Dunlop 105Q Crybaby Bass Wah

Pretty Simple, just whack your foot on it and it does the rest. The volume and Q controls are a bit small and you have to learn which is which. There's no numbers on the dials, either, so you cant easily recall presetsl, but they'reboth pretty much set and forget options. Same with the little thing underneath that adjusts the time before it stops when you take your foot off it.

The only REALLLY annoying thing is that my daisychain adapter(https://www.rainbowguitars.com/imagesproduct/bo/bopcs20a-xl.jpg) doesn't fit in the hole for the power adapter. I'm planning on shaving this down, but for the moment I'm running it off batteries.

SETUP:

Fender 4-string passive american stanfard jazz bass (pearl white... oh yeah!)
into
Boss TU-2 (as a tuner output - not actually in the signal chain)
into
Home-made Mute ('Moot') pedal
into
EHX Bass Microsynth (on a true-bypass loop for remote switching)
into
Boss ODB-3
into
Jim Dunlop Bass wah 105Q
into
Ashdown MAG-300 Combo with 4x10" speakers

It's a pretty nice clean tone, with some typical wah tones on it.
However, I used to own a morley (guitar) wah pedal which would only work if I put overdrive on it (and before it). When i used it, it went all the way to 11, no doubt. I could get quite a nice high-end out of it when I rocked it all the way forward. However, with the 105Q it doesn't quite go as far s I expected, and still remains quite 'passive'(i.e. it doesn't jump out at you - it doesn't melt your face off). This is good and bad - I'll let you decide.

When put through my Boss ODB-3 overdrive with some low settings, it sounds completely orgasmic. You don't quite get the OD coming through until the top half of the pedal so it works as a build-up phenomenally

hmmmm, I'm too cheap to have backups of pedals, but as for overall build quality:

pros:
- The main part of the pedal where you will be kicking is nice and sturdy
- The main part of it is made from metal
- I'm the second user and there's no scratches on it:D
- The jack sockets could take nuclear blasts

cons:
- When you take off the battery cover (which is bound to snap off) it reveals the whole innards
- when it's in the full-back position (which is it's default position) you can see the main board as well as a pretty hefty capacitor.
- When you try to take off the rubber feet (for pedalboard mounting, etc.) the whole back plate comes off
- a bit of stray water could kill this with ease (it has happened many times at gigs)

Never dealt with, although the seller who sold this to me was very nice :D

I play mostly hard(ish) rock (in a band called 'HyBrid' http://www.myspace.com/bandhybridhybrid ) and it works for killer build-up intros (play the riff and slowly press the pedal forward) and REALLY works for clean funk stuff. Pretty much the same as the guitar wah pedal.

oh and it funkifies solos!

Favourite feature: auto shut-off - AMAZING IDEA!

It definitely helps me make music, not destroy it with funk


oh and one last thing: I play in my church's youth band and it is also a great atmospheric pedal for just playing slow notes while keeping the pedal about half-way forward. Adds ome extra warmth to the tone.

I give it a 9 because you should set the Q and volume knobs on the unit appropriately for your tastes and I know this will throw some people if they're complete technophobes and expect instant gratification. Other than that, just plonk yer hoof on the treadle and start sawing away.

I know some folks hate the automatic on/off (when you step on the pedal, it turns on and when you take your foot off, it turns off) but I love it. Last week I used a wah with a conventional toe switch and I found it a pain in the butt after the 105Q.

I love the wah sound of the 105Q. It's not subtle (and I don't want it to be) and works obnoxiously well with both my Precision and my Ibanez ATK (both with round wounds) which are the only Basses I've played through it.

When it's on it's noise free. I used it on a recording session a few weeks ago and it was fine - no complaints from the engineer.

I haven't noticed any huge tone-suck with the unit off, although the band I use it with most is fairly rowdy live.

So far completely reliable. I wouldn't bring a backup 'coz, although it's important, it ain't absolutely vital and I could survive a gig without it. Also the Digitech Expression Factory I use for chorus would substitute at a pinch.

I've been playing professionally and semi-professionally for over 30 years. My main Basses are a USA Precision, an Ibanez ATK300, and an early '80's USA Hamer Cruisebass. My main rig is a MarkBass SA450 through either an Eden D210XLT or a home-made 15" with a black Widow.

I play all styles of music as a sub in heaps of bands. The gigs I use the 105Q for are mainly with a young acoustic roots singer/songwriter/guitarist.

If it were stolen, I'd replace it fairly quickly either with another 105Q, or possibly a Wilson, depending on available funds.

The 1050Q definitely beats any of the "conventional" wahs I've tried for sound. I also repeat that I love the automatic on/off. Incidentally the wah in my Digitech Expression Factory is also good sounding on Bass but the travel in the pedal is too small to make it comfortable to use, and the on/off switch is a particular pain in that unit.

I do wish it had a control to set the upper and lower limits of the sweep as the range I use it in is only about half the available pedal travel.

I got this pedal used off of Ebay. It is the 105Q that DOESN'T have the ability to adjust the delay for the way to turn off once you remove your foot, but its not a problem for me. I actually like it how it is. The fact that it does automatically turn off is a plus, so I don't have to worry about forgetting.

Wahs on bass are harder to handle than guitar. You can't use one all the time, you have to know when its appropriate. Saying that, its pretty easy to get a good sound out of this pedal. The Q knob essentially controls the amount of treble in the sweep, as well as adjusting the sweet spot. You can get a wide variety of sounds out of this wah, and the volume pot is a plus, because it allows you to choose whether your wah parts are louder or the same volume (don't see why someone would want them quieter). The only downside I can think of is that the pots are on the bottom, so they are hard to get at without lots of effort. The new ones moved them to the side.

My signal chain as of now is a Schecter Studio 4 into the wah --> Digitech Bass Driver --> Digitech Bass Chorus --> Ampeg BA115. I can get some pretty trippy sounds combining all the effects, and can actually get a USEFUL sound if I use all in moderation. But this review is about the wah.

My wah has a little bit of scratching that goes on if you rock back and forth without playing anything. But this becomes much less noticeable when playing notes, and you can't tell at all when playing with a band. The wah works well with all of my pedals. The only thing is that this pedal wahs the static I get when I turn my distortion to high gain, but that it to be expected.

I chose this wah over other because Timmy C from RATM/Audioslave uses one, and this does a good job of getting his wah sounds on Calm Like a Bomb and others. Without distortion, this wah is still useful. With the right kind of rocking you can get an envelope filter sound, and slow moving of pedal can get you a pseudo flange sound that is also pretty useful. I never AB'ed it against another wah, but I love how it sounds. As of now, I see no reason to get another wah.

The thing is metal, so from that standpoint its sturdy. However, when you open up the battery compartment, the circuit board is right there to be messed with. I'm not a huge fan of this. Makes me worry its a little exposed. Speaking of battery life, I can't say, because I use a power supply, but it is supposed to be good. I also think that the on/off switch might give out at some point, but this isn't due to the pedal, just the nature of wahs.

Never dealt with Dunlop, so no opinion. It is good to note that they have the manual on their website.

I play a large variety of music, and this wah can cover rock, funk, metal, and anything else you can throw at it.. I would for sure get another one if it was stolen. I love the versatility of the wah and just plainly the sound I get out of it. I like how this wah can actually be used in a band setting without being terribly excessive. I wish the pots were on the side, but that comes with buying used off Ebay. Can't fault Dunlop for that. Considering the price I paid for it, I got much more than I paid for.

VERY easy... just two controls, volume and Q. Plug in, make a couple of quick adjustments to suit your taste and you???re ready to play. Within MAYBE 5 minutes of plugging my 105Q in, I had a sound that I was happy with.

I think I???ve never been really that impressed with wah for bass because I???ve only had multieffects pedals in the past, and none of them had a wah sound that really made me want to use it. I???m building a pedalboard and bought a 105Q (along with a couple others) mainly because I thought it would be ???good to have.??? My mind changed once I plugged into this pedal though... even before and adjustments, I was impressed with the sounds coming out of this pedal. I initially tried this pedal by itself between my basses and amp, but now I???m itching to see how it sounds with other pedals!

A quick tweak of the volume knob and the on/off volumes were evenly balanced. In bypass mode, it didn???t seem to suck any of my tone and when engaged, had a really great sounding low-end.

The Q knob can really dial in just about any wah sound you???d want to cook up, from a swooping, high-range ???quacky??? sound to a much more subtle frequency shift. It didn???t take me long to find a sound that I really liked and start getting the feel of the 105Q.

As far as the delay between on and off, maybe they changed it... I didn???t notice much of a delay and almost found myself wishing for a LONGER delay before the pedal went back to bypass mode. I noticed 2 instances of the pedal going back to bypass before I starting rocking my foot forward again. However, I just got my 105Q last night... maybe it???s like learning to drive a stick-shift and figuring out where it engages (hope that makes sense!)

I was able to get a great expressive wah sound and the 105Q has already moved much higher on my favorite pedals list.

This thing really feels like it???s built like a tank. The casing is solid metal and weighs a ton, which is really the only drawback I???ve found to the 105Q so far. The action on this pedal is really smooth and has just the right amount of resistance. The 105Q has a spring to keep the pedal rocked back (the auto-bypass feature) and it all seems to be put together pretty well. For those that DON???T want/like the auto-bypass, it looks like you could take that spring out pretty easily and quickly by removing one nut holding it in place. I like this feature though, so I???ll be leaving it as is. (I would also suggest that removing that spring would probably void the warranty, so do it at your own risk of course). The control knobs seem like they could be a little fragile, but they???re pretty small and I don???t think they???ll be a problem once I get everything anchored on my board. Overall, I feel like this pedal will be able to take anything that I???d dish it.

Haven't ever had to deal with Dunlop...

Solid construction, great sound quality and good feel make me happy I decided to get a 105Q because ???it???d be good to have.??? Definitely worth my $99!

Volume and frequency knobs could've been a tad bigger and in a better spot. They're right above the output on the top left; I use a right-angle patch to run it into my overdrive pedal, and the cord lays on the knobs. Maybe not an issue for some, but I would've prefered them on the bottom right of the unit.

Didn't like the auto-on feature. As soon as you remove your foot, it shuts itself off (with a split second delay which causes a spike in volume); I like being able to turn on a wah and leave it at a certain setting for different tones.

Ibanez SRX705/BC Rich Acrylic Mockingbird-->EHX Hot Tubes-->EHX Small Stone-->Ampeg SVT-3

I crank the output on my Hot Tubes to 3:00 and keep the gain at 9:00, gives me a nice crispy crunch with all my bottom end.

Because there's such a high signal coming from my overdrive pedal, I couldn't dial in enough treble on the 105Q to get a good tone without causing MASSIVE feedback.

I will agree with a previous poster and say this sounds GREAT with a guitar on a clean channel; you'll get so much bottem end jamming some Parliament or Mayfield.

Didn't keep it long enough to gig with it. I've never had a problem with Dunlop gear before.

Never bothered.

Paul from Salt of the Earth uses one, which is why I bought it without hesitating. He gets a KILLER tone out of it, so I'd say it's awesomeness depends on the user.

While there were features about it I didn't like, I can't say it's a bad piece of equipment - just not the one for me.

perfect but it can't turn off (WTF)

i run it off a fender jazz bass and a crate bt100 combo,sounds good when in use but sucks when u r not using it

it is a tank fully metal

e-mailed them and got no responce

it is a great pedal i love how it automaticaly comes back up, but it would be alot beter if it had a off switch

Extremely easy, 2 knobs, volume and Q. Knobs could be bigger though, and it's harder to tell the setting they're in. And I keep forgetting which is volume and which is Q...

I use a Fender American Jazz Bass Deluxe and among other things, a T-Rex Bass Juice distortion pedal and Boss Flanger or Chorus.
Sounds great, doesn't lose any low end and you can control the Q amount and volume perfectly with the knobs. Seriously, I had given up on wahs and filters, tried this 1 out of boredom and ended up buying it straight away. You can't do a bass wah much better than this...

Seems sturdy as a rock, although not being optical is a worry, as some day that lubricant thing will need maintenance, and those potentiomenters always need replacement sooner or later anyway...

Never dealt with them, but due to popular demand, the units now come with a small knob in the battery compartment to customize the delay with which the pedal goes off when u step out. That's good attention to customer complaints and requests...

I've been playing rock for 14 years, Tim C and Melvin Gibbs are great influences and this pedal is perfect for similar stuff. Adds texture to songs where the guitarist is limiting the use of effects. Sounds as perfect as a wah can sound on bass, in my opinion. Doesn't get too overbearing. If you set the knobs well, you can get just the right amount of noticeability. It's the pedal I use the most. I'd buy another 1 if it was lost or stolen, as it's a natural extension of my fingers in being 1 more way of adding expression to what I play.

Easy of use, 2 knobs: volume and Q.

I play thrash/ heavy metal and I love this pedal. I usually use the wah in the slides and it rocks.

Like a boss....nothing else to say

I live in Madrid (Spain)and I waited almost a month.

Better than a girlfriend

Easy to use, just set the controls on the side to the level of volume and wah effect you want from very small amounts to large amounts. And then place your foot on it rocking it back and forwards at different speeds and depths, very simple!
Manual is simple and straightforward, and it is so simple to get a great sound out of it! No modern bassist should do without it!

Im a fairly New bassist so i use a Vintage Bass -> Crybaby -> Amp, i should give it 10 because my setup is made up of high quality parts yet. The sound sometimes fuzz's but this could be because of my amp. Effects always sound great, you can take the worst riff ever and make it sound like something great!

Made of metal, very strong. Probably be able to use it hard for 20 years and it would sound like it had just be bought!

Never had to deal with them, but some advice emails take a long time for them to respond to!

Cant really say anything different to what anyone says. It is brilliant and a great effect for the money, nothing even comes close to the sound and reliability it can produce!

very easy to use, just set the Q and volume (more volume less Q) and your done.

AMAZING. It really is'nt only for funk players. I'm in a heavy/thrash metal band and i love it!. The 1 second delay thing can be a bitch, but it's really easy to get rid of it (for the newer modles), you just open the battery box and turn that brown thing that looks like it has a keyhole in it all the way to the right and it's gone.

I'm pretty shure dropping it would esaly damage it. Will see what the future hold's.

A really REALLY nice wha. I whould gif it a 10 if the volume and Q buttons where just a litle bit bigger. GET IT!! YOU WONT REGRET IT!!