Looking for a fuzz-friendly wah

[aowron]

I've started looking for a Wah pedal, though I've read something about that Wahs often don't play nice with fuzzboxes. Anyone have any recommendations? Also, why do wah pedals often work badly with fuzzes?

[VOLVO)))]

It's a matter of where it goes in the chain. A lot of fuzzes want to be first in line, after the tuner, in order to do that, you have to drive the wah with the fuzz, thus overloading or doing something to the wah circuit that makes it behave differently. Experiment with both configurations, before/after fuzz with your wah and see what works.

Morely Bad Horise is where it's at for me...

[Instant Dan]

My Vox wah does terrible with my fuzz pedals, before and after, so I am interested in this thread.

[Baltar]

I have a MK II clone before my TO Crybaby, and my Hairpie after it.  Germanium works better before and Silicon after.  Jacques' wahs claim to work well with fuzz, also RMC wahs stake their rep on that fact.

http://www.jacquesstompboxes.com/geishaultimate.htm

http://www.realmccoycustom.com/

"Just like all RMC wahs, the RMC1 is developed and built by Geoffrey Teese and includes licensed fuzz-friendly technology (as of October 2006), true-bypass, easily adjustable rocker tension (as of October 2006), and AC adapter jack, and is covered by our limited one year warranty." 


Not sure about the new Crybabies, I thought I heard on the doc that they cured the "fuzz problem".

A lot smaller companies like Ox Fuzz design the fuzz to fit the wah.

[aowron]

Saw some demo where http://www.tonefactor.com/plutoneium-chi-wah-wah.html worked pretty well with a fuzz, though could the size of the pedal make it a pain in the ass to use? (compared to a full sized wah) Anyone who have tested this wah?

[johnny problem]

I second the RMC wahs.  A buddy of mine has the RMC Picture Wah and adding fuzz to it really makes the wah shine.

[ROWDYBEER]

My area 51 does well with fuzz. My budda wah did not do well with fuzz face circuits.

[NoSleepTilSleep]

The older white-casing Fulltone Clydes always worked well for me with most kinds of fuzz.

What kind of fuzz pedal are you running?

[aowron]

The older white-casing Fulltone Clydes always worked well for me with most kinds of fuzz.

What kind of fuzz pedal are you running?

Using a Muff (Bass Big Muff), though I will probably run it with various fuzzes (you can never have too many fuzz pedals...).

Baltar: regarding that RMC1, the description at tonefactor mentions that it won't work too well with buckers (considering that I'll run it with a fuzz, this is necessarily not a bad thing) due to that the tone will become muddy; have you tried using yours with buckers?

[NoSleepTilSleep]

The type of fuzz (and your pickups) often plays a big part of how well it will interact with a wah. Whenever I ran a muff (so a silicon based fuzz) I throw it after the wah and provided you don't have the treble completely rolled off (since the muff is inherently mid-less) you should be able to run almost any wah with good results. This usually works with op-amp distortions as well (Rat etc.)

Now with a germanium fuzz it's pretty much trial and error, that's when you get into multiple buffer's not playing nice or impedance issues as sunno))) mentioned. The RMC wah's have the "fuzz-friendly" circuit which people dig.

[Fuhgawz]

RMC wahs have the Foxrox wah output buffer as a standard in their wahs, but you can get them seperately too: http://www.foxroxelectronics.com/Wah%20retrofit%201.html

Or, if you are good with a soldering iron, you can build your own buffer and add it between the wah circuit board output and the switch. It would be a good idea to add true bypass switching as well, if your wah doesn't already have that, so you can put the wah before your Fuzz Face type circuit in your chain without it negatively influencing the fuzz.

Jack Orman has several buffers on his website. I suggest this one with and 2N5457 JFET or something similar:


http://www.muzique.com/lab/buffers.htm

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[Corey Y]

RMC, I have an RMC6 and not only is it the best sounding wag I've owned but it works before or after any fuzz I own.

[beerrhino]

I use a snarling dogs wah, always at the very end of the chain.  It has sounded great with all the different fuzzes I've used.

[spookstrickland]

RMC wahs have the Foxrox wah output buffer as a standard in their wahs, but you can get them seperately too: http://www.foxroxelectronics.com/Wah%20retrofit%201.html

Or, if you are good with a soldering iron, you can build your own buffer and add it between the wah circuit board output and the switch. It would be a good idea to add true bypass switching as well, if your wah doesn't already have that, so you can put the wah before your Fuzz Face type circuit in your chain without it negatively influencing the fuzz.

Jack Orman has several buffers on his website. I suggest this one with and 2N5457 JFET or something similar:


http://www.muzique.com/lab/buffers.htm

Yep you just need to build a little buffer and you are good to go but do not use a Fet use a regular transistor for a much more fluid sound.  Also play with the voltage divider values to get just the right input impedance to make your wah talk.  I did this and it's great!

[Baltar]

Hey Aowron, I don't own the RMC 1, but I do know that 'buckers can be a problem.  I've played the RMC in a store, but not with my full rig.  I have a Thomas Organ Crybaby that I modded and it's a little bright, which probably helps with my buckers.  I fully endorse the wah buffer solution though.  Most of the cats on here really know what they're talking about.  I did own the Ox Fuzz and the MXR Classic 108 Fuzz which has a buffer switch.  They really do help brighten your tone up.  I've owned 2 Snarling Dogs, a modded VOX 847 and now the TO Crybaby and I like the TO the best.  It's got the Stack O' Dimes inductor.  No Sleep nailed it, the Germanium fuzzes are very touch 'n' go, l really lucked out with mine.  Best of luck!