- Find out what makes a good wah pedal
- Learn how to use a wah pedal
- See how a wah pedal works
Whether your intro to the wah pedal was “Voodoo Child” by Jimi Hendrix or “Bulls on Parade” by Rage Against The Machine, odds are it made quite an impression on you as a listener. And if you’re a guitarist, too, probably even more so. The unmistakable sounds of a wah pedal can add bite and character to your guitar parts and make your guitar solos even better.
What Are The Best Wah Pedals?
Our best overall pick is the Dunlop CBM95 Cry Baby Mini Wah Pedal. It gives you the classic Cry Baby sound and fits easily on your pedalboard.
If you’re on a budget, consider the Behringer HB01 Hellbabe Optical Wah Pedal. It’s purely optical, so there are no switches or pots to worry about.
Our Premium pick is the Fulltone USA Clyde Deluxe, modeled after the legendary 1960s Vox Clyde McCoy pedal.
We also rounded up wah pedals for multi-FX, a wide array of tones from classic to modern to metal, and even one for bassists.
- Dunlop CBM95 Cry Baby Mini Wah Pedal (Best Overall)
- Behringer HB01 Hellbabe Optical Wah Pedal (Best Budget)
- Fulltone USA Clyde Deluxe (Best Premium)
- Vox V847-A (Best For Classic Tones)
- Dunlop JCT95 Justin Chancellor Cry Baby Wah Pedal (Best For Bass)
- Electro-Harmonix Wailer (Best Modern Pedal)
- Xotic XW-1 Wah (Best For Multi-FX)
1. Dunlop CBM95 Cry Baby Mini Wah Pedal (Best Overall)
If you want an authentic 1960s Cry Baby sound without the weight of a typical Wah pedal, the Dunlop CBM95 Cry Baby Mini Wah Pedal will fit on your pedalboard without weighing down your rig. Despite its miniature size, its sound is massive and iconic.
Pros
- It has true-bypass switching, so your tone won’t be affected at all when the pedal is switched off
- You can choose from three different voices: low, vintage, and modern
- It’s half the size of the original Cry Baby so that you can fit it on your pedalboard
Cons
- Some players find the size to be too small and, therefore, harder to work with
- The 9-volt power supply is sold separately
- Some players feel that the classic/vintage wah sound is slightly thin
Review
Sometimes bigger is not always better, as proven by this Dunlop Cry Baby Mini Wah effects pedal, a scaled-down take on their original Cry Baby, which is considered to have the best wah pedal sound out there. The key to the sound of the classic wah pedal from the 60s is the use of Fasel inductors, giving it its rich, smooth tone.
Dunlop has returned these inductors to provide you with one of the best Wah pedals out there with an authentic 60s tone.
With its three voices, you get various sounds and effects. Thanks to its true-bypass switch, if you want to bypass the pedal, you can do so without it affecting your guitar’s tone.
2. Behringer HB01 Hellbabe Optical Wah Pedal (Best Budget)
For its price point, Behringer’s wah pedal is very versatile, with an all-optical design, so you don’t have to worry about any mechanical parts breaking down. You can set up the foot pedal action to operate as a standard pedal or with spring-back so you can give your foot a break.
Pros
- Its all-optical design means there are no pots or switches to worry about cleaning or fixing
- It has an adjustable range and a fine-tune control
- It’s less than $100, which is cheaper than most wah pedals out there
Cons
- Some players find that the pedal is too noisy for studio use
- The range of the wah sound seems narrow
- Adjusting the action on the pedal requires tools and can be tedious
Review
The Behringer HB01 Hellbabe pedal can be used with guitar or bass, making it even more versatile and unique. The frequency range of the wah sound goes from 250 to 440 hertz, so you can get a lot of different tones out of this pedal. There’s also a 15db gain if you find that your guitar volume is too quiet once you’ve bypassed the pedal.
This is an excellent option for players on a budget, especially if you play guitar and bass and want one pedal for both instruments.
3. Fulltone USA Clyde Deluxe (Best Premium)
Originally named for trumpet player Clyde McCoy due to his iconic “wah” sound, the Vox McCoy wah pedal was created in 1967. Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, among other famous guitarists, used it extensively. Fulltone took this concept into the modern age and made their Clyde wah pedal series.
Pros
- The housing is custom-made to allow for a wider sweep (and a more dramatic wah sound)
- It has a 20db booster and a buffer control for fuzz effects without num, noise, or a loss in volume
- Its inductors are modeled after 1960s Vox inductors for authentic vintage tone
Cons
- Some players might find it to be a little pricey
- The power supply is sold separately
- It can take a while to dial in the sound you want
Review
The Standard and the Deluxe models are made from genuine 1960s vintage parts. Many of their components are built by hand and are designed with the original Vox Clyde wah pedal in mind. The custom-made inductors are encased in MuMetal to prevent hum.
In addition to superb craftsmanship and quiet electronics, you can control your volume and tone with the booster/buffer. The buffer keeps your fuzz tones full, so you can avoid the thin treble sound you sometimes get, and the booster keeps you from losing volume when using the pedal.
You can create your tone from three modes: Wacked, Jimi, and Shaft.
Wacked gives you the weird and heavy effects, Jimi gives you “Voodoo Child,” and Shaft gives you, well, a tone similar to the Shaft theme. You can also change the filter resonance yourself.
While the price is a little higher than most other wah pedals out there, having such a versatile, well-built pedal might be worth it.
4. Vox V847-A (Best For Classic Tones)
This modernized take on the original classic Vox wah pedal brings you all the legendary 1960s tones with some additional features, such as a buffered input jack to keep your tone from changing when the pedal is disengaged and the ability to run on an external 9-volt power supply.
Pros
- Its wide sweep range and smooth action make it a true expression pedal
- The metal housing is very sturdy (note that the base is made of heavy-duty plastic, but this helps to cut down on weight)
- It’s a slightly lower price than most wah pedals
Cons
- It does not have a true bypass mode (just the buffered input)
- Some players have had issues with the power supply
- Some players find that setting the range for their wah sound is tricky
Review
The updated Vox V847-A brings the 1960s into the present. Its simple design is built to last with sturdy metal housing. It’s based on the original 1960s Vox wah pedal but has a buffered input, so you don’t lose too much tone when the pedal is disengaged. You can use it with a 9-volt battery or an AC power supply.
If this is your first wah pedal, it’s a great choice because it’s easy to use and can take a beating. The Vox V847-A is the one for classic 1960s tones from the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, or even Frank Zappa if your style is a little more out there.
5. Dunlop JCT95 Justin Chancellor Cry Baby Wah Pedal (Best For Bass)
For bassists, there’s the Dunlop JCT95 Justin Chancellor Cry Baby Wah Pedal, with a switchable fuzzbox and two filters. While the price is slightly higher than other wah pedals, you get more bang for your buck because of the switchable fuzz effect and independent voicings for each filter.
Pros
- The two filters can be programmed separately and on the fly
- The UK-style fuzz filter can mimic vocals and create abstract soundscapes for synth bass-like tones
- It comes with a Pedal Topper so you can switch between the rocker/wah mode and the fuzz pedal
Cons
- Some players might find it to be a little expensive
- Some players find the pedal to be slightly noisy
- There can be a bit of a learning curve with dialing in tones using the filters and fuzz effect
Review
If you’re familiar with Tool’s music, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that their bassist Justin Chancellor uses this versatile and creative wah pedal. Whether you’re looking for his tone or you just want a wah pedal with more flexibility, this is a great choice, especially given how hard it can be to find decent effects pedals for bass that don’t compromise your low end.
You can even use the fuzz effect without the wah, which is almost like having two pedals in one. The filter effects can mimic everything from smooth vintage wah tones to vocal-like effects. You can switch filter voicings on the fly since they have independent volume controls, opening up many sonic possibilities for turning your bass into much more than a backing instrument.
PS – Check out our post on the best bass compressor pedals with great tone!
6. Electro-Harmonix Wailer (Best Modern Pedal)
The Wailer is built for touring and gigging musicians. Its construction is lightweight but sturdy, and it has a rack-and-pinion style mechanism (two gears mesh at opposite angles to create linear movement). Hence, the rocker motion is sublimely smooth and easy to operate.
Pros
- It’s less expensive than most wah pedals out there, so it’s great for gigging and beginners
- The preset tones make it suitable for all genres and styles of music
- It has a true bypass mode, so you won’t lose your guitar tone when not using the pedal
Cons
- Some players find that the bypass switch can be stiff and hard to operate
- Some players feel that the pedal’s construction is cheap and too lightweight
- The pedal tends to be a little noisy
Review
For its price, the Electro-Harmonix Wailer gives you a wide variety of tone options that offer a modern take on your favorite vintage wah sounds. It uses the same circuitry as the Electro-Harmonix Crying Tone pedal, so its sound is consistent from low to high frequencies.
The four preset tones are Voodoo Clean, Clean Wah, Dirty Wah, and Cocked Wah. This pedal can do everything from sleazy funk to Hendrix to more abstract vocal-like effects. It’s also lightweight, a definite plus for musicians on the road.
7. Xotic XW-1 Wah (Best For Using With Multiple Pedals)
Available in two colorways, this pedal is a wah pedal with true bypass and separate EQ controls for Q, bass, and treble to get your tone just right. It has a buffering circuit to use fuzz pedals or other tone effects pedals without any noise issues.
Pros
- It takes up less space on a pedalboard than most other wah pedals
- It’s self-lubricating, meaning the rocker motion will stay smooth
- It has adjustable EQ, Wah-Q, and Bias controls
Cons
- When stepping on the activation switch, some players find there’s a distracting delay before they hear the pedal
- You have to step on the pedal’s activation switch pretty hard to use the pedal
- The LED indicator is near your foot, so it can be hard to see
Review
Since it’s so easy to dial in the right frequencies and resonance with EQ, Wah-Q, and Bias, the Xotic XW-1 is a versatile pedal for anyone who wants to customize their sound truly. The 2-band EQ has a +/- 15db range. By adjusting the Wah-Q, you adjust the filter peaks and can create vocal-like effects.
Ergonomically, its form factor is ideal for anyone using multiple pedals. You can adjust the rocker tension to suit all playing styles, and it takes up less space on a pedalboard. If you want to adjust the range of the sweep, there’s a rubber bumper you can shim. There’s also a low battery indicator; the LED light will flash if the charge drops below 50%.
PS – Check out our post on the best EQ pedals for guitar!
FAQs
Do Different Wah Pedals Sound Different?
Depending on the type of electronics used and the filters and their adjustments, different models of wah pedals will have different sounds. Even the pedal’s construction can affect its sound depending on how the rocker motion is built and how broad the sweep is.
What Makes A Good Wah Pedal?
This depends somewhat on your playing style, budget, and ability level. Still, it’s always a plus to have a wah pedal with an adjustable rocker motion and sweep range and, ideally, a true bypass mode. In true bypass, the wah pedal will be wholly disengaged and won’t affect your guitar’s natural tone.
Where Should I Plug In My Wah Pedal In My Effects Chain?
Typically, the wah pedal should be the first to go in the chain because it will amplify the volume of everything before it. However, if you want to experiment, you can put it at the end of the chain and treat it more like a synthesizer effect.
Should I Get A Pedal With Auto-Wah?
An auto-wah pedal uses an envelope follower effect. It creates its wah sound based on the volume of your input signal. Since it uses electronics rather than the motion of your foot, you can get some pretty cool effects that are physically impossible to get with a traditional wah pedal.
Jerry Garcia used an auto-wah pedal, and so does the band Phish. It’s also popular with funk and soul players. So it really depends on the music styles you play and your experience level.
How Does A Wah Pedal Make Its Wah Sound?
The wah pedal makes its famous wah sound by adding and removing bass and treble frequencies (low and high) depending on the position of your foot. These frequencies shift rapidly as you move your foot, creating the vocal-like “wah” sound.
The first wah pedals were actually used by trumpet and trombone players to enhance their expression when playing solos, for example. Later, electronics were added, and then the wah pedal was born.
Is A Wah Pedal Different From An Expression Pedal?
Technically, a wah pedal is a type of expression pedal. However, expression pedals typically refer to pedals that remotely control variable parameters on electronic equipment like amps, MIDI controllers, and keyboards (on guitars).
However, without modifying its circuitry, you can’t use a wah pedal to control electronic equipment (for instance, a MIDI controller). Furthermore, expression pedals don’t influence the sounds; they control specific settings.
