The world of effects is a vast and complex one, a world that remains a mystery to many but that we guitarists must master if we are to find our own sound. From wah to reverb, from flange to delay... the possibilities are endless, and this complexity is compounded with each additional link in the chain. Effects are available in many guises today, with rack-mounted devices and software on our computers; however, we will concentrate on good old fashioned pedals.
This time we'll look at the wah-wah pedal, used extensively by guitar players and without question the most expressive of all effects. Mimicking the human voice, notable examples of wah use can be found in most musical genres and it's probably the effect I use most.
The Science
The Wah pedal is a bandpass filter that has a resonant peak just at its lowpass rolloff frequency. This resonant peak can be moved up and down by the player, making for the vocal effects we all know and love – 'waaaaah' and 'aaoooow' depending on direction of travel. Different manufacturers have different ways of achieving similar end results, but the circuitry is essentially pretty simple
For a terrifyingly complicated explanation of how and why wah works, click here .
Roots
It will probably not surprise you to learn that the development of wah as an effect was accidental. Players in the '50s had achieved similar results with the volume and tone controls on their guitars, but the first commercially available wah was born in the unlikely setting of a redesign of the Vox Super Beatle amplifier. The technician working on a new solid state variation of an existing circuit, Brad J. Plunkett, had a prototype circuit prepared and had tested it with an organ, noting the unusual tonal result. Testing continued with a saxophone and the circuit was eventually built in to a volume pedal housing leading to the pedal we'd recognise today. Interestingly, it was initially marketed at trumpet players with Clyde McCoy being its first endorsee. Jimi Hendrix brought wah to the attention of guitarists, most notably on "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" in 1968.
Products
There are a huge number of wah pedals available today, but all fall in to one of two camps in my opinion – 'Vintage' and 'Modern'. The vintage end of wah is typified by the Dunlop Crybaby wah as used by Slash, Joe Satriani, Jimi Hendrix and Dimebag Darrell up until his modified 'Crybaby from Hell' went in to production. Vox and Mutron also make popular examples. The best examples of modern wah in my opinion are the Morleys – they've released a fair few over the years and the voicing of them is quite distinctive, Steve Vai is probably the highest profile user. They have the advantage that they have bypass circuitry (meaning the signal only passes through the pedal when engaged, so your tone is only altered when the pedal is in use) and use more robust circuits so there is nothing to wear out over time.
Most wah pedals are variations on the popular Crybaby design, with minor changes to change voicing, increase travel or add features to further enhance the effect being common.
Were I to make a recommendation for the 'must-have' pedal on your pedalboard, my vote would go to the Morley Bad Horsie, I find the Crybaby derivatives too subtle for my style of playing... but as ever your ears must be your guide.
So that's wah in a nutshell... until next time, keep on cryin' like a baby!
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