Dunlop Crybaby Fasel

Normally, I'd give something easy a 10, but since you have to open it and set the switch right at the spot you want, I'll say 9. It takes about 15 min to do, but I don't like the switch too easy, or too hard to turn on/off. I also adjust the sweep of the pot to get in the perfect range of sweep that I want.

For what it does, a 10. It's a wah pedal... Sounds really good, and cuts nice and clear. It has a true bypass, which is something that's a must for me. I use it for some leads, but mostly percussive strumming, and I like it more than my regular Crybaby and my Vox 847. I don't really go for anybody's sound, just do my own thing so I can't help there.

Here's my issue... I own this, a Crybaby and a Vox 847. They all make this horrible high-pitch screaming noise randomly. It stops when I kick it. This one also cuts out randomly while the wah is on. I had the Vox sent back and they couldn't find anything wrong with it. It still does it. The Crybaby is out of warranty. The Crybaby Fasel (the one i'm reviewing) has just started doing it, and has one month on the warranty, so I'll be sending it back. Who knows, it may be in the box sitting with the others soon as I search for a good wah that's reliable.

From what I remeber they were good. On the phone they talked gear with me, and were nice. I forgot to send a copy of the reciept and they still looked it over...

Sound vs. reliability... I've been playing for about 12yrs now, and I make my living playing guitar. This is the only pedal I carry with me, and when it goes down I'm bummed out as I rely on it for certain songs. I did notice when I called for support on my Vox, I got Dunlop. So I opened the 847 and Crybaby and realized that they are the exact same board/pot/components. The only difference is the housing and price increase for the Vox. I'm not surprised... But I have three of their products that all do the same thing, so maybe they should look into this...

simple......

I am using a Jap/Strat with EMG (Active P/U's) guitar sounds incredible on its own.

This wah overdrives in the clean, is anyone else have this occur?

As stated in previous reviews it sounds great with distortion and I agree. So I am not sure I can use this in Clean without turning down the vol on the guitar, that is in order to keep the sound clean. (btw I play Funk) Otherwise that is the only way I can it from slightly distorting or a little fuzzy.

Maybe its my Active P/U's ?.

I dont know, that is why I am here on this review board.

Dont Get me wrong , Leads with this fasel/wah - TS9 or other good DIST sounds great.....

Anybody ? kpaul79@sbcglobal.net

I am sure I will have to repair it sometime in the future , its a 100$ ....thats what you get.....cant really complain

A very straight-forward wah pedal. Does not have the bells and whistles like its more expensive counter parts. Its just a good, versatile wah.

When it comes to effects, I got quite the addiction. I was the only guy in high school to have a large pedal board at local shows. I have a lot of effects, so Ill just tell you about the chain between guitar and my amplifier. I play a Hamer Import Standard into a Boss TU-2 tuner --> Crybaby Wah --> Boss SD-1( in process of getting modded by Analogman) --> EH Little Big Muff Pi --> Peavey Supreme 100W Amp. When I first got it, the sound sounded a little too bassy to me. It was like the upper register wasn't attainable.

Me being a tinkerer ( I modded my Phase 90 a few yrs. ago) I decided to open her up and fiddle around with it. I loosened the white gear guide that holds the gear arm in place. I put the gear arm to the side and began messing around with the pot itself. I would play a note on my guitar and see where the best tone sweep occurs. I mode it so I could reach the best high point while getting the best low point. I tightened everything up again and flipped it over and began to play...WOW, I just turned a mediocre sounding pedal into something very usable. I went on an hour guitar/wah jam session meant for the record books.

A couple of times during my two years with my last band, the gear arm slipped and I would be back down in front of my amp adjusting the thing again. Every time I got back up and started to play again, my other guitarist exclaimed how much better it sounded.

This has been my experience with the pedal. The fact that I needed to tinker with it does say something about the quality control at Dunlop. With that said, the tone for the price is really good. I guess I can deal until I become famous and can afford a RMC Teese...

This is where I get annoyed at the mighty giant of Dunlop. I have read in countless reviews of their various wahs that people have been having trouble with the stomp switch used. Mine is no different. I had the signal cutting problem of the effect turning off when you tapped too gently on the switch. Finally, while I was practicing the other day, the switch just seized up. It would not engage or disengage the effect. In fact the switch was jammed. That definitely but a damper on things. My great wah pedal was down for the count. Right after practice, I went online for places that could repair the switch. Dunlop said it had to still be under warranty and be sent with a bunch of paperwork to be repaired. Several other places said that they couldn't fix it since the switch was attached to a PC board. So I found the individual part and it is currently being sent to my dorm room. I guess I have to break out the ol solder gun to fix this one. Dunlop should reconsider their choice in switches since I have read many complaints about them.

Rating of 4 since I have had to replace the faulty switch

Don't know, but from what I have gathered from the website, your SOL unless it's still under warranty

I have been playing for 5 or 6 years now. My music tastes are as varied as the effects I have used on stage. My tastes range from Gov't Mule to Cheap Trick to Queens of the Stone Age. I play mostly blues influenced rock with a bit of funk added for good measure. When it comes to gear, I have really done my homework and really ponder over something new before I purchase it. Something that I do that others don't is to try stuff out at a guitar shop. That is so I know how it will sound when I use it. I think thats why so many people have been disappointed at effects. They just buy it because so-n-so guitar hero uses it. Its not going to sound the same through a crate amp and a squire strat as it does through a Les Paul and a Mesa-Boogie. This wah does what I need it to do. Now I just need to fix it. If you want to never buy another wah again, save up and buy a Teese RMC. If you're a poor college student like I am, Dunlop is still a good choice. But try it out for yourself and don't let other people tell you whats good and whats not. Its what sounds good to you that matters

You rock up and down. Although technique is everything.

After a few hours of going through the same part over and over and rocking on the pedal, it seemed to just seize up. The cog that dictated the basic tonality just wasn't moving.

I squirted it with some silicone grease and that seemed to solve it. Not impressed though.

A wah is an extreme tone control. You either want Hendrix or Isaac Hayes or just balance it in the middle for talking lead tones. This one does all this well.

I haven't found it all that reliable. It didn't stand up to prolonged usage.

Tried to ask them why it had seized up and they weren't much help. Had to improvise something myself.

Basically, it's a reproduction of a cheaply made 60s pedal made popular by certain musicians of that era. The rush for authenticity has left plenty of room for better reliability. But if you want to play 'Voodoo Chile' properly, this is the one you want.

It's a simple Wha ,unlike the "Q" models with the extra's .

The sound quality on this wha is not so good in my opinion .It's very raspy ,and growly .For my style which is a Funk and ,Jazz driven .I like everything clean and chimey .If your into clean ,I would say this wha is not for you . If you primarily play on the distortion channel .You will get great depth with this wha .It will make your leads scream . For leads the growl is great .

Built like a tank !!! I would say yes you can depend on it .A nice feature is the battery door on the back plate .It's nice not to have to take off 4 screws all the time to change a battery !

N/A

If I played rock and soloed all the time .The wha would be perfect .Whaing on the clean channel just didn't work for me .

Easy to use assuming you understand using a wah is a musical skill. Range is nice and the sweet spot is big enough to grab onto and really sculpt as you play. THis review is for the "Crybaby Classic" with the legendary Italian Linguini and Clam Sauce inductor.

I didn't intend on obsessing on an eternal quest for the mythical perfect wah pedal. I just wanted a good old what that would do what I want and nothing I didn't want. I didn't want one that got shrill and tinney or dull and bloated and this was neither. I bought this pedal figuring I'd give it a whirl and return it if I didn't like it. I plugged in to it then into my tweaked to perfection DOD YJM 308 (that I DID obsessively tinker with) then into my Marshall 1987 head with post phase inverter master installed. I immediately felt something come over me and started doing Hendrix Band of Gypsy's riffs and felt great. A good sounding piece of gear inspires me and ignites a musical spark and that is what this did for me. This is a great sounding wah and I did play others that I did not like. I play a strat with HS-3's. The sweep range is very nice, wide enough but not too wide and the sweet spot is big enough to really get inside of and have your way with it. If I was a hardcore vintage wah snob freak I suppose I might say the tone is a bit strident and cold, not quite vintage warm. But it's also quiet and well behaved. There is the feeling of SLIGHT volume drop, but I actually like it because I don't like a wah to blast out when you kick it in, which then makes you sound lame and far away when you punch out of it. I actually think the perceived volume level is absolutely perfect musically speaking. I'm giving it a 9 and that's only because I don't believe in 10's...just like Plato. Don't loose you mind over wah fever, buy this one and be done with it.

Yes, the jacks are mounted to the board and I'm afraid that's a fact of life these days. My suggestion is get a right angle jack for your guitar cord and try to resist throwing it against concrete walls and you should be fine. I keep mine on a pedal board and haven't had it for long enough to commment on reliability of the pot, which is the achilles heel of ALL wahs. One thing though, the switch does not feel very strong under my foot and a few times I didn't quite step hard enough it just cut out and I had no sound until I kicked it again. That might be a weak point.

No comment.

One very important thing needs to be said. I was a little freaked out when I opened up AFTER playing and liking it to see this isn't just your regular PC board. This uses ultra-modern Surface Mount Technology. The board looks like a giant computer chip, and you almost need a magifying glass to see the resistors and capacitors. So if you are like me and like to play with voicing by desoldering and swapping caps and such, forget it. With this pedal, you get what you get. But unless you're a vintage wah nut, I assure you this thing basically hits the mark and does what a good wah does. Used musically, any Hendrix or Stevie Ray type vibe is all there. You could also do the Kirk Hammet style "salad shooter" effect and make every lead solo into a squealing garbled mess. It's all up to you. As I said above, this wah stimulated musical inspiration in me, and that is the gold standard for justifying any gear purchase.

standard wah control. although if I didn't lift it up a bit after I turn it off it gets stuck.

I didn't really like its sound especially with overdrive running. It had a lot of high end and not enough low. I liked the overall tone but the sweep didn't really get thoseold tones.

I could depend upon it but I don't really like it.

never dealt with them

This wah just isn't right for me. I play hard rock and metal and this thing can't acheive that silky smooth wah tone that others can.

It is very easy to use, once you get the hang of it. Just push the pedal to the front to get a "Wow" sound, and backwards from the front to get an "Ow" sound.

I use an Epiphone Les Paul with a Duncan Pearly Gates, and an RMS amp. It makes noises when you turn it on and off.

This is a very sturdy pedal, and I would definately use it at a gig without any form of backup.

Never had a problem, no opinion.

I play Jimi Hendrix style music, and this is perfect ofr it. I have been playing for about 2 years, If it was stolen, I would be sitting in jail for murder.

Jim Dunlop Cry Baby Classic GCB-95F.

This is the best sounding Wah Pedal i've ever heard in my life and trust me, i've heard alot of them. From vintage/boutique to newer Wah Pedals, this one has all the goods on top of having a great tone.

It's very easy to use, just like any other Wah Pedal. But this one sounds very good and sucks you right into those foxey Hendrix tones.

It has a very good sweep and a great vocal sound to it. I chose this over all the other Wah Pedals out there including the Teese Real Mccoy Wah Pedals because I simply wanted great Tone.

Geoffery Teese customizes all of Wah Pedals making them sound too bright and adds to much Treble. Plus he tunes them to the sound that only he likes. Which in my case I really don't like.

With the Cry Baby GCB-95F, you get that pure, one of a kind Tone straight out of the sixties into present day.

I can count on this thing 100% and would most certainly buy another one if it broke. But I highly doubt that because this thing is built like a tank.

This is a Review for the Jim Dunlop Cry baby Classic GCB-95F, A.K.A. Cry Baby Classic with the Fasel Inductor.

This Wah Pedal plays great and is easy to use. It doesnt take long before you want to start rippin' out some cool Hendrix riffs and with the Fasel inside, it makes it even better to play with.

This Cry Baby sounds astonishing when playing through a clean amp. I was really surprised when I placed it in my Effects chain with my (AnalogMan) Sun Face NKT (with Sun Dial) and my (Sweet Sound) Mojo Vibe. I was kind of scared because I thought Hendrix was going to crawl out of my amplifier. YES!, this Wah Pedal sounds that good! Especially when it's added with effects!

It really captures that great Hendrix tone and Wah sounds of the late 60's. and with the Fasel Inductor inside makes it sound ten times better.

I'm still confused though at why most people pay so much money for those pricey boutique Wah Pedals out there when this Crybaby has all the goodies and even sounds better (to me atleast). Personally, I choose this Wah Pedal over any.

If you want a Wah Pedal, then this is the one to own. Trust me, i'm a big gear head and extremely picky about Guitar Effects. If you want that vibe, then it has to have the Fasel inside. You can't go wrong with the Crybaby Classic GCB-95F.

It's not about the quality, it's the tone that matters.

I can most certainly depend on it. Like others have said, it's built like a tank. But I would never dare to damage or punish it. I'm very careful with all of my Guitar Effects. I treat this one like a child, I love it so much.

I have never dealt with the company before because i've never had a problem with their Guitar Effects, or any of my Guitar Effects actually.

But if that day would come, i'm positive that they would be glad to help because Jim Dunlop is a good company and make great effects.

I play Rock/Blues, much like the style of Hendrix and this Cry Baby makes it sound even more better. Words cannot describe how good this Wah Pedal is. It will forever be in my Effects chain until the day I die.

This is probably the greatest wah of the all and yeh. Fasel makes it sound ten times better i guess, unless they added somethin else. But it sounds good for metal but on clean it starts to break up at the treble

I use a epiphone goth explorer with 2 emg 81s and a Marshall AVT150. it sounds but the Kirk hammet sound from like enter sandman wont come since he used a vox bak then(i think).

it wont get killed. I practicly smack it around alot put my whole weight sometimes.

Never delt

I really like the sound it makes more different, can't explain. Sounds great with distortion.

Its a wah.

Good...when it works. It is pretty smooth and quite funky.

I'm with the last reviewer here...only my switch lasted till just after my warranty ran out. Now I either have to fix it or sell it broken...yipee.

It has a few problems...when it is stepped on, it will either:
A-cut the signal
B-make the signal very weak
C-work correctly for a while and then crap out
and a few others along these lines...damn pcb boards.

They've gone either way with me.

Sounds fine if it works, but for now, I'll use my old crybaby.

nothing is easier, just adjust the switch to correct height.

quite good, vintage crybaby sound.very different from the original cry baby.

YOU CANNOT DEPEND ON IT!!!
the first one didnt move...couldnt move it up or down...i still don't know why...
then the shop gave me another one..and it seemed to be well built but sudenly, the sound of the wah and all the other pedals desapeared.had to put the wah off and on again to solve the problem.
anyway it was useless.i played it for a week and every 30 minutes the same problem.
got my money back and ordered a vox one instead.

never dealt with them.only dealt with the shop where i bought it.

well yeah this is a good a match if it works.mine didnt unfortunately.

Easy to use. Has great traditional Wah sounds including a kind of hollowed out "hump" in the mid range that will make your speakers jump out of their box. Sounds best overdriven.

Fender Amps with Teles. Nice biteing sounds on the bass strings. Tempting to leave it on all the time.

Well I just finished fixing mine. This pedal has a heavy case just like all the JD rockers. But opening this up is the biggest disapointment... PCB city. Even the switch is on a PCB. most of the component joiners are by friction fit press-clips, which aren't tight. The feeble attempt at holding a 9 volt batery is pathetic. This thing... while reasuringly heavy, rattles and when you look inside you'll see why. I replaced the switch with a standard CryBaby wah switch and cut out the ribbon leads and soldered new wires in place. You need to be good to do this because the joints are tiny. Half of the switch I took out (which was broken and sticking) wasn't even being used. I guess it's a sign of the times. However, I now have mine hand wired fixed and it now has real solder joints. SO unless I managed to fry anything on the PCB... while fixing it this should last a while.

What's the point? Why would you ask for help from someone who don't build things right in the first instance.

I love the sound of it, it's primitive wah for sure. And when you get used to where the tonal humps are in it you'll play with those as well as sweep it back and forth. But gigging several times a week it will need attention and if you're good with the soldering iron you'd do well to hard wire the connections. If it were stolen would I buy it again...? Sure. I bought it on an impulse and I never learn from my mistakes. Do I regret buying it...? nope, you pays your money and you takes your chance. I buy another but I would also expect to have to bring it up to scratch.

its a frickin wah pedal. 'nuff said

The sound is great! im using a modded Epiphone LP Standard run to an Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer, MXR Phase 90, Peavey Channel Switcher, and of course the Crybaby Classic. All run to my Peavey Classic 30 tube amp. a word of adivse - this thing is the key to unlocking great sounding solos. ever heard the solo from "Enter Sandman" from Metallica? ALL CRYBABY CLASSIC 8-)

I think i could drop it of a 20 story building and it'd be fine....well maybe not the pot lol

never dealt w/ em

i play mainly classic rock (AC/DC, Van Halen), Metal (Metallica), and sometimes 90's Gunge (Nirvana). this thing covers it ALL and then some. i'm not into those huge effect processors and $5000 worth of FX. all i need is an O/D, Phaser and the crybaby classic. my approch is if you mask all your music w/ crazy FX then it takes not talent to sound good - sorta like Angus Young's approach. The OD is for the Lead channel (duh) and the Phaser is for the clean, and the crybaby is for solos. thats it. I almost went w/ the Morley Bad Horsie II Steve Vai, but i made the right choice. Also -- The Fasel ROCKS !!!!!!!!!

First of all (as with my other Dunlop effect, the MXR wylde overdrive) the manual is not very useful. It seems the only way to get full instruction on the use of this pedal involves buying a 9.95 book. But hay! who needs stupid manuals, no-one actually follows the damn things.
This pedal, from my experience, is really easy to use. Simply click down and your away (well, when I say easy to use i mean its easy to get started with, no fiddling about with knobs). The hard part comes into play when you try to find the desired sound. The Crybaby has always been a pedal for expression and taking a chord progression or riff and giving it some soul. Finding the right sound can be in the smallest lift or push of the foot. Thats what makes this pedal so much fun and why I loved it the minute I plugged it in.

WOW! is the only word to describe it. Sweeping, sharp, deep whatever you fancy it can be achieved on this treeeemendous pedal. I love it. I'm currently using the pedal with my Zakke Wylde overdrive into a Ashdown Peacemaker and it is not noisy at all. Getting the hendrix sound... easy with this baby, Slash... covered, it does it all. I'm so glad I bought this pedal.

I havn't used it long so I won't give this a rating. But as with all Dunlop effects they are build very strong. I don't expect any problems.

I havn't dealt with them so I won't comment.

I play mostly blues/rock (GN'R stuff, Velvet revolver etc..). But I have been known to dabble in the metal realm and this pedal does what i need and more. I have been playing for 5 years and have just starting building up my effects collection (used to have a Zoom multi-effects unit). The crybaby classic is the pride of that so far (though the wylde overdrive does RULE. I have to say that or Zakke will drop kick me in the nadz). As far as the "fasel" goes it does make a big difference. I compared this pedal and the original Crybaby in my local music shop and the crybaby classic had more of a vintage taste to it that I liked a lot.

Overall I love this pedal, you should too. Go out and give it a go at your local guitar shop. Its the Wah to end all Wah's.

You want Hendryx?? Get one of these babies. Model is Cry Baby Classic with Fasel inductor. Easy to use. If you want more of the Jimmy sound, turn up the trebbils and play from the neck pickup on a Strat. Not much of a manual but very easy to use. You have to practice to where you get the right range to sound just right. You don't jsut pedle it up and down or it will never satisfy. Hendryx was the greatest at expressing real power through the inflections on guitar and using this wah to accentuate the feeling.

The real McCoy for 60's guys like me. God, amd I that old?

Built like a tank and the newer ones you don't have to pound with a sledge hammer to turn off wah.

Don't know.

I have played 45 years. Originally folk (Kingston Trio, Peter Paul and Mary etc) then the Beatles hit the USA and I was hooked like everyone else. Later the San Francisco sound and assorted mind "enhancers" . Always a Zep fan. Nowadays, Dire Straights, even Bare Naked Ladies. This is the best wah I have owned since the one I had in the very early 70s got stolen from my car while I was in the Fillmore in SF watching Fleedwood Mac, The Birds and John Hammond on January 2, 1970. Hammond was incredible and Fleetwood smoked the Birds who never came out for a second set. You know it was something in those days. No booze was allowed at all inside the Fillmore but there was plenty of other head stuff flowing around. I never once saw a fight or any bad behaviour in the Fillmore and everyone was totally wasted. Oh yeah, I remember now. It will make you have deformed babies or was that in "Reefer Madness."

Can't be much easier. Plug it in, step on the pedal to activate or turn off the pedal and you're in business. Manual isn't necessary unless you are out of toilet paper and need a quick substitute.

Sounded kind of harsh at first when used with either compression or any distortion. But, that went away completely after a few days. I like this crybaby best of all. I had a Tech 21 Killer Wail and a 535Q, and just like the overall sound from this the best. I briefly owned an M120 Auto Wah, but while it had some kind of coold sounds, it just didn't beat a conventional wah pedal. So, I traded the auto for the pedal. I'm glad I did. As far as how much better this sounds over the Original Crybaby, it's hard for me to really say, this is worth the $20 or $30 extra dollars, but if you're a vintage purist, then you might want to consider the Crybaby Classic.

Seems built sturdy. All pots will wear out, especially if they are stepped on, but Dunlop did do a nice upgrading of their wah pedals. Maybe they stole some technology from MXR after they bought them. Regardless, this seems rock solid.

Never had to deal with them, so I will leave this blank.

I get a kick out of people bashing the regular crybaby. I don't quite know what they expect. To me, it's one of my favorite pedals. I don't use it that much, but I usually have the most fun when I do play with it. I like my fulldrive2 and my compressor, but as far as getting some really neat sounds, the crybaby classic is a lot of fun. I almost tried the Vox, but without an adapter port, I found it, like most of the Vox products, to be over-priced. I didn't feel like paying $50.00 to get an adapter port and true bypass. Look at most great guitar player's rigs, and hardly any of their pedals are "true bypass" That term gets abused quite often, and I honestly don't notice any real tone loss when the pedal is not engaged. The concept of "true bypass" is nice, but not really necessary for most of us regular folks who wear sneakers or an occasional python boot.

For the money, the classic or the original crybaby is hard to pass up. You can find used ones for less than $50.00 which is great, but still for less than $100.00 for a new one, this gives you the classic sound for not a whole lot of dough.

Go try one out if you're in the market for a wah pedal. For me personally, I did not care for all of the frequency options, knobs and boost functions the more expensive Dunlop models and alternative manufacturers offered. I just like the midddle frequency, straight forward wah like the original.

If you're initially dismayed at the negative reviews of the original, please remember, that a lot of kids with little playing experience try these through a cheap guitar with noisy pickups, lousy cables and inexpensive pedals going into a low-cost high-gain amp. That would be enough to make anything sound bad, so don't always trust the reviews on here as a be all end all. Don't even take my word for it. Go out and try it for yourself. As a 20-year player, I do think, for the money, this pedal is a good buy as far as wahs are concerned.

Good luck and decide for yourself.

This is a crybaby, the model with the fasel inductor. Modeled after the original one 35 years ago I think. anyway I bought it because its a crybaby, and spent the extra $$ for the fasel model because I felt I wanted the vintage tone -- it seems to achieve what I want. Ease of use? For those idiots who claim "oh its hard to stomp on" or "oh, there arent enough controls on it" -- get a life and grow up. its a frigging wah pedal -- not some frilly sissy morley piece of crap. Be a real man, a real musician, and deal with it. I use this live, no probs. I use it studio, no probs.

no noise really, not more than any other pedal. no settings, just on and off. bypass works fine. battery so far has lasted two rehearsals and a gig, so thats good. I use: Fender Strat or Epiphone LP, through the cry baby, then a flanger. Into a Legend 50w 1x12 combo.

I would depend on it, and have. No backup needed, just an extra battery.

never dealt with them.

Rock, classic, modern, southern, you name it. we do it all. Been playing since uh, 1977? long time. This is my third cry baby. Lost or stolen? I am big... it would take a stupid shit to attempt it. But yeah, I would replace it. It is the definitive wah pedal, not sissy-crap like morley or whatever, that needs knobs and sliders and built-in this or that.