Wah?

Pickups, pedals, amps, cabs, combos

Moderated By: mods

dezb1
The Oppressor
Posts: 8287
Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 3:59 am
Location: glasgow
Contact:

Wah?

Post by dezb1 »

Been considering getting a wah however they do score low on the Bonamassa / Mascis scale. Generally if I go to a gig and the guitarist steps on the wah it usually signifies the start of a total yawn fest... Opinions on the wah (and any good examples of it being used that isn't pure guitar wankerage).

Image

Ps: this is the scale that got me banned from the Gear page.
XY
User avatar
benecol
Best Poster 2010
Posts: 8277
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2011 8:12 pm
Location: Westcountry

Post by benecol »

I shunned wah for years, then realised that I always enjoyed using my friends' ones, and use one all the time now. I like sticking one in between a fuzz and a distortion, leaving it in position for cocked wah sounds, and really slowly working the treadle back and forth into a delay for tonal changes/weirdness/maggotbrain.

I currently use (and love) a Coloursound reissue (they're inductorless and really good - quite synth-y, but still a useful sweep - the reissues are good cheap wahs). Also rate the Vox Clyde I had, and one of the other reissue Voxes (I can dig and find the model designation if you want). Buddha Budwahs are also brilliant.
User avatar
Bacchus
Whatever's handiest
Posts: 23484
Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 4:10 am
Location: wandering

Post by Bacchus »

I'm unashamedly pro-wah. I love them, and use them quite heavily.

I've always used the Boss PW-10 vWah, because it does lots of wah stuff really well, and has some fun stuff too. The wah sounds are very tweakable and all sound good. They will get you in the ball park of whatever wah tone you want, then you can tweak to suit your amp or guitar. The distortions are good, as is the uni-vibe The weird synthy thing and the vocoder thingy is fun (particularly if you remember this came out in 2003 or something).

Probably one of my favourite pedals. I know lots of people spend hundreds of hours and lots of money trying to find their perfect wah, worrying abotu inductors and stuff. I pretty much nailed mine first time, when I was 16. The dirt and mod pedals from then have long since been replaced, but I can't see myself ever getting a different wah.
Image
User avatar
Thom
lamp
Posts: 6992
Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:23 am
Location: Exeter, UK

Post by Thom »

I usually have a wah in my pedal chain, but I use it sparingly, after all wah rule no.1 is “don’t be a dick� :lol:
Have used a Morley Bad Horsie for years, mostly because I like not having to hit a switch to engage. Does mean extended cocked wah sounds is a one legged balancing act but i can live with that.
dezb1
The Oppressor
Posts: 8287
Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 3:59 am
Location: glasgow
Contact:

Post by dezb1 »

benecol wrote:I shunned wah for years, then realised that I always enjoyed using my friends' ones, and use one all the time now. I like sticking one in between a fuzz and a distortion, leaving it in position for cocked wah sounds, and really slowly working the treadle back and forth into a delay for tonal changes/weirdness/maggotbrain.

I currently use (and love) a Coloursound reissue (they're inductorless and really good - quite synth-y, but still a useful sweep - the reissues are good cheap wahs). Also rate the Vox Clyde I had, and one of the other reissue Voxes (I can dig and find the model designation if you want). Buddha Budwahs are also brilliant.
I like the sound of the coloursound as I was thinking of using it the way I would with a filter sweep on a synth.
XY
User avatar
Josh
The Curmudgeon
Posts: 5010
Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2008 7:11 pm
Location: George
Contact:

Post by Josh »

I love wah pedals. I have no use for them in the context of my band currently but gotta have one for when I'm fucking around. May consider getting a wah pedal though for a board I want to do this year, want to move away from multi fx because I need something different, and singular pedals have been getting me hyped on guitar again.

right now I just use the wah/expression pedal on the boss me-80 but they unfortunately you can't move it in the "chain" so you can't set it before everything to get the other wah effect which I kind of like more. sucks with fuzz.
User avatar
NickS
.
.
Posts: 13593
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 9:08 am
Location: Close to the edge, down by the river

Post by NickS »

V. interesting, there are two Coloursound circuits, my vintage (Carlsbro badged) model with the chromed plate has an inductor.
Image
Image
Image
The ganged pot is not original.
User avatar
Doog
mid-century modem
Posts: 23064
Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2006 4:49 pm
Location: London

Re: Wah?

Post by Doog »

dezb1 wrote:
Image

Ps: this is the scale that got me banned from the Gear page.
hahahaha

We need a blank one of these as a huge emoji we can use as required
User avatar
BearBoy
.
.
Posts: 6998
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 10:27 am
Location: Strung up to the lemons

Post by BearBoy »

Bacchus wrote:Boss PW-10 vWah
I've got one of these and it's great. I think it generally gets ignored because it's digital and so lacks those mojo arrows. If nothing else, it'd give you a chance to try the different models and work out which type of wah you prefer. It's also got a built in MT-2 emulation ftw **happy**

I've also got a Cry Baby I've had since 1991 or something, which is pretty noisy but still good fun (and can probably be picked up super cheap second hand).

I've no idea what Joe Bonamassa does with a wah (never knowingly heard any of his music) but for me it's for doing noisy/shoe-gazey type stuff. And some funky stuff when I'm pissing around.

Oh, and
Benecol wrote:cocked wah sounds
are also great.
Fran wrote:I love how this place is basic as fuck.
ekwatts wrote:I'm just going to smash it in with a hammer and hope it works. Tone is all in the fingers anyway.
User avatar
BearBoy
.
.
Posts: 6998
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 10:27 am
Location: Strung up to the lemons

Re: Wah?

Post by BearBoy »

dezb1 wrote:any good examples of it being used that isn't pure guitar wankerage
Thought you'd have been all over this Dez?

[youtube][/youtube]
Fran wrote:I love how this place is basic as fuck.
ekwatts wrote:I'm just going to smash it in with a hammer and hope it works. Tone is all in the fingers anyway.
dezb1
The Oppressor
Posts: 8287
Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 3:59 am
Location: glasgow
Contact:

Re: Wah?

Post by dezb1 »

BearBoy wrote:
dezb1 wrote:any good examples of it being used that isn't pure guitar wankerage
Thought you'd have been all over this Dez?

[youtube][/youtube]
I would have gone for

XY
dezb1
The Oppressor
Posts: 8287
Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 3:59 am
Location: glasgow
Contact:

Re: Wah?

Post by dezb1 »

Doog wrote:
dezb1 wrote:
Image

Ps: this is the scale that got me banned from the Gear page.
hahahaha

We need a blank one of these as a huge emoji we can use as required
Image

Make it so
XY
User avatar
Josh
The Curmudgeon
Posts: 5010
Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2008 7:11 pm
Location: George
Contact:

Post by Josh »

Joe bonamossa is one of those guys that I've never heard any of his music in my life but know he's a famous guitarist. his kit is fucking horrendous though, the horrible suits, horrible shades, and the stupid expensive guitars. he's the Persian nightclub owner of blues guitar.
User avatar
Fakir Mustache
.
.
Posts: 4362
Joined: Wed Sep 25, 2013 5:23 pm

Re: Wah?

Post by Fakir Mustache »

dezb1 wrote:Been considering getting a wah however they do score low on the Bonamassa / Mascis scale. Generally if I go to a gig and the guitarist steps on the wah it usually signifies the start of a total yawn fest... Opinions on the wah (and any good examples of it being used that isn't pure guitar wankerage).

Image

Ps: this is the scale that got me banned from the Gear page.
Not really sure I understand the graphic. If the wah is closer to Joe, does that mean he's more likely to use it?

Then why does it score low?

I understand no rational reason is necessary to get banned from TGP, but that's not what I'm asking.
NickD wrote: Fri Mar 25, 2022 11:44 pm
plopswagon wrote: Fri Mar 25, 2022 7:05 pm Fuck! My car runs on Tubes!
When you press the accelerator past halfway it doesn’t actually go any faster, but the engine noise distorts
User avatar
sunshiner
.
.
Posts: 8135
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 4:05 pm
Location: Around the corner

Post by sunshiner »

On one end of the specter is Blooz Lawyer on the other Poonk.
matte30is wrote:Someone man up and get a balloon.
dezb1
The Oppressor
Posts: 8287
Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 3:59 am
Location: glasgow
Contact:

Re: Wah?

Post by dezb1 »

Fakir Mustache wrote:
dezb1 wrote:Been considering getting a wah however they do score low on the Bonamassa / Mascis scale. Generally if I go to a gig and the guitarist steps on the wah it usually signifies the start of a total yawn fest... Opinions on the wah (and any good examples of it being used that isn't pure guitar wankerage).

Image

Ps: this is the scale that got me banned from the Gear page.
Not really sure I understand the graphic. If the wah is closer to Joe, does that mean he's more likely to use it?

Then why does it score low?

I understand no rational reason is necessary to get banned from TGP, but that's not what I'm asking.
The Bonamassa end of the scale represents music I don't want to listen to as opposed to the end of the scale represented by Mascis which I do - therefore I perceive the wah more likely to be used in music I don't like rather than music I do like - but was asking if this was the common belief. I am adopting this scale for all guitar related decision making hence forth.
XY
User avatar
Fakir Mustache
.
.
Posts: 4362
Joined: Wed Sep 25, 2013 5:23 pm

Post by Fakir Mustache »

ahh, ok.

Where does funk/disco fit into this? You might have to make it a three way graph.
NickD wrote: Fri Mar 25, 2022 11:44 pm
plopswagon wrote: Fri Mar 25, 2022 7:05 pm Fuck! My car runs on Tubes!
When you press the accelerator past halfway it doesn’t actually go any faster, but the engine noise distorts
dezb1
The Oppressor
Posts: 8287
Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 3:59 am
Location: glasgow
Contact:

Post by dezb1 »

Fakir Mustache wrote:ahh, ok.

Where does funk/disco fit into this? You might have to make it a three way graph.
Wouldn't be a genre would be each act and they would be judged on the scale... Nile Rodgers the Disco master didn't need teh wah.

Image
The scale is sound
XY
User avatar
Noirie.
YOUTH
Posts: 5364
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2009 9:51 pm

Post by Noirie. »

Josh wrote: he's the Persian nightclub owner of blues guitar.
:lol:
theshadowofseattle wrote:less being WOKE
more being STOKED
User avatar
Fakir Mustache
.
.
Posts: 4362
Joined: Wed Sep 25, 2013 5:23 pm

Post by Fakir Mustache »

dezb1 wrote:
Fakir Mustache wrote:ahh, ok.

Where does funk/disco fit into this? You might have to make it a three way graph.
Wouldn't be a genre would be each act and they would be judged on the scale... Nile Rodgers the Disco master didn't need teh wah.

Image
The scale is sound
Who's on the left? John Mayer?
NickD wrote: Fri Mar 25, 2022 11:44 pm
plopswagon wrote: Fri Mar 25, 2022 7:05 pm Fuck! My car runs on Tubes!
When you press the accelerator past halfway it doesn’t actually go any faster, but the engine noise distorts