The Ibanez No. 92 Wa & Volume is a vintage wah and volume pedal from the mid 1970s, sold under the Ibanez name but built by fOXX in California. TONEHOME lists it as a regular production model under the full name "Ibanez No. 92 Wa & Volume", and describes it as ultra rare. It was made by fOXX in California during a 1974 to 1975 production period1.
A fOXX pedal wearing an Ibanez badge
The pedal's true identity is not much of a mystery among people who know vintage effects. TONEHOME puts it plainly: "any knowledgable person identifies this stomp box immediately as a Steve Ridinger Associates made fOXX pedal with a mere" Ibanez badge1. In other words, the No. 92 is a fOXX Wa & Volume design that Ibanez sold under its own name, an OEM arrangement rather than an Ibanez-engineered circuit.
For a player, that matters when comparing it with other volume pedals. It sits in the same family as the fOXX Wa & Volume it is a rebadge of, and it belongs to the broader history of volume pedals that later ran through models like the Ibanez VL10 and the Ernie Ball Mono Volume Pedal1.
Why the No. 92 is so rare
The short answer is that the company building it did not last long. TONEHOME explains that the Ridinger company went through hard times in the mid 70s and finally ceased production, so the fOXX-made Ibanez pedals were ephemeral1. A production window of 1974 to 1975, cut short by the builder's troubles, left very few units in circulation.
The No. 92 was not alone. TONEHOME describes the Ibanez Wa & Volume and its siblings, the Fuzz & Wa and the Tone Machine, as "as rare as hens' teeth these days"1.
| Model | Type | Status | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 92 Wa & Volume | Wah and volume | Ultra rare1 | fOXX, California, 1974 to 19751 |
| No. 90 Fuzz & Wa | Fuzz and wah | Very rare2 | fOXX, California, 1974 to 19751 |
| No. 91 Tone Machine | Fuzz-style tone pedal | Very rare3 | fOXX, California, 1974 to 19751 |
The siblings: No. 90 Fuzz & Wa and No. 91 Tone Machine
The No. 90 Fuzz & Wa is the closest relative. It is a fuzz and wah pedal, and according to the book "Ibanez - the untold story" it is listed as a regular production model under the full name "Ibanez No. 90 Fuzz & Wa & Volume". TONEHOME notes that in fact the Ibanez Fuzz & Wa has a volume option too, and describes a demo unit as "the identical fOXX Fuzz & Wa & Volume"2. Like the No. 92, it was made by fOXX in California in 1974 to 197521.
The No. 91 Tone Machine completes the trio. TONEHOME lists it as a very rare regular production model, again made by fOXX in California during 1974 to 1975, and again described as rare as hens' teeth alongside its Fuzz & Wa and Wah & Volume siblings3.
By contrast, the earlier Ibanez No. 58 Standard Wau Fuzz, a wah fuzz pedal made by Ibanez, is listed by TONEHOME with high collectibility but good availability, which shows how much harder the fOXX-built models are to find than some other vintage Ibanez effects4.
Reading more
TONEHOME cites the book "Ibanez - the untold story" as the reference behind the No. 92's listing as a regular production model1, and the same book is cited for the No. 902. For anyone researching early Ibanez effects, the TONEHOME first series pages document these models individually1.
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Questions
Who actually made the Ibanez No. 92 Wa & Volume?
Although it carries the Ibanez name, the No. 92 was made by fOXX, the California company associated with Steve Ridinger Associates. Anyone familiar with the fOXX line identifies the pedal immediately as a fOXX design with OEM branding. It was produced during 1974 and 1975, and the same arrangement produced the related No. 90 Fuzz & Wa and No. 91 Tone Machine.
Where was the Ibanez No. 92 built?
The No. 92 was built in California by fOXX. TONEHOME records the pedal as made by fOXX in California during the 1974 to 1975 production period, and the same origin applies to its siblings, the No. 90 Fuzz & Wa and the No. 91 Tone Machine.
What is the Ibanez No. 90 Fuzz & Wa?
The No. 90 Fuzz & Wa is a fuzz and wah pedal from the same 1974 to 1975 fOXX-built group. According to the book Ibanez - the untold story, it is listed as a regular production model under the full name Ibanez No. 90 Fuzz & Wa & Volume, and it is described as very rare. TONEHOME notes it is in fact identical to the fOXX Fuzz & Wa & Volume.
Where can I read more about early Ibanez effects?
The book Ibanez - the untold story is the reference TONEHOME cites for the early first-series pedals, including the No. 92 Wa & Volume and its siblings. TONEHOME's Ibanez first series pages are another place where these rare pedals are documented model by model.
