5 Reasons To WAH 

the varied selection of horrendous footwear must have been a joke

Kirk Hammet watching this video: *Heavy breathing intensifies*

15 or so years ago - while taking out the over proofed dough at the back of the pizza shop I worked at, I happened to notice something odd laying in the dumpster - on top of heaps of trash bags. I pulled it out to inspect - it was a Crybaby wah pedal. How odd. Why was it there? Who put it there? What a strange life it must have had to wind up at the back of a pizza shop - in the dumpster. A few years later it wound up on my board - and about six months after that - in my bedroom closet where it sat in waiting for this day when I would pull it back out and run it through the effects loop of my Spring Tank reverb - it's destiny now fulfilled.

"most of u may have something like that" Cries in Telecaster*

What I like about your videos is that it contains no BS, it's awesome and refreshing to see a leader in a company talk about and recommend a different companys product. By recommending another companys pedal shows us that you really love music and pedals and that you don't just want to sell stuff. Big props to you Josh, one day when I get the money for it, I will definitely check out JHS pedals. Sorry for any typo etc, English is my foreign language.

Ibanez Weeping Demon is the shizzle. Plenty of adjustments at your fingertips, available auto mode, switchable range (I've used it with guitars and basses).

I have to say, I love the comaraderie with other pedal makers. JHS is a quality brand name, you could easily only show and discuss JHS pedals, but no brand is off limits for you, and THAT is respect and class. We can tell you are in it because you love it, and know if you find a cool pedal or company, you’ll share your joy instead of sneaking off to make a competing product while pretending the original doesn’t exist. You’re a good dude, and it’s great to see you succeed doing something you have such passion about. Big fat 👍 to you!

"I can't remember where I parked the wah!" "Don't Crybaby!" Socks FTW

Wah is my favorite pedal. It's really the only pedal that to me is truly a must have even if you have a DAW and interface (with plugins).

Ive been using a crybaby 105q bass wah for many years now. I love how it actually works as a lowpassfilter, instead of a bandpass (or notch?). Ive been using it at the very end of my pedalboard (even after my delays and reverbs) to get very nice filter sweeping effects, I really enjoy it with very long reverbs and delays

I play rhythm in a cover band, so I use my wah in a number of the 'classic' ways - funk especially! I also use it as a high-pass filter for songs like 'Money For Nothing' like Mark did on the record!

I'm a little late to the party, but whenever I think about wah, the Man in the Box solo always comes to mind

I only need one reason to WAH!: Waluigi

I was kind of hoping you would talk about the EHX Cocked Wah. Also would like to see you emulate Frank Zappa's approach to wah. Rock On!

Enough already, time for a Sovtek video!

I've learned to appreciate the built-in wahs in my multieffects pedals and rediscover their inherent qualities.. good enough to Use 🌛

I love my Signature Buddy Guy Wah by Dunlop. The on/off led is a huge help when playing live. It has a simple "kick" switch on the side to adjust the sweep and I've used that live when my tone needed a quick adjustment, especially if I was using a venue supplied amp or cab. I own 5 wahs and I keep coming back to the Buddy Guy. It sounds so good! I run it after overdrive as I prefer the vocal sculpting. My second choice would be a late 70's era Morley Power Wah. It's HUGE and clunky and it has a lot of volume cut when going heel down but it's really unique sounding and a lot of fun to play. It's more of a studio tool though. I can't imagine anyone trying to gig with it. I have videos of both wah's on my channel if anyone is curious to hear them.

You have inspired me. One of the song riffs that I wrote for my band has my fuzz going into my wah

The weirdest usage of a wah is in my opinion the "seagull sound" in Echoes by Pink Floyd. As I remember gilmourish made a tutorial video on this. That just blew my mind.

My personal Wah pedal is the Electro-Harmonix Wailer Wah, a very cheap but yet greatly built and with a high sound quality, it does sound a bit thinner than the cry baby but it is more responsive and has a great range, I love using it as a treble boost, by simply pressing it on and leaving it there, really helps you cut out of the band for a solo. The guitarist of my band uses the 50th anniversary Golden Crybaby, and it sounds amazing, really give a great quacky and in/out of phase sound as you rock you feet on it

I would pay like 200 bucks for a JHS Ibanez WH10 wah clone. Will pay extra if it's called the Crack Wah, since the plastic originals always cracked. #unsolicitedmarketresearch

I use a standard crybaby. It was the first pedal I ever bought when I was starting out. I started playing guitar again in 2021 (after selling everything 12 years prior) & the first pedal I bought again was a crybaby. It’s a must have.

Nice video. Fun and Informative. I enjoy a Full-Size Wah ( no mini wah's here ) and I play in a band where I need to go from Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye, Alicia Keys to Hendrix, Clapton Zeppelin & Santana so - I have been using a 2009 Fulltone Clyde Deluxe Wah ( no buffer ) and love the 3 Selection Versatility, (Jimi, Shaft, Wacked) Great Sweep ( no dead spots ), Smooth even-throw, Studio Quiet, Built like a Tank, Very Vocal-like. Also like the fact that it has An LED Indicator = Super Important to me.

My Cry Baby was the very first pedal I ever got when I was 10 years old, and I still use it to this day for gigs and recordings. I love using it for such creative and expressive sounds.

“This is a jhs pedal but buy it if you want and don’t buy it if you don’t want to, there are other wahs so if you want another one go buy that one,” -No one ever

These videos are so good. I keep watching them over and over every few months.

I always thought SRV had the best wah tone. It was very deep and aggressive, but never muddied up the signal

Got an old George Dennis wah, absolutely fantastic. It commands me to play the "Shaft" theme continuously for several hours.

What make is the red cooled cord? Does Behringer make inexpensive clones of the socks?

I listened and played Frank Zappa chops back in the '70s; yep, park your wah pedal in that zone between 900 Hz to 2 kHz for the old-school "tank tone.". Great stuff, Josh.

I use a Dunlop Jerry Cantrell Signature wah, I absolutely love it. Although, I am currently borrowing my friends Morley Mark Tremonti Power Wah which is awesome too! Decisions!

My favorite wah has been the crybaby from hell. Having that (i think it was a gain boost) boost switch and the multiple controls made it versatile as hell and it sounded absolutely incredible

Weaping demon by ibenaz is a great one it’s built very well and has some great options

Back in the 90s I spent a whole day in Macaris on Charing Cross Rd. trying out every wah in the shop. I took my guitar along, set up in the corner and stayed for hours annoying everyone with my constant wakawakwaka. Eventually I went for a Colorsound because it sounded like it's own thing and was IMHO the funkiest of them all (it was also Red). I even bought a bright green Colorsound curly cable to go with it. I still use the wah but sadly the cable is long gone.

You forgot to wear gearmandude's boots too.

I didnt learn much about wah, but what an awesome statement on footwear fashion!

70's pop music? Hmm, I associate it with another 70's "art form", that includes bushy moustaches and ladies needing plumbers.

I just discovered you. You are full of information. I love your videos keep doing them and I will keep liking them thank you very much I’m a new guitar player and I’m learning so much listening to your stuff

Queens Of The Stone Age use Wah really well when they do.

Simple and clear just like that. Thanks for posting this man keep them coming

" . . . LIKE THOSE HIP MUSICIANS WITH THEIR COMPLICATED SHOES !" "Crybaby Classic" (with Fasel inductor)

Oh man you just killed me with the wah in the delay effects loop!

Favorite wah song of all time....Maggot Brain .....while simplistic....you feel it....it just reverberates your soul

Love my snarling dogs wah white room shaft, voodoo settings. Built like a metal tank bought in the 1980s

I have the Crybaby From Hell I love it, but sometimes it boosts the treble and it pierces your ears :( I recommend a song from an Argentinian rock Band The song is called "En la Ciudad de la Furia" by Soda Stereo, but don't listen to the studio version because it has no wah. Instead, listen to the MTV unplugged version and enjoy it. I love how Cerati mixed Wah and Delay to create such an atmosphere!!

My first wah pedal was a Cry Baby but I sold it or traded it for some reason. I got the Morley Bad Horsie II wah for a couple reasons: 1) I like Steve Vai 2) there isn't a switch to engage the way effect; you just press on the pedal. The Morley Bad Horsie II has two modes; one that is the standard Bad Horsie (the mode I used the most) and a mode where you can vary the contour. I bought a used Cry Baby because I wanted a "traditional" wah but I have had to replace the pot, switch, and most recently the power outlet. In a way it is my custom wah because of the new parts and the way I set the switch it is a breeze to turn on and off. The argyle socks on wah look (3 - fixed wah demonstration) won for me.

I need to say, if you're talking about cocked wahs the master was Mick Ronson. The live version of Suffragette City from Bowie at the 'Beeb will melt your face with sweet wah-ness.

Purchased a Dunlop Mini Wah and downloaded two great albums into my phone. Excellent day. Thanks for the wah and listening suggestions. By the way, I purchased a JHS Tidewater and and Little Black Buffer at the same time. I’m off to play now!!,!,!🎉

There's only two things I think of when hearing the word wah: Kirk Hammet and 70s adult films 😂

This makes me think that a video covering non-traditional uses for guitar pedals could be super interesting.

*_Kirk Hammett intensifies_*

Would love to see an episode that breaks down different types of wah's especially switchless vs switch.

David Gilmour, reverse wha... Seagull effect on "Echoes".

Vox 847 for me. Lovely wah without the aggression you can find in a Crybaby. I mix mine with a square wave tremolo for sweepy goodness. ...and in case you're wondering, I liked the New Balance / ankle combo. Wholesome footwear for modern living.

Velcro sneaks. No pretention. Just business.

Got the original Morley 20 years ago... beat to hell and still works, even for bass... dig the velcro...love from the southland bro.

Pantera - Psycho Holiday Alice In Chains - Dirt Some killer unconventional Wah usage on those tracks. Check 'em out!!

Josh is sporting some super hardcore "DAD" shoes here. Very nice! I usually go with sandals with black socks myself.

One of the first tunes I thought of with a more "non-traditional" way sound is the solo on She's a Jar by Wilco. Definitely one of my favorite applications. Really informative and interesting stuff here. Thanks!

Thank for Josh for all the education. It's unbiased and genuine. Informative and enjoyable. Appreciate it. I've learned a lot!

Jerry Cantrell’s wah, the best one

The Jerry Cantrell wah from Dunlop is awesome and extra throaty, that’s my personal fav. Also, the strap on grandpa shoes all the way

Now this is one of my favorite subjects! My first wah (early 70s) was a 2 transistor DIY circuit from an electronics magazine. I took a sewing machine pedal which had no gear for a potmeter, so I used an LDR and a panel on the hinged footrest to regulate incoming daylight for control. It had a very poor effect (2 transistors, no coil), but you could hear something was happening to the sound. I took my first home built pedal to school and asked my electronics teacher if he could help figure out how it worked. We started off with a sine tone generator into the pedal and output to an oscilloscope and it seemed like nothing happened to the tone. From the circuit diagram my teacher figured this could be a low pass filter with a feedback loop, so we needed harmonics to make the filter do its work. We ended up with three sine generators to a create a 2nd and 3rd harmonic waveform, and now the effect was visible on the oscilloscope. A truly magical moment, mystery unveiled! This was my first step in discovering sound technology, progressing towards analog synthesizers. My second Wah was a Colorsound, which is now a collector's item. Back then it was cheaper than a Cry Baby, when money was tight. The Colorsound has a lot of hiss noise, and has emphasis on high tones, which means most low frequencies are lost. But it definitely has its own character. A few years ago I could actually afford a Cry Baby, and I compared it side by side with a Ibanez Weeping Demon. Although the Cry Baby has more Oompf and Aargh, I fell for the tweaking options on the WD7: a spring release, auto-off, tweakable Q and range, bass guitar switch, optical control, sturdy housing. Tough choice, I got tempted by the knobs of the WD7. Today I would probably buy the JHS Super Wah Cry Baby. My favourite early wah music track is Cream - Tales Of Brave Ulysses But a close 2nd is Johnny Winter - The Good Love (from the vinyl double album Second Winter, which had side 4 intentionally left blank!)

I've used a Dunlop bass wah for YEARS in my rig. Multiple reasons: It's kinda like a Morley where it's spring action. It has a wider sweep spectrum. It's been very reliable for many years, and it doesn't take much juice on batteries.

Jerry Garcia was a master of the wah. I recommend "Run for the Roses" and "Catfish John." Both have a some very elegant use of the wah, particularly at the end of the song where he goes instrumental.

In the late 90s I used a Boss Auto Wah, I miss that pedal so much. I used for ambiances. Now I use a Morley Classic Wah before overdrive and just to create a kind of texture in the sound, I like that.

I think you missed one. Back in the 1980's, I remember hearing Carlos Santana mixing his Wah Wah (Morley?) with a Chorus pedal. If you listen closely to his solos during that era, you can hear the faint chorus effect along with the more "up-front" wah sound. I love that sound & I think it's such a cool mix of tones. Also, your "parked wah" is also referred to as "always on", made famous by the one & only Michael Schenker (early 1970's UFO albums). Mr. Schenker is the Supreme Master of the "always on" wah sound!!!

all the socks were pro choices. love them all

I have an old Morley Wah that has the separate switch and a "wah" knob on it so you could park it and switch it on mid-sweep without having to search for the tone. I haven't used it in a while, but this episode has inspired me to mess around with it some more. I really dig the loafers.

04:55 As a synth guy but also a new guitarist, this effect-sound makes me happy. I will try it.

PS: 1000 Julys is my JAM!

I do have to say that I appreciate (A) The interesting variety of footwear... and... (B) The fact that Josh was wearing footwear.

JHS WAH WE NEED IT

I just added wah back to my board, and I feel that childlike wonder that I first felt playing through one. Wah isn’t as hip as it used to be, but used artistically like Josh is talking about here it’s just magic. I’ve tried Vox & Crybaby and find I prefer the wider sweep of the crybaby. I’m also loving it at the *end of the chain*… used as a synthlike filter sweep as Josh mentions. Super cool to take a wet, delayed tripped out sound and almost tame and shape it with that wah on the end.

I love my Vox v847, a bit more subtle and nicer than the Dunlops IMO. You forgot to mention that if you plug it in the wrong way round and play with the guitar tone, you can get the Floyd Echos whale sounds. :)

That dark aura is super cool!

If you have Ibanez WD7 wah, you have all wahs. What I love about it is that not only can you control the Q and the sweep range, it is the bass fill control which actually let's you take it out of the wah territory (which can sound thin at the top of the sweep with all the bass scooped) and puts it into sweep filter territory, nice and full at the top of the sweep range - and everything in between. You can also with the flick of a switch go from a spring-loaded wah to a wah you can park - it's crazy versatile. And it's not gimmicky, I pretty much use all the versatility. Come on, let's give wd7 some love! ))

I couldn't decide which wah to buy, so I got the one that was iconic looking to sit by my Rat and Big Muff Pi. Yeah, the Vox. Also, totally dig the argyle wah sound.

Had no idea about the effects loop thing. Really cool.

I use a parked Wah for harmonica effect. Made it myself--works great !!

For me Adam Jones (TOOL) makes the wah wah sound incredible, very emotional and unique

My fav wah is a the Morley Bad horsie. I gigged the most in Gulf Shores so Crocs were my footwear of choice

Another killer video.

Just discovered this channel after the TPS Take over. Love it. Love your sense of humor. Judging by the shirt, I’d say your a fan of that show. There was an episode where Jerry & George discuss Sweatpants... “ They’re just a sign you’ve given up...” that can be applied to the Double Strap Jogger as well fella. Lol.

Blue is like my fetish album of summer 2000. In that period of time I listened to it from start to finish at least three times a day. I was 21 and it maybe was the best summer of my life. "An ode to maybe" gives me a mixed feeling of happiness and melancholy at te same time, EVERY TIME. Nice to see 3EB mentioned here :)

My first was was an OG Big Muff Crying Tone. I was a dunce and let it get away in the early '90s. I had a Vox after that and it was ok, but I let it go and just used a model on the GT-10 in the rare instances I needed a wah until just recently when I picked up a DOD FX-17 which I've been using as a fixed filter.

I'm using a Teese McCoy RMC Wizard Wah. I know it was built for heavy gain users and humbuckers, but I think it sounds great as a do all, no nonsense wah pedal. No complaints.

Great video. I’ve had wah pedals with my bass for 20 years and I just learned a couple cool things that will change my sound for the better forever! Thx bro. Keep up the info. It’s good to hear from a fellow gear head..

WAH can i say? Thanks for reminding how great is Wah pedal and how flexible it is, im excited to get back to WAH world. your Channel is so good and unique, thanks for inspiring us 😀

Your channel are a great combination of research,musicality,humor and good taste!Just great!!!

Listen to any Screaming Trees album to hear Gary Lee Conner tear it up with awesome grungy wah. A brilliant and hugely influential but very modest guitarist. And a shout out to Joe Gagan for making my lovely hand-wired-each-one-unique-recreations of classic wahs. Check out his version of the Maestro Boomerang.

My favourite wah has got to be the Vox Wow Fuzz from 1970. It's the same as the SolaSound and Colorsound, they all share the same electronics. The Colorsound is still available from Macaris and Castledine Electronics here in the UK, but I have a Vox which I paid £20 for in 1988. Sounds similar to Josh's first example (distortion before wah) but more extreme. Love it, my Jen Crybady and Weeping Demon can't get anywhere near to how good this pedal is.

Loving these VLOGS, Josh! Always useful info. Standard Cry Baby. Use it live doing mostly classic rock covers. Heads always swivel to check you out when they hear that sound.

For me the father of wah is Dinosaur Jr.- you're living all over me (Little fury things, THAT solo in Kracked) and great usage of wah as sound shaper is Rusty cage from Soundgarden

Budda wah here, the original purple one.. Like the socks footwear....I like to run fuzz first like a virtual synth tone generator into wah as a virtual synth tone filter then into OD to color and enhance the wah. Learned this from Dave Foxx in my captain coconut II operation manual. ASAT classic usa > 6' cable > captain coconut II fuzz > budda wah > MESA bottle rocket > captain coconut II provibe > supa puss analog echo > TC hall of verb > 6' cable > 73' Band Master Reverb...LOVE THIS CHANNEL Josh! I would love to try your MORNING GLORY and PANTHER CUB

Nice socks! Thanks for the tips, I’m not a good user of wahs. Hope I can improve myself.

George Dennis Wah's are very overlooked and excellent

OK, so the Spring Tank with the wah is freaking amazing. I used to put my wah before a delay, and used it very gently(slowly?) to achieve similar sonic movement. I want to buy a Spring Tank now. Well played, Josh!

Wah: Cry Baby GCB95, the plain ordinary one. Use it for parked tones and slow sweeps to add a vocal feel to solos, influenced by Mick Ronson. My footwear of choice - and one you should choose - Doc Marten's boots.

the fuzz before the wah is what j mascis used in the intro of Little Fury Things . Sounds so fucking good.