Finding the Perfect Wah - Ask Zac 151

Enter promo code "ASKZAC30" to save 30%

To Support the Channel:

Venmo @AskZac

Schematic to true bypass your old wah

The proper switch for True Bypass Wah

Gibson Amp Book, which is unfortunately out of print:

Gear Used:

1957 Fender Esquire with a 1954 neck pickup, and original bridge pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Both pickups were rewound by Ron Ellis. Pickguard design by Jay & Kristi Smith of Juicebox Designs.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46

Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35

Amp:
1959 Fender Harvard

Effects
70s Cry Baby Wah

MXR Looper

#askzac #wah #zacchilds

[cmet]

Still using my early 70's cry baby which I purchased new, never felt the need to modify it. Fifty years and still going strong, (the wah not me). I'm seventy and still going strong.

[babalaughing]

Love how you showed us the mod at full length, without much comment. No, really! Respectful, and I enjoyed watching it. A lot of peeps just can't resist inserting themselves, admirable self restraint.

[chefbarona]

I bought my Crybaby in '77, when I got a job playing guitar in a "disco" band. I left the band after 1 gig(couldn't deal w/the music), but still have the Wah. I have never used a pedal board(nobody really did then), & I haven't really used it much since. Might be time to break it out again.
It's amazing all my old stuff(mostly bought new) is now "vintage collectables", LOL. I wish I could have kept all my guitars/gear, I could pay off my house.

[jasonaustin]

You can also adjust where the treadle gear contacts the gear on the pot for less treble. And also they used to sell different pots to mod them with. I did one that way from the 80's and had great success.

[edsterling]

25 years ago, I bought a true bypass switch for my Vox wah. Due only to life's other distractions, the switch was never installed and sits in my parts bin to this day. Watching Tom do his work, I believe I will keep it in my parts box for another 20 years. I don't have his electronics skills; I'd probably botch it! Nice work & another fine video.

[tomrutledge]

Great Video. I have a Vox Clyde McCoy wah, that I got for Christmas in 1968. Always great to use when a woman walks across the dance floor; on her way to the ladies room. Haha.

[kevinwilson]

I had one of these Thomas Organ Cry Babies. I bought it from a guy in Lebanon TN for $20 about twenty years ago. He had an early eighties Japanese Squier Telecaster, he wouldn’t sell to me 😢. It was a great guitar. Thanks for the cool video Zac.

[MichaelBethke-nizb]

I had a friend that was loading his gear into a pickup with a camper cover on it, when he went back in the bar to get more gear, everxthing in his truck was strolen!!

[MonteD]

I have no need for a wah pedal. I just like Zac's videos.

[bsjeffrey]

you mentioned older wahs had a smaller rock. recently i have been thinking the same thing about my current setup. this pedal rocks way to far. after hearing you i thought about how to get my pedal to pivot less., and i came up with putting socks on the base so the pedal hits the socks before the base. so far so good. just gotta tweek the thickness.

[cwness]

I have been using a Vox Thomas Organ Crybaby since the 60's. Tried many of the new wah's as they showed up but I'll take my Crybaby. In fact the instruction your friend is using are what I used to set mine up for true bypass. My Crybaby is still on the shelf at close reach.

[nicholasrivelli]

I literally just got a Sepulveda CA Thomas Organ wah with the TDK inductor exactly like yours about two weeks ago. Did the true bypass mod and installed a Foxrox Wah Retrofit buffer inside. Sounds killer and plays nice into fuzz now

[horsevinyl]

There is a true bypass Pad from Glab made in Poland. It has many advantages but if you wanna leave your Wah in a fixed position it's not the right thing. I recommend checking it. Love your channel

[nazmoking]

I started playing in the late 70s in bands during my college days and the crybaby Wah was the one that everyone used including the one in my arsenal at the time. What’s interesting Zac is that my Zoom Multi effects pedal has several wah pedal options built into it and the two that are associated with its expression pedal give me the ability to specify how much travel will be applied when I depress the pedal which I thought was a nice feature.

[atonofspiders]

Crybaby Q is a great option as well! A five way switch that acts as different gear/tread spots and a travel range knob.

[BobbyCulpepper.srvfender]

If you want to be able to dial in a wah, the HX stomp with an expression pedal, you can set the frequency range exactly where you need it

[Satchmoeddie]

I am politely going to defer to my old fiddle making mentor's ethos, "Iffen ya all ain't got nuthin nice to say, do say anything at all." . It's just a true bypass mod.

[guitareveryone]

Although I don’t use mine much at all, I do own an Xotic wah that a frequency adjustments on the side of the pedal which is really good at dialing in the frequencies that you desire. It’s a little smaller in design. Worth checking out.

[christophervincent]

Wow. That true by-pass really gets the tone from the amp and doesn't distort it. That's really cool

[joemcgraw]

I have a Br9 1949 amp and 2 br9 lapsteels I know the age because they were my fathers the amp works but not using it again until I can service it and replace a cap or 2