Let's talk about wah pedals

[Big Monk]

I believe they're referring to the PCB mounting holes inside the enclosure.

I built one of these a couple years ago, mine came from Smallbear but I believe it was the same part. The included screws weren't the correct size, so that was a bit of a struggle, but otherwise it went together without any issues.

Salvaging a used Crybaby enclosure would probably be the easiest way to go but these are completely usable and a direct fit for the wah PCBs here.

I'm sure a Tap-Starter Self Tapping screw would work fine.

 

[Feral Feline]

That's what shipped with mine, self-tappers.

 

[finebyfine]

I got a used busted up standard crybaby in the mail the other day - I bought it just to rip everything out and just use the enclosure for a build. It's been years since I've handled a full size wah and I was pretty taken aback by how big and empty they are. Feels like so much wasted real estate. I personally like the the multifunction switch idea best - just sounds easiest with respect to enclosure modifications.

 

[herliplex]

Separate external footswitch

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

I have an old, gutted Foxx Fuzz-Wah and it has one stomp switch under the treadle and another on the case out in front of the treadle. Too bad no one makes a Wah chassis like that anymore.

I vote for separate stomp switch.

 

[Grubb]

Having recently scoured the internet for an appropriate wah case for a specific application (I failed and am going to just make do with what's available) there is definitely a market out there for a wah layout that combines normal wah operation with the Morley rectangular layout and extra control surface options you get there.

Any recommendations for 3PDT switches in the toe position?

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

BLMS has a nice feather touch switch.

https://lovemyswitches.com/pro-3pdt-latched-foot-switch-solder-lugs-feather-soft-click/

 

[Grubb]

BLMS has a nice feather touch switch.

https://lovemyswitches.com/pro-3pdt-latched-foot-switch-solder-lugs-feather-soft-click/

Awesome, that's the exact one I was looking at but wasn't sure of the suitability for the application.

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

The only downside to a light-touch switch is it can be actuated accidentally when the toe is all the way down. Dunlop installs a pretty stiff switch on the Crybaby.

 

[NickC]

I got an idea, and what if you designed a pedal version of the Custom Shop Dunlop Cry Baby Rack that you can connect to our wha? (which inside there is only the main potentiometer? ) just for you understand, a normal hammond box with various switches and potentiometers that connects to a normal wha (obviously modifying it) we can put a dual fasel switch a multi switch pot for more capacitors voices , boost etc...., the normal on/off switch on pedalbox and a momentary switch on the wha enclosure (see my modded pedal) maybe...

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

Wow! What all is inside your modd'ed wah? Can you share a schematic?

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

I got an idea, and what if you designed a pedal version of the Custom Shop Dunlop Cry Baby Rack that you can connect to our wha? (which inside there is only the main potentiometer? ) just for you understand, a normal hammond box with various switches and potentiometers that connects to a normal wha (obviously modifying it) we can put a dual fasel switch a multi switch pot for more capacitors voices , boost etc...., the normal on/off switch on pedalbox and a momentary switch on the wha enclosure (see my modded pedal) maybe...

That’s what I’m doing with one of the two Park And Rides that I’m building. The expression pedal will have a footswitch build in to swap between a fixed potentiometer and the treadle pot, so you can tune a cocked Wah sound with a side pot, and then swap to a regular Wah mode with a click of the Wah treadle

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

I have an old, gutted Foxx Fuzz-Wah and it has one stomp switch under the treadle and another on the case out in front of the treadle. Too bad no one makes a Wah chassis like that anymore.

I vote for separate stomp switch.

The fulltone Dejavibe 3 enclosure could be used to do that. Too bad fulltone is the only one who makes those

 

[rectifier]

What about some wah effects that would use the Bespeco VM18L pedal as a base that could be connected with an expression jack. I believe Lovetone recommended it for all their effects. It’s super durable and cheap. The only problem is that is has a 20k pot. I believe wah pedals have 500k pots. I’m not an electronic specialist but wonder if you can adapt a wah circuit for a 20k pot. Other effects with expression out could be based on it too

 

[Feral Feline]

Never heard of "Bespeco", let alone the "VM18L".

Looks like a clone of the cheaper Roland-Boss expression pedals:

In fact, seems it's been rebranded many times over.

Top jacks!
Works for me!


I'm not keen on the big Morley wahs, but the compact ones and Minis could be cool with TOP JACKS, IMO.

 

[Dali]

I own that thing but will not carnivalize it...

 

[Robert]

The goal here is to come up with a solution using common parts.

Gutting a vintage wah is cheating.

 

[rectifier]

Never heard of "Bespeco", let alone the "VM18L".

Looks like a clone of the cheaper Roland-Boss expression pedals:

seems like they’ve been building them since the 90s, search for “lovetone vm18l” and you find some references where

 

[NickC]

Wow! What all is inside your modd'ed wah? Can you share a schematic?

I have vol pot, treble boost pot, bass/gain pot, Q pot, 12 position different capacitor value pot and a momentary switch. Its like the tearjacker pcb here on pedalpcb, i have red fasel ( i have tried the yellow one and I dont like it) the on/on switch is used to select between normal mode activation wha switch (the standard dunlop) and the momentary. I have removed the bufferd section also.

Tip for gibson les Paul user, the cap value for switch pot, i really get great result with 0,0089uf 0,01uf(standard dunlop) 0,012uf(Jerry centrell) 0,015uf. The 0,022uf (hendrix wha) it's too dark, maybe a good option for strato user.