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Advice? Wah pedal failure at gig

  • 17-05-2007 10:58pm
    #1
    Grolschevik
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,472 ✭✭✭


    Had a gig last night. At the soundcheck, I turned on my wah pedal (bog standard Dunlop Crybaby). Volume vastly reduced, and it had a sort of farty quality to it. It passed signal perfectly when turned off, though, so I thought it was the battery, so off I went to buy one.

    Installed the new battery during the first band's set, but when we were on, same problem. So, any ideas what it might be?

    It really annoys me, because I used a point-to-point Jen wah from the '70s for years, before getting rid of it (back to the guy who lent it to me) with no problems whatsoever. And I've had the new Crybaby for less than two years...


Comments

  • #2
    feylya
    Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 23,363 Mod ✭✭✭✭feylya


    The switch is gone. When I got my pedal, I had to get the switch replaced twice before I got one that worked properly.


  • #3
    punchdrunk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,355 ✭✭✭punchdrunk


    when will people learn dunlop wah's are ****,buy a vox or else mod it!


  • #4
    Grolschevik
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,472 ✭✭✭Grolschevik


    The on/off switch? Didn't think of that.

    So I need to replace the switch? Sounds straightforward enough.

    But from checking around today, it'd probably cost me as much to get it repaired as it would to buy a new one from Thomann (and they have a 3-year warranty?). €50 an hour labour? Good Jesus!

    I can't/don't/won't do repairs myself. I'm just about happy to solder myself up a set of leads, but that's about it. But it would surely be a criminal waste to chicken out and simply replace the pedal.


  • #5
    Grolschevik
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,472 ✭✭✭Grolschevik


    punchdrunk wrote:
    when will people learn dunlop wah's are ****,buy a vox or else mod it!

    Vox wahs are made and serviced by Dunlop. They have different specs, and maybe quality control, but still...


  • #6
    feylya
    Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 23,363 Mod ✭✭✭✭feylya


    Grolschevik wrote:
    The on/off switch? Didn't think of that.

    So I need to replace the switch? Sounds straightforward enough.

    But from checking around today, it'd probably cost me as much to get it repaired as it would to buy a new one from Thomann (and they have a 3-year warranty?). €50 an hour labour? Good Jesus!

    I can't/don't/won't do repairs myself. I'm just about happy to solder myself up a set of leads, but that's about it. But it would surely be a criminal waste to chicken out and simply replace the pedal.

    It has 3 wires that need to be desoldered and resoldered in order to fix it. Pop into Maplins and get a foot switch. Make sure you get one with as little play as possible ie one that you can't push down at all without switching it.


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  • #7
    Grolschevik
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,472 ✭✭✭Grolschevik


    feylya wrote:
    ie one that you can't push down at all without switching it.

    Not sure I completely understand you here. Do you mean one that would take a bit of effort to activate the switching, like (a) the weight (of me) and/or (b) are you referring to the travel distance (from bass to treble frequencies, and then on to on/off switching) on a wah pedal switch would involve?

    And that would manifest itself in a Maplin's switch by -- imagining you have it in your hand like a ciggie lighter -- having to press down longer (and perhaps harder?) , in physical terms, rather than temporal, than other comparable switches?

    I'm just wondering how to judge the various switches that might be available...


  • #8
    feylya
    Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 23,363 Mod ✭✭✭✭feylya


    I mean one that once you start to push down on it, you change the contacts immediately (turning it on or off) instead of one that when you start to push it down, it has to move a bit before it can start changing the contact. It's kinda hard to explain at 1 am.


  • #9
    Grolschevik
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,472 ✭✭✭Grolschevik


    No, I now get what you mean. The revelation came to me (as I'm sure in common in the boards realm) right after I hit "submit". But do Maplin's let people play with their switches before sale? In other words, how would I know which one has the appropriate "play"?


  • #10
    feylya
    Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 23,363 Mod ✭✭✭✭feylya


    Don't they have them on the shelves?


  • #11
    Grolschevik
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,472 ✭✭✭Grolschevik


    Aye, but is there a physical, visual difference between the various switches that might be on the shelves? I'm enough of an electronics newbie plus a cynical realist to know that anyone I ask in there won't have a clue what I'm on about. Which leaves it up to me to recognise which part in the cardboard-backed plastic vaccuum-packed switch section I need.

    What I'm basically asking is this: is there an obvious physical difference, or a particular term for describing to a shop assistant, for the switch with the minimal amount of travel we're talking about? How would such a piece be described on their website?

    In brief: what do I need to look for?


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