The Dunlop Cry Baby GCB65 Custom Badass is a limited edition wah pedal from Dunlop that puts two different inductors, the component that shapes a wah's voice, into one chassis: a red Fasel and a Halo1. A side-mounted kickswitch flips between them mid-song, and each circuit has its own fine-tune knob, so it works like two wahs in a single treadle.
Dunlop's own buying guide calls the pairing special: the GCB65 "brings together the two most iconic wah voices in history via the Halo Inductor and the Fasel Inductor"2. Delicious Audio describes the result as combining "the throaty, vocal-like texture of the Halo inductor, and the lush, modern-sounding tone produced by a red Fasel inductor"3.
Fasel and Halo inductors in one wah
An inductor is the heart of a wah circuit, and its type largely determines the sweep's character. The GCB65 gives you both of the voices Dunlop is known for, selected by the HALO-IN/FASEL-OUT kickswitch on the side of the pedal. Blue status LEDs indicate the Halo inductor, red LEDs the Fasel4.
Dunlop describes what each mode does4:
| Mode | Kickswitch | Dunlop's description | Sweep range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halo | In | Richness and punch | 380 Hz heel down, 1.1 to 1.5 kHz toe down |
| Fasel | Out | Bright clarity and lush harmonics | 550 Hz heel down, 1.2 to 1.8 kHz toe down |
The numbers show the practical difference: the Halo circuit starts lower and tops out lower, while the Fasel sits higher across the whole sweep. Guitar World notes that, per Dunlop, the Fasel is "the sound of modern Cry Babys"1. Players who want a darker, throatier sweep can stay in Halo mode; those chasing a brighter, more cutting voice flip to the Fasel.
The controls
Beyond the treadle itself, the GCB65 keeps its controls simple. Guitar World lists them as Fasel frequency, Halo frequency, the side-mounted inductor selector kickswitch, and the bypass footswitch under the treadle at the toe position1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| HALO FINE-TUNE knob | Adjusts the toe-down frequency of Halo mode4 |
| FASEL FINE-TUNE knob | Clockwise for a more aggressive Fasel sound, counterclockwise for a smoother sound4 |
| HALO-IN/FASEL-OUT kickswitch | Toggles between the two inductors, side-mounted41 |
| Status LED | Shows which inductor is selected, blue for Halo, red for Fasel4 |
| Bypass footswitch | Turns the pedal on, under the treadle at the toe position1 |
Each inductor circuit has its own knob to shape the sound by setting the frequency at the pedal's toe-down position1, so you can dial in a different top end for each voice and switch between two customized sweeps.
Power and connections
Setup is standard for a Cry Baby: an instrument cable runs from your guitar to the GCB65's INSTRUMENT jack, and another cable runs from the AMPLIFIER jack to your amp's input4. Input impedance is 1 MΩ and output impedance is under 10 kΩ4.
Power comes from one 9-volt battery, accessed via the underside of the pedal, or from a 9V DC adapter. Dunlop names its own ECB003 adapter, plus the DC Brick, Iso-Brick, and Mini Iso-Brick power supplies as compatible4. Current draw is just 3 mA4, a light enough load that it places almost no demand on a shared pedalboard supply.
The battery lives under the pedal, so swapping one means taking the GCB65 off the board. With a 3 mA draw, an adapter is the practical choice for a fixed board.
What reviewers said
Guitar World's Trevor Curwen reviewed the pedal and summed up its feel in one line: "Smooth and solid treadle action."1 His review also confirms the core feature set: true bypass, switchable Fasel and Halo inductors, and adjustable toe-down frequency1.
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum gain | +18 dB4 |
| Noise floor, heel down | < -99 dBV4 |
| Noise floor, toe down | < -90 dBV4 |
| Input impedance | 1 MΩ4 |
| Output impedance | < 10 kΩ4 |
| Current draw | 3 mA4 |
| Dimensions | 110 (w) x 252 (d) x 75 mm (h)1 |
Videos
Jim Dunlop UK
Algam EKO
Questions
Is the Cry Baby GCB65 Custom Badass true bypass?
Yes. Guitar World lists true bypass among its features, and Dunlop's manual specifies a true hardwire bypass, so the signal passes through untouched when the pedal is off. It is switched on with the usual footswitch under the treadle at the toe position.
How much current does the GCB65 draw?
It draws 3 mA, according to both Dunlop's manual and Guitar World's review. That is a very light load, so it can share a pedalboard power supply with plenty of headroom to spare.
Is the GCB65 a limited edition?
Yes. Guitar World describes it as a limited-edition wah, and Delicious Audio also lists it as a limited edition dual-inductor Cry Baby. It is not part of Dunlop's standard ongoing lineup.
What is the difference between the Fasel and Halo inductors?
Dunlop describes the Halo inductor as giving richness and punch, with a throaty, vocal-like texture, while the red Fasel provides bright clarity and lush harmonics. The Halo sweeps lower, from 380 Hz heel down to 1.1 to 1.5 kHz toe down; the Fasel runs 550 Hz to 1.2 to 1.8 kHz.
Where is the GCB65 Custom Badass made?
Guitar World lists its origin as the USA. It is built in the same country as Dunlop's other USA-made Cry Baby wahs.
Can the GCB65 run on a 9V battery?
Yes. The manual says it is powered by one 9-volt battery accessed via the underside of the pedal, or by a 9V DC adapter such as the Dunlop ECB003. Guitar World confirms both options.
Sources (4)
- Dunlop Cry Baby GCB65 Custom Badass review, Guitar World, 2021-06-22
- RANGE OF EXPRESSION: FIND YOUR CRY BABY® WAH, Dunlop (lifestyle.jimdunlop.com), 2021-10-08
- LTD Edition: Dunlop GCB65 Cry Baby, Delicious Audio, 2022-01-11
- GCB65.pdf, Jim Dunlop, 2021
