Identifying an old Vox wah

[Fuzz]

Hi guys!

I need an help in identifying this pedal:
http://www.fuzzfx.it/gallery.htm

Thanks to some pics around the web I understand that it could be an old Italian Vox model...it seems a V847, but there are some strange things (maybe recent mods...) in it:

- the red Fasel inductor;
- the cap-res input instead of the res-cap input;
- transistor are 2N5089 for the first and BC170B for the second;
- 470ohm first transistor emitter resistance to ground instead of the 510.

I have seen from fuzzcentral (thanks Phillip!) that an old model having that 470ohm is also known, but it seems to have other trannies, 250mH inductor and no "Q" resistor in parallel with it. :shock:

Anybody have some good ideas?

Thanx guys!
Fuzz

[jimbob]

Looks like a recently modified old vox/dunlop-Prob Dunlop. Fasel looks like a reissue as well as the .22 caps.

[1wahfreak]

I've had a ton of these. The one in my hands has the exact same board but does not have the Ducati cap. They were made by Jen back in the day. Some still have the Vox name on the casing but the bottoms plate says "maunfactured by Jen". I've seen some that have 1 trop fish cap and 1 white block type on the same board, some have 2 trop fish. I think they pretty much used whatever they had laying around at the time. Red fasels were the most common of all the Jen made inductors. They also came in yellow, green, white (haven't seen black or blue yet). I wouldn't make too big a deal by looking at one component or a slight resistor change. the only thing I would question as being a recent change is the 2n5089. I'm not sure when that trannie evolved. In either case that is definately a mid 70's Jen/Vox.

[jimbob]

I know i learned something. Thanks.

Jimbob

[Fuzz]

I've had a ton of these. The one in my hands has the exact same board but does not have the Ducati cap. They were made by Jen back in the day. Some still have the Vox name on the casing but the bottoms plate says "maunfactured by Jen". I've seen some that have 1 trop fish cap and 1 white block type on the same board, some have 2 trop fish. I think they pretty much used whatever they had laying around at the time. Red fasels were the most common of all the Jen made inductors. They also came in yellow, green, white (haven't seen black or blue yet). I wouldn't make too big a deal by looking at one component or a slight resistor change. the only thing I would question as being a recent change is the 2n5089. I'm not sure when that trannie evolved. In either case that is definately a mid 70's Jen/Vox.

Thank you very much 1wahfreak!
I just don't understand where should I read "manufactured by Jen"...can you explain?
So Ducati elec cap (yes, I forgot to talk about this...4uF...not 0.1 more, not 0.1 less... :wink: ), 2 white block .22 caps, red fasel,...Italian manifactured...so the only thing that you believe is not original is the input tranny; and what about the BC170B? I have never heard about that in wah pedals!

And let me say something more...a friend of mine gave it to me to fix some mechanical problems (simply lubification needed), and I was very happy to try a "vintage" wah...so I put it in front of my amp with a subtle crunch, and  :!:  :shock:  :?: it's weak, thin, nothing to do with my little early '90 Dunlop Cry Baby (modded a little by myself... ...just 68k instead of 33k and 18n instead of 10n...you know what I mean, right man? :wink: ) that just seems to "talk". My friend said "is normal with clean sounds...while it's amazing with distortion"...but I am still unhappy...is this a well known problem? And is there something I can do?

Thanx guys!
Fuzz

PS: I would like to know the model...V847?

[1wahfreak]

Jen made numerous wah pedals for different companies, Playa Baby, Luxor, Unichord, Playboy, Wah Baby etc. As far as I know they were all originally made with a black back plate which states the name of the pedal. Ususally it says something to the effect of "manufactured for Unichord by Jen". The shells were nearly all the same, black crinkle paint, white piping around the bottom plate......
I can't say for sure by just looking at the circuit board. Somebody may have taken the board and put it into a different shell, who knows.
I'm not saying the input trannie is not original. I don't know enough about it to say that. Maybe some else can be sure. If you want, I can send you some pics of mine so you can compare. Check the back side of the board closely for non original solder joints....that's dead give away.
Not all vintage wahs sound good. I've spent good money thinking I would always get a great sound if I bought a vintage pedal. I think most are ok at best. Hence the whole mojo thread.....

[Fuzz]

Jen made numerous wah pedals for different companies, Playa Baby, Luxor, Unichord, Playboy, Wah Baby etc. As far as I know they were all originally made with a black back plate which states the name of the pedal. Ususally it says something to the effect of "manufactured for Unichord by Jen". The shells were nearly all the same, black crinkle paint, white piping around the bottom plate......
I can't say for sure by just looking at the circuit board. Somebody may have taken the board and put it into a different shell, who knows.
I'm not saying the input trannie is not original. I don't know enough about it to say that. Maybe some else can be sure. If you want, I can send you some pics of mine so you can compare. Check the back side of the board closely for non original solder joints....that's dead give away.
Not all vintage wahs sound good. I've spent good money thinking I would always get a great sound if I bought a vintage pedal. I think most are ok at best. Hence the whole mojo thread.....

I've quickly given a look to the bottom plate, and it just says "VOX"...than speaks about unplugging the input jack when not in use...and there's a serial: 250.049. Nothing more.
I've also checked the solder joints, and they all seems original...the only abnormal thing is that the 2N5089 has a strange orientation on the board, a little "forced" in it, as the PCB was made to receive a tranny with different pins layout (and I think it was...)
Anyhow, I would be pleased to receive your wah pics, thus extending my brand new wah knowledge...

Thank you very much!
Fuzz

[1wahfreak]

Here's are some pics of my Jen wahs. The first is a Wah face. Notice the writing on the back plate. The second is my Vox (just like yours), also like yours it doesn't have any thing written on the back. I didn't notice that until I dragged mine out of the closet but it does look like all the other Jens. Circuit boards are very similar in all the jens in the last two pics. The Double Sound (front row, far right) and the Strepitoso (front row 2nd from right) have film can inductors and both sound pretty good.
I hope the link works, first time dealing with SBC....

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bronecki@sbcglobal.net/detail?.dir=/a789&.dnm=b493.jpg&.src=ph

[jmusser]

Since I am just getting into wahs, I was wondering when you're looking at an V847, that tells you it an original or a reissue? I've also seen the insides of some of the Dunlops on Ebay that show the jacks built into the PC board. When did they start doing that? The junk one I've bought recently just has the independent jacks. Now, my most recent purchase (that I can't play with until Christmas) is an Exciter pedal I got off Ebay the other day. I got to buy my own stuff, but they have to stay wrapped. Anyway, this pedal is a fossil. It looks to be from 1972 (72/11). It has a surf and hurricane feature, along with a siren, wah and volume. It was sold as is, so I'm not sure how much of it works, but it's all there, including..(drum roll please) a perfect original schematic glued to the bottom cover. Analog Man had a little blurb on it, that says the hurricane and surf features are from white noise generators, that you control with the foot pedal. It ought to be fun anyway. Has anyone ever owned or played one of these? The bottom plate along with the date, and a separate battery door, has the name "Companian" stamped on it. I'm guessing it means it's an "Exciter" pedal, made by "Companian", but who knows.

[Fuzz]

Here's are some pics of my Jen wahs. The first is a Wah face. Notice the writing on the back plate. The second is my Vox (just like yours), also like yours it doesn't have any thing written on the back. I didn't notice that until I dragged mine out of the closet but it does look like all the other Jens. Circuit boards are very similar in all the jens in the last two pics. The Double Sound (front row, far right) and the Strepitoso (front row 2nd from right) have film can inductors and both sound pretty good.
I hope the link works, first time dealing with SBC....

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bronecki@sbcglobal.net/detail?.dir=/a789&.dnm=b493.jpg&.src=ph

Your collection is amazing!  
Thanks for the pics, very intersting. I have add some pics on my site too with a dedicated page (visit my site and go on the "gallery" page)...everything is written in Italian by now, but images speaks by themselves.

for jmusser: indipendent jacks and board layout are good evidences of the pedal age. But you can ask everything to our wah guru 1wahfreak... :lol:
Sorry, can't help you with that exciter stuff  :oops:

Bye!
Fuzz

[jmusser]

I never heard of a "Strepitoso" wah pedal pedal before. The Jens I have, except I'm not sure of their origin. Was Vox and Jen two different companies that merged or something? If I remember right, Dunlop bought the Cry Baby name (and probably the circuitry) from Vox, or their wouldn't be a Dunlop pedal. Maybe the Wah Freak will come through for me on the Exciter Pedal. The pedal does have the same rack and pinion set up on the pot as the Vox and Dunlop.

[1wahfreak]

I admit I'm guessing that Jen or Vox made the Strepitoso (made by Eko) because the casing is nearly the same and the board is pretty close. It's got a film can inductor and Icar pot so it all points to Jen or Vox. But who knows. I haven't found any history on it yet.
Do a search for history of Vox or Jen wah pedals and you'll come up with a bunch of info.
As far as an v847 being original or reissue, I'm not sure if there is a difference. Im sure they have gone through they're history of revisions, but I don't think they have hit vintage status just yet.
The Companion line was made Shin-ei. They made all kinds of effects back then. Just like Jen, Shin-ei made them for differnt companies so you'll see other names other than Companion but still produced by Shin-ei.
Have fun with it....

[jmusser]

I've only heard Shin-ei here on the forum associated with a fuzz, but I'm sure they made a lot of stuff. I didn't know a thing about pedals until about 4 years ago, so I have a lot of catching up to do. The stamp that has the date and "Companion" on it, also says "Japan", so it would make sense that it was Shin-ei. I have something printed off somewhere that tells about the Vox wah-wah pedal, and people running down the hall at Vox when they lit the first wah off, to see who was being beaten to death! There is also something about McCoy's enfluence over a particular line, and the Vox wah evolution. I'll just have to locate it. It seems like the first ones were made in Italy also, but I may be wrong on that. Thanks for the info. I hope I can get the Exciter to do it's thing. It ought to be cool.

[1wahfreak]

here's a few cool wah pedal links......

http://www.analogman.com/kraft.htm
http://members.chello.nl/~t.heertjes/Wah%20wah.html
http://www.geofex.com/      (technology of the wah pedal)