Jim Dunlop John Petrucci Cry Baby

Whether you rock it or cock it, Electro-Harmonix’s Wailer wah pedal gives you killer wah tones that will make you sound like the Lord of Funk’s second coming. The Wailer’s circuitry is based on the design that powered Electro-Harmonix’s classic Crying Tone wah pedal, giving you the same thick, musical wahs that the latter was known for. It’s a straightforward and highly musical wah pedal with a lightweight and sturdy chassis that won’t break the bank.

Built by Custom Audio Electronics’ Bob Bradshaw and the Cry Baby design team, the MC404 CAE Wah boasts dual Fasel inductors with two different voices (low to mid resonance or high-end emphasis). It also includes an inbuilt MXR MC401 Boost/LineDriver which gives higher versatility. Select between inductors and turn the boost on/off via side-mounted kick switches. Vibrant LEDs on each side of the wah tell you the operation status. The MC404 features a long-life CTS potentiometer and true hardwire bypass.

The innocuous-looking Cock Fight Plus from Electro-Harmonix is, in fact, three effects in one. It’s a crying wah, it’s a talking wah, and it’s a classic fuzz pedal. Separate filters handle the heavy lifting for the first two effects—a traditional wah pedal filter for the wah sounds and a formant filter produces the vowel sounds. The fuzz section opens up a wide range of tonal possibilities; you can choose to add it before or after the filter section or just cut it out of the equation entirely.