The Dunlop Kirk Hammett Cry Baby is a signature wah pedal from Dunlop, developed in close collaboration with the Metallica guitarist and tuned to his own settings. Rather than a generic Cry Baby circuit, it reproduces the EQ, volume and tone settings Hammett uses with his Cry Baby Rack Wah, the rig Dunlop says produces "the legendary tone that Kirk dials in on tour"1. It is a foot-rocking wah in the traditional Cry Baby shape, with custom graphics and tread, aimed squarely at players who want the midrange-heavy sweep associated with his solos.
Dunlop describes the response as even from heel to toe, with a thick top end and full dynamic range1. Its buying guide sums up the character more bluntly: a pronounced midrange wail2.
What it does to your sound
A wah pedal is a bandpass filter you move with your foot: rocking the treadle back and forth sweeps the filter's center frequency up and down, producing the vocal, expressive tones the Cry Baby is famous for6. On the Kirk Hammett model, that sweep is voiced around Hammett's rack settings. Dunlop's product page for the Collection version says the response is even from heel to toe "with an arresting midrange wail and a thick top end," suited to fast melodic runs over hard-charging riffs5.
The KH95Y's published specifications cover its noise floor, rated at better than 95 dBV heel down, referenced to 0 dBV = 1 VRMS, A-weighted6, and better than 89 dB toe down on the same reference6. The two figures describe the pedal at opposite ends of its sweep rather than contradicting each other.
Gearnews, covering the KH95X in 2022, described the result as "an extended mid-range and a full wah sweep" in a purple sparkle finish aimed at Hammett-style, wah-soaked solos7.
Based on Hammett's Cry Baby Rack Wah settings
The circuit's origin is the page's central fact, and every source repeats it. Dunlop's engineers took Kirk's EQ, volume and tone settings from his Cry Baby Rack Wah and reproduced them in pedal form1. The Collection version's page puts it the same way: based on Kirk's own Cry Baby Rack Wah settings, it recreates the sound he used for the licks that reshaped metal lead playing5.
This is the same approach Dunlop took with other rack-wah players. The JP95 John Petrucci Signature Cry Baby Wah is likewise based on Petrucci's Cry Baby Rack Wah settings28, so a player comparing signature wahs will find the Hammett and Petrucci models share a design philosophy: capture a rack unit's dialed-in sound in a treadle pedal.
"It is based on Hammett's personal rack wah settings that embody the aggressive and melodic style for which he is known."
Controls, power and connections
The pedal is deliberately simple: there are no knobs. The treadle is the control. Dunlop's manual instructs you to run an instrument cable from your guitar to the INSTRUMENT jack, then another from the AMPLIFIER jack into your amplifier's input, and rock your foot back and forth for the wah effect6. Maximum input level is -13.5 dBV and maximum output is +6.5 dBV6.
Power comes three ways, all at 9V DC with a 4 mA draw610:
- One 9-volt battery, accessible via the bottom plate6
- A 9-volt AC adapter such as the Dunlop ECB003/ECB003EU6
- An MXR Brick Series power supply (DC Brick, Iso-Brick, Mini Iso-Brick)6
The 4 mA draw is low enough that a battery is a realistic long-term option, but the hardwire bypass means the circuit draws power whenever a battery is installed. Players who leave the pedal on a board for months should pull the battery or use an adapter.
Dunlop also sells a spare bottom plate for the pedal, the ECB065, which is the part you remove to swap the battery11.
The versions: KH95, KH95X and KH95Y
The Kirk Hammett Cry Baby has appeared in three finishes, and their availability differs. The KH95 is the standard model at $209.9911. The KH95X, the Kirk Hammett Collection Cry Baby Wah, added a special edition purple sparkle finish and custom tread; Premier Guitar reported it as available in May 202212, but Dunlop now lists it as a legacy product no longer in production5. The KH95Y Yellow Sparkle Edition is a limited edition in a yellow sparkle finish at $265.9945.
| Version | Finish | Price | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| KH95 | Standard custom graphics and tread113 | $209.9911 | Current |
| KH95X Collection | Purple sparkle, custom tread12 | Not listed | Legacy, no longer in production5 |
| KH95Y Yellow Sparkle | Yellow sparkle4 | $265.995 | Limited edition4 |
The KH95Y is a limited edition finished in a bright yellow glitter finish, which Dunlop says accentuates the metal guitarist's signature wah sounds9.
Which wah does Kirk Hammett use live?
Dunlop's artist page for Metallica states that Kirk Hammett uses his signature Jazz III picks and Cry Baby Wah13, and the product page frames the pedal as the tour tone itself, the sound he dials in with his Cry Baby Rack Wah1. In a 2023 interview reported by Guitar.com, Hammett also named the DB01B Dimebag Cry Baby From Hell Wah as a wah he is a big fan of14, so his preferences extend beyond his own signature model.
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Questions
Does the Kirk Hammett Cry Baby take a battery?
Yes. The pedal runs on one 9-volt battery, accessed through the bottom plate, and can also be powered by a Dunlop ECB003 9-volt adapter or an MXR Brick Series power supply. Current draw is 4 mA, so a battery lasts a long time in a pedal that is only on when you lean into it.
Is the Kirk Hammett Cry Baby true bypass?
No. Dunlop's manuals list the bypass type as hardwire rather than true bypass. This is the same switching approach used across the standard Cry Baby line, and it means the pedal's circuit stays in the signal path when the wah is off.
Is the purple sparkle Kirk Hammett Cry Baby still made?
No. Dunlop lists the Kirk Hammett Collection Cry Baby Wah, the purple sparkle KH95X with custom tread, as a legacy product that is no longer in production. The standard KH95 and the limited edition yellow sparkle KH95Y have been the models listed since.
Which wah does Kirk Hammett use live?
Dunlop says the pedal reproduces the tone Hammett dials in on tour using his Cry Baby Rack Wah, and its artist page notes he uses his signature Cry Baby Wah. In a 2023 interview reported by Guitar.com, Hammett also named the DB01B Dimebag Cry Baby From Hell Wah as a favorite.
Sources (14)
- KIRK HAMMETT CRY BABY® WAH, Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
- RANGE OF EXPRESSION: FIND YOUR CRY BABY® WAH, Dunlop (lifestyle.jimdunlop.com), 2021-10-08
- KIRK HAMMETT COLLECTION CRY BABY® WAH, Jim Dunlop (www.jimdunlop.com)
- KIRK HAMMETT CRY BABY® WAH YELLOW SPARKLE EDITION, Jim Dunlop (www.jimdunlop.com)
- KIRK HAMMETT COLLECTION CRY BABY® WAH, Jim Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
- KH95Y.pdf, Jim Dunlop, 2025
- Dunlop Kirk Hammett KH95X Cry Baby Wah: Purple sparkle Metallica tones!, gearnews.com, 2022-05-03
- JOHN PETRUCCI CRY BABY® WAH, Dunlop (www.jimdunlop.com)
- Mick Ronson Cry Baby introduced: And a Dunlop Baby for Kirk Hammett & Sepultura, gearnews.com, 2025-01-24
- KH95.pdf, Jim Dunlop, 2019
- KIRK HAMMETT CRY BABY® WAH BOTTOM PLATE, Dunlop (www.jimdunlop.com)
- Kirk Hammett & Dunlop Launch Special Cry Baby Wah, Premier Guitar, 2022-05-02
- Metallica is a Dunlop Artist., Jim Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
- Kirk Hammett discusses his favourite wah pedal, Guitar.com, 2023-08-24
