Dunlop Crybaby

It's a wah pedal -- very easy, just move your foot up and down. My only complaint is the switch that turns it on and off -- sometimes hard to do when you're in the middle of a song and you you have a milisecond to change your sound. But, on the other hand, if Dunlop made it too easy to switch, then you'd be switching it on/off unintentionally.

Like most have said it, sounds better clean. Unfortunately, may times we need it to use it in conjunction with other pedals -- including distortion. I play a Gibson SG (vintage) through a ProCo Rat to a Fender Hot Rod Devile, and I'm able to get good, warm overdriven wah tones. Some pointers: Put the Wah BEFORE other effects. Otherwise, you're Crybaby is getting a distorted signal to work with. Also, put it in a FX loop if possible. NOTE: These adjustments work the best for me... You probably need to experiment until you get the right mix.
I've found this to be much better than the VOX pedals I've owned, which are only good if you want to play old Cream songs.

Tough one for me to say. My newest one is my third Crybaby, which is new. My first one was used from a pawn shop and went out on me within a year. I tried to replace the pots as I thought it was should be salvaged (it's from the mid 70's), but after that didn't seem to work, I decided it was time to get a new one. I then got a 535 (Chrome) which I like a lot until it received a career-ending injury at a gig. (The floor was wet with a beer-sewer water mixture, which seemed to really mess up the pedal.) I thought it should have survived, as my other Boss pedals did. But I keep buying them, so they can't be too bad.(?)

Never tried to deal with Dunlop, only guitar techs at local shops. They're (the wahs, not the guitar techs) made in CA, so parts aren't hard to find.

I play fusion "with an edge" and this seems to work the best w/ my set-up. I believe I'd pick this one -- the others like Budda or Geoffrey Tease might be slightly better, but their pricetags are way too high. This pedal seems to be the best "bang 4 your buck" wah pedal. I'd suggest first trying it out with your guitar and amp and other FX to make sure your happy w/ the overall sound, though.

PLUG & GO!

The original sound was good. I had my modified by Torres Engineering and now it has 5 unique sounds. They are all pretty much useable.

Never had a problem with it other than the fact that it eats batteries. Buy the AC adapter and don't worry with the batteries.

Never dealt with Dunlop about the pedal. The modification I have had done has voided any warranty that may have been left.

Good pedal in its original state, GREAT PEDAL with the Torres modification.

Step on it.

A classic, this one. Definitely sounds best clean. Used with a drive/dist. pedal I find it sounds better connected AFTER the distorto box - with mine anyway (it's a BOSS). This is also the recommended hookup from Dunlop. When I put it in front the wha-effect gets way to choppy and abrupt. This by the way, might also be a problem played clean - until you learn how to groove around the the rather narrowly defined break-up point. With a gentle foot you really do get a cool, classic sound. Easy does it. Used as a static fequecy-booster it has its limits. The bass response is not too good. In the treble-setting it'll make your ears bleed (and your amp howl with uncontrollable feedback) - but used with OTT fuzz you can get a really way-out sound, though hardly subtle. Noisy footswitch is uncool.

Used it regularly for a coupla months. No problems. Ridicoulusly flimsy bottom-plate. Suspect it will need some maintainance in the future, simply because of its 'vintage' technology.

No need for support.

Pleased with it. Use it a lot (probably too much). Classic sound - with classic limitations.

The first thing I noticed about the Crybaby was the difficulty in switching the effect on/off due to the two rubber feet on the underside of the pedal. I know these prevent accidental switching of the effect when in the standing position but the difficulty comes when attempting to switch the effect in a seated position - you've really got to stomp on the front of the pedal. Try trimming down the rubber feet and you'll find that the effect is much easier to switch. The effect is easy to use because you just rock the pedal back and forth - no knobs to tweak!

I am currently using the Crybaby at the end of my effects chain which also include a Boss Metal Zone and Ibanez Super Chorus. The Wah sound is really cool clean but when I switch the Metal Zone on the wah effect is diminished. Try turning down the level of the distortion to bring out more of the wah sound.

I've had the Crybaby now for a couple of months and it's still solid as a rock!

The company offers a warranty but only in the U.S.

This is the first wah that I have bought and it has an excellent sound quality for a reasonable price - a good buy!!!

Well.... you step on it and rock the pedal up and down. Then it wahs.
However, getting the footswitch to work takes some practice - it's right at the front of the pedal beneath the wah rocker, and it takes a bit of sensitivity to get it to switch on and off avery time.

I've used this with Teles and Gibson LP special (P90s) into valve and tranny amps.
The sound is *the* wah, going from a very compressed bass tone to a piercing treble. You do lose some volume when it's switched on though. If you want to use one with distortion effects experiment with where you put the wah in the effects chain - with some kinds of distortion it works best before the distortion, with others after. I reckon that if the distortion is very buzzy (traditional fuzz) then it is OK before the distortion, otherwise use ot after or the distorion won;t get enough harmonics from the guitar signal to work properly.
The wah range is easy to alter - take the back off the pedal, loosen off the rod from the pedal that works the gear on the pot, turn the pot a bit and reassemble.
The on/off switch can make a vicious bang if trod on too fast or hard by the way - and you have to undo 4 screws and take the bottom plate off to get at the battery.

Reliability. Well, the pot crackles unless you clean it with pot cleaner (not WD40 - it gums the works up) every month, the pedal hinge creaks unless lubricated, the toothed rod that works the gear on the internal pot has to be kept greased with petroleum jelly....you buy vintage-style effects, you get vintage style problems. A little maintenance is a good thing on this kind of effect.
And the footswitch on mine broke yesterday. And I only bought the thing in 1976.

No idea about support. Never needed it.

I've used the Cry Baby for rock, blues, jazz, everything.
I guess I'm about to retire it as it's just getting worn out with reissues sound bad in comparison or I can find a good auto-wah whoch use. The replacement is likely to be another of the same, unless the would probably be more use to me right now.

Switch takes a little time to get used to, but otherwise it's simple.

There is no better sounding wah pedal!!

Maybe it is built like a brick, but my first one I had to return withing the first 30 days, I got a new one, and after using it less than 10 times the jacks don't work all the time. I have to like wiggle the chord around a bunch or have it part way out a tiny bit but then when I use it, it comes out. I would never use it on a gig without a backup.

I dont' know I just returned mine, and my new one just sits in it's box

I think it sounds great if it works! But overall I am very dissappointed.

There isn't any knobs...not too complicated.

I am currently using a Customized Fender Strat (Duncan Hot Rails at bridge and two Fender Texas Specials) and an '80s Fender Twin and I am placing it at the end of my effects chain to solve the problem of a weak wah effect when using it with distortion on. I've heard many people criticize it's effect quality when playing through distortion but just because Jimi placed it before distortion in the effects chain doesn't mean you have to (MOVE IT TO THE END OF YOUR EFFECTS CHAIN PEOPLE!) Very good Hendrix sound and that signature screeching treble position and muddy-as-hell bass position. Very nice.

Once set it on top of my car, forgot to take it off started driving... It still works great. I do have to complain about the bottom plate however, whenever I amn changing the battery and get interupted I end up stepping on the plate and bending it severly (I am only 5'6" and am scrawny as hell) so that could be better.

The absolute best Wah made! Buy one!

I dont think this really applies, you can step on and off. It does respond well to your foot. As for features, i wish it had an ac jack, but note that mine is older model (Model GCB-95) and it may have been updated. Also i'd like an LED to see if it's on or not.

This is why i really wanted to post. The main complains about crybabies is the range and the response with distortion. The general view is that it's good clean and hard to hear with distortion. Ive noticed some tips i'd like to pass on :1) The distortion response depends on the distortion (note that i use it pre-distortion). With a Hyperfuzz or Big Muff it can be hard to make out, but it sounds good with a ProCo Rat. What suprised me is how well it sounded with my Arion Distortion, which up until then i hated, but with the crybaby it really gives a classic "wha-solo" sound. The bottom line is to try several distortion units with it before you give up. Also brightening up your amp , using your bridge pickup, or lowering the distortion amount helps. The second problem is the range. If you want more bass or treble, this is a simple adjustment to make (i've done it). If you however want it to go higher AND lower, you need a better wha. This is the real reason people go for more expensive wha's. I find it a tiny bit noisy, but not too bad. It also sounds good with a bass.

It needs lubrication from time to time or it gets squeaky, otherwise it's always worked fine (had it several months).

No idea.

For me, i find it great for solos (i'm into hendrix-type stuff now). I also find it great for making noises (like feedback squeals) because you can control their range. If i had the money, i'd go for a Fulltone wha or something, but i think the Crybaby is a decent product for the price. To get better you need to spend a lot more money. If i needed a new wha pedal immediatly, i'd go out and buy a crybaby. Like most of my pedals, it's not the absolute greatest, but it's prety good.

Rock it back and forth, there's nuthn' to it.

It gives me a good wah sound, nothing special, but when you use it, this pedal takes a bit of the bass away from your sound.

Hmmmmph, I don't expect it to last forever because of the potentiometer (100K, I think) . A friend's Crybaby started to sound scratchy after four years of use and I believe the Pot is the culprit like everyone says.

Haven't dealt with them

It suits me fine, I am not really a big wah fan but this effect will help me become a more versatile player.

Two words: KICK ASS!! This is the only wah as far as I'm concerned. The other wah's are bullshit, and they don't do anything! The VOX fools many people, because it costs more they assume its better...they're morons. This is it! This is THE wah! The effect is more noticable without distortion, but kicks ass either way

This thing has never let me down and I am confident that it never will. There is no need for a backup

I play some hard core shit, so if I need a tuff-ass wah to compliment my sound, I wouldn't step on anything but a crybaby. This is the only wah worth buying. The only other thing worth considering is that other crybaby, the 535 or whatever its called. I, however, have never tried that one.