The Arteffect Bonnie Wah is a wah pedal built as a re-creation of the vintage Vox Clyde McCoy wah, the design that dates to 1967-68 and is widely sought after by players chasing that classic sweep. Vintage Guitar's review called it "an accurate re-creation of the highly soughtafter vintage Vox Clyde McCoy wah." It was listed at $219 at the time of that review12.
Circuit and components
The Clyde McCoy wah is the original design from 1967-68 that later wah pedals grew out of2. The Bonnie aims squarely at that circuit. Its parts list reflects it: a FASEL-inspired Halo Replica inductor and an ICAR taper potentiometer, the component types associated with the vintage units1.
Hardware and power
The pedal has a die-cast black-powdercoated base and a brushed chrome rocker pedal with a rubber foot pad. The input is a chassis-mounted Switchcraft 1/4" jack1.
The Bonnie Wah has no 9-volt power adaptor jack and no LED status indicator1. It cannot be connected to a pedalboard power supply, so players who power everything from one supply will need to account for that.
What reviewers said
Vintage Guitar's reviewer found that "the Bonnie offered up a well-voiced wah tone with a throaty, very musical midrange boost and no high-frequency spikes"1.
Arteffect's line was still being noted in print years later: Premier Guitar's 2021 review of the Zenith overdrive mentions "Arteffect's product line, which also includes the Bonnie wah"3.
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Questions
Does the Arteffect Bonnie Wah have a power jack?
No. Vintage Guitar's review notes that the Bonnie Wah is missing a 9-volt power adaptor jack, along with an LED status indicator. It is powered internally, so players who run a pedalboard power supply will need to plan around that, since it cannot be daisy-chained from a supply without a jack to plug into.
Is the Bonnie Wah true bypass?
Yes. Vintage Guitar's review describes the Bonnie Wah as having a true-bypass footswitch, so when the pedal is off, the guitar's signal passes through without the wah circuit loading it.
Where is the Arteffect Bonnie Wah made?
The Bonnie Wah is made by Arteffect, an Israel-based company. Vintage Guitar's 2008 review describes it as coming from Israel-based Arteffect, and the same maker's line was noted again by Premier Guitar in 2021.
What kind of pot and inductor does the Bonnie Wah use?
Vintage Guitar's review lists a FASEL-inspired Halo Replica inductor and an ICAR taper potentiometer, the same kinds of components associated with the vintage Vox Clyde McCoy wah the pedal re-creates.
Sources (3)
- Arteffect Bonnie Wah, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2010-05-12
- Xotic XW-2 Wah, Delicious Audio, 2024-09-11
- Arteffect Zenith Overdrive Review, Premier Guitar, 2008-05-15
