Colorsound Reissue Wah

Big Red & Easy
One button, for on or bypass.

I A/B-ed it with my original Solasound Colorsound Wah-Swell, but this re-issue (that is some quieter) misses the raw edgy sound of the original, it sounds a bit smoother (which i do not see as better), and the throw is a lot smaller than the original.
The hi-end part is smaller than the lows, which in the original is better balanced (and the filters inside are to blame, not the pot).
The original also seems to be reversed (hi on heel low on toe), which i also like more, but that's my own opinion.
The original i gave an 11, but this is worth 9,5 (still way better than Vox or Dunlop)

Built like a sturdy bugger, and the battery load is better than the original.

See the builders site, i never had the pleasure to need them

Although it is no match to the original,it still is way better sounding than the rest.
It has warmth, sweetness and great Soul, but it will also suit Reggae, Blues/Rock and a lot of more styles.
The non Colorsound ones sound shriller/thinner and lack the warmth of this one.

Very easy to use. One button, if you can't figure this one out, give it all up. And become a monk.

I roll w/EMG loaded Les Pauls, various wahs, Super chorus(for a few special effects), a boss EQ pedal(boosts for solos), an old orange DOD flanger, and a whammy reissue...up to a Soldano sp-77 > a TC M-One > stereo to a boogie p-90 power amp > to 2 4x12s. I played a friend's ORIGINAL colorsound-it sounded the same, but mine(reissue) seemed a little bit quieter. I love the tone...but only use it for certain songs live. I fell as though I lose a small amount of volume when the pedal is switched on. I love the long throw (sweep) of the pedal. I can get a very "throaty" and deeeeep tone. The high end of the sweep seems to be higher than any other wah I've stepped upon. This would probably be a MUST in the studio.

I never gigged with a back-up-..it's a wah...my gosh man, if you can't make it without a wah, do you need to be on stage?

never dealt with them.

I liked the wah so much, I bought 2. They're both yellow. I did have my friend put a boss style adapter on the wah. I wish it had a volume boost option. The tone rules-it's a step above the rest(in my opinion).

Very easy to use. Just put in a battery, hook up your guitar and you're off. Mine didn't come with a manual, but you don't need it.

I play a custom modified Fender Jazzmaster through many effects into either a Vox AC30 or a MesaBoogie Mark IV head w/Marshall 1960V Cabinet.
Not noisy at all. Very quiet, even when switching. I used a Cry Baby wah in the past and you could always here it click in and out when switching it on or off. The Colorsound is click free.
Would give it a 10, but I would like a little more fullness on the bottom end. Also, the fact that it doesn't have a place to plug in an adapter (uses batteries only) pisses me off a little. Maybe I can modify that.

Very sturdy. Totally dependable. I would gig without a back up, but I would keep extra batteries around.

Never had to deal with Colorsound. I would like to know how to get in touch with them. Any one know if they have a website?

Overall a 9. Gets exactly the sound I want. Compared to the Morley and Cry Baby I used to own, this wah is by far the best. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another if this one were stolen. I might even try some of their other products. Again, the battery only hinderance is the only complaint I have. I'll find out how bad it sucks down 9volts before I try to modify it for a power supply.

This is the fat, red and shiny chrome top reissue wah-wah.

Practically, it's as simple as it can be. The bypass switch, neatly located in the upper left corner, never gets pushed too easily or too hard, and the battery is very easy to access on the new ones. The one hard thing with it (which pulls my 10 down to 8) is that it's not a breeze making it sound good with distortion/fuzz. With my single-coil Fender Mustang, the wah won't sound very good with an (unmodified) Fuzz Face, 'cause you need more fuzz than it can deliver. The sound gets harsch and the wah goes "whlk" instead of "whoaa". With enough fuzz it can sound pretty damn awesome, though, as with my old humbucker-equipped Epiphone, which I sold recently (it could fuel the Fuzz Face enough for the wah-wah). I haven't checked this with any other wahs, but enough fuzz and you're on, I guess...
No manual, none needed. It came in a nice box, though.

I use my wah with my '69 reissue Fender Mustang and my Levin solid state amp, along with a couple of other effects. I recently replaced dad's old 60s Fuzz Face with a new Colorsound Tone Bender (to give the Fuzz Face a rest and to broaden my range of fuzz sounds a bit), which I haven't played much yet.
The wider sweep of this wah is more evident on the originals I believe, but it's not bad on the new ones. On clean sound, this wah is definitely one of the best. The tone range is very wide, from very low and bassy at the bottom, to razor sharp trebly at the high end, with a very nice middle range. Overall, it's smooth and quite bassy and honky, I think. Sometimes even too smooth in my opinion. It's perfect for Shaft-like funk and soul licks.
With distortion/fuzz, it's great if you get it right (mainly by getting enough fuzz - see Ease of Use). It's more of a challenge setting it up and operating with fuzz. Personally, I think this wah shines most on clean, though it's definitely not just for funk and soul.

Well, the casing is very robust and the wide cutting-board chrome pedal can take anything. There's not a lot in it (that's what I like about vintage stuff - they're so simple) that can funk up and the potentiometer is supposed to be improved for longer life.

I've spoken to Anthony and Steve Macari at Sola Sound personally through E-mail, and they're very kind and helpful. The service is great - I got my Tone Bender from the UK (to Sweden) in four days.

I play a lot of different music, and use my wah-wah mostly for funk. I really dig its wide shape, shiny chrome and red color. The overall feel and vibe is a lot nicer than most wahs (e.g. the Cry Baby), and no other wah-wah has the sweep and width of the Colorsound wah, as far as I know. Hope I get the chance to try an original some day too.
If it was stolen or lost, I would get pissed off and get a new one in no time. I got it cheap too - it's a lot of bang for the buck!

up and down sweep on off switch

awesome!!!!!!!!! finally found the holy grail of wahs. smooth sustain and feedback, max sweep of any wahs . previous review said only for funk! bullshit. hendrix used to use one. my new secret weapon as gaspedal.com so eloquently e-mailed thanks, gaspedal.com

extra wide for foot ease.chrome trim,solid attention to details

just bought it hope not to need it

tried vox,morley,dunlop, thomas.auto wahs,stringer, and the great teese wah. forget them. colorsound is the bomb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! also , absolutely no boost or sound coloration of any kind!!!!!!!1

No manual, take it out of the box, plug it in, and wah. There are no "To Amp" or "To Instrument" markings for the newbie, but if it doesn't wah, then just switch the cables around...

My rating is actually 7/9.
"7" for those who can afford the original, or for those who are really looking for a non-colorsound wah sound. "9" for those who want _the_ funk wah but can't afford the over $200 price tag that the originals seem to go for nowadays. That's me.
I really, really like this wah. I was previously using a crybaby moded at a local store for "better sweep". Compared to that the colorsound blows it away as follows:
1) It has the longest throw/travel of any wah out there (at least compared to the standard dunlop/vox/morley stuff). It'll make your standard wah feel obsolete. 2) The sound of the wah's sweep is so wide you'll wonder how you managed with your standard wah. My crybaby's sweep can be mimicked with merely the top 15% of the colorsound. The combination of physical travel of pedal and wideness of sound means that you can, with great accuracy, control your wah sound. 3) The on/off switch is located on the left underside of the unit (vs. at the center for normal wahs). This location means that it's better for maximizing the sweep - you won't inadvertently switch off the wah (again, like my dunlop) unless you press all the way forward and apply a little pressure to the left. 4) My crybaby, when it is engaged, sounds ok, but the wah sound comes with a price - the overall volume feels much reduced (either because it's just the way a wah sounds when sweeping frequencies or because maybe, just maybe, the dunlop's a piece of junk). Some boutique wahs compensate by having a gain circuit. I haven't read anything about that with colorsounds, but when engaged, the wah sound is nothing short of remarkable. Volume is just right. In. Your. Face. 5) It sounds like the wah-iest of wahs. Imagine what your standard wah sounds like. A sweet little kiss on the cheek. How nice. **wah**. The colorsound is absolutely pornographic. This is a good thing, at least for wahs. 6) It's chrome pedal on firetruck-red base, for those into how it looks. It's also maybe 30% wider than normal wahs. So in terms of marketing design, it looks how it sounds. If you care about that sort of thing. 7) There is no other wah out there for funk, unless you buy an RMC-3, which tries (and may succeed - I've never tried one) to do it all. 8) Finally, for all you Prince/Artist or Rage Against the Machine fans, this is the wah of choice for you.
Bad points: 1) For a reissue it commands a big price tag. I got mine for $153 @ gaspedal.com. Honestly, I felt a bit ripped off at spending $150 on a damn wah, but that was the cheapest I could find and what can you do? The originals cost more than $200, and I _promised_ myself I wasn't going to spend that much. 2) Compared to the original I tried ($249, chrome on black, same travel, but about as thin as a standard wah), the reissue lacked a little wee bit of something. Oomph, maybe. 3) If you really want that blues/rock wah and that's all you want in the world and you hate funk because it's really dumb and stupid, well, this is not the wah for you. Buy an old vox or boutique RMC/Clyde for lotsa cash.
There is a web site that has real audio exerpts of various vintage effects, including the colorsound wah. Great place for checking out what buying vintage gets you: http://www.tonefrenzy.com/gear2.htm Check it out...
Oh, I'm using this primarily with a fender strat with Kinman pickups into fender and mesa amps.

Metal construction, plastic battery compartment that slides out for access.
I would stand on it. If I dropped it I wouldn't worry. Most pedals are pretty well-constructed. This one is no exception.

No calls yet. I'd like to call and ask exactly what the differences are between the original and reissue besides the new kind of pot for longer life.

Playing for 15 years. I go through little style phases where I can brush up on technique, etc, but my soul is primarily funk, jazz, blues, and groovy stuff.
I would cry if it were stolen. I wouldn't be able to afford another for a while, and I'd have to use my crybaby until then. sniff.
I really, really tried hard not to give this 10's. But based on what I wanted and what I got, this came real close. 10's would be wholeheartedly given if it were $100.
This is a fantastic wah. If you have the money, and can justify the extra cash, buy all means buy an original built in the heydays of funk. (but keep in mind that just because it's "vintage" doesn't mean it sounds good. IMHO a lot of the "vintage" stuff is crap, but when it's good, and you can _feel_ the difference, you can't compare the sound quality.) Or buy this for $50 more than your garden-variety wah.

The widest Wah ive ever had the pleasure to set foot on , more like the Excellerator on a Tractor or combine harvester. Its Postman Pat Red! for those who live in the U.K ..where this baby actually hails from ..handmade in England by the Great Dick Denny of VOX" Fame . I got mine from the man himself ..it dont hurt to actually have a contact to him in my family now does it..?! ..Ok ok ...enough with the name dropping, heh* In actual fact its got The Longest Throw of any Wah ive ever played ...another big reason i wanted one . Its a Funk machine of a Wah peddle .. very Talky & Quacks like a Stoned Duck! , not that ive heard one quack mind you , I can say that the fact that the On/off Pot is situated to the top left of the peddle is at first a bit of a trick to get the hang of , particularly as i was previously used to the Crybaby thing . I am now definately prefering the Situation of the On/Off pot , its all too easy now that ive got it down. Move your foot back & forth as with any wah ..only this wah swings WAYYYYYYY Back & wayyyyyy Forward ...its a rollercoaster ..great ease of use ...a cinch! my fave WAH ever!

As for a Set up im using my WAH In this sort of a configuration ..Ovation "Breadwinner" Electric solidbody to Boss MT2 - DS2 - OC2 - VB2 - PH1r - "Colorsound WAH" - DD3 - Surf Trem - then direct to a 1969 Mark 4 Custom SOUNDCITY 120 watt Master Vol Head - Run through a MARSHALL JCM 900 Slant cab 300watter 75watt Spkrs , I dont have to worry about the pedals noise as i have compensated too much trebley highs with a few amp settings ..i wont go into detail as a baby could do it themsleves . Its by no means a noisy Pedal , its a beautiful pedal its really covers a rich rainbow of tones in the WAH soundscape from really clean chiming Highs to sucked out mids to thoroughly ballsy bass end stuff ...it takes you through lightyears of tonal variety & Nuance before you actually pass all the way through the high end the Mids & the Bass end though ... its pretty amazing , unlike the really Brain splitting Hissing Scream that you get from the Crybaby ,that was a noisy pedal that really for my money only came good just a dash above the Midway position the bass end was solid Mud! & the top end was Lose your hearing! ..the Colorsound has the cleanest WAH effect of any ive yet to hear ....some may indeed say that it shines most as a Cleanly played pedal for FUNK! but bugger that theory ..i use mine in a very Hard driving Rock Idiom .. & its an ass kicker! The sound as ive said is Very Talky ..& Quacky ...like a really excited DUCK! .. they should have called it the DONALD DUCK WAH! ..Can Sound like him when he's angry if you paddle your foot really fast . The effect is strong & immediate & memorable. As for an Artist who i knew had one & i liked his Sound allot ..well i can those sounds exactly no trouble this is a WAH winner!

Its not failed me yet , i would use it without backup for sure ..some ppl complain about the fact that it doesnt take a power supply ..& i agree that option would have been nice ..but at the end of the day some pedals do infact sound sweetest with a 9volt battery rather than electrical Power supply so perhaps thats not such a bad thing after all .

I dont imagine as i bought this in the UK that they would repair it in Australia ... they dont even sell them here .Though as usual there are always ppl who know how to mend stuff ..that arent anything to do with Company's ..thats my best shot im thinking .

The music i play is Experimental/Space/Rock Avant Garde Punk/Fusion Psychedelique . Playing for 11yrs, Guitar anyway . I own Drums & Bass's & Organs , Sitar , etc Other Gear & Guitars ..Leslie amps . My Fave feature of this Pedal has to be that you have so much space for your foot to rest on the thing i am so used to this now ..the thing is soooo broad that looking at VOX wahs or Dunlop's they all look like precipaces to me .I dont think i could allow myself to use any other WAH from here on in ...its the greatest WAH ive played yet i love everything about it not to mention that when you reach out with your foot you can hardly miss it!!!! , & the fact that the ON/OFF Tone pot is where it is ... I choose this WAH among other things cause of the long throw & the great sound i heard from it coming off a record i herad with one being used ..check out "Exodus" "New Power Generation" Plenty of Colorsound allover that sucker.I ofcourse compared it & have shared my vibes about other pedals & whatnot its a music master its a major tool in my FX rig ...nothing i own in my rig is there as a one off use ..its all heavily engaged. Dont! get one , i want my sound to remain unique as long as i can ..heh* P.S & to whoever edits these things ..you Incorrectly edited some important info out! of a submission i made about the VB2 Boss Vibrato pedal ...You asked for SETTINGS!!! So i offered a few the first of which you edited OUT completely & made to look as though i was saying "Do whatever you want with the settings" Which is NOT! at all what i would say ... I only make the point not wanting to get too precious about anything but i only ask that you NOT! in future ask us the Submitters to Submit info that we take in good faith shall be reproduced for the benefit of others & edit it OUT! just so that YOU! may feel that your job as an editor of Submissions is Justified . I hope you understand this very basic point that i make ,Having been an editor & article writer myself i have seen many an editor get fired due to the fact that they OVERPLAYED! on the editing ..a ZEN approach is the editors best friend & as with music its often the case that there are things that dont need anything done to them at all. Thankyou for your understanding & i do feel you have the most Kick ass Music Submissions pages on the entire net! keep up the fine job you are doing ..Yours Rockingly < Breadwinner >

switch On/Off and move your foot... There isn't much more to wah pedals in general.

This is a pedal designed for funky sounds. So rockers keep away of this pedal. It has a wide sweep from muffled lows to nice highs exactly like the "Shaft" theme. It gives your guitar a pronounced rhytmic "Quack". It is, for a wah-pedal, not noisy. I like it a lot.

I got my dubts for the future of the flimsy battery-lid, but on the whole there isn't much what can get damaged so I use it live wihout worries.

I bought it in London. Because they don't sell it in my country. That makes future customer support a bit tricky.

The batterylid is cheap. And to make this worse : It has no plug for a powersupply.... I thought manufacturers would nowadays gained some ecological sense but colorsound still ties you on using batteries. I know the Morley's, the Vox, the Dunlop's but this one simply is the ONLY true funky wah, I would defenitly buy it again.