# 35+ Year Old Schaller Wah - Help



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

My brother returned this to me. I gave it to him some 30 years ago after I quit playing. He hadn't used it in 10 years. When you use it, it sounds like a a dirty pot, it cuts off and on with really rude static noises. When I stomped the wah off, it made like a volume pedal with the same rude noises (I don't remember any volume pedal function !!!). It has switch with two settings, 'bow-wow" and "yoy-yoy". Yeah,...

Here are some pics


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## elcabong (Mar 6, 2006)

You can try to clean the pot. I have never seen this model before. It seems to have two inductors on the board, that is rather unusual and may be used to achieve the "yoy-yoy" sound you describe. Abstracting the noise, does the wah sounds good?


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## zdogma (Mar 21, 2006)

Sounds like a bad pot. Try Greg at solid gold sound in Montreal, I'll bet he can fix it for you.

http://www.solidgoldfx.com/contact.html

Cool wah BTW. I wish I had kept more of my old stuff.


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

You said it did not have the volume pedal function that you remember. Does it have very little wah effect, could be a blown capacitior. For sure the pots are likely dirty.


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## Hamm Guitars (Jan 12, 2007)

The volume effect when you switch the pedal off is likely the result of some of the switch contacts sticking (I can see that there is a multi pole switch in the pic). Clean the stomp switch as well as the volume pot. You can try using contact spray (some of them just make a muddy mess), but if that doesn't work try taking them apart and cleaning them.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Someone mentioned a cleaning spray call CAIG DeOxit. I could try that. Anything else (and I figure there might be) I'll take it in. Beyond spray cleaning, I have trouble changing a tube.


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## Solid_Gold_Soundlabs (Sep 20, 2006)

zdogma thanks for the refernce!

robert, for the pot, use a tv tuner cleaner....its basically a contact cleaner mixed with *lube*. 


if that doesn't work you may need a new pot but i haven't seen any dual gang wah pots so something may have to be adapted to work properly.

also since its 35 years old and hasn't been powered in 35 years the electrolytics should be replaced as they are probably finished....

feel free to send it in for a quick resto job....i love seeing old stuff, especially wahs! you spark an interest in me; i'm gonna do some research on this wah, i'm curious as to how they've wired the pot and bypass switch as well as the dual inductor setup


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## Solid_Gold_Soundlabs (Sep 20, 2006)

Dual gang pot versions double as a volume pedal when bypassed....

if the pot can't be cleaned as its too worn out, it can be replaced with a standard wah pot eliminating the volume function

Greg


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## Ripper (Jul 1, 2006)

Solid_Gold_Soundlabs said:


> Dual gang pot versions double as a volume pedal when bypassed....
> 
> if the pot can't be cleaned as its too worn out, it can be replaced with a standard wah pot eliminating the volume function
> 
> Greg


MY Ibanez WH-10 has a dual ganged pot and it certainly doesn't double or function as a volume pedal. 

Deoxit does have a lubricant in it so it is fine to use for cleaning pots. Any good contact or tuner cleaner with lubricant will work fine. I use stuff from MGChemicals. I've found both Deoxit and the products from MGChem work great and don't damage any of the plastics I've come across. With the amount of old amps I work on, I am very careful what I use so I don't damage any of the exisiting cases, etc and these work great.

Don't use any cleaner with an oil or mineral based lubricant in it. These attract dirt and grim and can do more harm than good. WD-40 is not a good option.


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## Solid_Gold_Soundlabs (Sep 20, 2006)

from what i read on the schaller's, the dual gang pot versions double as a volume pedal.......


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## Robert Bogdan (May 25, 2006)

I have one of those! 

To my ear, it can nail the Jeff Beck "Ain't Superstitious" tone.


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