Things I Wanna Say About the Wah Wah - Part 2

I wanted to share some “Things I Wanna Say About the Wah Wah”, so I made a blog post

⇒ “Things I Wanna Say About the Wah Wah – Part 1”

JIM DUNLOP / GCB-95 CRYBABY WAH WAH

The GCB-95 Crybaby by Jim Dunlop is the classic Wah Wah pedal. But there’s a long-standing “relatable issue” that many have experienced: the adapter plug doesn’t fully insert.

The round hole on the enclosure is small, so standard adapters like the BOSS PSA-100 often have plugs that are too thick to fit in properly.
Also, the body of the pedal itself is quite thick, which adds to the issue.

If the plug is just barely the right size for the hole, it won’t go all the way in.
That’s why the plug on Jim Dunlop’s own adapter is designed to be very compact.

JIM DUNLOP / ECB-003M

If you’re powering it through a power supply or daisy chain, you also need to be careful about the plug shape.
There’s even a common mod where people widen the hole. But of course, any modifications are at your own risk!!

I also bought my first GCB-95 when I was in middle school. It was so heavy and big that I stopped taking it with me. I used to wish there was a Wah pedal around the size of a standard BOSS compact pedal…
Then about15 years later…

PLUTONEIUM / Chi-Wah-Wah

I remember the PLUTONEIUM / Chi-Wah-Wah being released as a pioneer in the world of mini Wah pedals. Unlike traditional Wahs, this one was operated by pressing with the toe of your foot, which gave it a very different feel from the Wah pedals we were all used to. At the time, I decided to hold off on buying it.

Later on, the one that came out was the:

AMT ELECTRONICS / WH-1

This one had the same feel and operation style as a traditional Wah, so I immediately jumped on it and ended up using it regularly.

Finally, after all that waiting, Jim Dunlop released their own take on the mini Wah:

JIM DUNLOP / CBM95 Crybaby Mini Wah

Then came the release of the JIM DUNLOP / CBM95 Crybaby Mini Wah.
I couldn’t resist and bought it right away, and I still own it today. After buying the CBM95, I ended up selling my AMT Wah. But honestly, I kind of regret doing that. The AMT had its own unique charm. I wish I’d kept it…

As you might have guessed by now from everything I’ve said, I’m actually a huge fan of mini Wah pedals.

That said, whenever I step on a full-sized Wah from time to time, I can't help but think:

"Wow… this is so much easier to step on!"

It’s true—when it comes to Wah pedals, the larger and heavier they are, the more stable they feel underfoot during use. There’s definitely a reason for that weight. It gives you a kind of physical feedback and control that mini Wahs just can’t quite match.
Mini Wahs do take some getting used to.
I’ve heard both sides:
“I bought a mini Wah, but it was too hard to use that I ended up going back to a regular one.”
“Mini Wahs are the best!! No way I’m going back to something that big and heavy!”
In the end, figuring out which one is right for you depends entirely on your preferences.

Lately, there’s even a middle-ground option:

JIM DUNLOP / CBJ95 Cry Baby JUNIOR Wah Pedal

HOTONE / SOUL PRESS II (Volume / Expression / Wah Pedal)

There are just so many options these days that it’s hard to choose!

Back when mini Wahs didn’t exist yet, I bought an auto-wah hoping it could replace my heavy wah wah pedal. But it didn’t work the way I expected, and to be honest, I had no idea how to use it back then.

Now I’ve come to understand how to use it. For example, to add a rhythmic effect during funk-style strumming or cutting, but it took me a while to grasp that a traditional wah wah pedal and an auto-wah are totally different beasts.

Even though product pages (like on Sound House) often lump them together under “Wah wah Pedals / Auto Wahs,” we really should think of them as separate categories.

Recently, VOX released a Wah that combines both pedal wah wah and auto-wah functions:

VOX / V863-CA Custom Auto Wah Pedal

I don’t think that there was a shape like this until now. I want it!

Speaking of which—I think there’s a video of me playing an auto-wah on Sound House’s TikTok…
In the TikTok video, I’m using an auto-wah for funk-style cutting. You’ll probably notice the difference in nuance compared to a traditional pedal wah wah. If you’ve got a minute, check it out!

↓ This is the product I’m playing in that video:

MAD PROFESSOR / Snow White Auto Wah (For Guitar and Bass)

There’s a small rubber piece near the toe switch area that plays an important role in controlling the ON/OFF switch.
Some people, maybe thinking it would improve the response or make ON/OFF switching easier, have removed that rubber to increase the pedal’s range of motion. I’m not sure what their reasoning was, but I’ve seen a few junk pedals over the years where that rubber had been cut off. Let me know if you'd like this whole blog translated and formatted as a single post—it’s shaping up to be a great mix of personal experience and useful info!

When you actually cut off that rubber piece, what tends to happen is the pedal turns OFF on its own while you’re playing. Even though the range of motion increases, it doesn’t actually make the pedal easier to use.

Interestingly, vintage Crybaby pedals have a narrower sweep than the modern versions, but that can actually be a good thing. If the pedal’s range is too wide, it can make your foot tired, or make precise, subtle movements harder to control.

Wah wah pedals are different from other effects pedals in that you physically move your foot to control them. That means your body mechanics, as in how flexible your ankles are, really come into play here. Just because a certain Wah feels great for someone else doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be a good fit for you.

With that said… set sail on the vast sea of Wah wah pedal hunting!!

⇒ [Wah wah Pedal / Auto Wah Product List]

If I come up with more things that I wanna say about the wah wah, so I’ll definitely continue writing for this blog!