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Author
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Topic: Converting a tone pedal to a wah pedal?
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Bryan Bradfield
Member From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
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posted 08 January 2006 07:00 AM
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I have a DeArmond 1602 volume pedal, and a Fender volume pedal. I'd like to convert one of these to a wah pedal. Which one should I change? How do I go about changing a volume pedal to a tone (wah) pedal? |
J Fletcher
Member From: London,Ont,Canada
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posted 08 January 2006 07:58 AM
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While it could be done, I think you'd be far better off to sell one volume pedal, and buy a Wah Wah. The conversion would involve, essentially building a wah wah, and housing it in the old volume pedal. This might be an interesting and educational project, as well as time consuming and frustrating, but it wouldn't be less expensive than buying a wah wah, as you have to buy all the components seperately,transistors, an inductor, resistors, capacitors, likely a pot, and assemble everything, unless somebody has a kit. Wah's contain active circuitry, whereas your volume pedals are passive. Could be done though...Jerry |
Lee Warren
Member From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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posted 08 January 2006 08:15 AM
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Good solid advise!
Hi Jerry,
Good to see your name pop up. =)
I hope all's well for you and that you're staying busy.
Please say hello to Teddy Leonard if you see him any time soon.
Hopefully our paths will also cross before too long!
All the best,
Lee |
J Fletcher
Member From: London,Ont,Canada
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posted 08 January 2006 09:49 AM
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Hello Lee
Glad to see you're alive and kicking. Saw Ted a couple of weeks ago, he keeps pretty busy! If you know anything about push-pulls, chime in on my thread in the Pedal Steel section. I'm trying to get one set up properly.
Back to the wah wah topic.If somebody wanted to build one, ask over at the Ampage board, lot's of do-it-yourself-ers over there....Jerry |
Bryan Bradfield
Member From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
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posted 11 January 2006 05:11 PM
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Jeepers. In the old days, players swept the tone control with the right hand to create the doo wah effect. If I want to use my foot, I have to use modern electronic wizardry? |
Lee Warren
Member From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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posted 11 January 2006 07:40 PM
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Hi Bryan,
I think the confusion here was using the term wah ...
A tone control (hand or foot operated) is a different beast than a wah:
It is typically passive (requires no power source), and most often involves just a capacitor to roll off the high end.A wah pedal boosts the signal, using the pedal to sweep frequencies.
It needs power to function (via 9v battery or wall wart etc.).
I think that's where Jerry was headed. Having said all this, the wah (or doo wah) "effect" is really just creating a tone envelope that opens and closes (from "bassy" to "trebly"). You can do it passive or active, it's just that active wah effects are much more pronounced. Anyway,I hope that helps some.
Lee
p.s. I heard somewhere that it was originally meant to simulate trumpet players using a hand or hat in front of their horns.
A trumpeter may have been the namesake of Vox's legendary "Clyde McCoy" wah pedals.
[This message was edited by Lee Warren on 11 January 2006 at 07:48 PM.] |
Lee Warren
Member From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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posted 11 January 2006 08:01 PM
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From the Vox website:
"We created the world's first Wah-Wah pedal while designing a device using a variable version of the 'VOX MRB' (mid-range boost) circuit made famous in our amps. That pedal imitated the sound of a trumpet being muted and we recruited Clyde McCoy, a famous trumpet player of the day who was best known for his expressive use of the trumpet mute, as an endorser of the pedal, hence the name: VOX Clyde McCoy Wah-Wah Pedal. The original 1960s VOX Clyde McCoy Wah-Wah pedal became one of the most sought after vintage effects by collectors worldwide."Maybe too much information, but kind of interesting anyway! LOL |
Russ Wever
Member From: San Diego, California
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posted 11 January 2006 10:37 PM
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quote:
I'd like to convert one of these to a wah pedal.
quote:
In the old days, players swept the tone control with the right hand to create the doo wah effect.
Bryan -
A tone control and a Wah-wah effect are quite different effects - A tone control, as on a steelgitar or volume/tone pedal is typically a passive high-cut filter while a Wah-wah consists of active circuitry. From your second statement (quote above) I suspect you want a tone control, but your first statement (quote above) suggests a Wah-wah. Perhaps this is 'clouding the issue', as far as the responses. ~Russ |
Bryan Bradfield
Member From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
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posted 12 January 2006 04:43 PM
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I apologize for the confusion in my request. I was unaware of the difference between the terms. I've simulated the tone control trick in the studio when using a lap steel without a tone knob. I had the engineer scoop away the highs for the doo. We found that we had to increase the volume a bit when the highs were scooped out in order to maintain an even volume from doo to wah. I suspect that the wah wah pedal, through electronics, maintains even volume levels.
What other differences might there be? |
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