Colorsound Wah/Fuzz

Well easy - plug in turn it on and play ! A small gripe with mine is that the fuzz switch is at the front and the Wah switch at the back. Most wah's 'on' switch is at the front; its something you just get used to though.

Gibson Les Paul standard with a Fender 'performer' Amp. Only sounds noisy once the battery starts going (and its so old there's no adaptor input). I occasionally switch it on and use it as a pre-amp when recording as it gives you really crunchy sound like an old dirty funk 7". The Fuzz isn't great on its own - don't be expecting a 'fuzz-face' style effect. But, it does have its own unique charm and through a valve amp and a bit of careful EQing, you can get a really great vintage Jimmy Page sound or a buzzy lo-fi sound depending on what you want. Using it in plain Wah mode, it pi**es all over a cry baby etc. The sweep on this pedal is longer than usual wahs ( and longer than the 90's coloursound re-issue) so you can really twist the notes and get an 'Acid House' sweep sound out of it if you run it through a bit of overdrive. Utterly amazing. If you can get one, you'll be hanging up your crybaby.

I've had this pedal for nearly twenty years; I bought it secondhand as one my first pedals when I started playing. Its probably about 30 years old in total. I've only changed the pot inside it once and I've done loads of gigs with it. Should be noted its not as sturdy in construction as a Cry baby, Vox etc.

n/a - I'm told the fuzz inside can be tweaked within the bowels of the circuit board for a better sound, but I haven't really felt the need.

For old funk - its a must. For sixties style and indie rock, its also Superb. For metal, you'll probably want a morley or something. If it was stolen or lost, I probably wouldn't be able to afford a replacement as they're not cheap to get hold of second hand (Ive seen them in London for upwards of #150). Having said that, I'd probably sell other stuff to get another. Additionally, the logo on the front of it is well cool. It would be good if it had a 9v adaptor port but you can buy 9v adaptors with a 9v battery thing on it so its not such a major deal. Generally its irreplaceable; its great to get 'back to basics' and sit with just this and your guitar (obviously) plugged into your amp.

A very easy to pedal to use. Directions on bottom to show you where your leads should end up. Two buttons effect on and switching between wah and fuzzwah. Only problem is you don't know if the fuzz is on until you play a note but thats all part of the fun.

I've been using this pedal for as long as ive been playing guitar and the sound quality for a pedal built in 1974 used for a good few years by my dad and left in a dusty cupboard and for me to get my size nines into is excellent. I use it for extreme fuzz wah tones by using it in conjunction with the heavy distortion on my carlsbro GLX 50. crazy as, very Glassjaw. The general wah tone is warm and nice and the fuzzwah tone is lo fi and cool but it needs to be heard with a rocking distortion. I thought it was Welsh radio i was picking up :)

Well for a pedal thats 28years old and still going strong it must be quite reliable. I've had a wire break off from it soldering but thats to be expected and it was easy to fix. I use it everytime i play guitar and hopefully gig it sometime in the near future.

N/A

I play Rock music ranging from contemporary post-hardcore: at the drive in, hundred reasons and fugazi to 70's rock like black sabbath and led zepplin and everything in between. Ive been playing for a few years so I think i know a bit on the subject of gear and guitar tones. If this pedal was lost or stolen i would definately buy another one if i could find it. I love the general madness of it it looks so unassuming from the outside with its funny blue coloured shell but sounds like hell when the fuzz wah is mixed with a heavy rocking distortion. I went to a recording studio last year to record a demo and i used it then and it performed well. I think its one of the best sounding wahs u can find (thats if u can find one) Its got a sound all of its own and it will kill pigeons at 100 hundred paces if u want it to or it will create a lovely warm wah sound not like this line 6 stuff thats floating around.

Pretty darned easy to use... You kinda plug a wire in one side, then another wire in the other side, -stop me if I'm going too fast for you!! :)) , then switch a switch on the side.
Oohh... Sounds come out!
I think my previous wife ate the manual, (you see now why we split up...)

I put anything that occurs into it, -except toast... That kinda clogs it up I found. Guitars (bass or 6 string), synth, -anything goes.
The wah is fine (see other reviewers here) the fuzz sounds like the old 60's or 70's fellas' noises, -Authentic enuff.
It's a bit noisy, as you'd expect at this vintage? I am disappointed to hear that some users get Russian radio stations on theirs... I'd LOVE to get that. Maybe I'll send mine back and get them to alter something somewhere...?
My psychiatrist says I am not weird and I shouldn't have to stay on the medication much longer...

Well, I never really gigged much with it, and over some years it sat on a shelf, whilst I did other things (not music). Now it's back out, -with cobwebs in the case, and a squirt or two of WD40 type fluid to make things happier. (The spider didn't appreciate that part).
I don't think it was built 'for the road' or pro use. I got it originally 'cos I couldn't afford a more expensive model, but wanted a fuzz & wah sound.
Mine is a slightly naff blue colour. A very solid (pressed steel) case, and pedal is chromed with black rubber glued to the top. A little rubber buffer (to prevent metal pedal hitting the case at full swing) is a bit chewed up now.
When you wanna change the sound from fuzz/wah you 'lean heavily' with your toes on the pedal, at full swing, and a sturdy metal button depresses, -to switch on/off.
This switch has been de-pressed many times. I could recommend a good therapist, but to no avail :) - and mechanically, it is very chunky & solid.

This is more than I can say about the potentiometer ('pot'). It's kinda flimsy and not build to withstand too much use, methinks. Nor the coupling which joins pedal to the pot.
Mine says "Manufactured by Sola Sound Ltd, London, England" underneath, I wonder if they still exist?

I've had this unit since, (ooo, er,) about 25 years? Maybe more. It's still in reasonable working order, esp now the rather scratchy pot has had a drink of WD40.

I have not had the pleasure of talking to them. I expect they are all perfect gentlemen, and wouldn't ever take advantage of me if I were a bit tiddly at a party! :))

I play/make funny stuff, -experi-mental, own compositions.
I've been playing for about the last 200 years (inc. my past life, that is).
I don't play live gigs really. I own a burgeoning 'home studio' sort of set up now, with lotsa bits of noise making things, too many to mention...

I work alone, locked away in my artist's garret, and my dear lady pushes food under the door so that I don't fade away. [Hence the toast, mentioned earlier, -bulky things don't fit through! ;) ]

I use this unit when I want *that* kind of sound on my recordings, -the fuzz is not so often heard these days, so not too much of a cliche. The wah is perfectly acceptable, so yes, it helps me 'make music'.

The case holds a 9v battery (little oblong 'Powerpack type') and it's not 'heavy on the juice'. Funny thing is the access to this... You have to get a screwdriver or some such, to lever open the casing, which is just a 'friction fit', male-to-female affair. -Not very 'pro', but cheap an' cheerful design! It's pretty damn tight, so a bit of 'welly' is needed to get the two parts apart!

Overall, not a high spec bit of kit, but quite servicable for what I use it for. If it were stolen or got hit by a stray American missile, I would buy another make only 'cos I don't expect they make 'em any more(?) As said, I chose this one 'cos it was cheaper than the other makes around then.

I think inclusion of wah AND fuzz was a good deal, that's what decided me at the time of buying. The on-off power to battery is an olde fashioned toggle type switch, it's too, *too* easy to knock this by accident, and then the battery runs down. A bummer when you go to use it and it won't talk to you! :( -so I put some sticky markers boldly on the side to indicate whether it was switched on, or not, -a quick and easy visible check. A different design of switch (less easily knocked to 'ON' position would have been good. But hey...! The price was fine!
For longer term storage, I get a golden runcible spoon and prise the case apart and disconnect the battery. (Am I eccentric or what? ;)

For people on a tight budget, I am grateful to manufacturers who produce gear which is cheaper than out-of-reach, high spec, pro-studio stuff. It means the poorer folk can at least afford 'some' stuff, even if it's not so brilliant, -It helps folks make a start. So 'thankyou' to people like Zoom and Sola and others who let us get our grimy peasant paws on gear like this!

As easy as possible

Setup:62strat 69Les paul deluxe(P90) Esp series 400 strat ......
Amps;71 Marshall 100W head 65 Superreverb 69 Deluxe Reverb .......

Noise; it is terribly noisy + I sometimes have to listen to Russian or
Italian AM stations thru my amps .Otherwise this is one of the best
Wahs ever made in my opinion! Its that "womity" tone (as opposed to
Claptons womantone).
Its great for Blues and even for modern hard rock.Hold the pedal somewhere in the middle and hold it there and its like having
Michael Schenker and John Sykes on visit!!!
It enhanses your distortion sound immensly.

Low budget pot ruins the rating ):
I have to metion that the one I got is in a narrow orange box with
two curcuitbords.One for the fuzz and one for the Wah.
I removed the fuzz and rewired the button so that its an ordinary wah
without that awful crosscutsaw fuzz.

If you break the plastic lever on the pot your'e in big trouble.
I don't know if the new ones is built in the same way.

I have played the guitar for 20years.
I love the wahs register perfect both in treble and bass.
As good as a old Voxwah

Typical 1970's style operation. No sweep/boost knobs, power supply socket or l.e.d., just in and out. Operation made a little tricky by two switches underneath the rocker pedal, (one at each end of the pedal travel). To step in sequence through the options, it's necessary to depress the pedal alternatively backwards and forwards. Once you have the effect you're after, you can depress the same switch again to toggle between present/previous effects. I must confess that sometimes I am not sure what I have selected until I have hit a note!

Guitars are Gibson SG/Yamaha RGX 312/Fender 50's strat re-issue, going into either a zoom 9030, or old Marshall combo. I have never tried any other wah pedal, so I don't have any reference points, but to my ears this is a good wah effect - honky/bassy, through a pronounced smooth mid-range to a lovely top end. The fuzz/wah together option is a bit of a novelty, as it muddies the wah and loses most of the tone. Fuzz by itself can be useful for single note stuff. It's a strong but not harsh effect. To summarise, this unit is pretty versatile; with a nice wah that lets the tone of the instrument through, (overdriven or clean)- unlike those appalling digital auto-wahs in the zoom, plus there are plenty of psychadelic sounds lurking inside. Add some long repeats, and the fuzz/wah mix is anarchy!, whilst the way it picks up Russian short wave transmissions adds a surreal touch!

Rating for reliability isn't too good, purely due to the short life of the pot. The next pot I fit will have to be of higher quality. Battery life is excellent.

I play a broad range of music, but to 'jump-start' my inspiration in the rock/psychadelic/blues area, I have to dig out this pedal! Despite reservations about crackly pots, it's great fun. If I had to buy a replacement, I would consider something with an optical control, but I think that I would miss this unit's 70's character.