Recommend me a WAH! (dagnabbit!)

Ken

Ken

PlayingWithDollsologist
Okay guys,

I've been talking with John back and forth for a few weeks tryig to figure out if my Crybaby (GCB-95 model) can get me where I'm looking to go. The sound I'm after is based around the wah sounds in "Cloud 9" and "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" which leads me to believe I'm getting into Vox territory (which leads me to question if it's not worthwhile to just sell the Dunlop and switch to a Vox and mod from that platform).

  • Very vocal sound, i.e. "Cloud 9" or "Papa Was a Rolling Stone"
  • Smooth, wide vocal range
  • Controlled sweep that remains tight and defined
  • Tight low end, buttery high end that isn't piercing

So I guess maybe a little more of a Q, more balls on the bottom and a little butter on the top? Or am I asking for too much and one of the items contradicts the other?


Am I out of the realm of modded Crybabies and getting into the Teese and Budda range? I certainly hope not...nice stuff but just not practical for me at this time.
 
Re: Recommend me a WAH! (dagnabbit!)

Cloud Nine and Papa were both Crybabys.

But you'll get a better WAH tone from a Vox 847 or Fulltone Clyde.

Or better still if you get a used Vox 847 and send it to Stratdeluxer97 and have:

true bypass
adjustable volume added
battery eliminator
John's tweaks

That'd be my recomendation: send a used Vox 847 to John.
 
Re: Recommend me a WAH! (dagnabbit!)

Lewguitar said:
Cloud Nine and Papa were both Crybabys.

But you'll get a better WAH tone from a Vox 847 or Fulltone Clyde.

Or better still if you get a used Vox 847 and send it to Stratdeluxer97 and have:

true bypass
adjustable volume added
battery eliminator
John's tweaks

That'd be my recomendation: send a used Vox 847 to John.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the plug and support Lew,as always buddy.....

An IM has been sent regarding the mods to you regarding the Crybaby Ken...I Know we can greatly improve on your wah requests....Thanks for asking also..

John
 
Re: Recommend me a WAH! (dagnabbit!)

Ken said:
Okay guys,

I've been talking with John back and forth for a few weeks tryig to figure out if my Crybaby (GCB-95 model) can get me where I'm looking to go. The sound I'm after is based around the wah sounds in "Cloud 9" and "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" which leads me to believe I'm getting into Vox territory (which leads me to question if it's not worthwhile to just sell the Dunlop and switch to a Vox and mod from that platform).

  • Very vocal sound, i.e. "Cloud 9" or "Papa Was a Rolling Stone"
  • Smooth, wide vocal range
  • Controlled sweep that remains tight and defined
  • Tight low end, buttery high end that isn't piercing

So I guess maybe a little more of a Q, more balls on the bottom and a little butter on the top? Or am I asking for too much and one of the items contradicts the other?


Am I out of the realm of modded Crybabies and getting into the Teese and Budda range? I certainly hope not...nice stuff but just not practical for me at this time.
Click to expand...


Ken...This is an honest to God true story!
I bought myself a brand new Teese Picture Wah...The wah cost me $245 with the shipping..I thought this would be the end to my quest for a great sounding wah....

I had done a bunch of tweaks already to one of my Vox 847's with a better pot,inductor,and my own ideas on what I wanted my wah to sound like...I got the Picture Wah and put it right alongside my 847...Honestly....I liked the way my 847 sounded better...I would have kept the Teese wah and money wasn't the issue with it....Maybe the Teese wah I had wasn't 100% right,but I returned it....I now have 2 847s,1 Crybaby with Vox 847 guts,and a Clyde McCoy reissue 848 that I tweaked....I also did an 848 for Curly...The Vox wahs are great,they look cool,and they are easy to mod and access the board components...Both the Vox and newer CBs are made by Dunlop,but the Vox edges out the CB...We can still improve on the CB's tone though...The Vox is looser in the pedal feel upon moving it up and down and makes it easier to get that rapid wah tone Clapton got on "White Room"....

If you were still leaning towards a teese wah,I'd recommend the RMC1 for strict use with a strat or a tele...After that,I'd go with the Wizard Wah for all types of pickups and versatility....

Hands down,I liked Lew's Fulltone Clyde Deluxe "Jimi" setting for all out vintage wah tones,but my mods are pretty close and probably less money spent? Guess the guys who've had their wahs modded could tell you more on the mods?

John
 
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Re: Recommend me a WAH! (dagnabbit!)

Oooooo..good timing :D

I pulled my Vox wah (reissue that I bought in the mid 90s) out the other day and it sounds like crap..scratchy and doesn't transition smooth.. Needs some work I guess...maybe just dirty for all I know...

How much do these mods generally cost? Ballpark figure. I was just gonna buy a crybaby or something else new instead of getting it fixed, but if it's not much more to have the Vox modded I may go with that.

EDIT: does anyone also work on Tubescreamers? I've got another reissue from the mid 90's that I believe has a bad "switch". Won't come on at all (also needs a battery cover..don't know where the hell that went :D)
 
Re: Recommend me a WAH! (dagnabbit!)

JeffB said:
Oooooo..good timing :D

I pulled my Vox wah (reissue that I bought in the mid 90s) out the other day and it sounds like crap..scratchy and doesn't transition smooth.. Needs some work I guess...maybe just dirty for all I know...

How much do these mods generally cost? Ballpark figure. I was just gonna buy a crybaby or something else new instead of getting it fixed, but if it's not much more to have the Vox modded I may go with that.
Click to expand...

The total wah mods are pricey....IM me...

John
 
Re: Recommend me a WAH! (dagnabbit!)

Lewguitar said:
Cloud Nine and Papa were both Crybabys.
Click to expand...


Huh...I'll be jiggered. Joe Messina was using a Vox in the Standing in the Shadows of Motown DVD...like you said, I guess the wah tone is just better...



That or he's a trickster and slapped a Vox sticker on the front of his crybaby...hmmmm... :smack:
 
Re: Recommend me a WAH! (dagnabbit!)

Check out my praise post about Johns mods . I'll have an extra unmodded Vox 847in a few days, if you are interested PM me.
 
Re: Recommend me a WAH! (dagnabbit!)

I like Morley wahs, but that's my own preference, I guess. Crybabys are always good, too.
 
Re: Recommend me a WAH! (dagnabbit!)

Hellion said:
I like Morley wahs, but that's my own preference, I guess. Crybabys are always good, too.
Click to expand...

I like 'em too. They sound great and the pot's never get scratchy.
 
Re: Recommend me a WAH! (dagnabbit!)

STRATDELUXER97 said:
The total wah mods are pricey....IM me...

John
Click to expand...

John, thanx for the heads up :)

I am on a budget, and a new amp and a new pickup are my first priorities so I wouldn't want to take up your time asking questions/about pricing until I get those purchases out of the way first :)

When the time comes tho, I'll definitely shoot you a PM, as it seems you are THE mod guru 'round here :)
 
Re: Recommend me a WAH! (dagnabbit!)

Ken said:
Huh...I'll be jiggered. Joe Messina was using a Vox in the Standing in the Shadows of Motown DVD...like you said, I guess the wah tone is just better...



That or he's a trickster and slapped a Vox sticker on the front of his crybaby...hmmmm... :smack:
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that was Wah Wah Watson on those cuts originally. That was his specialty! He was Motown's Wah Wah specialist...that's about all he did was play those Wah Wah parts. Tremendous rythym guitarist. I always assumed it was him on Shaft too. That's why the Fulltone Clyde Deluxe has three settings. I use the "Jimi" setting for Hendrix tones, but the "Shaft" setting is more like a Crybaby. and the "Wacked" setting is kinda useless for me. Lew
 
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Re: Recommend me a WAH! (dagnabbit!)

Lewguitar said:
I'm pretty sure that was Wah Wah Watson on those cuts originally. That was his specialty! He was Motown's Wah Wah specialist...that's about all he did was play those Wah Wah parts. Tremendous rythym guitarist. I always assumed it was him on Shaft too. That's why the Fulltone Clyde Deluxe has three settings. I use the "Jimi" setting for Hendrix tones, but the "Shaft" setting is more like a Crybaby. and the "Wacked" setting is kinda useless for me. Lew
Click to expand...

When I spoke to Mike Fuller about his wahs,he stated the "wacked" setting was his favorite setting...I Liked the "Jimi" setting the best myself...

John
 
Re: Recommend me a WAH! (dagnabbit!)

Personally i prefer the newer 535Q's with the Fasel inductor in them for above-average tone, modern sound, and killer versatility but if vintage is what you're after you'd best be sending a Vox to SD97. ;)
 
Re: Recommend me a WAH! (dagnabbit!)

Morley Bad Horsie Here, The thing I love about the Bad Horsie is that you just take your foot off and it goes off, no guessing.

[/QUOTE] They sound great and the pot's never get scratchy.
__________________
I don't know about the older Morleys, but he new ones don't have pots in them, it's some kind of optical light or something.
Click to expand...
 
Re: Recommend me a WAH! (dagnabbit!)

B2D said:
Personally i prefer the newer 535Q's with the Fasel inductor in them for above-average tone, modern sound, and killer versatility but if vintage is what you're after you'd best be sending a Vox to SD97. ;)
Click to expand...

The key to a great sounding and vocal wah is first having the best pot and inductor money can buy....I love the Fulltone stuff...

After that you need the right caps and the board needs to be tweaked so that the values on the board work as a team with the pot and inductor...A wah is a filter and you adjust the way the filter reacts by tweaking components....I've learned alot about how a wah works and how certain key changes effect the outcome of a wah....A wah needs good mids and some highend so it can quack and cut through,but it also needs to be vocal so it can catch people's attention...The old wahs could do this,especially behind a guy that could really use a wah...The biggest problems with modern wahs is the taper on the pot and the inductor....

I Like the Fasel reissues and I prefer the red fasel,but I dislike the yellow one each and everytime I've tryed it!
 
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