Zvex Wah Probe

TaySte_2000 · #1 10-16-2008, 05:54 AM

So has anyone tried these on Bass?

It's starting to look tempting

bigchiefbc · #2 10-16-2008, 06:03 AM

I have nothing substantive to add here, other than that I have wanted so bad to try a Fuzz Probe since the first time I saw that demo video that Zack did.

dubsymmetry · #3 10-16-2008, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigchiefbc

I have nothing substantive to add here, other than that I have wanted so bad to try a Fuzz Probe since the first time I saw that demo video that Zack did.

slightly OT, I have a fuzz probe and it´s a killer pedal. I love it.

but I would not recommend it for bass players as the only fuzz (loss of lows, depending on settings).

haven´t tried the wah probe yet.

bongomania · #4 10-16-2008, 08:51 AM

A friend of mine has a couple of the Probes, volume and fuzz, and I've fooled around with them some. IMO the concept is fantastic but the reality is abysmal- you have to keep the front of your foot up at an angle in the air, and hold it in an unmoving position if you want to hold a tone/level for more than a moment, and it's easy for the first minute but gets increasingly more difficult the longer you hold your foot like that. It becomes painful and aggravating by the end of a song's length of time.

The only circumstance I would ever use one is for a tapped effect, where the effect parameters allowed the foot control to effectively be just "on" and "off" rather than a gradient range. That way it would be much more natural and easy and physically sustainable, even though there would be much less potential for nuanced control. Now, FWIW I think it is possible to set up the range of the Probes to where it's mostly an on-off, but it will require some fiddling.

Benjamin Strange · #5 10-16-2008, 08:56 AM

I've tried it - it's pretty weak on bass. Not recommended. Same thing for the Fuzz Probe. Both of these pedals cut out tons of low end.

bongomania · #6 10-16-2008, 09:36 AM

^^^^^ Wrong thread I think.

TaySte_2000 · #7 10-16-2008, 09:43 AM

Thanks for the info guys you've successfully killed the gas.

Chris V. · #8 10-16-2008, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TaySte_2000

Thanks for the info guys you've successfully killed the gas.

You seem disappointed?

TOOL460002 · #9 10-16-2008, 12:47 PM

even the folks at a small music shop in town advised me not to buy one- so i didnt bother trying the fuzz/wah. i believe unreliability was their complaint. if it was even decent on bass im sure they wouldve tried to sell it to me.

doesnt frostwave make some kind of optical controller? though i dont care enough to look- any optical expression would work- just more hardware. wah/fuzz/volume are the only options i think- and those are easy enough to find with expression inputs.

dubsymmetry · #10 10-16-2008, 01:49 PM

can´t imagine a zvex product being unreliable really..

d180fuzz · #11 11-21-2008, 12:33 PM

I gassed for the Wah Probe ever since I heard about it. The thought of a boostable wah without a treadle from the mad scientist Zachary proved too tempting to resist. After many attempts to snipe one on ebay, I was finally successful earlier this week.

I've had a little time to fiddle with it. Here are my findings so far:

1.) Despite Mr. Strange's experience, I found it does NOT suck low end out of my tone. It's pretty transparent. I play a late 80's G&L L2000, passively; YMMV...

2.) The sweep range is long, provided you have the foot control to sweep slowly. Even a totally clean tone can be very effected with this device.

3.) Bongomania's scenario would only apply if you're trying to get a "cocked" or "partly open" wah sound. A regular treadle wah would be easier to use in that context, but if you're actively "wah-ing", his concerns don't apply. After all, this IS a wah pedal...http://www.talkbass.com/forum/images...es/eyebrow.gif

4.) ZVEX pedals are built like tanks, and while I've never had a problem with them (I've got an early Woolly Mammoth that's regularly abused), I've read accounts of his ready willingness to provide repairs at little expense to the user were they to fail in some way.

5.) While it does have a slight learning curve (mostly with regard to getting used to where and how to position your foot), it's not rocket science. Practice... http://www.talkbass.com/forum/images.../guitarist.gif

Tayste, your best bet is to play one for yourself and see if you can deal with it.

--- Victor

Proton Lenny · #12 05-06-2009, 01:01 AM

Anybody else had any experience with one of these? I have an option to buy one, and I wouldn't mind having another wah with some character. But if it does suck a lot of low end (which d180fuzz claims it does not) it isn't for me. I don't know if I want to drop a good chunk of cash for something this different, but if anybody has some experience, let me know.

Proton