Original Crybaby Wah Product Review

The original Crybaby wah pedal has been around for decades now. It is practically a staple of electric guitar effects, and should be appreciated for its contribution to rock 'n roll music. But you still don't need to get one, in my opinion. It is the first of its kind, and I can't think of any better reason not to get one. It may have been the first, but practically every decent, venerable wah pedal that has come out since is better, including the ones by Crybaby.

As far as sound goes, in and of itself, the quality is fairly good. It is crisp and distinct, and hitting the max on it can really add some extra punch to a solo note. The problem is, the footswitch is not very well made. Any time you hit it, especially to turn the wah on, there is a cracking sound that is quite noticeable and annoying, at least when there is not a whole lot of music going on around you. Also, the switch itself is not that sensitive. I found myself on more than one occasion pressing down really hard and getting nothing out of it. As you play more and more, your skill with that sort of thing will increase, but still, it is rather annoying. And I would strongly urge you to check your EQ to make sure that you do not get feedback when you approach the max, as this happened a couple of times when I first got it.

Yes, I'll admit, $70 for a wah is pretty darn cheap, but it is only worth it if you are just trying to get by. Once you get serious, there a myriad of better choices to pick from, including the Vox, Little Buddha, and even several from Crybaby, including the Jimi Hendrix, which has an automatic bypass when the wah is brought to the up position, and the 95Q, which allows you to more or less adjust the min and max. Heck, you could even get the Boss pedal if you are just starting out, as it has several types of wah built in, as well as an overdrive.

So yes, this is a classic pedal, but classic does not always mean the best. To be fair, the pedal has shown itself to be reliable and has not malfunctioned since I first owned it. But if you're wanting anything at least remotely modern, steer clear.