hm.. bass versus reg. wah?

IconBasser · #1 11-17-2007, 12:27 AM

so guys, I really wanna get a wah pedal now, and I'm wondering, is it at all worth it to get a bass wah? or should I just grab the next avaliable crybaby off of ebay?

is there that much difference?

**TheMutt** · #2 11-17-2007, 02:27 AM

Probably should do a search... There's tons of information around here that will answer what you are asking. But the main difference is in the tone. The bass wah (I'm assuming the 105Q) lets more bass signal through. The original Crybaby is tailored for guitar, and as such your low end sound will be cut out. It's a bit hard to explain it, but go to a store and try both of them out for yourself. You should be able to hear the difference. If the clerk tells you that using a bass through guitar effects will break them, leave and find yourself a new store not manned by guitards...

arai · #3 11-17-2007, 03:37 AM

totally agree with the above post. but want to add that if you try a cry baby with your band you will notice the

drop in low end to no end
stick with a wah intended for bass

**TheMutt** · #4 11-17-2007, 08:32 AM

Yes, in a band setting you will disappear completely. Even if you crank the volume on your rig, you will still be drowned out and may not even be able to hear what you are playing.
Also, I'd like to suggest you look at other wah pedal companies other than just Dunlop as well. I know that there are some huge fans of Morley Bass Wah pedals out there (I'm lookin at you, Boo).

IconBasser · #5 11-17-2007, 10:44 AM

ok, cool! That answers my question. Thanks Guys!

IconBasser · #6 11-17-2007, 11:48 AM

hm.. been reading reviews on different bass wahs, and the only one that seems to please everybody is the 105Q.

I'd like a warmer sounding wah pedal, that doesn't get all screechy sounding up in the high end. Can I achieve this with the 105Q? If so, I'll go grab the cheapest one off ebay.

JanusZarate · #7 11-17-2007, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMutt

Yes, in a band setting you will disappear completely. Even if you crank the volume on your rig, you will still be drowned out and may not even be able to hear what you are playing.

Regular guitar wah pedals have worked for bassists before, but it's only in very particular cases, or after heavy modification. Cases in point: Geezer Butler in Black Sabbath's "Bassically / N.I.B.", and Jesse Keeler in a few Death from Above 1979 songs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMutt

Also, I'd like to suggest you look at other wah pedal companies other than just Dunlop as well. I know that there are some huge fans of Morley Bass Wah pedals out there (I'm lookin at you, Boo).

Yeah, I'm a die-hard Morley fan.

Quote:

Originally Posted by IconBasser

hm.. been reading reviews on different bass wahs, and the only one that seems to please everybody is the 105Q.

I'd like a warmer sounding wah pedal, that doesn't get all screechy sounding up in the high end. Can I achieve this with the 105Q? If so, I'll go grab the cheapest one off ebay.

Yeah - all you have to do set the "Q" knob lower. A pedal like the Morley Dual Bass Wah has a warm "funk" mode which you switch to via footswitch.

The Dunlop wahs are classics

. Morley tends to be a more progressive brand soundwise - if you've ever heard guitarists and bassists like Steve Vai or Cliff Burton, you've heard the Morley sound.

Generally speaking, most guitar wahs don't work well on bass, but exceptions like the Ibanez Weeping Demon and Morley Power Wah exist.

Nappa · #8 11-17-2007, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MysticBoo

Regular guitar wah pedals have worked for bassists before, but it's only in very particular cases, or after heavy modification. Cases in point: Geezer Butler in Black Sabbath's "Bassically / N.I.B.", and Jesse Keeler in a few Death from Above 1979 songs.

What pedal did Geezer use?

JanusZarate · #9 11-17-2007, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nappa

What pedal did Geezer use?

I'm trying to remember... a Vox, I think?

I'd have to look it up to be sure.

They didn't have bass wahs in the 1970s, though!

Geddyfleaharris · #10 11-18-2007, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IconBasser

hm.. been reading reviews on different bass wahs, and the only one that seems to please everybody is the 105Q.

Well....ummmm. I have the 105Q and it does not please me. I was using it in conjunction with a LBM. I don't mind the 105 but I am not sure if I will use it again. I found the "Q" setting almost useless meaning there was only 1 setting I really liked. I also found that the 105 was boosting my signal so much that no matter what I did my amp was clipping even if I had the volume on the 105 turned right down. Solidly made pedal and I will probably experiment with it again at some point. Until then the Ibanez Weeping Demon is my pedal.

(until, of course there is a cheap Power Wah on Ebay

)

bass-shy · #11 11-18-2007, 06:56 PM

I have owned two Rocktron Black Cat Moans, a Morley Dual Bass Wah, a Homebrew Electronics Medicine Bawl, a Boss AW-3/Roland EV-5 and a Dunlop 535Q. Of those, the 535Q has been my favorite and it is the only one that I still own. The H.B.E. and Morley wahs were complete disappointments to me. The Boss and Rocktrons were awesome for a rock/metal type wah........especially in front of a distortion, but were lacking in the funky department. The 535Q, however, has been great for everything. Sometimes I put it in the loop of my Barge Concepts VFB-2 which helps keep a solid, uneffected low end beneath the wah tone. Using a blend loop is something to consider, especially since there are so many guitar wahs out there that would otherwise be useless for bass players. I feel that the Barge/535Q combo is about as good as it gets for manual bass wah tones. (YMMV, of course.) Good luck.

Sean S · #12 11-18-2007, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MysticBoo

and Jesse Keeler in a few Death from Above 1979 songs.

This is new to me...What tracks?

JanusZarate · #13 11-18-2007, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean S

This is new to me...What tracks?

He has it in his chain, but he didn't really seem to have used it on any tracks I can recall on You're a Woman, I'm a Machine, unless he had it always-on and static (which could be a possibility).

But one song where he is actively using it is on the Heads Up EP - towards the end of "If We Don't Make It We'll Fake It" (following the synth keyboard line).

arai · #14 11-19-2007, 12:48 AM

shameless promotion here , or not. we dont try to sell anything. i use an old wha in my signature (down below link) called a wau wau fuzz. the fuzz is cool but the wha is all that works on a bass

casio · #15 11-19-2007, 04:13 AM

Well, I use the 105Q and dont have issues with clipping and all!
I find both the Q and the volume knob to alter the sound immensely!
the only issue I have honestly is the fact that it doesnt have true bypass, and that could easily be modded!

IconBasser · #16 11-19-2007, 10:04 AM

casio, any possibility that you could post soundclips of it on different q settings? That would be ENORMOUSLY helpful.

hoerni · #17 11-19-2007, 11:59 AM

If it's your first wah, you might want to try something flexible like the Boss PW-10 PowerWah.

It will switch between a milder bass wah (which I believe is a low frequency range with a bit of clean mixed in), and models of the traditional Crybaby, VOX and Morley. Plus it has extra distortion models built in (although they are hard to get to). It's currently the wah on my board for it's flexibility. It doesn't cover everything perfectly, but it does a nice imitation.

My favorite overall wah is the old chrome Power Wah Fuzz I just god. It is physically and aurally the widest sweeping wah I've ever played. Unfortunately it's HUGE.

assboglin · #18 11-19-2007, 01:18 PM

There's a lot of things you can do with a wah pedal, and because people all want to do different things with them, they will inevitably favor a particular wah pedal that is the best at what they want to do with it.

Having tried and owned a lot of wah pedals, I prefer the Dunlop 105Q for bass as it has the fullest bottom of any wah pedal I've tried. And because I like it, I may be biased, but I think with the Q control, the 105Q could be great for the warmer, more musical wah sound you're looking for.

Swimming Bird · #19 11-19-2007, 01:21 PM

+1 for all-range wahs. I'm using a Morley PWO and it works well for what I'm doing.

As for guitar wahs, the first time I tried my first wah (a low-end Dunlop Crybaby + volume) was at a show for my high school school band. We were playing "The Zodiac" by Down to the Bone and at one of the funkier parts, I hit my wah and completely disappeared from the mix. Luckily, it was right before a bass + percussion break down. It was worth for the sheer confusion my djembe player suffered -- a classic "what the f**k?!" stare which then caused him to look at me. I was beaming and he realized that I was using a wah wah and cracked up.

Ah good times, though a guitar wah will definitely pull you out of the mix UNLESS you blend it with a clean signal. If you do that, I suggest the new Jimi Hendrix signature wah from Dunlop.

As for all range wahs, my favorite is the Ibanez Weeping Demon -- very versatile, and it lets you stomp the switch or use springs like the 105Q.

IconBasser · #20 11-19-2007, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by assboglin

There's a lot of things you can do with a wah pedal, and because people all want to do different things with them, they will inevitably favor a particular wah pedal that is the best at what they want to do with it.

Having tried and owned a lot of wah pedals, I prefer the Dunlop 105Q for bass as it has the fullest bottom of any wah pedal I've tried. And because I like it, I may be biased, but I think with the Q control, the 105Q could be great for the warmer, more musical wah sound you're looking for.

BINGO!! There's the answer I was lookin for.