A Simpler DIY Wah Project - Check This Out!

[Paul Marossy]

I thought the metal for the pedal part was given to you. I'm referring to the 3/4x1/8" strips. Or did you cut those yourself?

Oh, those?! Sorry. I got those at Lowe's, in the same area where the other aluminum and steel rod, angles, and stuff is.

Paul, for a metal enclosure for the wah, how about the Hammond 1455 Series enclosure. The dimensions on #1455L2201 are 8.66" x 4.06" x 1.20". A little larger than what the plastic Radio Shack one is but still within the realm of possibility plus they are extruded aluminum so shouldn't need to worry about durability and the bottom plate is removeable for easy access. It looks like it might require a little redesigning of how the bracket attaches to the main housing but not a lot and maybe some routing on the sides to fit the jacks in there.

I did see that same dimension box in the 1590 series as well, which is the one I would use. I think it's a little big for my tastes, though. Then it would be more like one of those huge old Morley pedals. Actually, I am really happy with the RadioShack enclosure. The assembly as a whole is really quite sturdy. I am actually a little surprised at just how sturdy the whole thing is!

[Paul Marossy]

I added a picture on the page showing how I cut a little hole in the bottom of the enclosure to relieve the rack. It just works! I used an exacto blade to cut this hole. I started by drilling (4) 1/16" holes at the four corners and then patiently cut out the hole. It took about ten minutes to do.

I get a pretty decent sweep with this arrangement, at least in the range I consider usable. I think the sweep is about the same as my CryBaby/Vox wahs. I really like the sound of this one, too.

[Paul Marossy]

So far, this little wah has been working great. I'm not sure how long the 1/2 watt Alpha pot is going to last, though. So... my question to anyone in the know is is there such a thing as a heavy duty 25K wah pot? Can I just get a 25K 2-watt pot and use that? Can you even get such a thing these days?

[David]

Your approach is really slick, Paul!  Here's another idea for you:  did you consider making your mechanism "direct drive"?  Instead of using a gear and a rack, what about some kind of screw clamp for the pot shaft and then some kind of rod arrangement to connect the pedal to the pot?

[puretube]

conductive plastic pots go a loooong way...

[Paul Marossy]

Your approach is really slick, Paul!  Here's another idea for you:  did you consider making your mechanism "direct drive"?  Instead of using a gear and a rack, what about some kind of screw clamp for the pot shaft and then some kind of rod arrangement to connect the pedal to the pot?

The other two viable solutions for something other than the rack and pinion arrangement that I can see for this DIY wah would either be like the Ernie Ball volume pedal system with a string and pulleys or the way the Colorsound wahs did it:



Unfortunately, there is not enough room to do either method here. The Colorsound method could maybe work with a little redesigning of the bypass switch location, though.

conductive plastic pots go a loooong way...

Seriously? I never heard of such an animal. Where would I get one?

[petemoore]

I'm still looking for a 'plunger' type shaft rotater...it turns up/down into CW/CCW...like those old 'pump up and down' screwdrivers...a 'barberpole' slotted tube, that fits on the potshaft, then an upside down "T plunger' that fits in the tubes barberpole slots.

[Paul Marossy]

I'm still looking for a 'plunger' type shaft rotater...it turns up/down into CW/CCW...like those old 'pump up and down' screwdrivers...a 'barberpole' slotted tube, that fits on the potshaft, then an upside down "T plunger' that fits in the tubes barberpole slots.

Interesting idea, but I would think it would be hard to implement in this case. Where would you even get the parts for it?

[David]

The other two viable solutions for something other than the rack and pinion arrangement that I can see for this DIY wah would either be like the Ernie Ball volume pedal system with a string and pulleys or the way the Colorsound wahs did it.

Mais oui, mon ami!  I think there is another way.  I would have tried this myself if my wife had been in rehab longer.  Now that she's back home, I have a whole lot less time to tinker.  But I digress...   :roll:

One thing I considered was offsetting the pivot point of the wah pedal to line up roughly with the heel of your foot.  Once that's done, attach one "side" of your pedal to the wah pot.  Attach the other side to some kind of "bushing" -- like another wah pot.  This idea is not mine.  It came from R.G. and/or Maarten de Huu's article.

[Paul Marossy]

One thing I considered was offsetting the pivot point of the wah pedal to line up roughly with the heel of your foot. Once that's done, attach one "side" of your pedal to the wah pot. Attach the other side to some kind of "bushing" -- like another wah pot. This idea is not mine. It came from R.G. and/or Maarten de Huu's article.

I haven't seen that article for a long while. That is a clever way to do it as well. However, it seems like you would end up with a very long foot paddle travel to get the same amount of sweep that a rack and pinion would give you.  :?

EDIT: I suppose if you used a larger value pot, it could work, huh?

[troubledtom]

cool paul. :twisted:
   very good job,
         - tom

[David]

I haven't seen that article for a long while. That is a clever way to do it as well. However, it seems like you would end up with a very long foot paddle travel to get the same amount of sweep that a rack and pinion would give you.  :?

EDIT: I suppose if you used a larger value pot, it could work, huh?

Just to be clear, I wasn't advocating Maarten's approach.  While it's probably do-able, it looks like more than I care to take on.  The point I was trying to make was the concept of using a pot as a bushing.  I admit that I don't have direct evidence, but simulations I've done lead me to think that you get enough of a "turn radius" by using the pot directly in the pivot mechanism to make the thing work -- even if you have to increase the pot value to reduce the travel.

[Paul Marossy]

The point I was trying to make was the concept of using a pot as a bushing.

The thing I don't like about that concept is that you are relying on the pot as a pivot point. Pots really aren't designed to be used in such a manner. I think in the long run, they would fail from mechanical stress. But you could take the idea a step further using my method for the treadle and then find a way make that control the shaft. It could probably be done with a taller enclosure.

[David]

The point I was trying to make was the concept of using a pot as a bushing.

The thing I don't like about that concept is that you are relying on the pot as a pivot point. Pots really aren't designed to be used in such a manner. I think in the long run, they would fail from mechanical stress. But you could take the idea a step further using my method for the treadle and then find a way make that control the shaft. It could probably be done with a taller enclosure.

Not having actually followed through with constructing a wah mechanism, I'll have to yield to your superior knowledge.  I will say this, though:  I have a HotPotz, and it takes more force to turn that than to turn a standard 16mm Alpha pot.  Perhaps such pots are already designed with mechanical stress in mind.

[Paul Marossy]

Not having actually followed through with constructing a wah mechanism, I'll have to yield to your superior knowledge. I will say this, though: I have a HotPotz, and it takes more force to turn that than to turn a standard 16mm Alpha pot. Perhaps such pots are already designed with mechanical stress in mind.

Yeah, it's true that the heavy duty pots used in wahs are physically tougher, but it would still be using them in an application that they weren't designed for. Take apart a standard Alpha pot  (or a heavy duty wah pot) sometime and look at how it's constructed. It doesn't inspire confidence in me.  :wink:

It's mainly because the of the way the shaft conencts to the wafer why I say this. That said, it may work, but who knows for how long?

[petemoore]

I've been using the string spring method, with regular alpha like pots, I think the stress relief is good if all it has to overcome is the turning resistance of the potshaft, of course time only will tell...but I'mma sayin' I think doing it this way won't cause a high incidence of pot damage...if you adjust the gear so the bushing has to bear real weight, yes, regular turning forces I don't think would damage ordinary pots.
 Ordinary pots are pretty cheap and easy enough to change, come in any value, I see this [esp for the DIYer] as an advantage.

[puretube]

conductive plastic pots go a loooong way...

dunno about the US situation (distributors...) - but many manufacturers offer them nowadays - s.th. like 100.000 to 2.5 million rotations life span within 10% tolerance...

[Paul Marossy]

I've been thinking, there is a way to use pots and have it be reliable mechanically speaking. I made up this little drawing showing how I would do it, comparing it to the method I used in mine.

http://www.diyguitarist.com/PDF_Files/WahPot.pdf

[David]

Hey!  How did you do a Vulcan mind meld long distance?  That's exactly one of the concepts I had envisioned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I guess maybe I had been on the right track all along!

You get the props.  You drew it first.

[Paul Marossy]

Hey!  How did you do a Vulcan mind meld long distance?  That's exactly one of the concepts I had envisioned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I guess maybe I had been on the right track all along!

You get the props.  You drew it first.

Na na nana na, I beat you to it.  :wink:

Seriously, do you mean about the pot mounting? I think that what I drew up could work, but it would it is more difficult to construct than my solution.