The Dunlop TBM95 Tom Morello Signature Cry Baby is a wah pedal built around the circuit of the Dunlop Cry Baby GCB-95, the standard Cry Baby that Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine has used throughout his career. Dunlop's buying guide describes it as featuring "the aggressive, modern sound of the GCB95" and calls it "the exact pedal Tom has used on every album and every tour throughout his career"12. MusicRadar reported that the limited edition TBM95 "houses an identical circuit to his early-'80s GCB95 Cry Baby"3, and gearnews.com likewise noted it is "based on the GCB95 that Morello used throughout his career"4.
Circuit and where it came from
The Cry Baby design goes back a long way. As the technical site Guitar FX Layouts puts it, "The pedal that would eventually become the Cry Baby was first created in 1966 by engineers at the Thomas Organ Company"2. The GCB95 that the TBM95 is based on is today's most common Cry Baby: as MusicRadar's Alex Lynham wrote, "Today, the most common 'Cry Baby' available is that manufactured by Dunlop"651. The TBM95 is one of many signature and limited Cry Babies in Dunlop's range, alongside models such as the Kirk Hammett Cry Baby, the Jerry Cantrell Cry Baby and the Slash Signature Cry Baby.
The TBM95 was announced in September 2020 as a limited edition. MusicRadar reported at the time that it was "not in stores just yet, but it is available to pre-order"3.
Controls: the 100K Hot Potz pot
Under the hood the TBM95 carries the same 100K ohm Hot Potz potentiometer as the standard GCB95. MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley wrote that "the 100K ohm Hot Potz potentiometer that's under the hood should get the job done"3. In the same buying guide, MusicRadar's Michael Astley-Brown said of the GCB95 that "a 100k ohm Hot Potz potentiometer makes for some of the smoothest wah-ing in the biz"76. On the standard Cry Baby, Dunlop says the Hot Potz Potentiometer is "tested to one million cycles".
The pedal is operated the way any Cry Baby is, and its controls are minimal63:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Treadle | Rocked with the foot to sweep the wah filter up and down |
| 100K ohm Hot Potz potentiometer | The pot the treadle turns; it sweeps the filter3 |
| On/off switch | Engages and bypasses the effect, as on the standard GCB951 |
The finish
The TBM95 is, in MusicRadar's words, "a bright red Dunlop Cry Baby, with a red star on the rubber foot-grip" and it is emblazoned with stenciled slogans3. Dunlop describes the custom finish as "bearing quotations that highlight the battle for justice"1, in keeping with the political themes of Morello's music and activism.
"The pedal that would eventually become the Cry Baby was first created in 1966 by engineers at the Thomas Organ Company."
Price
At the September 2020 announcement, MusicRadar gave the TBM95 a list price of $185.70, with a launch pre-order price of $129.99 at Sweetwater3.
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Questions
Is the TBM95 the same circuit as the Dunlop GCB95?
Yes. MusicRadar reported that the limited edition TBM95 Tom Morello Signature Cry Baby houses an identical circuit to Morello's early-'80s GCB95 Cry Baby, the pedal he used throughout his career. Dunlop's own buying guide describes it as featuring the aggressive, modern sound of the GCB95, so the signature model is a redressed standard Cry Baby rather than a new circuit.
Is the Tom Morello Cry Baby a limited edition?
Yes. When the pedal was announced in September 2020, MusicRadar described it as a limited edition that was not yet in stores but was available to pre-order. It sits alongside Dunlop's other limited and signature Cry Baby models, such as the Kirk Hammett and Jerry Cantrell editions.
What does the Dunlop TBM95 cost?
At the September 2020 announcement, MusicRadar gave a list price of $185.70, with a pre-order price of $129.99 at Sweetwater. Prices change over time, so those figures date from launch.
What potentiometer does the TBM95 use?
The TBM95 carries a 100K ohm Hot Potz potentiometer under the hood, the same control the standard GCB95 uses. MusicRadar noted that this pot makes for some of the smoothest wah action around, and Dunlop says the Hot Potz in the standard model is tested to one million cycles.
What does the TBM95 look like?
It is a bright red Cry Baby with a red star on the rubber foot-grip and stenciled slogans on the shell. Dunlop describes the custom finish as bearing quotations that highlight the battle for justice, fitting Morello's political themes.
Sources (7)
- RANGE OF EXPRESSION: FIND YOUR CRY BABY® WAH, Dunlop (lifestyle.jimdunlop.com), 2021-10-08
- Guitar FX Layouts: Jim Dunlop CryBaby GCB-95, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2014-09-02
- Dunlop unveils the Tom Morello signature wah, MusicRadar, 2020-09-17
- Dunlop releases limited-edition Tom Morello Cry Baby Wah, gearnews.com, 2020-09-16
- 5 great wah pedals guitarists need to try, MusicRadar, 2021-06-24
- Best wah pedals: Add extra expression to your sound, MusicRadar, 2020-09-20
- CRY BABY® STANDARD WAH, Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
