It would be fair to say that the development of the wah-wah pedal has been somewhat experimental over the years. Testimony to this is the plethora of pedal manufacturers who have used completely different electronic circuits to conjure up what they consider to be unique ‘signature’ sounds. Indeed, there is really no ideal wah-wah pedal - unlike the idealised filter designs found in some more esoteric audio systems - as the effect is musically subjective: ‘effect’ being the operative word here.

We’ll explore some of the technical aspects of current pedals, and try to put the selected designs into a familiar musical context, adding perhaps a degree of useful objectivity to the prospective wah-wah purchase.

Our Online Advisor extends to several pages - you can jump from section to section using the index below or the navigation at the bottom of each page.