Autowah recommendations?

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HattigolHattigol Frets: 8176
Thoughts on these? I had the Boss AW1 a while back but never really warmed to it. 

Just want it to add a little Jimi-ness really - no room/inclination for a full-size one. 
"Anybody can play. The note is only 20%. The attitude of the motherf*cker who plays it is  80%" - Miles Davis
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Comments

  • english_bobenglish_bob Frets: 5128
    You won't get "Jimi-ness" from an autowah. Jerry Garcia-ness? Bootsy Collins-ness? Sure. But an autowah is a different beast to a regular wah-wah pedal.

    You can get mini wah pedals now if you don't want a full sized one. This one even has Jimi's name on it :) 

    Don't talk politics and don't throw stones. Your royal highnesses.

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  • HattigolHattigol Frets: 8176
    Thanks.
    Comments/views seemingly few and far between on this subject! 
    "Anybody can play. The note is only 20%. The attitude of the motherf*cker who plays it is  80%" - Miles Davis
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71956
    This is slightly confusing because auto-wah can mean two different things...

    Mostly it's used (wrongly, really) to mean an envelope filter - ie something where the wah effect tracks the signal strength. These are the most common.

    A true auto-wah is like a phaser or a tremolo but where the cyclic sweep is wah not phase or volume. These are less common.

    There are a very few pedals that do both - the Boss AW-2 or AW-3 are two. (The AW-2 allows you to use both at the same time as well.)

    But the problem is that Jimi didn't use his wah like either of these... he used it independently of the rhythm and picking as an expressive tool on its own - so as english_bob said, you won't get that from and auto-wah of either type.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    You won't get "Jimi-ness" from an autowah. Jerry Garcia-ness? Bootsy Collins-ness? Sure. But an autowah is a different beast to a regular wah-wah pedal.


    This ^ although, IIRC, Nita Strauss gets away with auto wah on tracks that originally had wah. 

    The TWA Wah Rocker is an update on the Guyatone auto wah (which is now ‘collectible’ and associated with people like Guthrie Govan). 

    The cheap micro ones from Mooer,etc, seem largely based on the Boss so you probably won’t like them.

    Mine ( currently gathering dust) is a clone of a DOD 440 although the DOD itself has been reissued and is a slightly different, maybe slightly softer, voice. 

    I’d also look at the CKK Q Cat which is less expensive than some of the big names ( the £200 Mad Professor Snow White usually comes up as the gold plated standard here) and looks interesting. CKK making good value pedals that aren’t straight clones. 

    If you want really tiny then Hotone do one and it includes a fake wah mode, as I understand it, which does a continuous sweep ( bit like having a mate working a wah pedal for you). 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • JalapenoJalapeno Frets: 6378
    The Emma Discombobulator is pretty damn good
    Imagine something sharp and witty here ......

    Feedback
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  • hotpickupshotpickups Frets: 1813
    edited May 2018
    If you mean auto wah in the envelope filter sense then the keeley neutrino I totally recommend 
    Link to my trading feedback:  http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/59452/
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  • HattigolHattigol Frets: 8176
    Thanks folks.

    Maybe I should clarify - what I meant by some 'Jimi-ness' was just some generic, not over the top, wah sound to add to a driven lead tone. I would rather avoid getting a full-on wah pedal and would much prefer what @EricTheWeary said i.e. having a mate working a wah pedal for me. Sounds lazy I know but it's more that I'd rather not be concentrating on my feet....
    "Anybody can play. The note is only 20%. The attitude of the motherf*cker who plays it is  80%" - Miles Davis
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  • HattigolHattigol Frets: 8176
    Jalapeno said:
    The Emma Discombobulator is pretty damn good
    Just had a look at that - looks great, thanks.

    48 seconds in on this video is about what I'm looking for - 


    "Anybody can play. The note is only 20%. The attitude of the motherf*cker who plays it is  80%" - Miles Davis
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  • UnclePsychosisUnclePsychosis Frets: 12880
    Envelope Filter wise the only one I've ever liked is the EQD Spatial Delivery. Sounds great.

    TBH though although I'm not a massive wah user and could live without one I've found that there really is no substitute for an actual wah wah. Filters and auto-wahs can sort of get you there if you squint a bit but they're sadly never going to be the same. 
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  • merlinmerlin Frets: 6595
    I have a Lovetone Meatball, a 3Leaf Audio Wonderlove and a Sonuus Wahoo, that can do lots of things including envelope filter. 

    The Meatball is the best sounding one without question but huge. The Wahoo is so crazy versatile but bigger than a regular wah. The Wonderlove is probably the one I'll end up keeping, it sounds great and is a reasonable size. 
    I had a DiscumBOBulator ii and should never have sold it...
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  • impmannimpmann Frets: 12643
    ICBM said:


    A true auto-wah is like a phaser or a tremolo but where the cyclic sweep is wah not phase or volume. These are less common.


    The Blurst by EHX is a slightly different take on this.

    But, as a bit of a fan of envelope filters I agree - its not going to get you into Jimi's world of Wah. The closest to that it can do is Prince - his purpleness used the Boss Autowah on his board for years, but often not in front of distortion... AFTER it. This gave some of his hystrionic solos that trademark scream.
    A good envelope filter will do the dreadful Boom Chooka a Wahwah funk nastiness, but also can give very unusual soft attack to notes and otherworldly, slightly synth-like sounds. Some of the Jerry Garcia stuff has this effect, and if used right it can sound magnificent.

    TBH, though, I'd suggest investing in a proper wah if you want to sound like Jimi - and then invest MANY hours practicing to avoid sounding like a dodgy cliche or a bad 1970s porn film (unless that is what makes you happy, if so... enjoy those growlers, my friend).
    Never Ever Bloody Anything Ever.

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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14321
    Hattigol said:
    Just want it to add a little Jimi-ness, really
    I concur with those who say you need a treadle.

    Hattigol said:
    no room/inclination for a full-size one. 
    Morley also does mini wah pedals. http://www.morleypedals.com/tag/mini-pedals/ For my tastes, control over the notch frequency centre means that the Mini Bad Horsie 2 would be my choice.


    Be seeing you.
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  • JezWyndJezWynd Frets: 6021
    Hattigol said:
    Jalapeno said:
    The Emma Discombobulator is pretty damn good
    Just had a look at that - looks great, thanks.

    48 seconds in on this video is about what I'm looking for - 


    Sounds like what you are wanting is an envelope filter or a genuine wah pedal.
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  • pintspillerpintspiller Frets: 994
    I had a peach colours Boss. I sold it on as all I did with it was Nutbush City Limits.
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  • HattigolHattigol Frets: 8176
    JezWynd said:
    Hattigol said:
    Jalapeno said:
    The Emma Discombobulator is pretty damn good
    Just had a look at that - looks great, thanks.

    48 seconds in on this video is about what I'm looking for - 


    Sounds like what you are wanting is an envelope filter or a genuine wah pedal.
    Or that one in the video?
    "Anybody can play. The note is only 20%. The attitude of the motherf*cker who plays it is  80%" - Miles Davis
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  • DrJazzTapDrJazzTap Frets: 2158
    The full fat big housing ehx q tron is the only one I've liked. Has a real chewyness to it. 
    I would love to change my username, but I fully understand the T&C's (it was an old band nickname). So please feel free to call me Dave.
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  • GrunfeldGrunfeld Frets: 4027
    edited May 2018
    ICBM said:

    A true auto-wah is like a phaser or a tremolo but where the cyclic sweep is wah not phase or volume. These are less common.
    The little Mooer Funky Monkey is one of these.  It does it really well too.
    I've played some very small stages where my regular wah won't fit.

    The thing about the cyclic sweep is that you can get a really good impression of Kirk Hammett flapping his foot about, completely out of time, and wahing away merrily.  Sounds shit but the Funky Monkey makes it sound authentic.
    Or rather, it's just not how I use wah.  I like the ol' Schenker thing of getting a tone and sitting on it.  I tend to flap a bit more than Schenker but that's just lack of coordination. 

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  • Matt_McGMatt_McG Frets: 321
    I've not tried a Snow White Auto Wah, but I made one (from the kit at Fuzzdog's) and it sounds pretty good. I do find it hard to dial in the right amount of quack, though. It's fairly fussy, getting the right sensitivity. But it makes very nice sounds.


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