DIY Wah pedals, need some suggestions.....

[MichaelW]

Thanks for this thread. I've had the thought in my head for a while to go for it and start getting the bits together. But then I saw elder play and his mini crybaby sounded plenty good for my needs and the size is a big plus. I will mark this thread for future use when I get around to it but if I just need a wah I will go the mini route for now.

You obviously need a stronger dose of the "DIY or DIE" supplements.......

 

[szukalski]

Sham wah! sham wah! sham wah!

Ben wah balls!

 

[Big Monk]

I’ll just add a few more observations no one asked for ():

1.) The core of the inductor based Wah circuits is fairly standard across all the mythical units. There are only a few (probably just a couple) levers to pull.

2.) Use lower gain transistors. In the 300-400 hFE range seems to be key.

3.) Make sure you tweak the physical travel of the pot before chucking 5e thing in the garbage when tuning.

 

[Cybercow]

Seeing as the OP is about wah suggestions . . . .

The ParaPedal Wah is an inductor-less wah that sounds amazing.

 

[ADAOCE]

I’m just here for the Mason bashing… fuck that guy and his $250 pedalboard interface box

 

[ADAOCE]

Although I do have a cry baby sitting around unused so maybe I should build one too..

 

[MichaelW]

Ben wah balls!

Those poor sheep.......

 

[MichaelW]

Seeing as the OP is about wah suggestions . . . .

The ParaPedal Wah is an inductor-less wah that sounds amazing.

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Are there many inductor less circuits out there? Seems like it ought to be straight forward to mod a stationary Wah with an expression jack to control the wah-ing?

 

[Diynot]

While we are on the subject of wah builds, is relay switching a good idea for such projects, or would the group feel like it would be too easy to accidentally bypass or engage the effect with soft touch switching?

 

[Cybercow]

Are there many inductor less circuits out there? Seems like it ought to be straight forward to mod a stationary Wah with an expression jack to control the wah-ing?

Pretty sure most 'cocked-wah' circuits can be exploited that way. But this is a dedicated inductor-less wah circuit with a small parts count.

 

[GizzWizzKing]

You obviously need a stronger dose of the "DIY or DIE" supplements.......

RIGHT?! I feel like I committed some sin in putting this thought out into the world. The wah of all things seemed like it would just be an issue to source the shell and components for. I like to think this is the pragmatic approach. Buy existing wah and use.... Rather than buying the wah... Gutting it... Then filling it up again. I was honest though... I will diy one eventually.

 

[MichaelW]

RIGHT?! I feel like I committed some sin in putting this thought out into the world. The wah of all things seemed like it would just be an issue to source the shell and components for. I like to think this is the pragmatic approach. Buy existing wah and use.... Rather than buying the wah... Gutting it... Then filling it up again. I was honest though... I will diy one eventually.

Hahaha, I get it, I was just jesting. But I can't afford to think about pedal building, or guitar building for that matter pragmatically.
My universe might implode...........

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

While we are on the subject of wah builds, is relay switching a good idea for such projects, or would the group feel like it would be too easy to accidentally bypass or engage the effect with soft touch switching?

Intelligent relay bypass could be interesting, using a remote switch to allow bypass and engagement of the Wah while maintaining the tuning of a cocked Wah. Then you could have a secondary momentary switch of some sort on the treadle so you can have auto on/off action similar to a 535q by exploiting the momentary switching

 

[Diynot]

RIGHT?! I feel like I committed some sin in putting this thought out into the world. The wah of all things seemed like it would just be an issue to source the shell and components for. I like to think this is the pragmatic approach. Buy existing wah and use.... Rather than buying the wah... Gutting it... Then filling it up again. I was honest though... I will diy one eventually.

For future reference, Amplified Parts/antique electronics supply has wah shells
https://www.amplifiedparts.com/products/enclosure-wah-pedal-shell-and-hardware

 

[Guardians of the analog]

Intelligent relay bypass could be interesting, using a remote switch to allow bypass and engagement of the Wah while maintaining the tuning of a cocked Wah. Then you could have a secondary momentary switch of some sort on the treadle so you can have auto on/off action similar to a 535q by exploiting the momentary switching

You have some far out there ideas Nick, it's cool that you wanna be creative but my simple ass can't follow half the time you got me using my brain and I can't handle thinking while I play, how you gonna look cool and pick up chicks if you got look at the pedals and think about what you're doing I'll just play my Martin

 

[swelchy]

Jon Bell from widespread panic has a wah sound that I absolutely adore but no idea what's been done to his and I wish I knew so I could build one close to his sound.. It's definitely tricked out but no idea what's in it.

 

[Big Monk]

Jon Bell from widespread panic has a wah sound that I absolutely adore but no idea what's been done to his and I wish I knew so I could build one close to his sound.. It's definitely tricked out but no idea what's in it.

Does it have a specific tonal landmark you can describe?

I’ve come full circle from the Tearjerker to a simple Clyde style wah. The main things in my estimation are finding the right Q resistor and making sure you adjust the physical travel of the pot to get the best sweep.

 

[Feral Feline]

I have a suggestion, @MichaelW:

Don't bother with the basic DIY shells of (sometimes) questionable quality from eekBay/TaoBowl/AmplifiedFarts/Alleybuhbuh/DiminutiveB'ar etc — unless you like monkeying with the mechanical aspect of things. Then by all means go for it.

If you want to just pop a board into something physically ready to work, I recommend catching a sale at TinySynthyCubBear for a unit that's damn near on par (if not right there) with commercial shells from Dunlop etc.


Foreground, in cling-film the former-indicated DIY shell; above and beyond it are 3 of the latter-described working wah-shells:

PS: Also check out the Maestro Boomer 2 — Kula did a DIY vero fixed-version with expression-pedal input in Tone Report #152.












If you want, I can send you a copy of the TR152 PDF with the entire article.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Ben wah balls!

 

[ThePanda]

I have a suggestion, @MichaelW:

Don't bother with the basic DIY shells of (sometimes) questionable quality from eekBay/TaoBowl/AmplifiedFarts/Alleybuhbuh/DiminutiveB'ar etc — unless you like monkeying with the mechanical aspect of things. Then by all means go for it.

If you want to just pop a board into something physically ready to work, I recommend catching a sale at TinySynthyCubBear for a unit that's damn near on par (if not right there) with commercial shells from Dunlop etc.


Foreground, in cling-film the former-indicated DIY shell; above and beyond it are 3 of the latter-described working wah-shells:

How much discount do they do when MiniBear has a sale?
$69 is really steep for an enclosure.