How to use a Wah Pedal

I have had some requests on how to use a wah pedal. This article will show you how to use it, and also have some great wah pedal tips to really take full advantage of the pedal. So lets get started.

What is a Wah Pedal?

A wah pedal is in the form of an expression pedal. When you engage the pedal, having the rocker toe-down will make your guitar tone full of treble with little to no bass. Alternatively, having your toe up and the back of the rocker pushed down will make your guitar tone have lots of bass and little to no treble. So rocking the expression pedal back and forth will let you go from bass to treble, creating a “wah” kind of sound. Since it is an expression pedal, there are a ton of positions the rocker can be in, to get the desired amount of treble and bass.

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Tips to Best use your Wah Pedal

• Using the neck pickup with make a fatter wah sound, while the bridge pickup of your guitar will give the wah more of a quack. The bridge pickup seems to be able to produce a more vocal-like sound.
• To make single notes have a “wow” kind of sound when you solo, pick the note while your foot is in toe-up position, and then quickly toe-down. The note will get that “wow” sound.
• If you want different tones to solo with, turn your wah on and leave it in one position. You can get tones all over the map, from laid back and muted to bright and in-your-face.
• Get some really cool wah tones when your amp is dirty. Putting an overdrive after the wah can help achieve this.
• It want more of the vocal quality of the wah to come out, try using the wah during a more chilled-out section of the song, as many of these qualities are subtle and can be lost in a heavy mix.
• Try using the wah for rhythm parts to get that underwater sound. This can be done by playing your rhythm normally, but rocking your wah back and forth slow and steady.
• Experiment stacking your wah with other pedals. I really like to use it with a univibe.

Hope this helps you better use your wah pedal!