Boss PW-10 V-Wah

This pedal is crazy, I am very impressed with it. It is pretty easy to use, the nose switch is simple, push it down and it is on or off. The heel switch is kind of annoying, not very easy to use, but that doesn't matter, you don't really even need it. If you are cheap and buy it used and it doesn't come with a manual, wow, you are gonna be lost. IF you have no idea what to do, you need the manual. The pedal does a lot and you need to know how to do the stuff, once you read the manual you will know how to do it with no problem. The only bad thing about this pedal is, if you wanna change the distortions and overdrives on this pedal, like change from metal zone to big muff or OD-1 or OD-2 or any of the other dists. and overdrives, you gotta take out the AC adapter, put it back in when holding down the manual/memory button ,and make sure you change it to advanced b4 you put the ac in, then you can switch dists. and overdrives. If you need to use the many distortions this pedal has and you are playing a show, you better just get some extra pedals, it will get pretty annoying to turn it off, switch to this, hold button, power on, pick what you want, and save it. That isn't a big problem, but to use the diff. dists. and overdrives is cool to have, an awesome pedal worth the $$$. It models the Morley, Vox, and Dunlop wahs greatly,they are all packed in one and you can use the Q control (range knob)!!! A 9 because the heel switch is dumb and sorta hard.

If you want Vox V846, Morley Bad Horsie, and Dunlop CryBaby all in one and that sound like them, get this pedal. I have had used or had those pedals, they sound like it and better, except 4 the Crybaby, I like the sound of my Dunlop GCB-95 better than the Boss V wahs simulation. The pedal has a noise supressor in it along with the distortions, overdrives, wahs, custom wahs, bass wah, univibe, and voice! You can't get a pedal like this or any better!

I use it on gigs, I usually use the wahs and rotovibe or uni-v. I don't need a backup 4 this pedal even though I have a ton of pedals, wahs, dists., overdrives, and every other fx.

Never need to deal with em.

This pedal is the best, I bought it mainly for the wahs and Uni-v, the voice is awesome too, but only sounds good with the dist. on the pedal because my head's distortion is too powerful. I really like how they added the old Vox Uni-v, that was a great idea. You can't even compare this to any other pedal, it would kill any other pedal anyway! If they make a 2nd version of this one, I don't know what they would do, but Boss would make another insane pedal. This pedal made me get rid of most of my fx pedals, I don't use a lot any more because of this pedal, it takes care of what some of my pedals did, and the stuff on this pedal is of the best quality and sounds awesome.

All the complaints stated below are valid. i couldn't believe that switching between presets would not bypass the distortion; weird. That being said i decided to use it as a strict wah and if i wanted a univibe flavour i would just reach down and turn a knob. i also like the preset "synth" sound although it boosts my signal too much.

I really like the sound of the filters. I use the univibe sound quite a bit. the travel could be longer and smoother.

i gig without a backup. i play often and i don't woory about it.

This pedal definately inspires me. it's fun and i barely cracked it's possibilities. Maybe that is why i'm not frustrated with it. My suggestion is don't expect it to do everything. It's a great wah with extras.

This pedal is simple, but the best ever, it has three knobs, one where you can pick which wah or effect you wanna use, another knob lets you pick the range for the sweep of the effect you picked, and another knob where you can adjust the distortion. It has 3 memory places for you own creations, easy, just push the memory button, pick which space, 1, 2, or 3 and hold memory down, and it's saved! The manual is great, if you don't know what to do or what to start off with the manual can probably help you out, describes every feature of the pedal. This is my favorite pedal ever, it is almost like a "make your own guitar pedal" because there is so much stuff to pick from and edit and add or take away, for one pedal it does so much, sooo much! You can sit and play around with this pedal for a very long time to find what you like, so many things to choose from! Some people complained about the nose switch, but it easy, if you have ever used a Vox or Dunlop pedal, it is just like turning one on and off, just push your toes down and it is on or off, but with the Boss v wah you just gotta push your toes alittle bit harder, who cares, not a big deal at all, still the best pedal ever! I don't know about the heel switch, I don't use it, it seems hard to use, but there is no need to really use it. And no, there is no delay in turning the pedal on and off when pushing down the nose, some people said you gotta hold it down for a second or two, no you don't, just like a Vox or Dunlop, just push your toes down and it is on or off! I rate it a 9, only because the heel switch is kinda hard to use.

This pedal is insane, I have a bunch of fx, almost every kind out. I have been looking for a while to find the wah that I like, I finally found the Dunlop GCB-95 wah, that was my favorite, but the Boss V wah has it in it, and you can adjust the range on it, even better! The Boss wah has a bunch of wahs in one, pick from the custom wah(make your own), advanced, bass wah,Dunlop CryBaby, Vox V846, and Morley Bad Horsie wahs, and you can adjust the range on all of them! It is great, the Boss wah is more like a "create a wah pedal" because you can make any wah you want with this pedal. You can even pick a distortion, the dist. depends on what wah you pick, there are OD-1, OD-2, Guv'nor, Big Muff, Metal Zone, and I think a few more, and you can adjust the drive on all of them, really great! It isn't just a wah pedal, it has "voice" mode, you have to know what that does, simulates vowel sounds and stuff, an awesome feature and sounds great! One of the best things about this pedal, other than making your own wah, is it also is the old Vox Rotovibe/Uni-V pedal, just turn the knob to Uni-V and turn the range knob, it is just like the old Vox pedal, it is crazy! This pedal is more than most Boss pedals, but is worth it, big time! Who cares how much, you can do so much with it! If you even think about buying it, buy it, you won't make the wrong choice, it is great, you can't find a better pedal!

Boss made it, you know it is good. If you have any Boss pedals, you know that Boss makes the best stuff. I use this thing on gigs every chance I get.

Never have to deal with them, their stuff is built great. They don't make junk that will break in a couple days, so you don't even need to contact them!

I have been playing guitar for a looong time, and I wish Boss made this pedal a while ago! If this pedal was stolen or lost, I would get another without thinking twice about it! Really, this pedal is almost like a "make you own guitar pedal" don't waste your money on some junky fx processor, get the Boss PW-10 V Wah, the best pedal out! I just can't believe how much stuff this pedal has in it and what it can do! You are probably reading this because you are thinking about getting one, don't read any more reviews, go out and get this pedal, you won't be disappointed, it will be one of the best decisions you have ever made!

GENIUS the pedal saved my life. The only-minor- problem is that the Manual isnt that much help, i pretty much guessed how to use the settings but its not hard ive had id about 5 days and i know everything about it. So easy to use MEMORY button changes from RED>GREEN>YELLOW and MANUAL (colours pre set). heel switch switch between 1 particular coulour eg yellow and MANUAL (the settings on the board at that moment) and toe switch obviously on/off wah.

dont listen to any negative reports on the sound quility, the noise suppresor works a charm (it goes a bit dodgy when the batterys run out but what doesnt), also the distortions a excellent, unless you use eg the level and tone buttons on the knob gris then youve got nothing to worry about. they sound EXACTLLY the same as the effects they simulate. It saved me having to buy a fuzz, dist and mt-2. also i think it might have some kind of power driver built in because i have a marshall vs100(i play very loud) and it sounds just as good through a 10watt amp. the only addvise with this pedal is get a EQ, then your the dogs bollox.

Its boss, you could go insane throw it off a building, piss on it etc.... then still gig without backup.

once again boss, say no more.

brill buy this, your not only getting a EXCELLENT modeling wah, your getting a dist grid with it.

I am torn as to what to put here. Everyone seems to think this is really difficult to program. I am trying to put it into prospective. If you have ever used rack gear, and dealt with endless menues (take for instance the Lexicon MPG G2 I used to own) Then This pedal is NOT complicated. If you are used to only a pedal that has an on off switch...it's more complicated than that. It has more options than most pedals so it's going to have a bit more depth in it's set up. I think a quick read through the manual and 20 minutes playing with it and you will have climbed the steep learning curve ;-)

Well the sound is alright. it adds some hiss and I can hear a difference in tone but nothing that 99% of the music listening population would notice. I had a Teese Picture Wah and an Ultravibe as well as the Fox Rox captain coconut unit....the sound is not near that type of set up...but we're also talking 1/3 to 1/4 the price. so FOR THE MONEY I think the wah and Univibe sounds are usable. The distortions are not very good and I would only use them for practice in the bedrooom...get an external unit. The lack of in depth control on the distortions make the an extra thrown into the pedal that really don't have any use for me. I mainly use a Tube Screamer for my sound into a Twin Reverb- Strats and Teles

I would think it's as reliable as an AVERAGE wah. People seem to think that the fact that there are no mechanical parts (roller, teeth, pot) to wear out that this thing will last forever....well, electronics are more complicated, eventually break, and are harder to fix usually so I can't but this above an average wah like the reissue vox847 but I think it's solid enough in this price range.

Have not Dealt with customer support.

I set mine up to have the heel switch engage the univibe nothing else. So the toe switch gets my wah and the heel gets my vibe. I have two usable effects in one pedal for a decent price. For the money this is not a bad solution. I might step up to the plate and put some extra money into something else again but I wanted to try this and it's not a bad pedal at all. Good bang for the buck, some interesting features. A lot of stuff included I would never use (distortions) passable sound-

if you just want the wah its simple, just turn the type and range and your away.
If, however, you want distortion its an arse to set and change/switch of presets as nearly everyone else has said.

esp with zack wylde emg 81 + 85, or strat with hot rails into boss od20->pw10->roland cube 30
the noise suppressor is pretty handy especially on the od 20's extreme setting.
I dont use the distortion just solely wah presets on it.
The vox and morley emulations are pretty much spot on, cant really comment on the crybaby as ive never tried one. The only real difference in them is the rocker doesnt have as much movement as the modelled wahs.
the voice is pretty good, but i think the uni v is pants and just totally screws with the sound on my active pickups.
the bass wah is good as ive tried it on my mates ibanez.
the custom wah has some good variations in sound, but the manual doesnt explain what half the functions do (whats Q?)

very reliable.
built like a brick sh*t house.
although once my patch didnt save correctly

never needed

i play metal - maiden, metallica, slayer type stuff and its good for solos and riffs with shedloads of distortion. the noise suppressor is handy but just loses sustain on high settings.
overall its good, but if you gig with it , id get a seperate distortion pedal so you can change easier, but in the studio can still be used to its fullest.

I'll keep this brief - the operator's manual sucks! This pedal takes quite a bit of getting used to. It works better as a studio-orientated multi effects pedal than a gigging utility.
It's disadvantages are:
1.The pedal's distortion can only be switched off by the bypass function - this involves pushing down on the heel of the pedal for approximately one second - not practical in a live situation.
2. When using the Univibe setting, it can only be switched off by depressing the pedal into the OFF mode- it means you can't just stomp it on and off to get a vibrato/chorus effect - but so is the Dunlop Rotovibe.
3. The preset memories are very difficult to use on stage [ again because of the depressing of the heel of the pedal ]
4. There is a slight delay between depressing the pedal, and the thing you are switching on engaging - again not so good for gigs
5. The distortions take a bit of experimentation to get right- the default one is the Boss HM2 - which is not explained in the manual and is harsh.
6.The distortion can't be switched on and off easily in a live situation, or altered easily without unplugging the unit.
7.Some of the effects are a bit too gimmicky to be used in a live situation [ requiring EQ and adjustment ]

FANTASTIC!!!!
I found it good before or after overdrive. I use a Strat with Texas specials and a Fender 75 Head, I use a TS808, MXR Phase 90. Boss OC2 and several other effects, this unit is brilliant wherever in the chain.
The Univibe is Fantastic, the Morley Wah is too. The cry baby is good [ I prefer the Vox and Morley as a matter of taste] and Boss's own wah is also good.
I've connected a Boss LS2 Line selector [ a/b switch] to engage the PW10 into the signal path so I can switch on the distortion and Univibe seperately - this makes it far more versatile, so I can use my TS808 for solos and the Big Muff or RAT setting on the PW10 for nasty stuff just by pushing on the LS2. I'm giving it a 9 because the Distortion lacks a tone control and can boost the signal a bit too much unless used advisedly.

I had to take the first one back to the shop as it was faulty.

I play Blues/rock, been playing over 20 years, owned a cry baby for 10 years. This pedal is amazing for the money. I swear that the Univibe is as good as the real thing, and to have the choice of at least 3 excellent Wah Wahs, Distortion and some gimmicky studio sounds for the money is unbeatable. The LS2 really made it flexible, but it's a shame Boss didn't fit it with a simpler by-pass to save the extra 69 quid I had to spend.

The concept is great, the sounds are terrific, but the execution is not well thought out for live use - specifically, I'm referring to the bypass switching, and the mechanical switches themselves.

I'll start with the bypass - you have to step on the heel switch for 2 seconds before bypass kicks in. Too Long. Also, before the 2 seconds are up, the pedal "thinks" you are switching presets, and goes to the next preset (which is audible). If you have a massive distortion patch in the next preset memory, but all you wanted to do was bypass the pedal, you will be surprised to get the distorto-tones for the 2-seconds it takes before bypass kicks in. Surprisingly poor design for a live pedal.

Also, the toe and heel switches require far too much pressure to activate. I've seen others complain of this as well, and I thought I could live with it, but after several gigs, I just can't. a MAJOR nusiance, particularly if you play seated.

Another faux-pas - each patch consists of a wah sound and distortion tone - great idea, and it sounds great. But say you just want the distortion - no problem, just kick the toe-switch and the wah is bypassed. But say you want to dump the distortion sound - you either have to 1) reach down and futz with a knob, 2) do the bypass dance I described above, or 3) use up one of 3 memories with an identical patch, but without distortion. Badly done (and I really tried to make this work)

wah and distortion models sound terrific, really really good. Not quite as good as my magic early 70's crybaby, but close enough for jazz, and I could have lived with it (my crybaby has a subtley brighter, more organic sound to it, but it is subtle, and the pw-10 comes close to the overall vibe).

The pedal will hold up no doubt, and work as designed. It's unfortunate that the design is so flawed, and frankly I'm surprised that people haven't ranted about this. Boss usually does a better job than this, and I'm sure that the PW-20 will nail it at some point... ;)

Don't know, don't really care...

Sounds = 10
Usability = 2
Back-of-the-envelope overall avg = 5

I really wanted to make this work. REALLY. I'm sorry that I couldn't. The sounds are great. The distortions are actually quite good (surprisingly good - in fact I've considered just keeping the pedal for this functionality).

I'm a regularly gigging player - 30 years experience, I have an endorsement deal with a major guitar manufacturer, and I have a clue as to how things need to work and sound. Most of my gear is custom built, and I almost never use pedals. My name is omitted from this review because I'm not trying to brag, just wanted to tell it like it is, and let you know that I know what I'm talking about.

I just got back from a frustrating session with this pedal, it's 2AM and I figured I'd get this off my chest before I got sidetracked...

Your mileage may vary, of course ;)

The V-Wah is easier to use that what most others are saying. It is easy to get a wah sound out of, but the distortions take a minute or two. All the info is on the back of the pedal, and the manual is in-depth. I found it easy to learn, but difficult to master, as there are many sounds hidden in this thing that you will be entertained for ages.

I use this pedal with delay (DD6 usually), and various other pedals, and play it through a variety f guitars and amps, depending on the style I feel. It is quiet and the noise supressor makes the 2-3 loud distortions quiet. The sound quality is very good IMO. I have compared the Crybaby, Morley and Vox to their original counterparts and they sound very very good. I would rather this pedal than spending hundreds of dollars for the slight sound difference. The V-Wah isn't as loose as the other Wahs, making it a little slower to move, but that doesn't effect me. For those who are looking at these reviews to wonder whether or not to buy it (that's why I bought it, and I love it!), here's a brakedown of each feature the pedal has:
The Uni-Vibe: This is one of my favourite effects in this thing. It sounds beautiful with chords and a low intensity, with a clean sound. Works well for solos with distortion too. Has a nice chorusy feel and you get swirly sounds from it. Very nice and creative effect.
Voice: This is more of a gimmicky option. I was hoping for something where I could have a talking intro to one of my songs, but no, it just goes oooo and aaahhh like a burping baby. Is unuseable for songs, but for a breakdown you could compile a short speech with it, only if you set all the memory to different things. You see, there are 11 set options on the dial, with 3 vowels in each. One has eeee when the pedal is back, then iiiii in the middle and ooooiiii at the front. You have 11 of those so it doesn't really talk, it just sounds weird. I found a spot that goes la la la and sounds great for xmas carols, but not much use otherwise.
Next is the Morley wah. This is great and sounds different from the other ones. I've found that you don't want the same sound for every song when giging, so this pedal makes every song sound different. That's what I like about it. The morley is very useful.
The Vox: This has less sweep from the others and can replicate Hendrix sounds and other wonderful songs.
Crybaby is possibly my fav, as it just sounds so cool. Perfect for solos and you can even play clean without moving your pedal at all then occasionally just wriggle it around at the end of a lick. With distortion, you get a harmonicy sound in the middle of the pedal (in between back ond forth) so you can hit a power chord and slowly rock it into place for a great feedback tone. Great for ending songs and adding an extra bite.
Bass mix is very well done for the bass, but I've only heard (I don't play bass).
Advanced: If you don't feel like playing with the classic wah sounds you can use this modern one. It is my second fav as it has a huge sweep alowing for more possibilities.
The double Resonance is under 'custom' as the factory setting, and is that synth sound. It sounds good when you slowly move the pedal forward as the fat sound grows and sounds like the synthesizer. It has its unique uses so I'm happy with it.

Now on with the distortions. Most people say they don't like them, but I don't think it has anything to do with there sound (which is very good), but the lack of options in it. Let me explain, you have the left knob which chooses your overdrive or whatever, then the middle one is the noise suppressor, and the last one is how much gain you get (low is almost clean where up full is as dirty as possible). Now with the pedal they copy, they have like presence, shape, and other options that the V-Wah doesn't have, so this pedal gets their sound, but you don't have room for a lot of customization. I just switch between distortion sounds when I want somethign different for each song. Here's a quick breakdown:
The Blues overdrive is very good, the Metal Zone is great for heavier stuff, the Guv Marshal one is perfect for even heavier stuff where the Turbo overdrive and vintage overdrive have that sound with your tone in tact. That's what makes overdrives better than distortions, the ntone boost. The Boss distortion pedal is great for punk rock or wh

I couldn't afford a back-up, nor do I need one. Never has or will break down, will last forever.

Boss. Could throw it off a tall building, see it crack against bricks then reflect off and hit a street lamp, only to see the street lamp fall. Boss always delivers and you know it is high quality.
I would say that being on the Boss helpline would be the most boring job ever. Who rings them for help? Exactly. Has any Boss pedal ever broken down anywhere? Rarely, I have a better chance of winning the lottery than seeing this brick break down.

I play Hendrix style cross bred with my own. I've been playing several years and would replace this pedal if it were stolen, of course, I would find the thief and chokeslam his dog first. I love everything about this pedal, but would like an extra knob for the distortion. I compared it to several other product and the difference was subtle, frankly you'd do better buying this instead of 15 other pedals. It opens up so many doors creatively, and I would highly recommend anyone interested in wahs to buy one. It has many great features that I love, and I will be using this pedal for many more years. I bought it for the voice mode and crybaby, but ended up not likeing voice and loving everythign else. I can and will use this so much, that I would pay twice the amount I bought it for. It is now my favourite pedal and it has changed my daily guitar time from 3 hours to 5 each day. I can garuntee that you won't be disapointed with this pedal, and urge anyone who is tempted for it to just buy it. Well done Boss.

Not hard to get a good sound out of this pedal: Just step on the toe of the pedal (Hope you weigh alot...) and wail.

There are 4 patches you can save, and load at runtime. I've had this pedal for about 5 months. I wasn't too impressed with the thinking behind the patch editing scheme. It seemed hard to use. However, I didn't actually know how to use it until last night. I was talking on the phone, and I absentmindedly picked up the wah and noticed instructions on the back of it. "Hmmmmm", I thought, "I had no idea there were 8 different kinds of distortion available, and there was another switch on the heel of the pedal." Doh! When the manual (which I quickly skimmed when I got the pedal) referred to the "heel" switch, I thought it meant that you were supposed to hit the little push-button on the front of the wah with your heel. (I mean the actual button, not the one under the toe of the rocker pedal.) That would only work if your foot was the size of a cat's and you had heels made of concrete. Noise gate? I had no idea... Crap! I usually am more thorough than this.

Having made this discovery, I'm a lot more impressed with the usability of this pedal. To create and save a patch, you basically perform a strange ritual of holding down a switch while plugging something into the input jack. Then, the "wah range" knob becomes a selector for distortion type, the "drive" knob becomes a tone control or something, etc. You adjust things till you get a sound you like, then turn the pedal over again to see how to save the patch. It comes unplugged. Oops. Start over. You sure wouldn't want to try this live! Still, there's a lot of stuff packed into this pedal. I'm going to mess with it a lot, and it will be cool.

Feature-wise, there's a lot of stuff in there: Uni-vibe, which is cool for contemplative 70's love songs, cry-baby, morley, vox wahs, distortion, a "voice" thing which won't fool a single Frampton fan, and a couple of others. Too bad it can't also be a volume pedal. That would be nice. I never buy a pedal that can't do at least 2 different things. This one does 6 or so, but a volume pedal would be a useful addition.

On the "weigh alot" issue: You won't have to worry about accidentally (dis)engaging this pedal. The effect is turned on and off by pressing down on the toe of the rocker pedal. The force required to do it is more than I can exert when sitting down. Standing up, esp. when I'm wearing a pair of jamming/scoring/butt-kicking boots, it's about right. I might take it apart and see if there's an adjustment for that. I like to sit down when playing at home.

As you move the pedal, it goes "wah. waaaaah. waaaawaaaawaaaaah." Cool. Plugging into the front of a distorted patch on a Tri-A.C. with this thing is totally addictive. This thing wails. Lots of harmonics squeeze out, and the whole thing is very emotional when sufficient distortion and delay are involved. I like the cry-baby type wah the most. The Uni-Vibe setting is interesting. The distortion, now that I know how to turn it off (!), will also serve as a nice boost.

It doesn't seem very noisy. I've used it with a couple of different amps. It goes "wah" on every one of them, as expected.

Well, hmmm, the rocker pedal is made of machined aluminum, there's a thick rubber tread in the middle of that, there are big bolts holding it onto the body of the box, and the wah effect is apparently controlled optically (see "Hall Effect"). The body appears to be a sheath of black plastic on top of something more substantial. I fancy it's titanium. I bet it's not though. I think it would be pretty hard to tear this pedal up. Not that I'll try... It's cool-looking.

Relative to the reliability of an actual Cry-Baby wah I had when I was a teenager, this thing is like a tank. That other wah was a piece of junk. It popped and crackled, was constantly going out of adjustment, and the wah effect was controlled by a rack and pinion setup that was vulnerable to dust, cat hair, beer, and spit.

As for gigging without a backup, I can only say this: I don't care about my audience enough to cancel a show because I can't go "wah" during a solo: "We rock you Omaha! Oops, sorry Omaha! Wah is broken. We do not rock you Omaha! Thank you! Goodnight!" If it stopped functioning, I wouldn't use it, and finish the gig like a true professional. Well, a professional who uses batteries in his pedal(s).

Never dealt with them.

I'm overjoyed at my recent discovery of the fabled heel switch, now that I know where it is... I'm a lot more impressed with this pedal overall than I was. It was pretty cool anyway, and the heel switch makes it that much more special.

I play all kinds of stuff involving wah pedals: Mostly porno soundtracks, and a little REO Speedwagon and Hendrix. If it were lost or stolen, I would have no wah, and would miss it. I would buy another, because it has a heel switch that I haven't seen on any other wah pedal to date.