new Picture Wah, and an older '03 model that I found second hand. My personal leaning is toward the older one. The Picture Wah has that classic "vomiting duck" sound of the original Italian wahs. It's often a hard decision to make as to which one to take to a specific gig, between the RMC-1 and the PW, and it usually depends on whether a little extra aggression is required. For the mellower stuff, the RMC-1 that you heard in that clip wins out, but if a little more bite and front is required, the PW comes to the gig.
Cheers.................................. wahwah

Thanks to everyone who's responded!

You know, the quality that I especially liked about the first Vox Wah Wah that I ever had, and which was lost with the later Crybaby, was a gentleness to the tone. A little more breath to the tone. Like what you describe about the RMC-1.

Which of the Teese Wahs do you think would be colsest to the Wah that Hendrix used on Axis or Electric Ladyland?

Do you think those would have been the same model Wah?

 

[Curly]

Re: Question for the Teese Wah Wah experts...

Lew,
you can always contact Geoffrey and ask him specifically which one to get ... I've always found him to be super good about replying, and service in general.

since I've only played my RMC1, I can say that it's a very fun, addicting wah ... very vocal, wide sweep ... and the gain increase seems just right to me with a strat

that said, it sounds like you will be more interested in the Picture Wah or Wheels of Fire

I'd also note that he runs short on parts occasionally -- that may be squared away by now, I don't know -- and he also recently moved across the country to Oregon. He also started using a new inductor ... all that's to say that I think he's just starting to re-supply his dealers, so be patient about finding one.

 

[Curly]

Re: Question for the Teese Wah Wah experts...

Have you been able to get in touch with John yet? Would love to mod my 847.

try dropping him a PM or email ...he probably drops in from time to time

I can't say whether he's doing mods or not though.

 

[Stratman]

Re: Question for the Teese Wah Wah experts...

RCM3

I own it.

You can adjust the 9 switches inside to mod your tone.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Question for the Teese Wah Wah experts...

Lew,

The Picture wah is vintage Vox all the way, it sounds like Clapton with Cream, Hendrix or first Zep album Jimmy Page however it is a one trick wah, if you want more versitility the RMC 3 is the ticket...the RMC 3 is completely tunable in every way so if you wanted to dial in a Vox wah sound and then simply tweak it a little to your ear, your guitar, your amp or whatever thats easy.

I do have to suggest against the Wheels of Fire wah...despite the name the WoF wah sounds NOTHING like a vintage Vox wah, it's actually based on the old Colorsound wahs and has a completely differtent tone, feel, sweep, and vibe.

There is a bit of a wattery quality to some of the old Vox wahs that can be used on clean guitar tones...Clapton got it on "World of Pain" from "Disraeli Gears" and Jimi got it on a few later recordings...that tone was kind of tough for me to get on the Picture wah but if you roll the guitars volume down just a little bit it really sweetens up the tone and gives it that gentleness you're talking about.

The RMC1 is a cool wah based on clips and such but just know that it is a hot rodded wah in every sence of the word but due to a fixed boost when it's enguaged it sounds pretty terrible with humbucking pickups...Geoffrey Teese knoes this and doesn't suggest it at all if you usxe mostly hum'buckers.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Question for the Teese Wah Wah experts...

Thanks again guys!

My Vox 847 that John Spina modified with some Fulltone parts has an adjustable boost on the outside of the pedal. It's a knob John put on the side of the pedal ala the Fulltone Clyde Deluxe. There's a fixed resistor inside a vintage wah that sets the volume or output level and Fulltone made that an adjustable pot on the Clyde Deluxe. When it set to about the 2 O' Clock position it's like a normal wah. But I like to goose it just a touch. Not a lot though. John made a little line on the side of the pedal so I'd know where the normal setting is and I cross that line just a little to give things a very slight lift when I click on the wah. Lew

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Question for the Teese Wah Wah experts...

Thanks again guys!

My Vox 847 that John Spina modified with some Fulltone parts has an adjustable boost on the outside of the pedal. It's a knob John put on the side of the pedal ala the Fulltone Clyde Deluxe. There's a fixed resistor inside a vintage wah that sets the volume or output level and Fulltone made that an adjustable pot on the Clyde Deluxe. When it set to about the 2 O' Clock position it's like a normal wah. But I like to goose it just a touch. Not a lot though. John made a little line on the side of the pedal so I'd know where the normal setting is and I cross that line just a little to give things a very slight lift when I click on the wah. Lew

I have a wah board that John built in my Vox wah right now, it also has a Fulltone inductor and the outboard volume pot but I wonder about it...it's so dang loud I have to keep the pot turned all the way down!