Original Dunlop Cry Baby sounds awful!

  • I use this wah pedal (current adapter fed) between my Profiler and my Les Paul. I have an exact rig for Sweet Child o'mine so in the second solo I use the wah. It sounds awful: only a l ot of squeaking en no audible wah. The pedal is quite new so why does it sound so bad. Is it the way it's connected to the profiler or has it something to do with the fx chain?

    I also tried an expression pedal and used Frank Elze's wah type but this sounds also bad, unfortunately.

  • I repurposed my same as model Dunlop cry baby wah (changed the internals) to become an expression pedal. Could not be happier with the result. Kemper built in wah where better than my old school cry baby

  • What AMP do you use in that rig ?

    Are You sure the Gain it's not too much?

    Does You Wah (which model?) Sound Awful Only with That Rig ? or with Any other rig? even on Clean sounds.

    I use a Marshall 2203. The gain is set to 3 o'clock. I use a original Dunlop Cry Baby wah.

    On clean sounds it sounds like this:

    https://soundcloud.com/theplayer-3/crackled-wah


    Both cables are fine. The pedal is connected to an 12V adapter to 220 V (Holland) Pedal is quite new.

  • I use a Marshall 2203. The gain is set to 3 o'clock. I use a original Dunlop Cry Baby wah.

    On clean sounds it sounds like this:

    https://soundcloud.com/theplayer-3/crackled-wah


    Both cables are fine. The pedal is connected to an 12V adapter to 220 V (Holland) Pedal is quite new.

    You are using a real Dunlop Wah in front of the Kemper ? Correct.


    If so, Dunlop Wah are 9-volt power. Maybe try a 9v battery if you do not have the correct adaptor. The adapter should be Dunlop ECB003 or ECB003E ( for Europe) or suitable replacement

  • I let it be and got my Boss FV-500 expression pedal connected again, with the WW CAE MC404 1 wah and this sounds much better and will do fine for now. So I guess the Cry Baby is no good.

    Thanks guys, for your support.

  • It sounds awful: only a l ot of squeaking en no audible wah. The pedal is quite new so why does it sound so bad. Is it the way it's connected to the profiler or has it something to do with the fx chain?

    the only time I get this behaviour from my Crybaby is when I plug the cables in the wrong way round (guitar into Amplified side and Amp into Instrument side). There have been several times when I’ve stared at my pedal convinced it was broken only to find out that I had plugged in wrong ?‍♂️

  • Hi Alan, The pedal though shows clearly the names on the rubber pedal surface: AMPLIFIER (L) and INSTRUMENT (R).

    But I haven't a clue why it sounds so bad. Playing a clean rig the wah is OK but with much gain it's terrible. I have considered the use of a 9 V battery but using a adapter is more useful and easier.

    So back to the expression pedal for now.

  • You are probably better off using your expression pedal and Wah preset (I like CAE MC404 2 preset for Sweet Child o'mine).


    Most Wahs like the Crybaby have a buffered input, which means there is some "tone suck" (usually a noticeable loss of top end) even when the pedal is bypassed. Plus they always tend to pick up radio interference which makes the tone inconsistent and less reliable, whereas the Kemper Wahs will always sound the same. Also, you can set the Kemper Wah to stop at bypass, this way you don't even have to worry about properly pressing the button down on the wah during a performance.


    I have a VOX 847 moded with true bypass but still use an expression pedal instead with the Kemper.

  • Long story....


    I wrote a long (!) reply to all contributions from you guys (:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:!) to my problem and posted it. After that I again tried to find out if I could solve the problem and now finally I did so I deleted my former reply.


    At that moment I wondered if there could be something wrong with the way the expression wah was put in the chain: in the first block at the D position just before the amp.

    So I put it in the second block X, just after the amp. A world of difference !! This is all due to my lack of knowledge of sound engineering and programming stuff. But now it's a whole other story: no sudden turning point in the gap between deep low and high but a really smooth transition from deep low to high. I'm happy now! So a right answer can be simple and give the solution but you just have to come to it....


    It seems just like baking a cake. If you use the right ingredients but put them in the wrong way together you get an ogre....


    So thanks again Alan, Guitarguy83, drog, Machette76, KellyMidiMurphy and Sollazon :thumbup:


    Still I wonder why my CryBaby acts so terrible. It can't be my adapter: https://ibb.co/dtbMXNs

    Edited 3 times, last by theplayer ().

  • Whilst crybaby's are the industry standard because everyone used to play them, they are not that great for most of the reasons mentioned...I've modded a few as well to make them true bypass and changed inductors etc but still never sound "great".


    I think your problem ( assuming as you mentioned the leads are in right - very easy to do and I even checked once, then double checked to find I had got it wrong) is either:

    1) faulty wah

    2) Incompatible power unit


    The internal wah - if its very on or off you need to look at the expression pedal type and consider the pots....loads on this elsewhere in the forum.


    I don't actually like the tone Orianthi gets here on wah...at the start at the treble end its very scratchy...looks like a Morley??


    I play SWoM myself, not on a Les Paul but I use a converted wah and the internal Kemper Wah ( can check which preset next time its on if you like) and for me, that's close enough.


    Personally I'd ditch the idea of of an external wah for all of the reasons mentioned plus:


    1) No power concerns

    2) No tone suck

    3) variable parameters ( check all the presets)

    4) You can add boost at the same time


    Its a no brainer to me..

  • the BOSS adapter just posted say 9V, 0.5A, center negative.. the dunlop ECB003E is slightly different but I dont think the problem is there.


    I ve just listened to the sample on Soundcloud and it seems the problem could be one of the 1/4 Jack (In or Out) or the Pot itself cracking.


    Anyway... I had many dunlop wha in the past; at some point I had 2 at the same time in my pedalboard (a Jh-1 for cleans and a 535q for dirty).

    I remember I had a similar issue with the jh-1 and its Output Jack:

    sometimes the tip of the TS cable didnt get the right contact because the pedal was quite old and probably there were some rust inside the jack. I ve solved using a but of abrasive paper.


    Apart this Ive never had any other problem with any wha even if I have to admitt I use the wah effect more often now that I switch to external espression pedals Solution.

  • V8Guitar and Sollazon, maybe my reply has crossed your reply but I have been able to solve the problem and let my Cry Baby for what it is. I found the solution in reorganising the rig components (see my post #12)


    But I still like to have and buy a good external wah pedal wich can do the job without problems. Mission maybe or any other better??

  • as far as I know the mission is just a Pot and a switch in a classic dunlop wah chassi .. it seems to me a bit over priced to be honest.


    In the last months I m useing the 2 expression pedals integrate in beheringer fbc1010 and they work. I ve also used a normal Volume pedal for keywords ( proel) and it Also works good.

  • Yep, I'be hadn't Mission apart and it literally is a Dunlop Pot in a Crybaby housing without any of the actual way circuitry. Definitely overpriced but it does feel exactly like using a Dunlop Way if you don't want to do any DIY mods.


    I personally find the Mission great for wah but hopeless as a more general expression pedal due to the very short travel if the pedal itself.