# Regular wah vs. Z.Vex Wah Probe?



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

I've never liked using wahs, simply because I find it extremely cumbersome to have to stomp on it to get it going before any actual wah-ing can happen. I've tried the switchless wah as well, but I can't get into them either.

My question is, has anyone used the Z.Vex Wah Probe? How does it compare to the sounds of a good ol' Crybaby? Most of the demos I found online are either very funky based or are just plain noise. The only one I found that comes even remotely close to the kind of stuff I do (and need a wah for) is this one:

[YOUTUBE]GvdWIi7-IfQ[/YOUTUBE]

I do mostly classic rock and alt-rock, so I'm looking for mostly Slash-y sounds with my wah. Anyone know if the Wah Probe can do this?


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## Guest (Jun 30, 2010)

I found it difficult to use for anything that required a slow sweep or holding the filter in a particular spot for any length of time. Without something to rest and rock your foot against it's hard to get precision control. My ankle would feel it pretty quickly. It was hella fun to use your hand with.

Which switchless wahs have you tried? I loved my Morley Bad Horsie 2 -- sounded awesome and the design was rock solid. The Morley Lynch wah (Dragon?) also looks pretty sweet. Morley's switchless design is, IMO, far superior to the Dunlop design.

And there's a new kid on the block now: the Plutonieum Chi Wah Wah -- which is switchless and comes in a form factor the size of standard pedal. Lots of control over the sound of it too.

[youtube]5H5FLr5tEGg[/youtube]

Also worth mentioning the TimeFactor has a decent wah on it that you can fine tune. And it'll do envelope, ADSR, LFO or random modes in addition to being controlled by an expression pedal.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Not to take anything away from Zach's always intriguing design ideas, but take a look at Morley's wahs designed for Steve Vai, like the Bad Horsey. These apparently have their switch pointing down at the floor and are actuated as soon as you put your foot on them. presumably, the intent was to allow for a little more fluidity for the player, such that they didn't have to turn it on and off via separate deliberate movement.


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## JMann (Feb 18, 2007)

Like the OP, I do not like standard switch wahs. I have never tried a Z.Vex but I did have occasion 2 weekends ago to try out the Morleys mentioned above and I was pleasantly surprised. The BH2 had, for me, the perfect treadle travel. Prior to the Morleys I had tried out the Digitech EX7 with modelled Dunlop and CB wahs. Not bad but the short travel was a little disconcerting.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I _had_ tried a Bad Horsie a few years back, and didn't dig it very much. I didn't really like the way it swept and ergonomically, it just wasn't doing it for me.

See, I LOVE the way a regular wah like a Crybaby _feels_ under my foot, but I hate having to switch it on and off. Part of my apprehension about the Wah Probe is that, like Ian mentioned, there's nothing to actually "wah" with. I'm guessing cocked wah sounds will result in shin-splits. It seems like a cool little device, but like a lot of Zach's stuff I've owned in the past, it seems like it's got more kitsch factor than practicality, or that it's aimed at avant-garde indie shoegazers, not at the meat n potatoes rockers (the box o rock is an exception here, it flat out KILLS!)

I might have to give the Morley's a go again to see if my attitude towards them have changed, and maybe try and find a retailers that carries the Wah Probe to see if that works for me.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

When it comes to wahs, and volume pedals too, for that matter, ergonomics is everything. Wah is a prosthetic for voice, such that you have to be able to make your foot do what your mouth normally would. And if it does not feel right, it won't sound right.

Certainly, Morley has tackled the pedal-actuation challenge head-on, but if the feel of the treadle isn't right for you, feel no shame in walking away.

FWIW, I don't think the Wah Probe was ever conceived of as something you could play "White Room" or "Voodoo Child" with. Zach doesn't think like that.


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## Guest (Jun 30, 2010)

If it was just voicing the BH2 and the Lynch both have the same switchless design with more voice tuning options. I didn't like the BH, but freaking loved the BH2.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

iaresee said:


> If it was just voicing the BH2 and the Lynch both have the same switchless design with more voice tuning options. I didn't like the BH, but freaking loved the BH2.


Yeah, I just found that on the Morley site too. I believe it was the regular BH that I tried, so yeah, being able to play with the Q might help.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Doing some research, it seems like the Lynch Dragon 2 would be the one I'm most interested in. I like that it has the notch filter to act as a cocked wah.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

The schematic for the BH2 can be found here: http://www.morleypedals.com/vai-2es.pdf LOTS of tweakability.


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