Talking about the Appeal of the Wah Effect in 7 Contemporary Songs

2021-10-01

The ‘wah pedal’: An effect pedal that can make a ‘wah-wah’ sound when the pedal is stomped on.
It also allows you to freely manipulate feedback along with the distortion effect.

Have you ever thought about what kind of music the wah effect can be heard in and how it’s used?

You may think that it is difficult to use because you have to control the foot pedal to change how the effect is added. However, if you try it out, you will find that it can be applied in various ways.
It can be used for rhythmic strumming and for guitar solos.
You can actually use it for anything!

When I started playing guitar, I only cared about distortion effects, but recently I have started to understand the appeal of other effects other than distortion, including spatial effects.

I have the impression that the wah effect has a taste of night! (I know this is totally a stereotype.)

Now, this time, I have personally selected songs that use this attractive wah effect!
Also, I would like to review some songs and talk about why they’re so sexy.

1. cero/Yellow Magus

This is the second track from the third album Obscure Ride by the Japanese band cero.
It’s good to listen to when taking a walk or driving at night. The delicate drumming, well-overlapped chorus, and the rhythmic lyrics create a mood that feels like cruising on a boat at night. The wah effect goes really well with city pop!

2. “Ai wo Tsutaetaidatoka” Aimyon

This is one of the songs from the album Seishun no Excitement by the popular Japanese musician Aimyon.
The wah effect on the dark lyrics and melody creates a wonderful atmosphere.
This demonstrates how the wah effect is used to make Aimyon’s superb vocals sound even more beautiful.

3. “Light” SaToA

SaToA is a Japanese band consisting of three girls. They are so cute!
Unlike the grooviness of their other songs, this one has a floaty feel to it.
The wah-wah sound has been reproduced to make an airy sound. Here’s how the girls do it!

4. “Hoshi Furu Yoru ni Nattara” Fujifabric

This is a song by the Japanese band Fujifabric who everyone loves in Japan. It’s a perfect song for driving at night! I can’t tell you how many times I have listened to this and daydreamed about driving at night… Lol.
It’s an outlandish idea to add the wah effect from the intro phrase, isn’t it?
By the way, it looks like it’s an auto-wah!

5. “Boku no Kaju” ZUTTOZULETELLZ

This is one of the most popular songs by the Japanese rock band ZUTTOZULETELLZ from their album Dai 1 Shu.
The wah-wah goes well with hip hop and rap music.
When the wah effect is applied to the cool bassline and strumming rhythmic guitar, it conjures up a fantastic groove.
This is a song you can dance to.

6. “Romantist Taste” THE YELLOW MONKEY

I know this is sudden but the lead vocalist of THE YELLOW MONKEY, Kazuya Yoshii, is so cool, isn’t he?
The mysterious lyrics of this song are so addictive. The only guy who can sing this song is Kazuya Yoshii! The wah effect helps to give this song a mysterious feeling!
The wah effect is also perfect for the thick guitar sound.

7. “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” Jimi Hendrix

Let’s not forget this legendary guitarist who passed away at the age of 27 and was listed in the 27 Club.
In only the first 15 seconds of the song, I already don’t understand what the hell is going on and I can only laugh.
Many people probably think of Jimi Hendrix when it comes to the wah effect.
If you can get the potential out of an effects pedal to this level, you don’t need anything else.

That’s all for my 7 song selections with the wah effect.

The neverending list of songs with great wah effects include “Zurui Onna” by Sharam Q with the impressive intro, and “Hei made Hitottobi” by Sadistic Mika Band where the rhythmic guitar strumming is amazing.

I’m sure you might’ve heard some of the songs I selected here.
The wah effect can be used for any genre of music depending on how you use it.
Here is the list of the wah pedals available at Sound House.

1. JIM DUNLOP / CBM95 Cry Baby Mini Wah Pedal

It has the thick sound that can be heard from the original Cry Baby wah pedal and it is so powerful but...
This is a cute mini version of the Cry Baby that you wouldn’t expect from its sound!
It’s a great way to save space on your pedal board☆

2. BOSS / AW-3

The AW-3 is an auto-wah pedal! You don’t have to control how much you step on the pedal to change the amount of effect but you can just stomp it once.
The auto-wah function is useful enough but this pedal is versatile, which also allows you to input the tempo to match the tempo of the song. The AW-3 may be helpful to make a unique sound.

3. DR.NO / ROAD RUNNER

The sound is as appealing as its flashiness.
With this pedal, the wah-wah sound can be layered on top of the heavy fuzz, creating a unique but pleasant sound.
This ROAD RUNNER wah pedal is a must-have item for guitarists who want something different!

So many wah pedals have been produced by various manufacturers and it's hard to choose just a few.
I hope you find the one that suits you!