My DIY Crybaby works!

[wui223]

Finally got it sound but it lack of one sturdy rocker casing anybody has suggestion?

[Paul Marossy]

I remember seeing something about making your own wah assembly at GEOFEX.com

[wui223]

http://www.geocities.com/stompboxworktop/rocker4.jpg

Take a look at this guy's work, pretty well i think

[petemoore]

That way probably is working very well, but I'd think mounting the pot, and preventing treadle 'overtravel' that puts stress on the pot would be in order.
 I like the 'string thru knob'/wrapped around knob trick, I used that on a few treadle pedals. I'ts very similar to the Ernie Ball Volume Pedal design, but uses the knob where Ernie has a pulley.
 I use 'flat sided' knobs, about 1'' tall so when the *string is aligned from both sides [the treadle and the CCW spring] *it stays on.
 To use the pedal as a preset wah, second counterspring can be 'cajoled' in there to let the pedal stay at median settings when you take your foot off. For this I used an coil spring from an .049 gas powered model engine.
 My treadles are hinged above the box, then a rod goes through the 'hinge raising brackets' and under the treadle for the see/saw action, the model engine coil 'torque' [starter spring for propellor planes...there are other tortion springs you could use]...anyway that spring is installed with the treadle hinge rod going through it.

[wui223]

can u use diagram to illustrate? hard to imagine

[petemoore]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/petemoore/untitled.bmp
 
 Sorry this is what I have for my SS Phazer in a VOX Wah case...it uses an extra pulley to have the take up [string/spring juncture] section above the case/below the treadle....and shows how the string comes off the toe, goes straight down, then around the potknob, through the potknob [the straight line in the circle indicates where I drilled through the knob, around the potshaft some more [you only need wraps enough so the knob will release/roll up enough string to actuate full potshaft turning range]...
 Then because there's no room to have the takeup section inside a standard wah case with the circuit in it...the takeup section....  .... the string comes off the pot, and is directed through another pulley [from an old radio tuner string] then goes straight back [over case, under treadle], string is connected to spring [leave 2'' or so of string past the pulley because the connection won't go through the pulley], spring is then connected to the 'stay'...mounted at the heel of the pedal.
 To adjust the knob range, slack the string going around/through/around the potknob, and work it through a little bit, check the pot CCW/CW range...maybe a couple or more times...I get full pot rotation, but the toe up should * just pull it fully CW and no more...otherwise the pots range limiter [you can only turn a potshaft so far...] might get knocked out with a hard toe up...the spring doesn't have enough pull to damage the 'potrangestop' in the pot
 OT/Alternate ...if you're building your'e own case and have room inside[like the other one I did like this] the takeup section can be a straight line from the pot to the back of the case [inside the case as opposed to what I have shown...
 Hope this helps/Ive tried different ways, and find this is the Q'nD'est way to get a treadle case to effectively turn a pot all the way up and down reliably.
 For the counterspring, so the pedal doesn't just go toe down when you 'let go', I used a coil spring around the treadle hinge, or you could use a stiff 'pullspring' between under the heel/over the case [because the heel doesn't move up and down far/farther back from the hinge moves a little more]...or a light pushspring under the toe...
 the coil spring around the hinge is best IME>
 ....oh yeah...
 The pot is mounted with an L bracket to the inside/top of the case.
 I like this method, most of the parts can found/had easily, and I can use any value pot I want....
 For the string part, I chose tuner knob actuator string [from old reciever/amp]...this is found in old radios where the tuner knob moves the station/frequency indicator up/down the dial...very strong stuff, I got the guide pulley from there also [for the string between treadle and case design].

[David]

What about a piece of coathanger wire as the linkage between the pedal and the wah pot?  Then, use two more pots back at the heel side of the pedal as combined hinges and bushings.  This might counteract the weight of the pedal and gravity.  You might also try taping coins to the heel side of the pedal so it's balanced across the hinge point.  This eliminates the pedal's weight as a factor in how well the wah stays "%^&*ed".

I've been thinking about this a lot, too.  I just doubt I'm going to get much time to futz with the engineering.  My wife goes back into rehab in about a week and a half.  I'll have about a month to build and I have a long list!

[petemoore]

Behringer is selling wah pedals for dirt cheep 30 bux. Their Schplurb about the wah makes them sound interesting.
 I had a bad time though and swore off ever again buying new, any Jacks in PCB construction.

[wui223]

Yeah Behringer, when is it in the market? i will buy one also then maybe salvaged the circuit out and replace with my favourite

[4nkam]

The one with the slider is the same design my EMB Audio rack wah uses

MJ

[formerMember1]

I don't understand what their saying above me but i figured i'd post my question under this thread instead of starting a new one.  

Anybody know how to change the feel of a dunlop wah?  Not sound wise, but here's an example:

My dunlop crybaby classic is really stiff and stays where i want it, (when rocking the pedal)
The gcb-95 wah i have, is really loose feeling and you could get pretty quick wah strokes.(again not sound wise but the physical movement of the pedal)
thanks

[Fret Wire]

Look at the side of your wah. See the large pin going thru the treadle? It not only attaches it to the main housing, it is also the pivot. Look between the treadle and the housing. You'll see a spring steel strap running lengthwise across the pivot pin. You'll also see a screw head on each end. This adds tension to the pedal movement. Now go inside the housing. Under the board, you'll see end of a bolt with a nut on it, two of them actually. Depending on whether you have a Dunlop or Vox, you may be able to see one of the nuts. If you want more tension, tighten down the nut, less tension, loosen it. It doesn't matter which nut you adjust. Usually, one nut can be adjusted and wont hit anything. Depending on the make, one of the nuts will hit the pcb if adjusted too much.  Just trial and error adjust the tension till you like it.

Besides the electronic mods, you should learn the physical mods for wah. Adjusting the treadle tension, footswitch height, and pot, are all important set-up adjustments that you should do even if you don't mod your wah. It's like setting up the action on a guitar.
http://www.happybob.com/marc/pot_adjustment_procedure.htm

http://www.realmccoycustom.com/ADJUSTMENTHELP.htm

[LoKi6922]

hmm... i wonder how comfortable it would be if you made some sort of sliding assembly? might be cool...


i have an original colorsound wah and the rocker is so flimsy it scares me... great tone and more sweep than any wah i've ever played..

i thought about building a 'sliding' foot control and putting the wah in there.

[C Bradley]

Finally got it sound but it lack of one sturdy rocker casing anybody has suggestion?

See this thread:
http://diystompboxes.com/sboxforum/viewtopic.php?p=251006#251006