Dunlop Dime Crybaby From Hell

The Dunlop Dimebag Cry Baby From Hell Wah (DB01B) is a wah pedal from Dunlop, carrying the name of Dimebag Darrell of Pantera and Damageplan. It carries a list price of $209.99¹. Its footswitch toggles the effect on and bypass, with a green LED indicating on, and in its default Parallel Mode (JP2 switch up) both the OUTPUT and OUTPUT/INPUT jacks function as parallel outputs, each receiving the affected signal, which is useful for splitting the signal to two separate effects chains².

Starting from the 535Q, the pedal carries over that model's Q control, 6-way range selector, and adjustable kick-in boost, then adds an extended sweep for more lows and highs, a control for the toe-down frequency, and LEDs at the back of the pedal showing wah and boost status³⁴. The manual credits Dimebag directly: "he helped us devise this wah, the most versatile in our lineup"².

What it does: a Cry Baby with boost and extended sweep

A wah pedal sweeps a bandpass filter across the frequency range as you rock the treadle, producing the vocal effect the Cry Baby is known for. The manual says the DB01B delivers "the vocal, expressive tones that the Cry Baby Wah is famous for"². What separates this model from a standard Cry Baby is the shape of that sweep and what sits on top of it:

• An extended sweep range reaching more lows and highs than a fixed Cry Baby⁴⁶
• A fine-tune knob for dialing in the sweep⁴
• A 6-way range selector to move the whole sweep up or down⁴²
• A switchable gain boost, engaged by a kick-button on the side⁴⁷
• LEDs indicating wah on/off and boost on/off⁴⁷

Guitar World described it at its introduction as "the most versatile wah in the Dunlop line up, this pedal was designed for players who need options on stage"⁸. The finish is what Guitar.com's reviewer called "camo black"⁷.

The controls

The control set splits between the treadle, small knobs on the housing, and a side-mounted selector. The manual and Guitar.com's review break it down as follows²⁷:

Guitar.com's reviewer noted that the six-way selector "shifts the range up or down, not bigger or smaller," which is the practical distinction: you are choosing where the wah lives in the frequency spectrum, not how wide its peak is. The Q control handles the width⁷.

Rocker tension

Under the rocker at the heel of the pedal is an adjustable torque clutch that sets how much resistance the treadle gives your foot. Turn it clockwise to stiffen the pedal, counterclockwise to loosen it. A wrench for adjusting it is included².

Power and connections

The DB01B runs on 9 volts DC, drawing 2.5 mA, from one 9-volt battery (accessed through the bottom of the pedal) or an AC adapter such as the Dunlop ECB003 or ECB003E, or a DC Brick power supply². Dunlop's product page also lists the DC Brick, Iso-Brick, and Mini Iso-Brick supplies as options, not included³. That low current draw means a battery is a realistic long-term power source rather than a backup.

The second jack is where this pedal differs from most Cry Babies. The OUTPUT/INPUT jack works in either Parallel Mode or Pass Through Mode, selected by an internal JP2 switch. In the default Parallel Mode (JP2 switch up), both the OUTPUT and OUTPUT/INPUT jacks act as parallel outputs, each receiving the affected signal, which Dunlop notes is useful for splitting your signal to two separate effects chains². Dunlop's buying guide describes the jack as an "additional output for stereo operation"⁵.

Specifications

The manual's specifications cover the footswitch and the pedal's output modes. The footswitch toggles the effect on and bypass, with a green LED indicating on. In the default Parallel Mode (JP2 switch up), both the OUTPUT and OUTPUT/INPUT jacks function as parallel outputs, each receiving the affected signal, useful for splitting the signal to two separate effects chains. The manual also lists a current draw of 2.5 mA².

Designed with Dimebag Darrell

Dunlop's product page traces the pedal to Dimebag Darrell himself: "Work on this pedal first began some 20 years ago when Dime, a long-time user of the super customizable Cry Baby 535Q Mul[ti-Wah]" wanted his own take on it³. The 535Q's Q control, 6-way selector, and adjustable boost were carried over as the starting point, then tuned to his taste³. Guitar.com reported Kirk Hammett's view of the design: "But he made a wah that has this pickup selector and you can toggle through all these things"⁹.

What reviewers and players said

Guitar.com reviewed the DB01B alongside the Gary Clark Jr Cry Baby in December 2019 and scored the Dimebag model 9/10⁷. The review highlighted the buffered bypass, the switchable wet/dry second output, the LEDs for wah and boost, and the small knobs for fine-tuning the range, the Q shape, and the boost's gain⁷.

Kirk Hammett, himself the subject of several signature Cry Babies, is a documented fan. In an interview reported by Guitar.com he said⁹:

Kirk Hammett, speaking to Rick Beato, as reported by Guitar.com⁹

He added that "It's the greatest idea and on top of that, there's a boost"⁹.

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