The Dunlop JH-1 Hendrix Wah is a Jimi Hendrix signature version of the Cry Baby wah, sold as the JH1D Jimi Hendrix Cry Baby Wah. It is built on the regular Cry Baby circuit with a handful of component changes that shift where the pedal operates: as Zach at Guitar FX Layouts put it after tracing the circuit, "in short it moves the sweep range lower"12. Dunlop's own buying guide describes the JH1D as having a "Throaty & expressive voice" in a lightweight aluminum housing2, and in a Dunlop interview with guitarist Leo Nocentelli, the pedal was described as having "a deeper range than a standard Cry Baby"3.
How it differs from a regular Cry Baby
The circuit is, in Zach's words, "not a whole lot different from a regular crybaby". The changes are specific and few: "There are 2 additional caps, resistor change, and different value pot" compared with a standard Cry Baby1. Those changes are what push the sweep lower, which is the pedal's defining character next to the Dunlop Cry Baby Standard or the Dunlop GCB95 Original Cry Baby.
For context on where it sits in Dunlop's line, the JH-1 is one of many signature Cry Babies, alongside pedals like the Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, and Leo Nocentelli Mardi Gras models3.
What players and builders said
Zach at Guitar FX Layouts, who built the circuit and compared it with other wahs he had built, including a Colorsound Fuzz Wah and aVox, found a particular strength with lower-output pickups1:
"I feel there's a nice sweet spot with this one when playing single coils"
A commenter on the same page had a more mixed but positive read: "I find the transition from bass to mid a little abrupt, but overall I love the voicing of this one"1.
Leo Nocentelli used an older JH-1 Hendrix Signature Cry Baby before moving to his own signature Mardi Gras wah, according to Dunlop's interview with him3.
Inside the circuit
For players who service or build their own, the JH-1's internals have been documented in detail by Guitar FX Layouts1.
Transistors: According to the schematic, Q1 is an MPSA13, while Q2 and Q3 are MPSA181.
Wiring: "on the original circuit, there are 7 wires":
- Black: ground1
- Red: +9V1
- Black: to Hot Potz1
- Green: to switch1
- Yellow: to Hot Potz1
- Blue: switch to Hot Potz1
- Purple: to switch1
Inductor: Builders discussing the layout weigh building with the "standard" Dunlop/Cry Baby inductor versus the yellow Fasel, a choice that comes up regularly among people building this circuit1. Dunlop sells Fasel inductors separately, such as the Dunlop FL01Y Fasel Inductor - Yellow.
The Guitar FX Layouts verified board for this circuit was corrected after first publication: "just noticed the board is 22 wide not 21", so anyone building from that layout should use the corrected 22-column board1.
Availability and price
Dunlop's product page lists the JH1D Jimi Hendrix Cry Baby Wah at $179.99 USD as of 25 October 20264. Zach bought his used for $30, which gives a sense of the secondhand market at the time he wrote1.
Videos
Reverb
Bob McMillan
Sound Xperience
Questions
What is the difference between the JH-1 and a regular Cry Baby?
The JH-1 is built on the regular Cry Baby circuit with a small set of changes: two additional capacitors, a resistor change, and a different value potentiometer. The audible result, as Zach at Guitar FX Layouts put it, is that it moves the sweep range lower, and Dunlop has described it as having a deeper range than a standard Cry Baby.
Which transistors does the JH-1 use?
According to the schematic reviewed by Guitar FX Layouts, Q1 is an MPSA13, while Q2 and Q3 are MPSA18.
Does the JH-1 sound good with single coils?
Zach at Guitar FX Layouts, who built the circuit on a verified board, wrote that there is a nice sweet spot with this one when playing single coils, and that he prefers the lower sweep. A commenter on the same page found the transition from bass to mid a little abrupt but said he overall loves the voicing.
How is the JH-1 wired inside?
On the original circuit there are 7 wires: a black ground wire, a red wire to +9V, a black wire to the Hot Potz, a green wire to the switch, a yellow wire to the Hot Potz, a blue wire from switch to Hot Potz, and a purple wire to the switch.
What inductor does the JH-1 use?
Builders discussing the circuit weigh the standard Dunlop/Cry Baby inductor against the yellow Fasel, and both approaches come up among people building the JH-1 on verified boards.
Sources (4)
- Guitar FX Layouts: Dunlop JH-1 Hendrix Wah, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2017-03-03
- RANGE OF EXPRESSION: FIND YOUR CRY BABY® WAH, Dunlop (lifestyle.jimdunlop.com), 2021-10-08
- The Meters Man Sounds Off, Dunlop Lifestyle (lifestyle.jimdunlop.com), 2022-02-01
- AUTHENTIC HENDRIX™ '68 SHRINE SERIES FUZZ FACE® DISTORTION, Jim Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
Leo Nocentelli
