Wah Experts - I Need Some Help Please!

[Paul Marossy]

I was changing the guts out of two of my wah pedals, and I simply took my DIY grey Vox wah circuit out of one wah shell and put it in a different one. Now, it was working fine before but now that it's in a new wah shell, it doesn't do a wah sound anymore, it does not act like a volume pedal nor does it even have an affect on the amount of treble. It just sounds more or less like when in bypass mode (it's true bypassed, BTW) with a slightly lower output - it doesn't matter how the pot is set.

So my question is what the heck is going on here?! I checked for continuity, voltages and all that stuff and I can't find any reason why it shouldn't be working, yet it isn't...

Anyone have any ideas on this one?

[Paul Marossy]

OK, I think I know what it is - the pot. I measured it and it there is no change in value between the wiper and the other two lugs when the pot is turned. I must have screwed it up when I put it in there - I forgot to put that lock washer between the pot and the shell. I tightened it up pretty good, so it must have screwed up the pot. Doh! 

[formerMember1]

Paul, that was what was wrong with my wah.  Is it a propot?  I went through 2 propots, because of soldering them more than once and trying other pots,

What you could try is soldering it in pedal, and pushing on the middle lug of pot, and either pushing it down to bend it slightly(the lug), or pullup with plierss,(carefully obviously cuz if you loosen it real bad, you will ruin the pot and maybe it isn't the pot).  I did that and it was a temporary fix for a few months, and at a later date i put a new one in.

if you are using the propot, best price i found is here,

http://www.danelectroid.com/parts.html#pots

BTW, i was reading somewhere that the CTS pots are very close to the old ICAR pots, as far as taper.  I am gonna look into trying to glue a gear on a CTS pot and try it,....ever try it?

I forgot to put that lock washer between the pot and the shell. I tightened it up pretty good, so it must have screwed up the pot. Doh!

i noticed the same thing, if you don't have the pot sitting in the wah right, it messes the pot up,...i don't know why though.

[Paul Marossy]

I feel really stoopid this morning.  I played with it some more and discovered that there is a large part of the sweep where nothing happens - it stays at the same value. So, I simply had the pot set so it was going thru that range instead of the other end of the sweep where it does change value. That's on a Hot Potz II, so it definitely has a special taper. Live and learn I guess. 

[troubledtom]

I feel really stoopid this morning.  I played with it some more and discovered that there is a large part of the sweep where nothing happens - it stays at the same value. So, I simply had the pot set so it was going thru that range instead of the other end of the sweep where it does change value. That's on a Hot Potz II, so it definitely has a special taper. Live and learn I guess. 

easy mistake, yep live and learn. but remember , this is a big piece of info for any new ones out there.
     be cool,
          - tom

[Paul Marossy]

easy mistake, yep live and learn. but remember , this is a big piece of info for any new ones out there.

Yeah, hopefully this helps someone else from making the same mistake!