Morley Bad Horsie II

Damn easy to use! Even a chimp could figure this one out in seconds.

It's the best Wah I have ever used. I've gone through every dunlop, some vox's, and the budda wah. The Bad Horsie II makes them look and sound like yesterday's wah! It's not noisy. The wah can be a nice smooth air-like wah for blues and clean OR a nasty nasal hell for metal! I use my B.H.2 with a Randall 100 watt half-stack that is buddied with a crate G-60 then I team it with my metalzone. The
sound I believe still doesnt really duplicate Steve Vai because he has a surgically altered crybaby that is really souped up but the pedal has big hairy balls none the less!!!

Its completely made out of heavy duty steel, the footpad is made from thick ribbed rubber, the jacks are silver steel nuts and the logos are written in red paint. Need I say more? I would gig all over without a backup and feel great about it. The thing is a monster in every way shape and form.

I've emailed Morley a bunch of times. The people are really cool and they are great at giving direct info. Just the stuff you need in a time of need.

I play metal mostly, but I also try to do blues, arpeggios, and my own type of stuff that I try to create. It works perfect for any style really. I have been playing for 8 years (not that long but I'm no retard about guitars). If it were stolen I would find the guy and kick his ass. In closing; This is the best wah around right now hands down. As soon as other players get their hands on it you'll start seeing reviews that mirror mine all over the net.

Great wahwah concept. With the 'instant on' feature one never again has to click a switch to engage a wahwah!! It has an adjustable 'off delay' setting with 0 to 3.5 second delay. I adjusted it to provide enough delay to not switch off during slow pedal sweeps if I happen to let my foot come all the way back. Great feature. The manual has just enough pertinent info to figure out exactly how to use this pedal in just a few minutes.

I've been a Morley VolWah user since 1976. I had heard that the Bad Horsie II really shouldn't be considered a replacement for the old chrome pedal. Well, I ordered one from Musician's Friend. I really like it. It's tweakable enough to satisfy me. Since I'm still gigging constantly these days, I thought it might be nice to update the equipment and carry some new pedals around for awhile; let the old chrome sit on the shelf with the old guitars and rest for awhile. I also ordered the Little Alligator pedal from MF yesterday as well. I should see it by the end of this week.

I read the review in GuitarPlayer Magazine issue Jan 2002's Wah shootout. I have to disagree with their final analysis though. I've had the original Vox pedals. I still have a 1974 Colorsound Wah that was, at the time, the nicest wah sound I could find. But, for me, the Morley wah sound is what really works. And the Bad Horsie II seems to offer just a bit more of what I like. One great feature is the 'instant on' concept. Very cool. Now, I can just step on the pedal and wail away without having to kick the switch with my heal first. Simply awsome. I do a lot of wah work while I'm singing and I can't always look down quick enough to engage the wah. Now, I will be able to seamlessly sing and initiate the wahwah with ease.

I've been able to play in clean mode as well as lead mode with this pedal without sound problems. Guitar Player's reviewer seems to say that the pedal caters to the dirtier tones. I disagree. I think it's really all just personal preference. I prefer the Morley tones, having used one for so many years. Regular wah's are just too thin sounding for me. I do use the wah in conjunction with lead playing quite often, and this new BH II does seem to work very well to enhance my lead tones.

In my dance (50's thru 00's) top 40 style band, I use a Carvin DC 127, a new Fender American Strat and a Carvin TL 60. These guitars give me all of the tonality I need for most copy songs. In my original band, I use a Gibson DC Standard and a Gibson SG Supreme, both strung with 8 thru 38 mil string gauges for what I call my 'slippery guitar' style. For amplification I've been using an original MesaBoogie Mark IV combo with an EVM-12L speaker. Sometimes I'll add a Carvin 4x12 Vai Legacy cabinet w/ Celestion Vintage 30's if the occasion calls for a bit more sound. Effect wise, I've stuck with just the Morley Vol-Wah since 1976, with the addition off and on of an ADA Flanger, purchased in 1977, and a Boss RV-2 reverb pedal. I had bought a TychoBrae Octavia in 1975 and kept it until around 1997, when I sold it for a fortune and picked up a Roger Mayer Octavia, a VoodooLab Proctavia and a Fulltone Octafuzz from the money I made off the original. I'll throw one of those in once in awhile for fun. But, in general, I'll really just use the Morley and the amp.

If the old Morley pedals are any indication of the reliability and years of uninterrupted service qualities of the NEW Morley pedals, then I'll have to give this one a big thumbs-up 10. I've been using the 1976 version all these years everytime I've played the guitar, without a backup. So, I'm assuming the I will be able to rely on the new ones with the same confidence as well.

I've contacted Morley recently, and had the BEST support I've ever received, bar none!!! Morley personnel are the friendliest and most helpful folks I believe I've ever dealt with. I'd probably buy their products just because of the service I've received. In their case, their products seem to reflect their positive, helpful attitude. Just a joy to deal with.

I've been playing the electric guitar since 1963 (when I was 10). I've been playing in one rock band or another steadily since 1966, and am still in two working bands. One a copy-tune dance band and the other an original rock band. I do sub for other bands when needed also. Playing lead guitar has been an incredible experience. It's one of those things that puts me in a different world while playing. When on stage, and I'm playing lots of fun guitar work, there's NO feeling like it in the world!! It's just the best!! And, I've been able to come up with a great sound using the minimal equipment that I use (a few guitars, a vol and wah pedal, and an amp for most occasions). The new Morley pedals will be a great addition to my playing style. It's fun to buy and try new equipment once in awhile. I'm glad their still in business, and still making killer equipment!!!