The Dunlop CBM95 Cry Baby Mini Wah is a wah pedal from Dunlop that puts the Cry Baby circuit into a housing half the size of the standard Cry Baby. You work it the same way as any Cry Baby: rocking your foot back and forth on the pedal changes the effect the wah has on your tone1. What sets it apart is an internal three-way switch that selects between three frequency ranges, letting one small pedal cover the ground of several full-size Cry Baby models.
A half-size Cry Baby with a voicing switch
The CBM95 is descended from the Cry Baby line, and its voicings reference the GCB95, the 535Q and the CAE wahs2. Dunlop describes it as a pedal for players with downsized travel boards, at half the size of a standard Cry Baby Wah3. Guitar World's reviewer Paul Riario found it "packs all the wacka-wacka-wacka wallop of its standard-sized counterpart in a more travel-friendly, compact housing"6.
The voicing switch is the feature that separates it from a plain miniaturized wah. Under the bottom plate there is an internal three-position switch3:
| Setting | Sound |
|---|---|
| High (H) | The same sound as the GCB95, the default setting13 |
| Mid (M) | A more classic or vintage range3 |
| Low (L) | A darker sound3 |
MusicRadar's reviewer noted that if you want the GCB95's wiry upper range, a quick flick to the right on the three-position switch does the trick2. The pedal also carries a smooth-riding Hot Potz potentiometer and a red Fasel inductor, along with true bypass switching2. The red Fasel is the same inductor Dunlop installed in the GCB95 when it replaced the original custom inductor in 20043.
Premier Guitar's reviewer compared it directly against a full-size model:
"Compared to a newer, full-size Cry Baby, it sounds every bit as good, if not better, since the internal switch lets you c"4
Premier Guitar, 2023
Power and connections
The Mini Cry Baby is powered by one 9-volt battery, accessed via the bottom of the pedal, or by 9V from an AC adapter such as the Dunlop ECB003 or ECB003EU, or a DC Brick power supply1. MusicRadar confirms it is powered by either a nine-volt battery or power supply2. Current draw is 900 µA, low enough that a battery lasts a long time1.
Connections are simple: an INSTRUMENT jack on the input side with 800 kΩ input impedance, and an AMPLIFIER jack on the output side with 10 kΩ output impedance1. To turn the pedal on or off, push the toe of the pedal down until you feel a click1.
The voicing switch is internal, under the bottom plate, so changing voicings means unscrewing the back of the pedal rather than flipping a switch mid-gig3.
Design and release
Dunlop released the CBM95 in 2015 as the first of its Mini Cry Baby wahs3. It arrived, as MusicRadar put it, "hot off the back of its Mini Fuzz Faces, Dunlop has chopped the Cry Baby in half, but without sacrificing spec"2. Guitar World gave it a Gold Award in its 2015 review, where Paul Riario also found the build sturdy with heavy-duty jacks and switches6. MusicRadar's review likewise credits it with quality construction2.
The manual's spec sheet rounds out the picture for players comparing circuits1:
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Input | -8.0 dBV (VINTAGE setting)1 |
| Output | +10 dBV1 |
| Gain, heel down | +19.5 dB1 |
| Gain, toe down | +19.0 dB1 |
| Resonant frequency, heel down (Low) | 350 Hz to 450 Hz1 |
Videos
Sweetwater
American Musical Supply
TotalGuitar
Questions
Is the Dunlop CBM95 Mini Cry Baby true bypass?
Yes. Dunlop's manual lists the pedal's bypass as True Hardwire Bypass, and MusicRadar's review describes it as true bypass switching. When the pedal is off, your signal passes through without the wah circuit coloring it.
How do you change the voicing on the CBM95?
Unscrew the bottom plate and move the internal three-position switch. High (H) gives the standard GCB95 sound, Mid (M) gives a classic or vintage range, and Low (L) gives a darker sound. The default setting is H.
How do you turn the CBM95 on and off?
Push the toe of the pedal down until you feel a click. That press engages or disengages the wah, the same footswitch action as a full-size Cry Baby.
Does the CBM95 use a battery or an adapter?
Both. It runs on one 9-volt battery, accessed through the bottom of the pedal, or on 9V from an AC adapter such as the Dunlop ECB003 or ECB003EU, or a DC Brick power supply. Current draw is 900 microamps.
How big is the Cry Baby Mini compared with a standard Cry Baby?
The CBM95 is half the size of a standard Cry Baby Wah, measuring 5.25 inches by 3 inches by 3.75 inches. Dunlop positions it for players with downsized or travel boards.
Does the CBM95 use a Fasel inductor?
Yes. It is equipped with the red Fasel inductor, the same inductor Dunlop installed in the GCB95 Cry Baby when it replaced the original custom inductor in 2004.
Sources (6)
- CBM95.pdf, Jim Dunlop, 2019
- Dunlop Cry Baby Mini Wah CBM95 review, MusicRadar, 2015-11-11
- Evolution of the Cry Baby Wah at Dunlop, Dunlop (lifestyle.jimdunlop.com), 2017-04-27
- Quick Hit: Dunlop Cry Baby Mini Wah Review, Premier Guitar, 2015-04-08
- Best mini-pedals for guitarists: top space-saving stomps, Guitar World, 2020-09-25
- Review: Dunlop CBM95 Cry Baby Mini Wah Pedal, Guitar World, 2015-04-01
