Which wah guts? Area 51?

[Rich_S]

I have a recent-issue Cry Baby shell that I want to repaint all fancy and retrofit with some nice wah guts and maybe some other special features.:naughty: I know a lot of people like the Area 51 retrofit kit as the be-all-and-end-all. What's it sound like? Is it vintage Italian-sounding?

For reference, I'm more a fan of say, the '70s Cry Baby (Terry Kath FTW.) I've played an RMC Picture Wah, but didn't like it - I thought it was too peaky. So, if the Area 51 is like that, it's not for me. Not so long ago, I also compared a modern Cry Baby and a Vox, and preferred their sweep to the Picture Wah, but overall found them lacking in "tone" - just that undefinable magic.

I like what John Frusciante does with his wah, b ut realize that's an oddball Ibanez that doesn't conform to the old Vox/Cry Baby line up.

Beside Area 51, does anybody else sell retrofit kits?

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Which wah guts? Area 51?

The A51 wah is not like the old Clyde wah to my ears...it's a cool wah but not what a lot of guys say it is.

The RMC Pic wah is a good sounding wah if you want the old Vox Clyde tone.

I'm not sure which 70's Crybaby you are talking about...the wah labeled Crybaby made in the 70's run a wide range of different sounding wahs.

Got an example?

Kevin Wilson makes a fine wah and also makes drop in kits for wahs, and FWIW, I have and use a Wilson wah as my main wah these days...bought the drop in board as a backup to my RMC wah and soon after getting it together sold the RMC.

I also have an early 70's Jen built Crybaby with the original Fasel inductor and really love that as well...it's not really the same tone as a Clyde but I like it for some stuff.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: Which wah guts? Area 51?

Well, judging (backwards, admittedly) by my experience with the Pic Wah, I DON'T want the old Clyde sound.

I checked, and the Cry Baby I've played and liked was an early Dunlop Rev.C - before they added the buffer. To me it seemed less peaky than the Pic Wah I played. I also think the Rev. C had more character than the later, buffered model I tried.

Turns out the CB "shell" I have is a late-model Dunlop, which is apparently non-functional due to a botched mod job. Looks like some one removed the buffer and added true bypass. I might try troubleshooting it and then modding it from there.

But I'm also interested in all the good vibes the A51 generates. If it's NOT Clyde-ish, what's different? Is it more Cry Baby-ish with the less-pronounced peak? If so, it might be for me.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Which wah guts? Area 51?

Hmm, very interesting...

Not up on the Dunlop wahs enough to know a Rev C from the Reverend Billy G but that aside we'll keep on working on this...

All early wahs varied a lot from unit to unit and the Clyde wahs were no different.

The peaky thing you are talking about is where we need to start.

All wahs are peaky, thats the nature of the beast you have a sweepable active EQ voiced in the midrange, there is going to be a peak or 2 or 3 in there.

That said, a lot of the old Clyde wahs and a lot of the Clyde clones out there have top end thing going on that a lot of folks don't like and some of the slightly later American made Crybaby pedals don't have that.

Here is where things get interesting...the Italian made Crybaby wahs and the American Made by Thomas Organ Crybabys were the same circiut but they did use different parts.

If I were you I'd start with the Crybaby board you have now and get it up and running then we can use that as a starting point to fine tune a wah for you.

What inductor is on the Crybaby board?

 

[trevorus]

Re: Which wah guts? Area 51?

I'm interested in this discussion, because I have a modern Vox wah that needs to be modded to suit my tastes more.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Which wah guts? Area 51?

I'm interested in this discussion, because I have a modern Vox wah that needs to be modded to suit my tastes more.

Whch modern Vox wah?

 

[MojoMonster]

Re: Which wah guts? Area 51?

BYOC offers a drop-in kit.
I'm pretty sure there are Youtube vids that'll give you an idea of what it sounds like.
From what I've read about it, it's highly tweakable and on my to-do list of DIY pedals.

MM

 

[Rich_S]

Re: Which wah guts? Area 51?

This isn't my CB, it's a pic from my old thread about "How to Add an LED to your Wah", but it shpows the same kind of inductor.

The CB shown above still has the buffer in it. Mine is missing the transistor near the input jack, and the surrounding resistors, but the inductor is the same one, round and black. The board has optional holes for a larger inductor with rectangular tabs off the sides.

I actually like the idea of modding this baord - it's a good, modern fiberglass one and will hold up to modding well. It's all through-hole mont, so it's easy to mod. The only thing I don't like is the modern-issue board-mounted jacks - they suck to work on.

 

[trevorus]

Re: Which wah guts? Area 51?

Whch modern Vox wah?

The V847a, I think.

 

[Mr 9finger]

Re: Which wah guts? Area 51?

I'm interested in this discussion, because I have a modern Vox wah that needs to be modded to suit my tastes more.

Def......I've got an empty Vox 847a shell that I gutted and have considered dropping something in there, but I lack ambition lol. Actually, I've been to busy researching other things, but that dam housing keeps popping up, so I might as well do something with it.

 

[trevorus]

Re: Which wah guts? Area 51?

Def......I've got an empty Vox 847a shell that I gutted and have considered dropping something in there, but I lack ambition lol. Actually, I've been to busy researching other things, but that dam housing keeps popping up, so I might as well do something with it.

I'm probably going to be etching my own board and reusing the inductor and switch/jacks. Same problem here, time and motivation. My firstborn is due yesterday, so I doubt time will be In any great supply.