Thomas Organ Wah Score!

STRATDELUXER97

STRATDELUXER97

Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Just got an early 70s Thomas Organ CryBaby wah...Has all the original parts and a scratchy pot,but I have all the needed wah parts here at home...This one is identical to Bungalow Bill's and BlueDave's wahs that I've modded...

It has the TDK 5103 inductor(Not my fave,but it sounded great in Joe's wah)I have other inductors though(An original Fasel,The Whipple,The Arteffect,and some early inductors...

This is a backup for my Vox 847,though I'll probably voice this wah a bit different....I payed $49 for this wah plus $10 shipping...Should be fun voicing this wah and it's a great price on a vintage/early wah!

The Wah

ThomasOrganWah.jpg


A Friend's Modded CryBaby(Same Era) Whipple Inductor

ThomasCB.jpg
 
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Re: Thomas Organ Wah Score!

$50!? Invoice or it didn't happen!

Just kidding...but wow that's a steal if I ever saw one. If I recall correctly there's a 60's Jen over at the Gear Page for $250 and a early 70's Thomas Organ for about $150.
 
Re: Thomas Organ Wah Score!

tc said:
$50!? Invoice or it didn't happen!

Just kidding...but wow that's a steal if I ever saw one. If I recall correctly there's a 60's Jen over at the Gear Page for $250 and a early 70's Thomas Organ for about $150.
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The Thomas Organ CBs normally fetch $100 or better plus the shipping...If it has the "03" Stack Of Dimes it could get a little more...I'll probably replace the pot and the inductor anyway...Or I'll see which inductor sounds the best and most vocal after I do the other stuff to it...I have a few different wah pots to experiment with also...Had to grab it for the price!

It's nice and beat up looking and so I'll make it sound like a cool ole early wah also..
 
Re: Thomas Organ Wah Score!

Nice!

Thats the same as the wah my dad uses...very similar to the wah that SRV used for a long time as well and $59 is a great deal!

Thats a mid 70's based on the pics, likely very similar (maybe the same sans the chrome top!) to Bunglobill's American 846 you just worked on.
 
Re: Thomas Organ Wah Score!

the guy who invented fire said:
Nice!

Thats the same as the wah my dad uses...very similar to the wah that SRV used for a long time as well and $59 is a great deal!

Thats a mid 70's based on the pics, likely very similar (maybe the same sans the chrome top!) to Bunglobill's American 846 you just worked on.
Click to expand...

Yep same internals exactly as Joe's wah we just modded....His wah sounded great and so mine will be voiced identical to his...Nice backup wah...At one point I had like 4 wahs...I need at least 1 backup...Sometimes my 847 is a bit quirky..Think she needs a new switch?

Dave's and my friend's wahs are in fact the exact same Crybaby Thomas organ models though...The Vox wahs look alot cooler,but oh well....LOL
 
Re: Thomas Organ Wah Score!

tc said:
$50!? Invoice or it didn't happen!

Just kidding...but wow that's a steal if I ever saw one. If I recall correctly there's a 60's Jen over at the Gear Page for $250 and a early 70's Thomas Organ for about $150.
Click to expand...

70's TO era wahs all tend to be a little over prices these days...I;ve seen them listed for as much as $300 which is fine but the seller woudl never get that...even a "Stack of Dimes" TO wah will top out at $150, and thats in mint condition.

Now, the Jen stuff...thats funny too...

I see lots of guys lately listing "60's Jen wah, made in Italy"...there is no such thing, Jen didn't start building wahs until 1970.

That said an early Jen wah can bring a lot of cash...some of the earliest ones used the same green Arco caps and same film can inductors as the late 60's V846 wahs that came out of Italy. Many of them had real Fasel inductors as well. I've even seen a few 1970 Jen wahs with tropical fish caps and real halo inductors!!!
 
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Re: Thomas Organ Wah Score!

STRATDELUXER97 said:
Yep same internals exactly as Joe's wah we just modded....His wah sounded great and so mine will be voiced identical to his...Nice backup wah...At one point I had like 4 wahs...I need at least 1 backup...Sometimes my 847 is a bit quirky..Think she needs a new switch?

Dave's and my friend's wahs are in fact the exact same Crybaby Thomas organ models though...The Vox wahs look alot cooler,but oh well....LOL
Click to expand...

I like the chrome top myself but for 50 bucks you can hardly complain!

I found a NICE and CLEAN TO Model 95 last weekend, just like that one except with a SOD inductor...$125...I just couldn't make myself do it!

What inductor are you going to go with in this one??
 
Re: Thomas Organ Wah Score!

the guy who invented fire said:
70's TO era wahs all tend to be a little over prices these days...I;ve seen them listed for as much as $300 which is fine but the seller woudl never get that...even a "Stack of Dimes" TO wah will top out at $150, and thats in mint condition.

Now, the Jen stuff...thats funny too...

I see lots of guys lately listing "60's Jen wah, made in Italy"...there is no such thing, Jen didn't start building wahs until 1970.

That said an early Jen wah can bring a lot of cash...some of the earliest ones used the same green Arco caps and same film can inductors as the late 60's V846 wahs that came out of Italy. Many of them had real Fasel inductors as well. I've even seen a few 1970 Jen wahs with tropical fish caps and real halo inductors!!!
Click to expand...

The Arco and tropical fish caps are kind of a farse(my opinion) Christian....I've used them and I have them,but notice I don't use them in my own modded wahs...The overall key is getting the right component values on the board,a good pot and a good quality inductor rated for the vintage henrie ratings...I do alot of the tweaking using my own ears after that...If the wah lacks or has too much of something,I then tweak the caps and resistor values...Sometimes I'll use the BC109s but I also like the stock 5117 trannies in those earlier wahs and so I normally leave em..

I have several inductors and I guess I'll have to see what combination sounds best with this wah? The TDK 5103 in Joe's wah really sounded great and so maybe I'll just keep that in there? His wah is nice and vocal..
 
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Re: Thomas Organ Wah Score!

I just mentioned the caps because those are the things that the guys paying big bucks for vintage wahs look for...

As for the rest, as long as it sounds good it doesn't really matter whats in it...

The biggest thing I see hear today in wah pedals that bugs me the use trannys that are too high gain...I prefer a more vintage gain level so it's easier to get clean wah tones as well as growley ones...some wahs have so much gain that it's nearly impossible to really get clean...

On the cap issue I have less experience than a lot of guys but I ordered my Wilson Signature wah with NOS Tropical Fish and it sounds very smooth and very much like a vintage wah...is it the caps...is it the Halo...maybe it's the NOS 5117's...I have no idea but, it's likely all those things together, but i'm sure the caps didn't hurt.
 
Re: Thomas Organ Wah Score!

the guy who invented fire said:
I just mentioned the caps because those are the things that the guys paying big bucks for vintage wahs look for...

As for the rest, as long as it sounds good it doesn't really matter whats in it...

The biggest thing I see hear today in wah pedals that bugs me the use trannys that are too high gain...I prefer a more vintage gain level so it's easier to get clean wah tones as well as growley ones...some wahs have so much gain that it's nearly impossible to really get clean...

On the cap issue I have less experience than a lot of guys but I ordered my Wilson Signature wah with NOS Tropical Fish and it sounds very smooth and very much like a vintage wah...is it the caps...is it the Halo...maybe it's the NOS 5117's...I have no idea but, it's likely all those things together, but i'm sure the caps didn't hurt.
Click to expand...

I like the less gainey trannies also buddy....Best just to stick a trimmer pot inline with Q1 and adjust the gain to ear.....
 
Re: Thomas Organ Wah Score!

STRATDELUXER97 said:
I have several inductors and I guess I'll have to see what combination sounds best with this wah? The TDK 5103 in Joe's wah really sounded great and so maybe I'll just keep that in there? His wah is nice and vocal..
Click to expand...

There is a guy out of Canada, his name is Greg and he runs a place called Solid Gold Sound Effects. Makes a MEAN Rangemaster BTW...but anyway, he was modding wahs for a while using NOS TDK 5103's and getting a GREAT sound with them! I was VERY surprised...those TDK's are hated by the wah world at large but he got great results with them!
 
Re: Thomas Organ Wah Score!

the guy who invented fire said:
There is a guy out of Canada, his name is Greg and he runs a place called Solid Gold Sound Effects. Makes a MEAN Rangemaster BTW...but anyway, he was modding wahs for a while using NOS TDK 5103's and getting a GREAT sound with them! I was VERY surprised...those TDK's are hated by the wah world at large but he got great results with them!
Click to expand...

I'm not a fan of the TDK either,but everything came together nice in Joe's wah and so I'll experiment with it..
 
Re: Thomas Organ Wah Score!

Vasshu the humanoid typhoon said:
Quality score John!!
Congrats!
Allthough I am not big on wah wah...I love my JEN :D
Click to expand...

Thanks buddy....I don't like to overkill with a wah,but we do some Cream,Hendrix,and Trower stuff,so I really do need the wah...When I step on my wah though,it needs to sound like what we heard on those late 60s records...
 
Re: Thomas Organ Wah Score!

Yep...know what you mean....have tried a few others....but I just like my old JEN better...the pot is scratchy...but works when cleaned...well for a few days that it is...haha
I need to find another 200k pot!
 
Re: Thomas Organ Wah Score!

Vasshu the humanoid typhoon said:
Yep...know what you mean....have tried a few others....but I just like my old JEN better...the pot is scratchy...but works when cleaned...well for a few days that it is...haha
I need to find another 200k pot!
Click to expand...

Saw some 200k wah pots on E Bay earlier Niels..Below

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pro-Pot-Wah-Pot...emQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item2552c952ef


http://cgi.ebay.com/Arteffect-ArtCA...emQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item1c0d13a04d


http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=362


http://www.banzaimusic.com/FT-200k-Wah-Potentiometer.html
 
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