Saguaro Wah (Madbean Weener Wah)

blackhatboojum

Well-known member
I'm gonna show some appreciation to another friend I've made through the world of DIY effects building. This time it's Will, aka @Harry Klippton Not only has this guy very graciously designed a brand logo for me but, he also sent me a Weener Wah pcb recently. Dude has been another of those builders that I noticed early on, and instantly became a fan of. Next thing I know, He's complimenting my work, we start chatting, we send each other stuff, and boom! We're where we are today. Now that I'm done kissing ass, let's talk about this wah. Man... this was a fun one. As a lot of you already know, wah pedals are simple circuits but perfect for modifications. I had a blast auditioning various component to voice this wah to my liking. In the end, I didn't stray too far from the original schematic. True bypass switching with an LED. A high gain 2N5088 for the first transistor. A red Fasel inductor and a 10nf frequency cap. No switches for different cap values and no Q adjustment pots. Just straight up, "This is how it's voiced, now play that shit!" This is what sounded good to me and this is now my wah pedal.

Aesthetically, I'm still doing my "embrace the Southwest thing" and called it the Saguaro wah. There are a lot of things that people think of when they think of the old west. Wyatt Earp, Tombstone, Doc Holliday, and the O.K. Corral shootout for example. Arguably though, the most iconic thing is actually the mighty Saguaro cactus (pronounced suh-waa-row). When you think of the old west and cactus, I can almost guarantee that the Saguaro is what you picture in your mind. Native only to the Sonoran desert, the Saguaro is the largest cactus in the United States. They can live to be 150 to 200 years old, can grow between 40 to 60 feet tall, and when fully hydrated from the summer monsoons, weigh between 3,200 to 4,800 pounds. As big and mighty as the Saguaro can get, it's slow growing. A 10 year old cactus may only have a height of 1.5 inches tall. It could also take 75 years before a Saguaro grows its first arm. Despite it's slow growing nature, the Saguaro has been the life blood of the Sonoran desert. Animals and humans have depended on it for thousands of years. It has been a source of food, shelter, and building materials in area where these things are scarce. The Saguaro is such an important piece to us folks here in the Sonoran desert, that it's actually a protected species. Harming, defacing, or vandalizing the mighty Saguaro could get you a class 4 felony charge here in Tucson. Drink, smoke weed, openly carry guns... we don't care. Deface our cactus though and we're putting your ass in jail.

To keep with the Saguaro cactus theme on this build, I painted my enclosure to match another important piece of plant life here in the desert... The Palo Verde tree. Like the Saguaro, the Palo Verde is an iconic figure here in the Southwest. It's actually a nursing tree that helps protect and help the mighty Saguaro grow. But... that's a story for another build. I'll stop boring you with stories about my local plant life and show you some pictures.

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Very nice build. I feel like that was a quick turn around from the “what’s in the mailbox” post to build report. Also, we are overlooking the obvious word play being missed here….the Sa-wah-ro…. Cacti/succulents are always super interesting.
 
Very nice build! I thoroughly enjoyed the biology/botanical taxonomy lesson that accompanied it too!

Btw— that color is sharp! Loving it!
Thanks! I’m full of useless information so, look forward to more history lessons with future builds lol.
First you painted the shell my favorite color, then you appeal to my inner plant nerd? 🥵🥵🥵 I'm really glad to see this get built instead of languishing in my drawer
Many thanks Will! I too am somewhat of a plant nerd so I’m glad I was able to fulfill that for you.
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Thanks! I’ve learned from the best.
As a lifelong cactus enthusiast who grew up in the Sonoran, I am absolutely in awe of this.:love::love::love::love::love::love: 🌵
Huge thanks and cheers to you fellow Sonoran desert dweller 🍻!
Very nice build. I feel like that was a quick turn around from the “what’s in the mailbox” post to build report. Also, we are overlooking the obvious word play being missed here….the Sa-wah-ro…. Cacti/succulents are always super interesting.
Thanks! Yes, indeed it was quick turnaround. I knew Will was sending me the board awhile ago so, I had the enclosure painted, wired up, and ready to go well in advance.

Also yes, the word play was absolutely intentional. Glad you picked up on that 😉.
 
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