Dunlop Unveils the Custom Badass Dual-Inductor Cry Baby

January 25, 2021 · 8 sources

Dunlop announced the Cry Baby Custom Badass Dual-Inductor Edition Wah, a limited edition wah pedal that puts two distinct voices in one chassis: the Halo Inductor and the red Fasel Inductor¹²³. The two voices are selected with a kickswitch, so a player can change wah character without bending down mid-song⁴.

Dunlop described the pairing in its own words:

According to the maker, the red Fasel Inductor is combined with the circuitry of the GCB95, which the company said allows the pedal to be switched on at super high volumes without issue¹. Guitar.com reported that the Halo Inductor is voiced after the wah tones heard on classic British blues records, with a "throaty," harmonically saturated midrange⁴.

The pedal's key features as announced:

• Two inductors in one pedal: Halo and red Fasel¹³⁴
• A mushroom-shaped kickswitch on the side of the unit to select between them⁵
• A FASEL FINE-TUNE knob: clockwise for a more aggressive Fasel Inductor sound, counterclockwise for a smoother sound⁶
• Limited edition status¹

The manual gives the frequency ranges for each voice: with the Halo inductor, the center frequency sweeps from 380 Hz heel down to 1.1 to 1.5 kHz toe down; with the Fasel inductor, from 550 Hz heel down to 1.2 to 1.8 kHz toe down. Maximum gain is +18 dB, with a noise floor below -99 dBV heel down and below -90 dBV toe down⁶.

The pedal lists for $199⁴, and MusicRadar reported it was available now at launch⁵. Gearnews noted the red kick switch mounted on the side for quickly choosing between the two inductors³, and Guitar World described the same control as a kickswitch allowing the user to easily flick between voices⁷.

The Custom Badass name also appears on Dunlop's MXR line, including the MXR Custom Badass Modified Overdrive, an overdrive pedal with a 100Hz cut and boost control and a Bump switch that engages an alternate EQ voicing boosting the lows and mids⁸.