Fixing a scratchy wah pedal
A number of years ago, I bought a Dunlop Crybaby Wah pedal second hand. It was a good deal, but the sound was never as good as I wanted it to be. Since I got it, there was a scratchy sound that I could never totally get rid of. I cleaned out the potentiometer (pot) with electronics cleaner a few times, and that definitely improved things, but it was never perfect.
Lately, I’ve been getting back into playing guitar, and I wanted to put this wah to use. I figured I would just replace the pot and everything would be fine. At first, I assumed I could just go to Radio Shack or whatever they’re called these days and get a replacement, but after doing some research online, I found that the potentiometer used in a wah-wah is not a simple linear pot, but is logarithmic.
Without wanting to figure all this stuff out on my own, I began looking for a simple drop-in replacement. Many companies sell replacement pots, often with the little gear already attached, which means installation is as simple as tightening a nut and soldering three wires. I got my Dunlop Hot Potz-II replacement from my local Long & McQuade music store. It cost me $30.50, which isn’t too bad considering a new pedal would cost me over $100. I could have ordered online, but most of the places were charging at least $20, plus shipping, so I avoided the hassle and bought locally.
Here’s some pictures:
These things are easy to open up by simply unscrewing the four feet on the bottom. No screwdriver required.
Here’s the replacement potentiometer. It even has decent instructions printed on the back:
You need a wrench to unscrew the old pot and then you just disconnect the wires. Drop the replacement into position, make sure the gear is engaged and then tighten the nut. Then just get out the trusty soldering iron and solder the three wires back into place.
And that’s it. It was pretty easy to do, and took less than 20 minutes. No more dirty scratchy sounds. The wah wah is good as new and sounds great.
Spencer "bow chicki" McCormack says:
I don’t think I’ve heard you play this pedal before (have I?) I don’t really care for the wah wah sound but now maybe we can lay down some more porn-y grooves.
September 21st, 2007 at 11:48 am
sneaky ninja says:
oooh oooh. how very guitar hero of you.
you’re so smart rob. you should build bridges and rocket ships.
September 23rd, 2007 at 11:36 am
Jake says:
Hello. I found your blog by Googling “wah pedal care”. That sounds like the same problem I’m having, the scratchy sound. Should I try cleaning the pot first before replacing it? What exactly do you use to clean parts like that? I’m not much of a gear head so when my gear breaks down I’ve gotta step up, and I then I need all the help I can get. Anyway, those play-by-play pot replacement photos are great and I’m bookmarking this page for future reference!
June 18th, 2008 at 7:18 pm