The Jerry Cantrell I Want Blood Cry Baby Wah is a wah pedal from Dunlop, a special edition of the company's Jerry Cantrell signature Cry Baby built around Jerry Cantrell's solo album I Want Blood. Like the standard Cantrell Cry Baby, it is custom-voiced for a tight, punchy heel-down tone, with a side-control knob for fine-tuning the toe-down frequency1. Premier Guitar reported it as available in May 2026 at $249.99 street, with an MSRP of $357.132.
The pedal carries the model number JC95IWB1. Rocking the foot back and forth on the treadle produces the vocal, expressive sweep the Cry Baby is known for, and the voicing is set up so the pedal stays tight and punchy with the heel down, the position Cantrell leans on for his darker, moodier wah work13.
A special edition tied to I Want Blood
Dunlop introduced this wah as a special edition of the Jerry Cantrell Cry Baby tied to Cantrell's solo record I Want Blood, describing it as channeling "the raw intensity of the prolific artist's latest solo" work1. Premier Guitar covered the release in May 2026 as a "special edition makeover inspired by Jerry Cantrell's solo record, I Want Blood"2.
The visual treatment is the main thing that sets it apart:
- A bold black and red finish with custom-molded tread inspired by the album's cover art1
- A bottom plate printed with the full lyrics of the title track1
Premier Guitar confirmed both details in its news coverage, noting the black-and-red finish and the lyrics on the bottom plate2.
The controls and connections
The pedal is a standard Cry Baby-style treadle with one external control beyond the rocker itself. The FINE TUNE knob, mounted on the side of the enclosure, adjusts the tone of the toe-down rocker position3. Dunlop's product page describes it as a rugged side-control knob for fine-tuning the toe-down frequency1.
Hooking it up follows the usual Cry Baby pattern, per the manual3:
- Run a cable from your guitar to the INSTRUMENT jack.
- Run another cable from the AMPLIFIER jack to your amplifier.
- Rock your foot back and forth on the pedal to sweep the wah.
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Power supply | DC 9 volts3 |
| Battery | One 9V battery, accessed via the underside of the pedal3 |
| Adapter | Dunlop ECB003 9V adapter, or an MXR Brick Series power supply3 |
| Current draw | 1 mA3 |
| Bypass | Hardwire3 |
| Input impedance | 1MΩ3 |
| Output impedance | 10KΩ3 |
| Maximum input level | -11.5 dBV3 |
| Maximum output level | +6 dBV3 |
| Maximum gain, heel down (center frequency) | +18 dBV3 |
| Maximum gain, toe down (center frequency) | +20 dBV3 |
| Noise floor, heel down | >97 dB (VREF=1VRMS, A-weighted)3 |
| Noise floor, toe down | >89 dB (VREF=1VRMS, A-weighted)3 |
The 1 mA current draw is low enough that the pedal is easy to run from a shared supply alongside other 9V pedals34.
How it differs from the standard Jerry Cantrell Cry Baby
The Jerry Cantrell Cry Baby Wah is Cantrell's signature pedal. Dunlop built it by replicating the sound of the wahs Cantrell favored, which had a wider, darker response, and the resulting pedal has a dark, punchy voice, a wide sweep, and the same side control for fine-tuning the toe-down frequency5. Dunlop describes both the standard pedal and the I Want Blood edition as custom-voiced for a tight, punchy heel-down tone15, so the special edition carries the same sonic concept in the album-themed finish.
The Cantrell line has had several editions over the years:
| Model | What it is | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Jerry Cantrell Cry Baby | The signature pedal, dark and punchy with a wide sweep | Legacy product, no longer in production5 |
| Jerry Cantrell Firefly Cry Baby Wah | Special edition inspired by the solo record Brighten | Legacy product, no longer in production6 |
| Firefly Cry Baby Wah, Cream | Limited edition of the Firefly with a cream finish and glow-in-the-dark details | Legacy product, no longer in production7 |
| I Want Blood Cry Baby Wah | Special edition tied to I Want Blood | Available2 |
Guitar.com's reviewer, writing about an earlier limited-run Cantrell wah, noted that version had "the same innards" as the standard Jerry Cantrell signature Cry Baby, with only the paint job changed8. Dunlop's own pages present the I Want Blood edition the same way: the same tight, punchy heel-down voicing and side fine-tune control, in a new finish1.
Dunlop lists the standard Jerry Cantrell Cry Baby Wah and both Firefly editions as legacy products no longer in production, as of October 2026567. The I Want Blood edition is the currently available version of Cantrell's wah.
Questions
What is the model number of the I Want Blood wah?
The model number is JC95IWB. It appears on Dunlop's product page for the pedal and in the pedal's own manual, which is titled for the JC95IWB Jerry Cantrell I Want Blood Cry Baby Wah.
How is it different from the standard Jerry Cantrell Cry Baby?
Sonically it is the same idea: Dunlop describes both as custom-voiced for a tight, punchy heel-down tone with a side-control knob for fine-tuning the toe-down frequency. The I Want Blood edition differs in its look, with a black and red finish, custom-molded tread inspired by the album's cover art, and the full lyrics of the title track printed on the bottom plate.
Does the JC95IWB run on a 9V battery?
Yes. The manual says the pedal is powered by one 9-volt battery accessed through the underside of the pedal. It can also run on the Dunlop ECB003 9-volt adapter or an MXR Brick Series power supply, and draws 1 mA.
Is the original Jerry Cantrell Cry Baby discontinued?
Dunlop lists the Jerry Cantrell Cry Baby Wah as a legacy product that is no longer in production, as of October 2026. The Firefly editions of the Cantrell wah are also listed as legacy products. The I Want Blood edition is the current available version.
Sources (8)
- JERRY CANTRELL I WANT BLOOD CRY BABY® WAH, Jim Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
- Dunlop & Cantrell I Want Blood Cry Baby Wah, Premier Guitar, 2025-10-29
- JC95IWB.pdf, Jim Dunlop, 2025
- JC95B.pdf, Jim Dunlop
- JERRY CANTRELL CRY BABY® WAH, Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
- JERRY CANTRELL FIREFLY CRY BABY® WAH, Jim Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
- JERRY CANTRELL FIREFLY CRY BABY® WAH, Jim Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
- Review: Dunlop Siete Santos Octavio Fuzz & Jerry Cantrell Cry Baby Wah, Guitar.com, 2019-05-14
Jerry Cantrell
