The Dunlop Geezer Butler Signature Bass Wah, also sold as the Geezer Butler Cry Baby Bass Wah (GZR95), is a wah pedal voiced for bass and designed with Black Sabbath's Geezer Butler. Dunlop calls it the first ever signature Cry Baby Bass Wah, built to Butler's specs12. Butler was a natural partner for it: Dunlop describes him as the first bass player to ever record with a wah pedal1.
What sets it apart from a standard bass wah is the low end. Dunlop says the pedal is specially designed to retain low end frequencies while allowing an aggressive midrange to cut through, and the company describes the result as massive low end power with a midrange that cuts through the mix13.
A bass wah with more low end
The core idea of the pedal is keeping your dry signal in the mix. From the heel-down position, custom circuitry mixes in dry signal, and pressing toward the toe-down position smoothly removes that dry signal to let the aggressive part of the wah range take over3. Gearnews describes the foot rocker as modified so that a part of the dry signal is always flowing through, with the wet signal raised alongside the filter frequency as you rock forward4.
Dunlop says the pedal was modified to bring much more low end, although the midrange is still prominent in the mix4. In Premier Guitar's review, the reviewer compared it directly against the standard Cry Baby Bass:
"the Geezer is much more aggressive and, well, 'wah' like, whereas the original sounds more filter-like and leaves more low end intact through the whole sweep."
The same reviewer noted the pedal's look: a matte black finish with Geezer's name in purple rubber over a gray lightning bolt on the tread5. Gearnews' take on the character was blunt about who it is for: "this pedal is probably not one for players looking for a funkier tone"4.
Built on the 95Q circuit
The basis of the pedal is the Dunlop 95Q bass wah, with a modified sweep and custom dry-signal mixing circuitry14. Dunlop's own description of the design:
"We took the aggressive Cry Baby 95Q Wah and modified its sweep so that, from the heel-down position, custom circuitry mixes in just the right amount of your dry signal"
For a player, that lineage matters. The 95Q is known as the aggressive end of Dunlop's bass wah line, and the Geezer version keeps that character while adding the dry blend. Dunlop's buying guide describes the GZR95 as featuring the aggressive sound of the Cry Baby 95Q with a modified sweep and the custom dry-signal mixing2.
Controls and switching
The pedal has no external knobs. Everything adjustable lives inside:
| Control | What it does | How to reach it |
|---|---|---|
| Q control (bandwidth) | Adjusts the shape of the frequency bandpass, in other words the effect's intensity | Remove the bottom plate, attached with four screws15 |
| Auto-return delay time | Sets how long the pedal waits before returning to zero position | Internal, selectable from 45 to 560 ms4 |
The Q control ships set to Geezer's preferred setting, so most players can use the pedal as-is out of the box15. Dunlop's buying guide notes the internal Q control lets you adjust the effect's intensity if you want a different feel2.
The auto-return switching is the other headline feature. Dunlop says it lets you step in and out of the effect with ease1. Gearnews explains how it behaves: the pedal always jumps back to its zero position when you step off, but the effect does not cut out4.
Bypass and tone
The pedal has a buffered bypass rather than true bypass4. In practice, Premier Guitar's reviewer found this made no audible difference: "when the pedal was bypassed it didn't seem to affect my tone in any way"5.
Release and price
Dunlop unveiled the pedal in August 20173. It launched at $169.99 street price, with an MSRP of $242.843. In Europe it carried an RRP of EUR 209 and was expected to be available mid to end of October 20174.
Videos
Premier Guitar
jimdunlopusa
The Bass Channel
Questions
Is the Geezer Butler bass wah true bypass?
No. Gearnews reports the pedal has a buffered bypass. In Premier Guitar's review, the reviewer found that when the pedal was bypassed it did not affect their tone in any way, so the buffer is not one that noticeably colors your sound.
What does the auto-return do on the Geezer Butler wah?
Auto-return switching lets you step in and out of the effect easily. When you step off, the pedal jumps back to its zero position but the effect does not cut out. The return delay time is selectable over a range of 45 to 560 ms.
Can you adjust the Q on the Geezer Butler bass wah?
Yes, but only internally. The Q control, also called bandwidth, is factory-set to Geezer Butler's preferred setting. To change it you remove the bottom plate, attached with four screws, and turn the trim pot to reshape the frequency bandpass.
Is the Geezer Butler Cry Baby Bass Wah Dunlop's first signature bass wah?
Yes. Dunlop describes it as the first ever signature Cry Baby Bass Wah, and Premier Guitar confirms it was the company's first signature bass wah. It was designed in collaboration with Geezer Butler, the first bass player to record with a wah pedal.
Sources (5)
- GEEZER BUTLER CRY BABY® WAH, Dunlop (www.jimdunlop.com)
- RANGE OF EXPRESSION: FIND YOUR CRY BABY® WAH, Dunlop (lifestyle.jimdunlop.com), 2021-10-08
- Dunlop Unveils the Geezer Butler Cry Baby Wah, Premier Guitar, 2017-08-25
- Dunlop with Black Sabbath Signature Bass Wah for Geezer Butler, gearnews.com, 2017-08-28
- Dunlop Geezer Butler Cry Baby Review, Premier Guitar, 2018-02-12
