ShaneV
Well-known member
I've had this thing for a few months now and I swear I love it more and more every time I stomp on it. It just proves how the smallest things can have such a huge slippery slope effect with gear; redesigning the pedal's shape (as compared to the traditional Vox/Crybaby wah- I realize that it isn't a new design per se, since it uses the VP Jr. shape) allows the full range of the pot to be used comfortably , which doesn't seem like a big deal. But it is.
I've never been happy with most wah pedals because I could never get exactly the sound I wanted. This lead me to wahs chock full of switches and dials in an attempt to dial in exactly my sound, and yet I was never able to. Then came the EB wah, and the answer is so simple. Without any controls (besides the obvious treadle) it is perhaps the most versatile wah I have tried. The key is using the pot's entire range in a way that is comfortable for the foot to transverse! It's one of those classic so simple you smack yourself on the forehead moments.
Now I realize why I was never happy with all of those super dialed in wahs- it's because I want the wah tone to change when I use it for different things. With the million control options, I could get my tone perfect for one thing, but it would be awful for another. With the EB, it's dead simple. If I want a "normal", midrangy wah tone, I play in the middle of the pedal's range. For a dark, Jerry Cantrell type sound (this is what I go for 90% of the time) I play back towards the heel, and for a good reggae or funk wah (not my bag, but it's cool to have the option) I play towards the toe side of the pedal's travel. For leads, with high gain using the entire range of travel sounds great. I also notice that as I play the thing more and more, my foot learns where it should be and my wah tone gets better. It requires more "touch" than most wahs, but the rewards are really worthwhile IMO.
Anyway, I didn't set out to write a short novel about a wah pedal, but it seems that that is the way things have gone. As usual, EB impresses me by rethinking a tried and true design with respect for, but not blind obedience to the past. Thanks guys
(PS- my feet are cold)
I've never been happy with most wah pedals because I could never get exactly the sound I wanted. This lead me to wahs chock full of switches and dials in an attempt to dial in exactly my sound, and yet I was never able to. Then came the EB wah, and the answer is so simple. Without any controls (besides the obvious treadle) it is perhaps the most versatile wah I have tried. The key is using the pot's entire range in a way that is comfortable for the foot to transverse! It's one of those classic so simple you smack yourself on the forehead moments.
Now I realize why I was never happy with all of those super dialed in wahs- it's because I want the wah tone to change when I use it for different things. With the million control options, I could get my tone perfect for one thing, but it would be awful for another. With the EB, it's dead simple. If I want a "normal", midrangy wah tone, I play in the middle of the pedal's range. For a dark, Jerry Cantrell type sound (this is what I go for 90% of the time) I play back towards the heel, and for a good reggae or funk wah (not my bag, but it's cool to have the option) I play towards the toe side of the pedal's travel. For leads, with high gain using the entire range of travel sounds great. I also notice that as I play the thing more and more, my foot learns where it should be and my wah tone gets better. It requires more "touch" than most wahs, but the rewards are really worthwhile IMO.
Anyway, I didn't set out to write a short novel about a wah pedal, but it seems that that is the way things have gone. As usual, EB impresses me by rethinking a tried and true design with respect for, but not blind obedience to the past. Thanks guys
(PS- my feet are cold)
