Which is better for gain? Vox or Crybaby wah?

[papersoul]

HI all,

I don't want to bring other wahs into the picture, I am just concenred with Vox and Crybaby wahs. I have been few some CBs and now have a modded Vox v847 (v846 mod with slight boost) and I do like it but I sense the Srybaby's I have owned were better with gain and the Vox was slightly better with clean. It seems the CBs are thicker and add mids.

Overall I am thinking I am a Crybaby guy. The Vox is very vocal and has a singing quality but I sense something missing from my wah infused leads now and I don't know if a boost will help.

Thoughts?

 

[Staticbuster]

I've always dug my 847 w/ dirt. I actually ditched a Crybaby for the 847. I thought the CB was too shrill at the peak of the sweep, the Vox sounded better to me.

How much gain are you talking about? I'm using mine with, at max, a sort of seventies high gain type sound for lack of a better term. Are you talking about a modern high gain sound?

Funny how we seem to be on opposite sides here.

 

[papersoul]

Hi! For gain I am talking anything from Rush to Alice in Chains....on my Bogner SHiva I keep the gain at about 1:00.

The Vox wah seems brighter where the crybaby seems warmer, thicker and more mids. But, the Vox really sings, no?

 

[Staticbuster]

Yeah, the Vox is really vocal. I think that's what draws me to it. It's been a long time since I had the CB, I can't really remember how it sounded, only that I liked the Vox more.

Makes me wonder if my tastes have changed since then.....especially with what you're hearing in the CB's.

 

[Fenderkid67]

the vox wah does sing! it's very vocal. I like it. very bluesy

 

[papersoul]

Yeah, the Vox is really vocal. I think that's what draws me to it. It's been a long time since I had the CB, I can't really remember how it sounded, only that I liked the Vox more.

Makes me wonder if my tastes have changed since then.....especially with what you're hearing in the CB's.

When I compared my CB 95Q to my modded Vox v487, I thought the 487 was more fun to play. Taking it out to the band rehearsal I thought it lacked power and punch, so it did not stand out as much. My buddy said he could change the one resistor that controls output level to a 47k from the current 56k, that will give a boost to the output signal.

Maybe that will give me the kick I desire!

Maybe I will skip getting the Cantrell wah and work with the Vox for a bit.

I also wish the Vox was buffered bypass. I say this because it is the first pedal on my board before my buffered tuner. That worries me about signal loss.

 

[Staticbuster]

When I compared my CB 95Q to my modded Vox v487, I thought the 487 was more fun to play. Taking it out to the band rehearsal I thought it lacked power and punch, so it did not stand out as much. My buddy said he could change the one resistor that controls output level to a 47k from the current 56k, that will give a boost to the output signal.

Maybe that will give me the kick I desire!

Maybe I will skip getting the Cantrell wah and work with the Vox for a bit.

I also wish the Vox was buffered bypass. I say this because it is the first pedal on my board before my buffered tuner. That worries me about signal loss.

I'm sure there are some folks on here that could mod it to be buffer for you. I'm gonna get around to TB'ing mine one day. The tone-suck right now keeps me from keeping it in my chain unless I'm gonna be doing something that requires a wah.

Let me know how that resistor mod works out for you. Sounds interesting!

 

[papersoul]

You have tone suck issues??? I never noticed any with my Crybaby 95Q, and can't say I hear any with my Vox 487 BUT it is true bypass modded. Never heard it stock. I have lots of pedals and never really hear big changes with or without in the mix. Some of us don't hear those differences.

 

[papersoul]

I might just try the resistor change in the Vox to get more output.

This is what my friend said about the CB/Vox thing. He is a great guy and has a killer mod business.

"As for the Vox vs. the Crybaby, the modern V847 only has 2 transistors (MPSA18's) as per vintage wah design and they are more gainy than the vintage 5117 units, however probably about the same as the BC109's in your pedal. The modern Crybaby (GCB95/Slash/95q, etc.) has 3 transistors and therefore a little more gain overall. I can change the one resistor that controls output level to a 47k from the current 56k, that will give a boost to the output signal."

 

[jay42]

Is this question is about new Vox and Crybaby pedals? I have both Thomas era pedals and they were electronically identical until I started modding them.

 

[papersoul]

Is this question is about new Vox and Crybaby pedals? I have both Thomas era pedals and they were electronically identical until I started modding them.

Talking about newer Crybabys like the Cantrell, Classic, 535Q, etc and the Vox v847 USA model.

 

[papersoul]

What I am trying to get to is.....something like what I hear Jerry Cantrell do or Alex Lifeson, with some Lynch thrown in? I was thinking of going back to a Crybaby of some sort and leaning toward the Cantrell wah. Right now I am using a modified USA made Vox v847, modded somewhat to v846 specs but with a bass boost to keep the heel down volume even, true bypass, etc. I wish it wasa touch louder.

I don't really care if a wah is true bypass because due to my pedalboard layout it is the first pedal on my board so having a buferred bypass is fine to me!

 

[doc36]

My 535Q sounds fantastic with the gain engaged. It is a great boost for leads. I have often thought that the boost on the 535Q would be great on its own. That said, I have no experience with Vox.

 

[papersoul]

My 535Q sounds fantastic with the gain engaged. It is a great boost for leads. I have often thought that the boost on the 535Q would be great on its own. That said, I have no experience with Vox.

Well, I keep going back to the Crybaby idea and the 535Q is high on that list. However, the Cantrell wah seems less "tweaky" and maybe it hits the sweet spot without me having to tweak anything, LOL.

 

[LPMojoGL]

I did a shootout between 4 wahs a while back: Vox modded for true bypass, Crybaby Classic, Budda Budwah+ and Bad Horsie. I kept the Crybaby Classic specifically because it got an AIC, thick n deep kinda sound. It goes down the lowest, but still covers enough territory to highlight the high notes. The Bad Horsie seemed to have less range, but handled the gain the best, more of a new metal pedal to me. The Budda and Vox covered the same ground, with the Budda having more clarity.

 

[papersoul]

I did a shootout between 4 wahs a while back: Vox modded for true bypass, Crybaby Classic, Budda Budwah+ and Bad Horsie. I kept the Crybaby Classic specifically because it got an AIC, thick n deep kinda sound. It goes down the lowest, but still covers enough territory to highlight the high notes. The Bad Horsie seemed to have less range, but handled the gain the best, more of a new metal pedal to me. The Budda and Vox covered the same ground, with the Budda having more clarity.

My Vox has a lot of mods including a bass boost to give it a fatter low and mullard caps throughout, I also had a gain boost installed. It really is sounding fantastic now, sings like nothing I have used.

 

[VHS analog]

I've always had better luck with Crybabies and distortion.
My modded V847 sounds awesome for clean sounds though.

 

[bluesjuke]

I have the same experience.
There is something on the Crybaby just before you get to the back end of the travle that does an awesome growl.
No other wah I have ever used does this.

 

[papersoul]

I have the same experience.
There is something on the Crybaby just before you get to the back end of the travle that does an awesome growl.
No other wah I have ever used does this.

I'll know more when I get my Jerry Cantrell wah. But I will say when playing solos I can't get another wah to sing like my modded Vox V847

 

[bluesjuke]

Overall between the two I prefer my V847 but for rock, OD/distortion and that growl the Crybaby has that.

The Vox does things like "White Room" best and the Crybaby does Zeppelin well.