Wah / Volume

[MikeH]

I want to convert my wah to work as a volume pedal when the effect is off.  If I'm using true bypass, can I just get a double gang pot and direct the signal through the second gang instead of bypassing the signal through the switch?  Of course I don't think the taper would be quite right, and then there's the trouble of tracking down a double gang wah pot... Anyone try anything like this?

[David]

Bespeco did.  They had/have a unit with an inductor wah and a passive volume mode.  The one I have uses a stereo pot - one side for the wah and the other for the volume.  Switching was handled by a SPDT switch.  I changed that to a DPDT and an LED to designate wah on/wah off.  Worked OK, but I was never thrilled with the wah tone.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

I think you can do it with a two way three pole switch.

Because, the pot in the wah is grounded at one end.

Now, pole 1 of the switch is either connecting the pot to the wah circuitry, or to the signal going into the wah. (the input signal remains connected to the wah, even when it is in volume mode).

pole 2 of the switch either connects the wiper of the pot either to the top of the pot (wah mode) or to the output (volume mode).

pole 3 of the switch either connects the output of the wah circuitry to the output (wah mode) or to ground.

Disadvantage: maybe the pot will be too low an input impedance for use as a volume control.
In that case, all you need is a buffer in front of the whole thing.

I'm sure someone can think of a way to neaten all this up, but it's a starting point.
Mind you, since when a cap or the coil is broken a wah often BECOMES a volume pedal (though not with full range), some may be happy with a simpler 'mod'