Dunlop CryBaby Wah Wah Pedal

Dunlop CryBaby Wah Wah Pedal. When this baby was born and the doctor gave it its first spank, it cried out even more! Nothing gives the guitar a more expressive vocal quality effect than a wah pedal (save for a talk box but, those are kinda silly). The Jim Dunlop model here is an original model replete with instrument and amplifier jacks along the left and right edges plus a 3rd input for an a/c plug or "wall wort". I've been told by the "ones in the know" that the battery is the way to go and in fact sometimes a cheapo will yield more musical results! Battery access is made available by unscrewing the 4 rubber feet surrounding Phillips screws. This is where the potentiometer and integral parts can also be found. Occasional cleaning would be performed here as the dust finds its way in and can force you to replace the pot or, to stop the from crackling sounds if it ever reaches that stage, you'll need to simply "warm it up" before using it. Switching unit On or off is accomplished by depressing the top black movable foot control until a click is felt. (Note: the cry baby will suck your batteries dry if the instrument jack is left connected by cable when not in use, even if it's in the off mode). So, what does it do? For starters, listen to E.C. solo on "White Room" or Jimi perform the miraculous intro to "Voodoo Child (slight return)". Page on "No Quarter", Steve Vai's amazing wah intro on "Yankee Rose" or try Steve Morses dynamic "Huron River Blues". As a tonal center or EQ, some players have been known to find a sweet spot (with distortion on) where certain harmonic frequencies are emphasized. Just set it and leave it alone! For use on a songs melody, listen to Joe Satriani on "Summer Song" and for the ultimate in clean funkiness, Hendrix on "Belly Button Window" and "Up From the Skies" or on Steely Dans E. St. Louis Toodle-oo (that's Walter Becker, the Dans' co-founder). The list goes on and on. Some of the pedals mentioned could be the D'Armond Sweeper, the Morley Volume-Wah (a fav of Larry Carlton's) or a variety of other competitors. The choice of most though, is the Dunlop cry.

Sound: Onomonopea in the dictionary would describe it best. It sounds like the word ("wah") when a note is held and the pedal goes from heel to toe. Akin to a treble boost when opened up and bass umph when pulled back; the steady rocking of the pedal from one extreme to the other is the most oft heard sound yielding "wawawaw" etc. (On a Tele, the effect can be accomplished by rolling off the tone 100%, playing a note or notes and rolling the knob to 10, opening up the frequencies).
Looks: Durable, sleek, simple, black with rubbery texture on its topside (keeping the foot from slipping off when doing those rapid wahs). Pros'n cons: Some pedals need frequent pot work done, others last for-eva. Some could use an expanded frequency range as they seem narrow in tonal varience.
Desirability: Old wahs are not considered a huge deal. They are made to spec today so that a vintage crybaby probably isn't high on a collectors list.

Over-all: If you play rock or blues guitar, this pedal is a MUST for you. An absolute essential for the player seeking tone and expression.