Gear Guide: What Is The Wah Wah Pedal?

What Is The History Of Wah Wah Pedals?

The first version of the wah wah pedal was created by accident, which is surprisingly how a lot of great innovations seem to happen.

Bradley J. Plunkett was working at an organ company that was owned by Vox in 1966. They were attempting to redesign the Vox Super Beatle amplifier by changing some parts to make a more affordable model.

By doing so, they created the classic wah sound we know today. After adding it to a foot pedal that was used in an organ, the rest is history.

Vox was not originally thinking of the pedal as a guitar effect. The idea was more connected to woodwind and brass players, a bit like the way a trumpeter uses a mute to create a vocal-style sound.

In fact, the original Vox Wah Wah pedal released in early 1967 had an image of Clyde McCoy, a trumpeter, on the bottom.

That is one of the things I like about the wah pedal. It started as one idea, but guitarists took it somewhere completely different.

How Do You Use A Wah Wah Pedal?

The operation of a wah wah pedal is pretty simple.

The main way to use it is to rock the pedal back and forth with your foot. As the pedal moves up and down, it shifts the frequency focus of the guitar sound. That is what creates the classic “wah” effect.

When you move it in time with your playing, the guitar starts to sound more vocal and expressive. It can almost feel like the guitar is talking.

You can also leave the wah turned on in one position. This is sometimes called a fixed wah sound. Instead of rocking the pedal, you park it in one spot to change the tone and give the guitar a more focused, filtered sound.

That is part of why the wah is so useful. It can be a rhythmic effect, a lead guitar effect or just a way to shape your tone.

What Is The Cry Baby Wah Wah Pedal?

The Cry Baby was originally connected to the same early wah pedal story as Vox.

The details get a little complicated, but from what I found, Vox distributed their pedal through authorised dealers, while the Cry Baby version was distributed in America by the Thomas Organ Company more widely.

The Cry Baby name was not properly trademarked at the time, which meant other companies could use it. Before long, stores were full of different wah pedals and copies using the Cry Baby name.

One of the companies that jumped on the opportunity was Dunlop, which is now probably the most famous wah pedal brand. The Dunlop Cry Baby became one of the standard wah pedals for guitarists and is still one of the easiest wah pedals to recognise.

That is why the Cry Baby name has become almost interchangeable with wah pedal for a lot of players.

Which Wah Pedal Features Actually Matter?

A wah pedal can seem simple, but there are still a few things worth thinking about before buying one.

The first thing is the sweep. This is how the sound changes as you move the pedal forward and back. Some wah pedals have a smoother, vintage sweep, while others feel sharper, more aggressive or more focused for lead playing.

Size also matters. A full-sized wah can feel great under your foot, but it takes up a lot of space. A mini wah saves pedalboard room, but the smaller treadle can feel different if you are used to a full-sized pedal.

Build quality is another thing to think about. Wah pedals get stepped on constantly, so you want something that feels strong and does not move around too much under your foot.

Then there are extra features. Some wah pedals have multiple voicings, boost circuits, LED indicators or volume pedal functions. These can be useful, but they are not essential for everyone.

For most players, I would start with the sound and feel first. If the sweep feels natural and the tone makes you want to play, that matters more than having every possible extra feature.