Dunlop Joe Bonamassa Signature Cry Baby Wah Reviews

4.8/5.0 based on 5 customer reviews

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Customer Reviews

from kennewick washington
January 15, 2013Music Background:
weekend warrior

dunlop joe bonamassa signature cry baaby wah

plugged in to my marshal with my les paul with some other effect pedals. there is a big differance between the regular cry baby and this one you get quicker response in tone and action all together a better wah . well worth the price, kicks butt

Tyler
from Dayton, OH USA
October 25, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist, Semi-Pro

Joe Bonamassa Crybaby

A week or so ago, I ordered and received a brand new Joe Bonamassa Crybaby. I had tried one out at a local Sam Ash a few months ago, but him-hawed about getting it until now. (Mainly because of the steep price.) Up until I got the JB95, I used a Crybaby 535Q. While there was nothing wrong with the 535Q, I liked the JB95 because of the deeper, throatier growl it had.

First off, you MUST try this wah before you buy it. It's very unique and I can see where a lot of guitar players will not like it. It is voiced more for humbuckers and is more on the dark side tone wise. It will not give you a quacky sound like most wah pedals will. If you are looking for a wah to play funk with, this is not it. As a matter of fact, if you engage the wah on a clean setting on an amp, it is quite lackluster. It doesn't have any snap or quack to it and really seems like a dud. If you are looking for a wah to play clean on, this again is not the wah for you.

Now, overdrive on the other hand, is another story entirely. This little puppy absolutely screams when ran through the dirty channel or an amp or with a dirt pedal. The more drive you add, the more depth and tone this thing cranks out. It's quite strange, because there are all kinds of harmonics and tones that just aren't there when this wah is ran through a clean setting. Dunlop claims that this added harmonic content is due to the Halo inductor exclusive to the JB95. (Exclusive at least in Dunlop's current Crybaby range. I know vintage wahs had them.) I'm sure this is mainly a marketing ploy, but I really do think the Halo inductor adds richness to this wah. The JB95 just has a throaty, mid-range growl that neither of my Fasel inductor Crybabies had.

The JB95 also has a pretty wide sweep. It goes from a deep bass-y tone in the heel down position to a very nasally slightly sharp tone in the toe down position. What I do love about this wah is while it is very distinct and in your face, it is not shrill or over powering.

This wah does not have many features in the tweaker category. The only switch it offers is a small slider inside that switches it from non-true bypass to true bypass. I switched it to true bypass pretty much as soon as I got it, but apparently Joe likes it without it. I didn't hear much of a difference as far as the tone of the pedal goes, but to each his own. There's no "Q" control or volume boost like what's on the 535Q. I didn't use the volume boost on my 535Q, and the "Q" intensity was always maxed with the dial always in the 3rd position, so I don't miss these features at all. If you are used to a wah with these kind of features that you change constantly, this will very much be a one trick pony that you will probably get frustrated with.

I absolutely love this wah and it has replaced my 535Q on my pedal board. It is not at all for everyone, but do yourself a favor and try one out to see if you like it.

Steve Voss
from Dyer, Indiana
October 17, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist

Unique Wah

Best sounding Wah pedal I've tried yet. All ranges sound sweet to my ears. Looks like I'll be using my Wah pedal a whole lot more often.
Very sturdy. Copper color is exceptional.

Kevin Ernst
from Michigan
April 2, 2013Music Background:
Pro Musician

Crybaby!

I like the standard Crybaby, but this one is a bit more solidly built and has a bit more of a refined sound. Good bang for the buck!

eric
from Southern California
February 1, 2013Music Background:
Player

Great Tones from this Wah

I took some time to write this review so I could get to know the wah more.
Its grown on me a lot over the past month. Very vocal, great sweep range,organic, musical and never sounds harsh. More on the vintage side tone wise . I've had a heap of wah's and this is the best I've owned and played. I did my research, listened to all the dunlop wah's and it came down to this and the buddy guy model ( which I will be purchasing in the future). Works great with humbuckers, single coils and all the effects I've used with it. If you have heard it and like it you will not be disappointed, sounds better in person.
Really happy with it and sweet water was very very helpful.