The Chase Tone Gypsy Wah is a limited-production wah pedal aimed at the late-1960s Vox wah sound: Chase Tone describes it as a hybrid capture of the 1968-69 Vox V846 and Crybaby "Elusive Wah Voicings" with "an Unsurpassed Expressive Sweep all under one foot"12. It is the company's take on the circuit family most players associate with the Band of Gypsys era, and it sits alongside Chase Tone's other wah designs such as the Chase Tone Script Wah and the Chase Tone Scripture Wah.
Circuit and voicing
Chase Tone positions the Gypsy Wah as a recreation of the late-1960s Vox Clyde and Crybaby voicing, calling it an "Iconic late 1960s Vox Clyde/Crybaby Elusive Wah Voicing w/ Unsurpassed Expressive Sweep"2. The maker's own description of the sound is a "SUPER VOCAL WAH that GRABS THE NOTES for ease of playing in the style of the Band of Gypsys"2.
The Gypsy Wah is built to a 1969 era spec, down to its tall angled black rubber feet2, and it switches with a Carling DPDT true bypass footswitch2. Chase Tone markets it as the pedal "for the authentic Band of Gypsies iconic wah tones!"3
The inductor is central to the design: the pedal uses vintage stack-of-dimes inductors that are 40 to 50 years old, and the limited quantities of those parts are the reason the run was limited2.
Buffers and bypass
The Gypsy Wah is unusual among wahs in carrying buffering on both sides while keeping true bypass on the switch2:
- Input buffer: described by Chase Tone as retaining the guitar's true brilliance during wah operation, for the vocal, note-grabbing sweep quoted above2
- Wah output buffer: "Ensures impedance matching with various distortion devices for uncompromising wah sweep"2
- Bypass: a Carling DPDT true bypass footswitch2
Chase Tone explains the reasoning for keeping true bypass on the bypass path: so the buffer does not "block" the guitar's output when it is feeding old germanium-style fuzz pedals that follow the wah while the wah is bypassed2. That matters on boards built around vintage-style fuzzes, which are famously sensitive to what feeds them. Players who want the same treatment on another wah can look at the Chase Tone Wah Output Buffer Upgrade.
Hardware and construction
The hardware list from the maker's page reads as a set of period-minded choices2:
- Sealed 2 million cycle life potentiometer (Chase Tone also sells dedicated wah pots such as the Tru Talk 100K Wah Pot and Tru iCar Wah Pot)
- USA made Switchcraft open input and output jacks with anti-slip star washers
- 1969 era spec tall angled black rubber feet
- Ultra-lightweight aluminum casing
Finishes and production runs
The Gypsy Wah has been produced in small runs, and both runs Chase Tone lists are sold out2.
| Run | Finish | Status |
|---|---|---|
| First run | Limited edition purple with hexavalent chrome rocker top (custom acid purple translucent vein powder coat) | Completely sold out2 |
| Second run | Closet Classic Vintage Black Texture and Hot Rod Chrome | Sold out in the finish shown on the maker's page2 |
The maker describes the finish as a powder coat offering superior durability and zero ozone emissions, and says the chrome is hexavalent chrome, "the same chrome used on 1950s & 1960s hot rods"2.
The Gypsy Wah is a limited-production pedal, and both runs Chase Tone lists are sold out. Because the run size is tied to the supply of vintage stack-of-dimes inductors, availability depends on whether further runs appear on the maker's page2.
Price
Chase Tone lists the Gypsy Wah at a purchase price of $3892.
Videos
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Questions
Is the Chase Tone Gypsy Wah true bypass?
Yes. The Gypsy Wah uses a Carling DPDT footswitch for true bypass. Chase Tone points out that true bypass remains for the wah bypass specifically so the buffer does not block the guitar's output when feeding old germanium-style fuzz pedals that come after the wah while it is bypassed.
What circuit is the Chase Tone Gypsy Wah based on?
Chase Tone describes the Gypsy Wah as a hybrid capture of the 1968-69 Vox V846 and Crybaby wah voicings, the same late-1960s circuit family associated with Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys era. The pedal uses vintage 40 to 50 year old stack-of-dimes inductors.
Why was the Gypsy Wah a limited run?
Chase Tone says the last run was limited production because of limited quantities of 40 to 50 year old vintage stack-of-dimes inductors, the parts that give the pedal its period voicing. The first run sold out completely, and the second run also sold out in its listed finish.
Does the Gypsy Wah have a buffer?
Yes, on both sides. An input buffer is described as retaining the guitar's true brilliance during wah operation for a super vocal wah, and a wah output buffer ensures impedance matching with various distortion devices for an uncompromising wah sweep. True bypass remains for the bypass path.
What finishes has the Chase Tone Gypsy Wah come in?
The first run came in a limited edition purple with a hexavalent chrome rocker top, described as a custom acid purple translucent vein powder coat. The second run was offered in Closet Classic Vintage Black Texture and Hot Rod Chrome finishes, and sold out in the finish shown on Chase Tone's page.
Sources (3)
- Chase Tone™ Gypsy Wah™ Limited-Production, Chase Tone
- Chase Tone Gypsy Wah, Chase Tone
- Dallas Arbiter Germanium Fuzz Face Replica, chasetone.com
