The Electronic Sounds Wah Wah is a vintage wah pedal made in Italy in the 1970s by Electronic Sounds, a company founded by Gary Stewart Hurst1. It belongs to the family of wah-wah pedals, the foot-controlled filter effect that has been a fixture of rock, funk and blues boards since the late 1960s.
What it does
Like any wah, the Electronic Sounds Wah Wah sweeps a band of frequencies across the guitar signal as the player rocks the pedal. Josh of JHS Pedals describes the circuit plainly: "A wah is a mid frequency equalizer that's kind of variable, and it has a boost to it"2. Coda Effects' technical analysis explains the character of the sound the same way: "The characteristic sound of a wah wah is due to the fact that it will only let some frequencies go through it," with the middle position of the travel passing mainly the medium frequencies3.
That vocal quality is no accident. JHS notes the effect was "made to replicate the sound of a trumpet"2, and the Stompbox book on the Cry Baby makes the connection to singing explicit: "the physics of the wah are very similar to how human vocals work, as the mouth changes shape, the frequencies change in a similar way"4.
Where it came from
The pedal dates to the 1970s and was built in Italy, a country that produced a large share of the era's effects pedals1. Electronic Sounds was founded by Gary Stewart Hurst, a name players of vintage British and Italian gear may know from other designs of the period1.
The Electronic Sounds Wah Wah is a 1970s vintage pedal, long out of production. Anyone considering one is looking at the used market, where condition and originality vary unit to unit.
How it compares
Players shopping the vintage market will run across other wahs of the same era. The Colorsound Wah Wah, for example, is described by Analog Man as "One of the best sounding wahs ever made, with a cool sweep!"5. Modern alternatives take different approaches to the same effect:
| Pedal | Approach |
|---|---|
| Colorsound Wah Wah | Vintage wah, praised by Analog Man for its sweep5 |
| JOYO JF-322 Wow Wah | Auto-wah that moves the filter without foot control6 |
| Electro-Harmonix Wailer Wah | Promises "Killer wah and cocked wah sounds!"7 |
| Harley Benton Space Wah | Pairs a classic '60s design with a vintage-tuned potentiometer for feel8 |
Questions
What does a wah wah pedal do to a guitar signal?
A wah works as a variable mid frequency equalizer with a boost: it lets only some frequencies pass through, and rocking the pedal moves which band gets through. The middle position passes mainly the medium frequencies. That sweeping band of sound is what gives the wah its characteristic vocal, quacking quality.
Who made the Electronic Sounds Wah Wah?
It was made by Electronic Sounds, a company founded by Gary Stewart Hurst. The pedal was built in Italy in the 1970s, when a number of Italian factories produced effects for brands sold under other names.
Sources (8)
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME - the World of Vintage Guitar Effect Pedals
- 5 REASONS TO WAH, JHS Pedals
- Coda Effects, Coda Effects, 2015-05
- Vox Cry Baby, Stompbox, 2019-04-27
- Colorsound vintage reissue effects pedals, Analog Man Vintage guitar effects (analogman.com), 2015
- JF-322 Wow Wah_JOYO, JOYO
- Wailer Wah, Electro-Harmonix (ehx.com)
- Harley Benton Space Wah, Harley Benton
