Picking the best wah pedal out of all the guitar effects pedal companies is pretty tough. There are so many different great pedals out there that it’s hard to choose one without testing them all out.
That’s why we wrote this article. We go through and review each one of the top-rated wah-wah pedals on the market, so you can have a better idea of what pedal will make your tone stand out.
We’ve included some classic pedals as well as some boutique and custom wah pedals, so you can get a feel for what’s out there and choose the right effect for your sound.
Let’s jump in and look at some of the most popular wah effect pedals on the market today.
The Ultimate List of Best Wah-Wah Guitar Effects Pedals
Contents
- 1 The Ultimate List of Best Wah-Wah Guitar Effects Pedals
- 1.1 Xotic Wah Pedal
- 1.2 Behringer Hellbabe HB01 Ultimate Wah
- 1.3 Morley VAI-2 Steve Vai Bad Horsie 2 Contour Wah
- 1.4 Dunlop Cry Baby 535Q Multi-Wah Guitar Effects Pedal
- 1.5 Fulltone Clyde Standard Wah Pedal
- 1.6 VOX V847A Wah Wah Guitar Effects Pedal
- 1.7 Custom Audio MXR MC404 Dual Inductor Wah-Wah
- 1.8 Ibanez WB7 Weeping Demon Wah Pedal
- 1.9 Boss AW-3 Dynamic Wah
- 1.10 Hotone Soul Press 3 in 1 Mini Volume/Wah/Expression Effects Pedal
- 2 What We Recommend and Why
Here is a list of the best Wah pedals that you should add to your pedal board to get that fat WAH sound!
- Xotic Wah Pedal
- Behringer Hellbabe HB01 Ultimate Wah
- Morley VAI-2 Steve Vai Bad Horsie 2 Contour Wah
- Dunlop Cry Baby 535Q Multi-Wah Guitar Effects Pedal
- Fulltone Clyde Standard Wah Pedal
- VOX V847A Wah Wah Guitar Effects Pedal
- Custom Audio MXR MC404 Dual Inductor Wah-Wah
- Ibanez WB7 Weeping Demon Wah Pedal
- Boss AW-3 Dynamic Wah
- Hotone Soul Press 3 in 1 Mini Volume/Wah/Expression
Let’s check them out!
Xotic Wah Pedal
Xotic Wah model is well built, multifunctional device that offers high-quality sounds. The model itself is based on Holy Grail wah. It comes with full bass control and a true bypass system, which allows you to create almost unlimited combinations of tones.
Because of that versatility and flexibility, Xotic Wah pedal is considered as one of the most adjustable wah pedals in the market.
It weighs 2.4 pounds and is powered by one 9V battery. It also has LED indicator which shows the status of the pedal, whether it is on or off.
Pros and Highlights
- A large number of controls and adjustability – it can be used to create an almost endless number of combinations;
- Size – it is neither too big nor too small, thus, very comfortable to use.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Price – though it is one of the best wah pedals you can get, it is still a bit pricey and it is the most expensive wah pedal on this list.
Bottom line
Despite being a bit pricey product, Xotic Wah pedal is one of the best choices if you are looking for a reliable wah pedal with multiple functions and excellent sound output, which would allow you to create and customize an endless number of tones.
Behringer Hellbabe HB01 Ultimate Wah
Behringer Hellbabe HB01 is a multi-functional wah pedal, which is suitable to use no matter what type of tones or style you use.
It comes with full optical control, so you don’t have to worry about using the mechanical pots. Apart from that, it has a spring-back pedal mechanism, that allows you to adjust the resistance pressure.
It has range control included, so you are able to adjust your own frequency range, as well as Fine Tune control, which gives very clean tones.
It is powered by 9V battery or BEHRINGER PSU-SB DC power supply and it has dual-LED indicators for both effects and boost.
Pros and Highlights
- Price-friendly – it is very affordable, but still high-quality wah pedal;
- Multiple options – it comes with a variety of functions, which makes it perfect for the people who like to create a lot of tone combinations;
- Structure – its body and components are made of very high-quality
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Buzzing sounds – on some occasions you can hear some buzzing sounds in the background;
- Clicking tone when changing the volume – it can happen that you hear a clicking sound whenever you change the volume of your tone.
Bottom line
Overall, Behringer Hellbabe HB01 is very affordable wah pedal of a very good quality, which is very useful, especially if you are a beginner and you do not have a lot of money to spend on the top quality equipment.
Morley VAI-2 Steve Vai Bad Horsie 2 Contour Wah
This Morley wah pedal is very well designed. It doesn’t have a switch. You can simply press it to start wah mode and step off to stop it, which makes it very simple to use.
It comes with two modes: Bad Horsie and Contour Wah, which are both selectable by foot. While in contour mode, you can easily change to the desired frequency and pick the wah level you need. Apart from that, it contains a Clear Tone buffer circuitry, which is very handy when it comes to maintaining the signal level in both bypass and wah mode. That way it ensures clean and sharp tones.
It is powered with a 9V battery, whose compartment is very accessible. Apart from that, it has LED indicators to make it easier to recognize various modes.
The two-year warranty is included too.
Pros and Highlights
- It has 2 knobs available – this feature makes it easier to adjust frequency level;
- Multiple modes available – having both Bad Horsie and Contour modes is a very useful feature, especially for the people who like having more options.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- No switches – switchless design might be easier to use, but it can also cause some issues with early starts or late stops of the wah tone.
Bottom line
With multiple modes and functions available, this wah pedal is very easy to use and can satisfy the needs of almost everyone.
Dunlop Cry Baby 535Q Multi-Wah Guitar Effects Pedal
Dunlop 535Q Cry Baby is one of the most flexible wah pedal currently on the market. It offers the ability to adjust all of the crucial wah settings, as well as the center of the frequency and total effect range. In addition, you can completely control the boost level, by switching it off or on.
This Cry Baby offers six wah ranges, and there is a Q dial, which you can use to customize your wah level, from precise and direct wahs to more atmospheric ones. And with completely adjustable boost levels, from 0 to +26 dB, you can create some very unique tones.
It is powered by one 9V battery or Dunlop ECB003 AC Adapter, which ensure that you always have the amount of power you need. It comes with a nice hard-wired switch.
Pros and Highlights
- Multiple options – with six different wah ranges and completely adjustable settings, this wah pedal is “a dream comes true” for anyone who likes having a lot of options to play with;
- Two possible power sources – having both adapter and battery option is very useful for longer performance.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Not so good components – some people have complained that their pedal didn’t last long because of not so high-quality parts.
Bottom line
Despite being criticized for using middle-quality parts, Dunlop 535Q is an excellent choice for everyone who likes to have the ability to choose from a wide range of options and total control over them.
Fulltone Clyde Standard Wah Pedal
Fulltone Clyde Standard Wah pedal is a very well crafted product, though it may seem a bit bigger and heavier than its competitors, with the weight of 3.6 pounds.
You can completely control your bass level with the built-in internal resonance control mechanism, which is very useful for creating various tones. Tones are very clean, and it comes with the adjustable gain. This feature greatly helps when you need to create a lot of different tones in a short period of time.
This pedal has a much better response time than its competitors, which allows you to create different tones really fast, which again, is very useful when you need to create a dynamic feeling of fast-changing tones.
Pros and Highlights
- Top-quality components – this pedal is made of top-quality materials, which leads to a longer life;
- True-bypass effect – when it is not on, it features true-bypass effects, with excellent and very clean tones.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Price – Clyde Standard wah pedal is the second most expensive pedal on this list, so you may say it is not quite affordable by everyone.
Bottom line
Despite being a bit pricey, Clyde Standard wah pedal is an excellent device, with the ability to create very high-quality tones.
VOX V847A Wah Wah Guitar Effects Pedal
VOX is famous for delivering top-quality equipment. And they did it again! V847A Wah pedal is a pretty solid device.
It comes with 1/4 inch INST jack and DC jack for input, and with 1/4 inch AMP jack for output. It is powered by one 9V DC battery and has a power consumption of 540uA at 9VDC. If it is used continuously, the battery can hold for more than a 100 hours.
This wah pedal is excellent if your aim is to get that tone feeling from the ‘60s. It is capable of producing high-quality sound effects, but with maintaining that original feeling.
Pros and Highlights
- Price-friendly – it is one of those low to mid-priced products, which offers excellent performance;
- It can achieve that classic tone feeling of the ‘60s with great elegance;
- Comes with a Vinyl carry bag.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- There is no true bypass – it doesn’t have true bypass effect, which is important to some people;
- Wonky structure – VOX part of the pedal tends to keep falling, so you have to glue it.
Bottom line
Despite having some small flaws, this pedal is a very good choice for everyone who is interested in making those old, classic tones.
Custom Audio MXR MC404 Dual Inductor Wah-Wah
The MXR MC404 is a bit smaller wah pedal, but a bit heavier than ones we have shown so far, with the weight of around 3.5 pounds. It is powered by one 9V battery to ensure maximum efficiency while playing.
It allows the creation of two very distinct and different types of tones by just selecting the right Fasel inductor, either yellow or red. It also comes with a custom designed life low noise potentiometer, which along with included noise amplifiers can help with the noise reduction.
Apart from that, it comes with a kick switch that can be used to gain the desired output level, which is all shown by the LED indicator. Along with that LED indicator, there are also indicators for boost, effect, and inductors.
Pros and Highlights
- Multifunctional device – MC404 has a wide range of available options, which opens up the possibilities to customize tones to your own liking;
- It has True Hardwire bypass mechanic.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Fine tuners setup – setting up the fine tuners can be a little difficult at times, but once it is done, there shouldn’t be any problems.
Bottom line
Coming from a well-known manufacturer, this wah pedal is a fairly good device, with a lot of available options, which allows total customization of tones.
Ibanez WB7 Weeping Demon Wah Pedal
Like its name suggest, this pedal is a weeping demon of the wah pedals! It comes with both range switch and range fine-tuning options, which allows you to switch between high and low frequency really fast.
Apart from that, it also has auto switch option included, which allows you to set up the changing pace to go on automatic loop the way you want it. Along with the auto switch, it also contains footswitch.
The auto switch option also has a footboard return spring included, which allows you to set your own pressure level on both auto and manual controls, to maximize the sound effects it produces.
Pros and Highlights
- Price friendly – considering all available option this devise offers, the price is fairly low and affordable to almost anyone who requires high-quality wah pedal;
- Multiple options – it comes with a wide range of functions and customizable options, which is very important to the people who like to experiment with making their own custom tones;
- Solid structure – the case is made of a solid metal, which is very durable and reliable.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- No true bypass – it doesn’t come with a true bypass effect;
- Size – it’s a bit bigger and heavier than other models.
Bottom line
Despite its size and the lack of true bypass, this is one of the best wah pedals currently on the market, considering the price of course.
Boss AW-3 Dynamic Wah
Boss AW-3 is one of the smallest wah devices on this list, which does not mean it is not good. On the contrary, it is a fairly solid wah device.
It comes with auto-wah option, as well as with dynamic humanizer ability, which allows you to create and simulate vocal tones. Apart from that, it has a built-in pedal used for bass input expression, which, along with a tone decay option can create some very decent tones.
Boss AW-3 wah pedal features manual sensitivity and mode controls, which all have the option to set up the wanted tempo.
It is powered by one 9V battery and comes in different colors, depending on the buyer’s preferences and desires.
Pros and Highlights
- Price-friendly – considering the size and all the available options this wah pedal offers, we can say that the price is very affordable to anyone looking for a small and easily movable, but still high-quality pedal.
- Dynamic humanizer– It enables you to create and simulate vocal parts.
- Easy to use– Everything with this one is simplified! You will get used to it in no time.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Can be a bit harder to use.
Bottom line
Despite being a bit harder to set up and use, it is still very compact and high-quality wah pedal, which can be used by both professionals or casual players and is reasonably priced, so most people can afford it.
Hotone Soul Press 3 in 1 Mini Volume/Wah/Expression Effects Pedal
Hotone Soul Press is a really handy little multifunctional device, which can be used for producing volume, wah and expression tone effects with great ease and glamour. The tone itself is based on the tones originally produced by Cry Baby wah pedals.
It comes with an ability to adjust and control bottom value range, which in combination with included active volume mode can be very useful when you need to keep tone lossless.
Unlike many other pedals on this list, it has true bypass mechanic included, and it is very small and light, with a weight of 340g, so moving it wouldn’t be a problem at all.
It can be powered by both 9V DC or 9V batteries, and it comes with very cool looking LED indicators, which show the status of the pedal.
Pros and Highlights
- Price-friendly – considering all the available options it offers, this pedal is very affordable and worth the price;
- Small size
- Multifunctional device – it is 3 in 1 device, which offers 3 different functions, with all additional options for making customizable tones.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- It is a bit noisy – there could be some scratching sounds if it is over-used, which could be related to the structure of the pedal.
Bottom line
Hotone Soul Press is a very small and handy multifunctional wah pedal, which is capable of creating some great sound if you take some time to tamper with the options.
What We Recommend and Why
Out of all 10 wah pedals we had presented here, we will recommend Ibanez WB7 Weeping Demon, because it offers a huge amount of options, with both automatic and manual control options, which, alongside all other available functions, allows you to create really unique tones of your choosing.
Considering all that, the price is very reasonable and we can say this is the wah pedal which is well worth the money.
It may be a bit bigger and heavier than others, but it still does not diminish all the good stuff it offers at this fair price.
