AMT Electronics Japanese Girl Wah WH-1

The AMT Electronics Japanese Girl Wah WH-1 is a wah-wah pedal that takes an optical approach to the classic filter sweep. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as "an optical version of a classic 'WAH-WAH' effect with bandpass filter range selection (3-way switch)"¹. Instead of a potentiometer tracking the rocker pedal, an optical sensor reads the pedal's position, which RockBoard's PedalPedia says increases the service life of the effect by eliminating the frequent maintenance and replacement of the control potentiometer that conventional wah pedals need¹. It sits in the wider family of wah-wah pedals, and AMT also makes a bass-oriented version, the WH-1B, described as an optical version of a classic bass guitar wah-wah effect².

How it works

Two design choices set the WH-1 apart from a standard wah. The first is the optical frequency control: with no pot to wear out in the pedal's travel, the maker positions it as a longer-life alternative to the traditional mechanism¹. The second is the circuit itself. RockBoard's PedalPedia says the pedal uses an original JFET-based circuit design, which it credits with low noise and an expanded frequency tuning range¹⁴. The pedal also draws little current, listed by AMT among its features as low power consumption⁴.

A three-way switch selects the bandpass filter range, letting the player choose which part of the frequency spectrum the sweep covers¹. Turning the effect on and off is done by pressing the movable front end part of the pedal, in the familiar wah manner⁴.

Beyond the wah

The WH-1 carries more than the filter sweep. AMT's product page lists the following features³⁵:

• IR cabsim, with 1 IR for both L/R channels per preset³
• Parametric Pre/Post EQ⁵
• Compressor³
• Noise Gate, as a global setting³
• Analog Preamp with Clean, Low gain and High gain modes³
• Power Amp with 9 types³

That set of features puts the pedal in territory closer to a multi-effects pedal than a plain wah: the compressor and noise gate cover dynamics, the analog preamp and power amp models cover gain and amp voicing, and the IR cabsim handles speaker simulation, with the parametric EQ available before or after those stages. Players who mainly want a filter sweep can ignore the extras, while the preamp and cab sim stages mean the pedal can also serve as a compact front end for a flat-response amp or a direct setup³.

The WH-1B bass version

AMT's WH-1B shares the optical approach and low power consumption but is voiced for bass: the maker describes it as "an optical version of a classic Bass guitar 'WAH-WAH' effect"². Bass players looking at the WH-1 may want to compare it against the bass pedal versions of the circuit.

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