Q: I keep hearing about differences between wah pedals and how it’s mainly one part that gives vintage wahs their killer sound. Why don’t all wahs use that part?
A: The part you are talking about is called the Fasel Inductor, which over the decades has achieved almost mythic status. This was first used in an early Vox Crybaby, which was built for Vox (and its American partner, Thomas Organ Company) by an Italian manufacturer called Jen Electronics. All wahs (except modeled versions) use an inductor, but the bright red one used in vintage wahs was made by a small Italian company called (surprise!) Fasel. This was eventually changed out to a Japanese-made TDK inductor in the later model V846 Vox wah. The reason everyone doesn’t just stick a Fasel inductor into their wahs is that there are different wah circuits that produce a fairly wide range of wah tones. Univox built a monster wah in the 1960s, but unfortunately, it was prone to terrible feedback when used at high volume levels. Any wah is really the sum of all its parts and the resultant sound is either good or bad depending on individual taste. Still, we doubt the whole Fasel inductor thing will go away any time soon.