Morley releases Rex Brown Old Blue Wah, first Classic Series pedal

March 30, 2025 · 4 sources

Morley has released the Rex Brown Old Blue Wah, a signature pedal based on the Pantera bassist's Pro Series II unit, the maker announced. It is the first release in Morley's new Classic Series, with more planned for 2025¹²³.

The pedal is a modified recreation of Brown's Pro Series II wah, using the same through-hole components and circuit layout as the original with a sweep modified to Brown's preference to sound like Morley's 1970s wahs¹². Morley says the circuit derives from its 1992 redesign, which introduced Switchless Activation and converted its classic wah circuits to modern optics¹². The maker says the design prevents frequencies from being shaved off, producing what it calls an intense, monstrous sweep, and that it is virtually immune to outside noise and EMI¹². Bass Magazine reports that slowly rocking the treadle back and forth can produce phase shifter-like tones³.

Controls and features include Switchless Activation, in which stepping on the treadle engages the effect and stepping off bypasses it, a Wah Level control with 15 dB of headroom, a buffer circuit, LED indication and glow-in-the-dark treadle rubber¹². Morley lists the housing as cold-rolled steel and the dimensions as 9.13 by 5.88 by 2.75 inches (L x W x H), with power from a 9-volt battery or 9V adapter and a one-year warranty¹. The part number is PBA-92¹. Morley says it works with guitar, bass or keys¹.

Guitar World reports a US price of $179⁴. Morley, Bass Magazine and Guitar World say the pedal is available exclusively at Sweetwater¹³⁴.

Brown acquired the original Old Blue, his Pro Series II wah, in the 1990s after collecting Morley pedals in his youth in the 1970s, and the maker says it has not left his pedalboard since¹². Morley says it has been used on multiple Pantera albums, including The Great Southern Trendkill and Reinventing the Steel¹. Guitar World reports that the late Dimebag Darrell was also known to borrow Old Blue in the studio⁴. Morley and Brown also collaborated on a new rendition of the Morley Man logo featuring Brown's image³⁴.