the why of wah

[jessenator]

K, I've never been a wah guy. Only had a considerable amount of time with whatever was programmed onto the POD via the simulated foot controller thingy, and it was awful. I know. Digital effect, but still, just wasn't ever my bag, but I'm thinking about it now.

Couple questions about it all.

1a- The potentiometer
So ICAR just means it's adjusted to compensate for not being able to mechanically (by extension, electronically) move through the total wiper range? Places like amplified parts have wah-centric pots from 100-200k, with 100k being log taper, the others being linear. A bit confused here.

1b- continued
If I've never been a wah guy, am I really going to "notice" the pot's behavior not being "the right way" if I somehow get the "wrong one?"

1c- continued
If I want to avoid the MiC product out there, what's a decent one that isn't going to cost upwards of half the cost of a decent wah shell kit? (I've seen >$20 ones and struggle to understand)

2- to avoid contention (based on what I've seen elsewhere on the web), I don't want to start a "what's better" war, but what's the general character differences between Fasel and non-F style inductors?

3- Weener or neener?

[jessenator]

Gentle bump. I mean, even if the answer is "go google" sure, I can do that. But I want to hear from this community since there are a lot of OGs here.

[jessenator]

Adjacent question:

Has anyone etched or vero'd a board based on Keen's document?: http://www.geofex.com/FX_images/Crybaby%20Shell%20Measurements.pdf

I mean, pretty audacious to question Keen, but I'm just a weirdo who's obsessive and inquisitive about others' experience. Thanks.

[djaaz]

K, I've never been a wah guy. Only had a considerable amount of time with whatever was programmed onto the POD via the simulated foot controller thingy, and it was awful. I know. Digital effect, but still, just wasn't ever my bag, but I'm thinking about it now.

Couple questions about it all.

1a- The potentiometer
So ICAR just means it's adjusted to compensate for not being able to mechanically (by extension, electronically) move through the total wiper range? Places like amplified parts have wah-centric pots from 100-200k, with 100k being log taper, the others being linear. A bit confused here.

1b- continued
If I've never been a wah guy, am I really going to "notice" the pot's behavior not being "the right way" if I somehow get the "wrong one?"

1c- continued
If I want to avoid the MiC product out there, what's a decent one that isn't going to cost upwards of half the cost of a decent wah shell kit? (I've seen >$20 ones and struggle to understand)

2- to avoid contention (based on what I've seen elsewhere on the web), I don't want to start a "what's better" war, but what's the general character differences between Fasel and non-F style inductors?

3- Weener or neener?

Hi Chris, i was hoping someone would enlighten us both. I can tell you abou
My first wah is a vox v847 that i bought in the 90's based on ones opinion that it was the "real" wah. I added a dunlop crybaby and then way later built a few project including madbean wah project (The one madbean project i did not like much).

I had to make a few fix to the vox to add a 9v dc input that mine did not have and a led bc you want to know when this thing is on. I changed the pot bc it was scratchy, i ordered the part in the "wah part" section of musikding without giving it any thoughts and did not notice anything different.
https://www.musikding.de/Blacktop-Deluxe-100k-ICAR_1

On the weener wah, the madbean project, i used a eye rock inductor supposedly wounded by hand during a full moon night under a rain of unicorn tears. Did not blow my mind but i would fault the builder first and i never cared enough to revisit it.

At the end of the day i prefer my vox wah to the dunlop if played side by side, i can't tell them apart as soon as volume, focus on playing or other musician are involved.
Most of the time i have to take it out of its cute mustard bag to plug it, so most of the time i don't bc i'm lazy. I was even thinking of buying this micro Mooer wah bc at least it can stay on a pedalboard that is not the size of Canada.

I would go for a used crybaby, there's ton of them. They're cheap, the shell will outlive you and you'll have something to experiment and destroy.

[jessenator]

I got fat feet, so I can't do mini 🤣

I'm leaning towards buying used and repurposing the shell, thinking about it more. I'm probably going to etch a single sided board version from the 2016 Weener schematic so I can use my weird, large, mojo caps that have been with me since I salvaged an old Wurlitzer organ.

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I did some more searching and PMd a few people about inductors, and it sounds like it's almost like a germanium type situation... some people hear a massive difference, some don't, and it's more the overall components and values that make the difference. I think personally I'm going with whatever isn't cheap MiC crap and call it until I become a wah snob

[jessenator]

So, plot twist.

I looked for a used/parts crybaby and nothing was coming up sub-$50 even before shipping, so I looked locally and saw one for $60. Figured it might've been in a questionable state at that price (pictures were rather low res and few).

Turns out it's an unused 535Q multi-wah specimen—works perfectly. I'm now conflicted ha! Probably won't gut it.