Geoffrey Teese RMC Picture Wah

This is to clear up an issue that I had with the "Blue" switch. I must have been the VERY FEW that had problems with this switch as I posted below. Geoffrey sent me a new switch made by a company called "Arrow". It still taps lightly, but not as annoying as the one I replaced. I guess I was used to by Budda Wah which was dead quiet. The "blue" switch also had problems when trying to turn it off and on. Geoffrey sent me an Arrow switch as soon as they were avalible to him. Geoffrey states that he would replace the swith free of charge, but luckley my friend builds amps and pedals and installed it for me. The new switch is great! Clicks on and off easily and no problems with turning off and on. Nice feel when switching. Hopefully these switches will be in all the new wahs he makes. As for tone, this wah is the only wah that can produce SRV's version of Voodoo Chile, the Budda was nice, kinda mellow, but didn't have the range and top end that I need for Voodoo Chile. Also, I'm a HUGE Robin Trower fan and it does "Too Rollong Stoned" great! I am gonna get the wah retro fit as soon as I can, I get a squeal when using my TS10 fully driven and my Dino Fuzz squeals at higher settings also. So if your into Metallica like the previous poster, either get the retro fit or the Dunlop Q. Vintage freaks like myself really need to get the PW!

I feel no need for a backup now! Maybe an RMC 2 that my friend is selling. I'd like to have different wah sounds for different songs. I'm gonna shoot Geoffrey an e-mail to see what he thinks he can do with my old Thomas Organ Crybaby. It has no range, no true bypass and a Dunlop pot replaced the original, it barley rocks back and forth.

Great! Great guy and fast responce to e-mails.

I can give it a perfect 10 now for the style of music I play, customer support, reliable and great TONE!

In response to another of Adam's slightly vulgar reviews of my wahs...
Most likely the reason you are not getting the full range of my wahs is because of a probable impedence mismatch - the age-old wah/distortion interface problem. Under "normal" conditions, my PW has a wide range, unity gain, and very vocal sound. You most likely need to stick with a wah that has a buffer inside, such as your DUNLOP 535Q, which is a fine wah pedal. The only other alternative would be to install a FOXROX ELECTRONICS FWR into a non-buffered wah (RMC, Fulltone). The FWR allows a vintage design wah to operate with distortions and maintain the full wah sound. I wish you the best of luck.

Respectfully submitted,
Geoffrey R. Teese
www.realmccoycustom.com

You know how it works

I didn't think the Teese wahs are anything special unless you are trying to play old school shit from the 60's and 70's all the time. Maybe then you might think this wah is good. I email Mr. Teese and asked what would sound close to Kirk Hammetts wah around the load/reload era, real robust, and he said "I am familiar with his wah tones. Either the RMC-1 or Picture wah".
I ordered both and I was all excited, until I played them. First I tried the RMC-1 and said to myself "What the fuck, this is a hot-rodded wah!? So I immediatly put it back in the box. Then I crossed my fingers and tried the Picture Wah and it sounded almost the same except there was a volume drop after I stepped on it. I was so disappointed. I thought by all of the reviews by metal guitar players saying how great it was and how vocal it sounded, that this wah was going to be the one. The effect sounded really small and wimpy with no resonance. I barely wahs to be honest. But I was probably setting my standard way to high for a wah model from the 60's. But since I live in Alaska I had to order one just to hear it since no one has them up here. I wasted $60 bucks on having to ship Teese wahs back. Don't just belive the hype, do yourself and favor and try one first.

I will continue my search for a kick ass wah! I think I will try the Boss wah, I want to hear the double resonace feature. Or maybe the vision wah. In my opinion this wah sucks for metal!

P.S. To who runs this site, this is my honest opinion after trying several other wahs. I think everyones opinion should be heard. Why don't you put up my posts?

Step On IT!!!

I am currently using SRV Strat, 2 TS9s (808 specs by Keeley, GREAT MOD!!)sometimes a Klon, Banzai Cold Fusion, MJM Blues Devil (for sale, interested?) or a ZVEX Sho. I first plugged this in expecting my ears to be in tone heaven. Then I remembered, this is a wah, there is very subtle differences in wah, dumby. It was sounding decent, you know, the decent where you go "This is pretty cool, but not $235 cool." Then I broke out the VOX reissue, and the Dunlop reissue and ABed them with the Teese. Wow, only then were my ears in tone heaven. This wah has a pretty good sweep, not an enormous sweep, but a very usable one. Ever heard SRV's "Say What!"? He uses two wah's on this. With the teese you can nail it pretty well. It's very 60's and 70'ish. I was very impressed. I am just afraid that I will start to be one of the dreaded Wah-All the Time kind of guys. I am going to have to try my hardest to avoid that scenario!!

It's a wah. No wah is very dependable. Hasn't broke yet, I have had it for a whole 3 hours!!

I E-Mailed Geoffrey Teese with a few questions. Quick response.

I play blues and stuff, works well with this style of music. If it were stolen I miht get another one. I like the True Bypass thing, but I might just get the new VOX with true bypass, it's only $150. But hey, after gigging with this thing, who knows. I might just have to buy another one if some bonehead rips it off. It's pricey, that's the only drawback. But, if you are a musician, you know that tone will cost you well over thousands of dollars. All in all, a good purhcase so far. Feel free to E-Mail me for any questions, or comments.

This is in responose to Steve Mills' review of 11/20/02.
While "THE SOUND" is purely subjective, there were some inaccuracies in the review. I dropped the Carling switches in January 2002. Since I began using my new switch vendor, there have been only 5 field failures in over 1100 units. The feel of the switch is different from the Carlings, but they are EXTREMELY reliable. Should any (new or old) switch fail, the wah owner has the option of installing one of my new switches or having me do it. The warranty is NOT voided. There are even installation instructions on my site. I was authorized by KORG/VOX as their vintage wah repair station in the early 90's, and I worked with Thomas/Vox wah inventor, Brad Plunkett, to develop my wahs. My wahs are hand built direct decendants of the original Vox wahs, not rip-offs.

Respectfully submitted,
Geoffrey R. Teese
www.realmccoycustom.com

You just step on it to activate it and start playing.

This wah has a real vintage sound not like a newer style crybaby. Very transparent, it doesn't muddy up the bottom end it just gets more high end sounding as you rock it forward. It is modeled after the original Vox Clyde Mccoy wah. There has been a reproduction of the original Clyde McCoy from Vox recently called the V848 with the same modern enhacements of the Real Mccoy Pic wah but for $150 not $235. I have tried both wahs, the vox 848 and RMC Picture wah and I prefer the Vox personally. The Vox has a more vowelly sound and the price difference is $85 less. They both have quality sound, but will be more appreciated by the guitarist who prefers a vintage tone. Try them before you buy.

The only thing I can tell might be a problem with the RMC is the switch. Like many other posts I've read, the switch feels like it isn't going to last. Have a backup!

If the switch goes out it isn't covered under warranty or the pot. I think this is normal for most wahs since those are the most likely to fail. If it does fail you probably wont find a Teese switch at your local music store. I think I remenber seeing on the RMC website that if you solder on your own switch it will void the warranty. You have to send it to Teese for repair, I think. It is pretty cool that you can talk directly to the guy who builds them for advice or questions, he responds quickly.

This wah is a great match for 60's and 70's rock. If that sounds good you'll like it. I will keep my reissue VOX 848 Clyde McCoy, this one is going to be sent back because it isn't as good of a value as the Vox and I prefer the real thing not a rip off of the real thing. I play through a Music man axis and a Fender twin reverb and effects like a captain coconut and ts-9 for distortion.

It's a wah-simple on/off action by stepping down on the treadle .Then it's time to get creative.
The Picture Wah has a smooth and positive feel. The effect activates very easily.

I'm using this with Les Paul Customs into 100w Master Volume JCM800 Marshalls.Also in line is aBoss SD1 and Mayer Voodoo Vibe.
This wah is not noisey and provides the BEST,most organic wah sound I've heard.
In an AB between my vintage Colorsound, a Clyde Deluxe and Dunlop JH1, the Picture Wah came out as having the best tone without doubt.No messing with extra controls,trim pots etc. the tone is right there-you've just got to pray you've got the talent to do something with it.
The depth of tone,the colour and vocal range of the wah has to be heard to be believed. God knows what Geoffrey does to get these to sound so good, I'm just glad he does.After all what more could you want other than great tone.It's inspiring.

Only had it a few days so can't really comment but it looks just as good as everything else. Hell, it looks bomb proof.
Use it without a backup?Of course-you only live once so live on the edge.

I contacted Geoffrey Teese after reading about his wahs at Harmony Central.He responded to my emails everytime and was more than helpful.
After telling him of the tone I was after he suggested the Picture Wah and was bang on the mark.Have a cigar Geoffrey!
If there were ever any problems I have no doubt Geoffrey would be on the case right away.It's his reputation and it shows in the quality of pedals he produces-with his own hands!

In comparison with other handmade effects this wah is not expensive.In faxt it didn't cost that much more than my mass produced Dunlop.
It's true bypass and unlike most wahs these no tone sucking going on when bypassed.

I play all sorts from blues,hard rock to metal-I'm currently in an Ozzy Osbourne tribute band.
Yeah I'd buy it again without hesitation, in fact I'm recommending it to all my guitar students.
If it were stolen,well the thief would have the best wah you can steal plus me to contend with dishing out a little corrective"therapy".
At the end of the day you can say what you like,tone is different for everyone.All I can say is that I've been a professional musician for 20 years,done top tours and played on numerous albums as well as teaching students guitar(100's)and this is the best wah I've ever come across.Another 10 review?Well this is GENUINELY worth it.
Put it this way, when I'm playing I've got this big stupid grin on my face and so has everyone who hears this wah.It's that good.

Classic wah, just plug it in and get rocking. Of course, as someone else on this review list pointed out, there's an art to playing wah-wah. I started out on wahs back in the 60s when guitarists really new how to work a wah in those long jams without them sounding stupid and boring. Seems like few younger players nowadays know how to work them and they end up sounding cheezy. Hendrix was the best wah-wah-ist - listen to Rainy Day, Dream Away on Electric Ladyland to hear how a master does it. Also Cream's White Room.

I mostly play a 1957 tele, a 1959 strat and a 2000 american deluxe strat through a variety of Fender amps, plus one setups with a 50w Sound City head.

My normal effects chain: Visual Sounds Rte 66, on which I mostly just use the compressor side > Fulltone Ultimate Octave, on which I mostly use only the distortion > RMC Picture Wah.

Some folks put the wah at the beginning of their chain. Apparently that's what Hendrix mostly did (obviously not all the time, as I saw him play live in Baltimore once and it came after his Fuzz Face). I've tried it both ways and prefer it at the end as it just sounds much better after the Fulltone UO distorion than before. Also gotta have the compressor before the wah.

For me, this is the one. Other wahs I own include an original Vox from 1968 (which I've put away for safekeeping, and will probably sell one day), a Tech 21 Killer Wah and a Vox reissue wah (648?). The Tech 21 had a bad switch out of the box, couldn't even turn the sucker on, so that put me in a pretty bad mood to begin with. When I finally got it working I thought it sounded really clinical, too big of a tone sweep, too.

The Vox reissue, about a year old, just doesn't hit the right sweep either, too muted and bassy on the low end. Dissatisfied with both these wahs I checked around and it seemed like RMC was the way to go, so I gave the PW a try. Forkin' A, it's got exactly the sweep I wanted. Other guitarists are always complimenting me on my wah tone (and wah technique, too, in which case I just point 'em to Rainy Day Dream Away).

Other wahs I've tried (courtesy of friends) include Dunlop and Buda. No contest.

Seems to be built very, very well. Like the Vox originals, it's heavier than sin, but that's good 'cause it stays put onstage. I've dropped it a couple times, still working after several months abuse. The switch worked fine right out of the box, seems like the Carling switch problem has been solved.

I'd gig w/o a backup 'cuz my gig bag is already too damn heavy ...

When I decided to look at RMC wahs, I wrote to Geoffrey to see which he might prescribe for the tone I was looking for. He could have talked me into the more expensive RMC3, which apparently yields similar tone (but a lot more), but he picked up right away on the fact that what I wanted was completely covered by the PW. He was extremely patient with my questions. Also the shipping and payment, etc, all done online, went off very quickly and efficiently. I'd have to say I got just about the best customer support I've ever gotten on any guitar-related product. The guy seems really fair and conscientious.

I play hard rock, soul, and psychedelia and this wah does it all. If it fails, gets lost or stolen, you can bet I'll replace it, it's the only wah for me. I'd just as soon not use a wah at all as to use one that can't reach the sound of this one, and as far as I can tell no other wah can.

I've reviewed a lot of products on H-C, think this is the first time I've ever given a piece of equipment - esp an effect - straight 10s. Well for me that's where it belongs.

It's a wah, BUT, some people think you can just rock it and be on your way. You really need to use a wah in the way you play your solos or rhythm. When I play a solo,I talk (sing) with my expression of notes and how I want them to be emphasized. I learned this by watching Robin Trower, Hendrix, Clapton, etc.

I have two Fender Strats. 1997 collectors edition with Lindy Fralin Vintage Hot PU's swapped out for the stock Texas Specials. I still like the TS's for getting sounds very simular to Indigenous, he's got a great tone but the TS's sound a bit muddy through my Bassman RI, but OK with my SFSR modded to BF specs. I use NOS tubes ( GE, RCA, Mullards). My other Strat is a MIJ 60's RI that sounds great. A lot of people swap out the PU's, but I love'em and get a lot of complements on it's tone, I tried the Fralins in this guitar and the stock ones sounded better to my ear. Maybe I got lucky. Next guitar is a copper 52 RI tele, all stock (killer guitar). Next is a vintage Harmony "Rocket", great for roc-a-billy as is the Tele. Last but not least is my first guitar that I fixed up, it's a Cort (don't laugh) those Japanese Humbuckers are very warm, bluesy and Jazzy.
The main effects I use are the PW> SS Ultra-Vibe> TS10> NVN Dino Fuzz> Maxon AD80 or Boss DD3 for longer delays, not too bad for digital> (Reverb for Tweed amps)> ( Little Lanelli Spring Reverb pedal for my Bassman RI and Tweed Princeton clone with Weber Sig series speaker.) All George L cables.
Now, how does the PW interact with all these pedals, pretty good. If I max the fuzz I get some squeling, I might consider the wah retro fit mod done by Dave Fox. I'm heavily into Trower and Hendrix, so that's the kinda tone I've been chasing and the PW does a great job. I can actually NAIL Voodoo Chile with this wah, esp. SRV's version. I owned a Budda Wah which wasn't bad but lacked the high end that I like. It's was a very warm wah with less range. Also a Thomas Organ Crybaby which doesn't sound that great, maybe I need to change the replaced Dunlop pot (very short range and no True Bypass), I'm not gonna put money into it when I have the PW. The PW works well with any OD I used it with or clean.

OK, the PW sounds amazing, but I, like some others, have gotten a bad switch. Geoffrey changed the Carlings out because of problems for a better switch that he says will work 99.9% of the time, only problem is it very noisy acousticley, not through the amp. At home playing at reasonable volumes it can be heard and drives me nuts. I lowered it and it still made the noise, so I raised it back all the way up and now I am experiencing off/on problems. I gotta stomp it very hard and sometimes the sound drops out completly for a second. I e-mailed Geoffrey for a new switch and he's waiting on the new ones, I think he said the company is Arrow that makes these. He was expecting them a while back. I recently e-mailed him , but I haven't heard back which is unusual because he always responds real quick, maybe he's on vaction. Other than the switch the pedal is well built and solid with an amazing sound! My friend is selling his RMC 2 and I might buy that because it's also amazing and can cop different wah sounds, or ranges. I wouldn't even consider a backup once the switch is replaced. That's not geoffry's fault, I hope the new ones are trouble free and probably will, I'm sure he's making sure of it this time because of a few complaints and the wah is great other than that, he is the most knowledgeable guy in the wah business, and his reviews prove it!

I talked with Geoffry a bunch of times through e-mail. He pointed me towards the PW after I told him I wanted old Trower tones. He said it has the halo inductor like the old Vox which Trower used (as well as a Tycobrahe wah that I've read he used).
Very friendly guy. I met him at the Philly Guitar Show where my friend bought his RMC 2. Geoffrey did offer to replace the switch with a Carling, but said the one that's in it now is extremely reliable, just got a noisy one:( I'm sure he'll fix me up once he gets them in.

This wah is a great match for the music I play. I've been playing for 17 years, mostly wasting my time on power chord punk rock as a teenager until Trower came into the picture and got me into the blues. That's when I wanted to learn to play. If it was lost or stolen I'd have another on on the way ASAP! I love the range and vocal ability of this wah. It can help me make music when I get into those Hendrix/Trower moods, but I mainly use it to jam with any kind of music such as blues, funk, rock etc. Expensive, but well worth the money. I just hope the switch problem gets resolved and it would be a perfect 10.

It's a wah.

Let me tell you a story that makes this look good and me look stupid: I got it through the post on a day when I was pretty tired and immediately plugged it in and picked up my guitar. I was tuning up and thought it was odd that my guitar sounded different from usual, same tone, but more trebly. Messed around with the guitar knobs until the Great God of the Bleeding Obvious showed me my error. But in my defence I claim that despite what I had heard about this pedal, I still didn't expect it to be so faithful to the original guitar tone.
Yes, this thing is beautiful, transparent and totally quiet.
The usual Jimi and Eric are there if you look, but it is so good that you needn't stop there. Yesterday I had it just heel down with a little od and it opened up some more possibilities.
It's after a Warmoth hollowbody strat w. JB jnrs, in the middle of two Keeley TS9s, with a Sweetsound Ultravibe and a Maxon analogue delay into a Marshall JTM30.

Only had it a little while, so can't really rate it, but for the record, it's pretty robust. Have had no noise problems with the switch as some people have reported.
Can't afford a backup so no choice.

Contacted GT briefly to check if he could send to Japan, he personally couldn't but he answered promptly and politely with this info.
Ended up dealing with Larry Kanefsky at Soulcactus, who was the model of customer relations. He gave me sound advice and really bent over backwards to get this and the vibe to me. I cannot recommend him highly enough.

This pedal is simple and beautiful and I don't think I could settle for another maker because I can't see what they could do better. It costs but it is quality.
I had avoided wahs for so long because the ones I had tried were all so brash and interfering, this, on the other hand, is sweet and thoughtful but goes as far as you want to go.
By the way, I have it between two of Mr Keeley's (marvellous) TS9s because with the wah first it's what, I guess traditional and you get the expected wah stuff, but put it after and a whole new world opens up, so I have it so I can get the best of both pies.