the best replacement wah pots?

Paul Marossy · January 05, 2007, 01:04:21 PM

QuoteI just replaced the stock pot in my Dunlop Wah with one of the black top 200k pots from small bear. I think that the pot in addition to the Teese mod to simulate the ICAR taper (switch the .22mf feeding the wiper with a .33mf) makes for an awesome sweep range, and much less expensive than the Hot Potz or even FT pots.

I have one of those Blacktop pots in my 70's Vox wah (had to be replaced).

nightingale · January 05, 2007, 01:37:45 PM

Hi,
I have been using one of the cheaper ones that ce distribution/tubesandmore.com sells for 3+ yr now. I also have used quite a few them for repairs at the shop where I am a tech, and have had no complaints yet. You could buy a new v847 for the same price of the bench fee and a hot pot.. so most customers opt for the entry level priced pot.

In my opinion I think a lower Hfe transistors helps increase the sweep more in a crybaby than the type/taper/brand of pot.

Also having the ability to "dial in" the mechanical parts really helps to.

here is the CE part #: R-VWAH-LP

snowed in in Colorado,
ry

boogietube · January 05, 2007, 09:19:38 PM

I always use the 200k Blacktop.
I love the way that you have to use the entire throw for the wah sound. It's not crowded in a small area. There have been a few people who like that small "sweet spot" in 100K pots, so I second Paul on the 100K hot potz II when it comes to the 100k ones. I have tried all of them for various customers.
Sean

Paul Marossy · January 05, 2007, 10:25:36 PM

QuoteThere have been a few people who like that small "sweet spot" in 100K pots, so I second Paul on the 100K hot potz II when it comes to the 100k ones.

I really do think those Hot Potz IIs are some great wah pots. They work for me, anyway.

Ed G. · January 05, 2007, 10:31:30 PM

I think you need that narrow sweet spot to do the whacka-whacka porn movie soundtrack/theme from Shaft thing. (which is what the wah is all about, right?)

Mark Abbott · January 06, 2007, 05:04:04 AM

Dear Mark Hammer

I agree totally with you that using a pot in a wah pedal is like wearing button up shoes. I am aware that sometime ago Morley had a system where they used light and some sort of shutter, (I never owned one so I don't know, but I do recall they were BIG.)

Okay now that you've asked the question, what solution comes to mind, that can be implemented, given the resources of the common man?

I have seen a few set ups where a LED/LDR arrangement was used, this took care of the noise factor, and wah pedals are noisy.

Though a pot still had to be used.

Answering a question with a question, don't you hate that!

Yours Sincerely

Mark Abbott

Paul Marossy · January 06, 2007, 05:37:27 PM

QuoteI have seen a few set ups where a LED/LDR arrangement was used, this took care of the noise factor, and wah pedals are noisy.
Though a pot still had to be used.

Yep, you still need a pot in the wah circuit with an LED/LDR arrangement - that is what varies the resonant frequency. The idea behind the LED/LDR thing is that you are electrically isolating the pot from the rest of the circuit, and so you can't ever have a scratchy pot sound as a result.

petemoore · January 06, 2007, 06:19:45 PM

Got an order shipped from SB for the Jfets and a 200k wah pot.
The pot that's in there...I've been thinking of replacing for a while [last thing from the original except many of the caps and resistors...lol].
I may like trying the option...for trimming it down to about 100k using one side of an SPDT switch to try different trim resistors between lugs 1/2 and lugs 1/3...should be interesting.

petemoore · January 08, 2007, 07:57:24 PM

I put the new Black 200k I recieved from SB today in my Wah.
While I was at it I also installed a switch for inserting 2 x 100k fixed resistors between the 3 pot lugs.
Yupp, big change in sweep smoothness.
Toe down fully, switching between the 200k pot and 100k pot equivalent increases treble slightly, the main difference being that it's a quicker sweep @100k.
200k being nice for 'fine tuning' and 100k for 'snappier' wah sweep, works great.
I'm not missing the 'lump in the sweep' I had.
Finally a wah with no complaints, works great...yupp I re-adjusted all the trimpots to...about back where they were...lol.

boogietube · January 08, 2007, 09:06:41 PM

QuoteYep, you still need a pot in the wah circuit with an LED/LDR arrangement

Sorry Paul. A Morley Bad Horsie doesn't use a pot. Step on it it wahs, step off it's off. (not true bypass) Schematics on their website.
I actually use two wah's live. The Morley (heavily modded-stock it sounds like crap) for quick on the fly stuff and most other stuff. I use a GGG drop in with output buffer for those occasions where I'm just using it like a filter or tone control. Think : the solo to Whole lotta love.
Because the Bad Horsie is a VOX circuit with added led/ldr stuff, it can be modded easily.
Cheers!

Paul Marossy · January 08, 2007, 10:16:16 PM

Huh, no pot? That's interesting. I was thinking more along the lines of when you mod a wah pedal with an LED/LDR combo when I said whatever I said.

Paul Marossy · January 09, 2007, 10:32:58 AM

Here's the Morley Bad Horsie (model VAI-1) schemtic: http://www.morleypedals.com/vai-1es.pdf
Can someone tell me how the heck this thing works?! I don't see what controls the sweep...

petemoore · January 09, 2007, 11:07:30 AM

Maybe they're using the 'sleeping glasses' technique they use on the Morley Phase Shifter,as the pedal moves toward tow down it introduces a light barrier [a 2'' square of light blocking fabric] between the light source and LDR's.

Paul Marossy · January 09, 2007, 11:16:52 AM

QuoteMaybe they're using the 'sleeping glasses' technique they use on the Morley Phase Shifter,as the pedal moves toward tow down it introduces a light barrier [a 2'' square of light blocking fabric] between the light source and LDR's.

Hmm... that sounds plausible.

Eirik · January 09, 2007, 11:33:59 AM

Pete's pretty close

It's actually a piece of plastic with holes in it connected to the rocker pedal. Pushing the toe down gradually introduces more light to the LDR. There are, for some reason two led-ldr arangements. The first one lets all the light trough pretty early, the second one when toe is almost on top. Possibly to give ita "logaritmic feel"?

Paul Marossy · January 09, 2007, 11:47:38 AM

I did notice the pair of LED/LDRs. I figured one of them was for the auto on/off feature or something...

Eirik · January 09, 2007, 12:06:38 PM

A few pics to compensate for my somewhat clumsy description

"Neutral"-heel down:

Toe down:

From above:

Paul Marossy · January 09, 2007, 01:13:56 PM

Ah, now it's making more sense. Pretty clever.

rockgardenlove · January 10, 2007, 07:01:14 PM

The Fulltone pot sounds like crap in my wah when compared to the 100k Black Bear from Smallbear. There seems to be way less treble to the wah...why on earth would this be? And yes, I did index the pot.

YouAre · January 10, 2007, 11:04:36 PM

Quote from: boogietube on January 08, 2007, 09:06:41 PM

Because the Bad Horsie is a VOX circuit with added led/ldr stuff, it can be modded easily.
Cheers!

are you serious!??! which morley wah's exactly? and are the same mods we all love and use for vox/crybaby wah's (i.e. q, mids, range etc etc) applicable to the morleys?

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the best replacement wah pots?