DigiTech WH1 Whammy

Takes a knack. Give it time. Not all settings sound great on all things. Very f@#%upable Hendrix definitely would have used one...

I just want to add my 2 cents worth about the differences between reissues and the Whammy1 (and2) pedals. The big difference is in the latency of the original note when the pedal is on but not yet shifting. In bypass, it's not noticeable but when pedal is engaged in the reissues (not the whammyII, but the XP's and whammy4), it is a noticable time lag making the reissues unusable for me. By the way, I believe the WhammyII to be an improvement over the original only for the ability to toggle with your foot and see where your settings are while you are switching. With the original, you need to devolve an attachable thumb to your foot or stop singing and playing, bend over and switch it where you want it to go. I never could make that move entertaining.

Way easy.

Now here is the reason why I'm writing this review. The whammy WH-1 will only sound right, work right, if it has the correct power supply. It's kind of a mystery to find out if you do not have the original adaptor. The manual for the WH-1 says you need a special 10 volt Adaptor, yet an "original" Whammy wh-1 adaptor says the output is 9 volts. In fact they are both "wrong"! The actually voltage the WH-1 needs is 9.6 Volts, not 10 or 9. The original Whammy WH-1 adaptor that ""states 9 volts"", really is a 9.6 volt adaptor! I called Digitech and got the info straight from them. Only the model PS750 adaptor will make her function right. Now here's the problem. People see 9 volts as the stated output on the original adaptor and think any digitech 9 volt adaptor will work. Yes, a regular 9 volt will turn the thing on and kind-a work...but not with exact accuracy. And this maybe one reason why people give The WH-1 a bad review, and say it's "really" close to the reissue. Well it's not. The reissues is a toy, plane and simple. The original WH-1 with correct power supply is a professional piece of equipment.

Only had her for two months.

Fast, very nice and helpful...when you can reach them! Man, Digitech has the dumbest hours! And they go by mountain time, so they close at bizarre hours.

awesome.

This is a totally honest review, and I will be comparing this to the re-issue, as I have both. Very easy to use. 1 selector switch, 1 pedal and on/off button.

I made sure to get mine true bypassed as I think it suits my amp (Traynor YCV-40) better when I plug it in the input (true bypass meaning I now have no tone loss/colouration at all), instead of the effects loop. When I pluged it in the loop, it didn't track as good or sound as clear/direct. A lot of people say bad things about the re-issue but it really isn't that bad. Honestly speaking I can say the original is superior, regarding sound quality - I.V.L. chips which Digitech don't use anymore and make this unit very warm and analog sounding, tracking and it's more compact. The re-issues' large number of L.E.D's and Midi are a step in the right direction. On the other hand the 'Divebomb' is not very useable, it's a lot more digital sounding and it has grown in size which isn't a good thing either. I love the detune/chorus sound, not as good as my Boss CE-2 but very nice.

It looks sturdy enough but the power supply really is a pain in the ass. For those of us with multiple effects units, like me, will understand that a daisy chain is a great invention (powering all those units up with 1 adapter - except the Whammy. Now I've got to use a seperate power supply plus find another socket to plug it in. PAIN IN THE ASS!!! The pedal = 10, unfortunatly the voltage/adapter brings my rating down.

Have just e-mailed them asking them if my original adapter will work in my re-issue and vice versa...

It really is one of the best pedals you can buy. It's like having about 4 'boss-like' pedals in one - Octave, Chorus, Pitch Shifter, Harmoniser! Get one as soon as possible as the price will only rise! I was happy with my re-issue until I got hold of the original. The re-issue did the job, but if your like me and want the hairs to stand on the back of your neck, then you have to go with the original! Also, if your into Whammy effects, it's worth checking out Korg's AX-30G. I feel (and my friends feel) that you can get an amasing whammy effect by using the whammy + exciter, which is better than a Digitech re-issue (not as good as the original.) Digitech really need to listen to their customers needs, and should release a proper re-issue which incorporates different qualities from both of the models. It would great if they would release an 'ultimate' model which would include : True bypass, midi, the I.V.L. chips, the large number of L.E.D.'s, the compactness of the original and also a change to the voltage/power supply to someting more universal! If they don't, someone else should!

Once the honeymoon period of playing with the +2 octave mode ends, you reach a period, where you no longer want to play 'noise'.

that is when, if you are a wise / talented guitarist, you will begin to use it discretely and wisely, lol, to aid and compliment your playing. not every song needs +2 octave mode sweeps, not every note needs harmonizing....

however some do, and its ace for that. takes a while to get to grips with though..

editing patches is obviously not an option, but DigiTech just about covered every single pitchshifting / harmonizing option you can think off, so not much need for that either.

the tracking, harmonizing is nigh-on perfect.

this is easily the best alternative to Eventide rack harmonizers, and the 'whammy' option is the best on the market....

Vai, Satriani both use this..... i've found it possible to replicate the sound of the Harmonized tunes by them (e.g. Ballerina 12/24 by Vai) with the WH-1 and a Boss DD-2...

i use it with my custom built / hotrodded Jap RG / Washburn Culprit into WH-1 - into modified Crybaby Wah - into Extreme III distortion pedal - into Boss DD-2 - at the moment running into a 15w SS amp... not for much longer though - once i finish setting up my rack rig setup compromising of a Mesa Boogie Power Amp, boutique pre-amp, Marshall 1960B cab..

but even now, thru the 15W P-O-S it sounds AMAZING.

it survived two gigging owners and 15 years of play, and still going strong.

very solid, very reliable, havent had any issues with it yet.

never dealt with them - thankfully

i play a whole lot of music...

like i play in a progressive death metal band, where i am the leading songwriter...

but i also play in a jazz / rock band....

in addition to recording instrumental neoclassical / experimental (shred-like) projects...

works best for my instrumental work, because due to the nature of the pedal, it requires a deeply experimental, and methodist approach - you certainly DO need to know your theory to make the most of this pedal.

it goes without saying, it BLOWS away all reissues, and any half-hearted copy's of it by other manufacturers...

prices are steep, but IMO you get exactly what you pay for.

Super easy to operate, just on/off switch, one knob, and the treadle. I got mine off ebay, I was lucky and got a 1993 model that included the original box and manual. Bone stock, no mods!

Let me start by saying: DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THE WH-4 WHAMMY REISSUE! I started out with one of these, they are total shit! Most people describe them as "coming close" to duplicating the original, well, they don't! The WH-4 is eratic. Sometimes it bends the pitch to to the right spot, but more often than not it just gets close and sounds really, really fake. The WH-1 gets there every time! Extremely accurate bends. Sometimes the WH-4 gets lost and the treadle needs to be recalibrated. NOT the original, always returns to the 'home' position.
I use either a 1979 Les Paul Silverburst with DiMarzio pickups or a Strat style parts guitar with EMG pickups and a Morello style kill switch. They run into a crybaby wah, the WH-1, a boss tremolo, and a MXR phase 90. This is all run into the front of a 1985 Marshall JCM 800 2205 with a new Mesa/Boogie cab with Vintage 30's. I have all my effects daisy chained (with the exception of the wh-1) and there is no noise or hum in the signal.

Built like a tank. Very, very rugged design. The only thing that is not original is the power supply. You can get a replacement from harmon/digitech for like 39.95. I actually have 2 WH-1's I bought the first one on Ebay and before it came in I saw another one go for way too cheap so I couldn't pass on it. The way these things have gone up in value, make them an excellent investment. I'm gonna hold on to both of them for a while and possibly sell one in the future, for a nominal profit of course!!!

E-mailed digitech a couple of times asking various questions. There turnaround time on answers was impressive. One or two days and I had my answers. Thumbs up to the folks at digitech in this department. But, then again, someone needs to make up for all the boneheads that are designing some of the most overpriced crap on the market today!

I play a heavy, riffy kind of "stoner metal" as I call it. Drop D tuning, hook oriented. Do not buy a WH-1 unless you plan to be missing in action for a while. That is, you won't wanna leave your practice room if you get ahold of one of these. Sometimes I catch myself hovering over this thing like a mad scientist just making crazy 'Greenwood', "MORELLO" style SOUNDS for extended periods! If it were stolen, I do have the backup, but the streets would be flooded with the blood of the bastard that stole it as I handed him a serious beat down! Beats the hell outta the WH-4, hands down! NOTE:this pedal will not make you Johnny Greenwood, 'Douche'bag Darrell(one is tooo many!!), or even TOM MORELLO. What it will do is give you the option of going in a totally different direction than everybody else. You WILL develop a special relationship with this pedal. To the point of laying your life on the line for the WH-1! Don't ask anymore about the relationship, all I can say is its 'special'!

to me, this thing is really easy to get a good sound out of it. i
remember when i got it, i had a bit of a problem getting it to hit
the exact note of the octave when i went from heel to toe. however,
after actually messing with it for about an hour, i realized that it wasn't the pedal, but my technique(i don't play like anyone else that i've ever met). tell you the truth, if you told me to play an a chord,
i couldn't do it. i'm a by ear guy. anyway, back to the pedal. now,
after about a week, it was like a part of my foot. the sounds flow out
like no man's bi'ness. the harmony settings are really neat, though
i imagine someone who knew what down 2/3rds meant would have an easier time. if you can read music-good to go.

i use this pedal through the old two channel boogie triple rec. y'know, the one before that first run of crappy 3 channels? anyway.
point being, it's a pretty good match for this pedal- and it's LOUD.
this pedal sounds awesome- smooth transitions, i love how easily the
expression pedal on these things slides. the thing about this pedal is, it sounds nothing like what i think it was meant to sound like.
if you're looking at this, you've probably heard one. most of the
artists that record with them don't use the reissue. but that's irrelevant. even though it failed it's mission, the thing sounds SO
crazy and awesome. i love hitting really high notes on the guitar and
never going to either the heel or toe position. it makes that 1930's
flying saucer sweeping bloop sound. i love weird sounds. this thing doesn't sound crazy in conjunction with any of my pedals, and i have A LOT! but with delay. oh, mother glory. and for the brave- trying having one foot on this, and the other foot waving over the light jack theramin thingy on a ring stinger-utter madness. but before anyone hurts themselves trying this, i recommend something to sit on.
unless you have harnesses suspending you over your pedal board.

this pedal-you can depend on it. it will not break. the friggin' thing weighs like 5 pounds. 2 mm folded steel or something. my friend came to practice the other night and i let him get on my rig.
he doesn't use almost any pedals, so he was in heaven. so i look over and he's freaking standing on my whammy one like it's a fucking wah pedal! it'd be cool except this dude is huge. you could put a sock and a shoe on his arm. so after he leaves i'm of course trying it, unplugging it, trying it again. it still works, of course, but it's worth so much money, man-that stuff makes me nervous. ok, so yes-
i would gig it without a backup. the only reason i give this thing a
9 for reliability is the power supply.they're 10 volts ac which is weird. luckily, the reissue power supply works for mine because they have such a high miliampage. they should work. i read one guy on here's review, and unfortunately he had a bit of an ordeal with his, but he got it worked out. good deal. anyway- baby the power supply.
i don't have a backup whammy, but i've sure got a back up power supply.

when i got mine, the guy sent it to me with the cord connecting the plug to the jack cut. he said all i had to do was splice it together.
i thought cool- my other guitar player is an a/c man. so i take it to his house and we test it. nope. the transformer was dead. but hey,
it was the original power supply and my pedal is like 12 or 13 years old. so i get on the horn with digitech and they tell me about the reissue adapter and all. so i order it. about a week after it should've been at my house i call 'em up and i'm like "what the fluke?" and the guy tells me they'll ship it tomorrow. what's up with that trash!? it shouldve been out 2 weeks ago!! oh well, it came 5 or so days later so it's all gravy. at least they were polite.

i play stuff that's hard, yet experimental. after all, i've got twenty pedals to make funky sounds with. it totally goes with my stuff. i have been playing about 9 years. i'm 23. i work 2 jobs just to support my gear habit. if this thing got lost or stolen- i would definitely replace it regardless of cost. it's one of my favorite pedals. right up there with my meatball, my ringstinger, moog stuff.
i've heard the reissues. they really just don't sound the same. my other guitar player has a whammy 2, which is an awesome pedal. if you cant afford this one get that one and be happy, you did well. when i took it to the band room, i was like, did i get my money's worth?(he's my mentor, too). he was like, "my whammy doesn't sound like that! i can't believe i got it so cheap, too!275! so- like i said
if you like to make weird sounds, even if you only use it to record and you put it really low in the background- even then! buy it!
this box definitely opens doors for me. i don't know how weird the readers of this review will be, but it'll make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. a 10!

The Whammy functions and detune functions are really a breeze to experiment and play with, but the Harmony options require a little more knowledge about music theory than your average effects pedal would demand from you...

Really you just plug in and go. For those of you who bought this pedal off eBay or whatever and are desperately searching for a
manual, go to: http://www.digitech.com/ftp_mirror/PDFs/Discontinued%20Products/Manuals/Whammy.pdf and download one for free. (hope that saves some people a few bones...)

Quick Story:
At a new years party for '03, my band did a cover of Audioslave's 'like a stone' (say what you will?it?s fun to cover live). Anyways, the song sounds pretty good for our little local band, but when I kicked on my whammy re-issue for the solo, it sounded like crap-ola. Half the time my whammy re-issue didn't even bend the notes all the way. Anyways, after the embarrassment wore off, I vowed to get the REAL thing, and the difference is like day and night...

I've never had a problem with it. Just to be safe I always make sure I run through any song parts that use the whammy a couple times before I play it live. Sure, the thing could kill somebody if it fell of the stage and into the crowd, but I mean come on. Old faithful (my WH1) here is over ten years old, and something's bound to go wrong some day...

DigiTech has my respect. I bought my WH1 from a chap across the pond in Jolly ol' England, and when I got it, it didn't have an adaptor. I spent a good two weeks researching electrical stuff to find out how I could power up my puppy. Yes, it is true that these have a unique power supply. DigiTech was actually REALLY helpful and informed me that I could use the PS0913B-120 power supply (which replaces the PS750). Well, I got the supply, plugged it in and... nothing. Well, after I stopped weeping and trying to end it all, I called up DigiTech again, and as it turns out the english model is wired slightly different internally to account for the different current over there (or something like that). DigiTech had me send it out to their factory and they had it repaired and back to me in a matter of two weeks. I plugged it in and... woohoo! WHAMMY POWER!! All in all I think it cost me around 35 bucks...

http://www.digitech.com/digiforum/view_thread.asp?forum=expression&threadid=1062262010

Well, this is really the one and only... The others will suffice if you're just doing the occasional shriek in a random song, but if you want a quality sound that you can actually use with out embarrassing yourself, go for the real thing. I'll admit that guys like the Edge and Tom Morello really turned me on to this pedal, but this pedal can really do ALOT if you invest the time and effort into it. Personally, I've benefited from it, and I'd definitely replace it if I could find one for a descent price. (and yeah, I'd beat the thief to death with it if it got stolen... it'd probably still work after that, too!)

Not for everyone, but totally worth it for those of us who love it...

Muy facil uso, elegir el preset y tocar, nada mas. Si bien solo lo uso en los presets de "whammy", hubiese sido interesante un control de "mix" entre se?al procesada y se?al seca para los efectos de "harmony".
El manual es sencillo, acorde a la facilidad de uso (en realidad no hace falta consultarlo).

Mi setup es el siguiente: guitarra custom con Di MArzio AirNorton y ToneZone - Vox Valvetone - DIGITECH WH1 WHAMMY- Ibanez Whawha WH10 - Boss DS1 - Digitech RP50 (con efectos de Detune, Reverb y para afinar)- Amplificador Marshall o Yamaha Soldano... Segun tenga ganas de tocar coloco un Delay Zoom 508 con control de Tap Tempo (Boss FS-5U)y Boss HR2 Harmonist.
El sonido es EXELENTE, es el efecto mas importante para mi sonido y forma e tocar: puedo prescindir de los otros pedales pero sin este mi forma de tocar esta claramente alterada. El "whammy" es totalmente fluido, la buena salida de mis humbucker seguramente influyen en la respuesta. Espectacular combinarlo con delays largos (sonidos totalmente marcianos). Ideal para fans de Ton Morello. Otro forma de usarlo es encender el boton de ByPass en ciertos pasajes de una cancion, con el preset de "harmony" en una octava abajo, logrando un sonido mas "gordo".
EXISTE UNA MINIMA PERDIDA DE SONIDO (TONE SUCKING), PERO NADA DE IMPORTANCIA (NO ES UN CRY BABY).

Sin este pedal toco blues y rock clasico.
Con el whammy puedo tocar otras cosas (Audioslave, Vai, etc).

?

Toco hard rock, desde cosas a lo Van Halen hasta Audioslave... y toco hace mas de 25 a?os (nunca habia hecho la cuenta!!!).
Este pedal lo consegui en una super oferta, pero si algo le pasara no dudaria en comprarme otro a cualquier precio.
El Whammy original, el que usa Morello, Vai, Satriani... mejor que cualquier reedicion!!!!!!!
AMO ESTE PEDAL!!AMO ESTE PEDAL!!AMO ESTE PEDAL!!AMO ESTE PEDAL!!AMO ESTE PEDAL!!AMO ESTE PEDAL!!AMO ESTE PEDAL!!AMO ESTE PEDAL!!

quite easy to understand the user interface, but you have to study (music, not the manual) if you want to understand how the harmony works.

i think that one thing has to be clear: THE WHAMMY IS A LOW FIDELITY EFFECT.
people think that you can use it as an Eventide harmonizer, but this pedal is not intended for this.
It has a bad tracking, it glitches, and it is noisy: consider than an eventide H3000 costs about 750 dollars, and i've seen people paying more than 500 dollars for this pedal... something is going wrong uh?
Abotu the reussue, it sounds as good as this one: perdiod.

i had to replace it three times due to intense live usage during years. many other pedals never got broken, can't say the same of this.

never delt with them

I wrote this reveiw to clarify some important points about the whammy: seems that everybody wants an original WH-1, but my question is: do you really need a whammy? can you really use it to achieve an original sound? Can you spend hundreds of dollars for a pedal that you're going to use in a couple of songs?
IMHO, it's just a momentary public lapse of reason.
i started using it when it first came out, and i'm still using it for the same 2 songs.
Use your brain!

If you are reading this, then you are no doubt a stranger to the Wh-1. Congratulations. If you are *serious* about buying one, you will definitely put yourself into a very exclusive group of guitar players. When the WH-1 went off the market and it became certain that it would never ever return in its original form (due to lost partnerships between companies) it is rumored that the Edge of U2 immediately went out on a mission to find some WH-1s. As a consequence he now owns 8 of them.

If you are new to the WH-1, then this is the sort of deal you are getting yourself into.

For those who don't know, the operation of a Whammy is pretty simple. It does basically 3 things. There is a harmony mode (you can select what intervals. It will switch between two depending on the treadle position), a "whammy mode" (what you are all here for, pitch shifting like Pavarotti being sacked in the family jewels) and also a detune section (kinda like hitting a FRT bar). Its not rocket science to figure out, however it does take some getting used to. This thing alters your sound so drastically that it almost takes a whole new outlook on guitar playing to really be able to use it effectively and creatively.

This isn?t for people just wanting to make loud noises. Hell, Robert Fripp owns one. If being creative in an unconventional way doesn?t appeal to you, head on over to the Wah-Wah section and knock yourself out.

All right. This is by far the most controversial part. Does a WH-1 sound better than the "reissue?"

I have one thing to say about this. Does a TS-808 sound better than the reissue? Or how about a Clyde McCoy Wah? You don't even want to *know* how much an original one of THOSE is going for. Expect the same for the WH-1.

Here's the low down. The reissues are *not* the same. I cannot stress this enough. Look at all the reviews on the re-issues. Every single one of them, even the "ones done by a professional." They all say the same thing. "This whammy sounds *REMINISCENT* of the original, or sounds *NEARLY* the same. They wont lie, they know there is a difference there too. The real question is for you. Are you willing to drop 4-500 bucks on a piece of equipment? If no, then consider the re-issue. However, if you want the real mccoy, there is only one true whammy pedal.

We all know the story. Digitech was kinda starting out, and had a cooperation with a software company called IVL. That partnership has since ceased to exist and gone with it are the chips and software that drove the original whammy.

Does the re-issue do the same thing? You bet. Does it sound the same? No. The original has a much more analog feel to it. Still confused about the price and if it is worth it? Go look up how much a vintage Boss analog delay pedal costs. Then re-assess if you think the WH-1 is over priced. I wouldn?t be surprised if in 5 years the prices on these go to around 900 bucks a unit. Not only are they rare, but there is virtually no chance another unit exactly like it will ever be made.

Few more things to consider. This has a true bypass in it. The reissues do not. It is also built stronger.

Here's the deal, if Digitech were to build another whammy to the exact specifications it would be very high priced and probably would not do very well in the guitar effects market (whammys are NOT for everyone, after all). Cheaper components and such make for higher profits.

The original is still the one and only.
End of story.

Power supplies. Lets talk power for a moment.

Already got a WH-1? TAKE GOOD CARE OF THAT POWER SUPPLY!

Thinking about buying one? Here's some things to keep in mind.

The power supply for the WH-1 is a ten volt power supply. Never seen a 10volt? That's because they are rare. Usually voltage only goes in 3.5, 7, 9, 12 and so forth. Digitech made a special power supply for this unit. Not only is it 10volt, but it has its own size of plug on it. Universal adapters? Tough luck. Gotta have the real deal.

So what does this mean in terms of buying it? MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE POWER SUPPLY TOO, AND IF NOT ADJUST FOR THAT PRICE. With out power, the unit is worthless. Make sure the person you are buying the pedal from is honest and knowledgeable. I've seen way too many sellers saying "yes, we have tested it and it works and sounds great!" only to have the buyer find out that they never tested it and just assumed that a standard 9volt power supply would work with it.

WRONG.

Make sure YOU realize this and that THEY realize this before you agree upon a price.

Digitech is good. I sometimes get the feeling that some of their support staff see the whammy like a mechanic would see a classic car. They are generally really helpful from what I have experienced.

I saw someone write in here that the whammy is not a very subtle effect. That made me smile when I saw it because nothing more true could be said about the whammy. I've seen so many people in here bashing on this guitarist or that guitarist saying they have no skills and such and that they just use their whammy blah blah blah whine whine whine.

Thats great, so where can I buy YOUR album?

Thats right, sit down.

Thing is, the whammy is only as creative as the person operating it. It wont make you a better guitarist, but it will make you a different guitarist. It wont make you sound cooler, it will only give you more creative options for you to use, if you are capable.

Once you get into the "whammy world" you find other WH-1 whammy owners have a near zen-like relationship with their whammy. This is probably due in part to the drastic changes that this pedal will make to your sound. No other pedal is anything like it. It almost is like a whole other insturment.

I got lucky and got mine just at the tail end of when original whammy pedals were somewhat easy to find. They are becoming more and more sought after now, and the prices are not surprisingly rising in accordance with that.

That being said, I can?t imagine going out on a gig with out my whammy. In fact, I?m currently looking to drop another 450-500 bucks for another WH-1 *just in case*

Yeah, they are like that. Once it gets under your skin and into your heart, money just doesn?t matter so much anymore.

But then again, if you are looking all this up because you want one badly, you probably already know this.