The Fulltone Custom Shop Supa-Wah is a wah pedal from Fulltone that builds on the company's Clyde wah concept, adding two extra modes for a total of five unique voices1. It is powered by a matched pair of rare BC109B transistors, the same type used in 1960s Vox Clyde McCoy wahs, and it comes clad in a Metallic-White finish1.
Five voices in a Clyde-based wah
The Supa-Wah's core is the Clyde wah concept, Fulltone's take on the Vox Clyde McCoy wah of the late 1960s. The original Fulltone Clyde, built by Mike Fuller and released around 2001, was described by Vintage Guitar as an unofficial reissue of the Clyde McCoy, with a handwired circuit that incorporated a design similar to the original and used comparable components: carbon composition resistors, Polypropylene WIMA .01 capacitors, and a tuned-core handwired inductor made from the same type of wire, with the same inductance, as the original2.
On top of that foundation, the Supa-Wah adds two modes, bringing the total to five unique voices. The modes are accessible via a large rotary switch located on the right side of the pedal1.
Two of those voices have names and descriptions from the launch coverage:
| Mode | What Premier Guitar says it does |
|---|---|
| PHAT | The throatiest, most vocal wah sound, and a personal favorite of Michael Fuller himself1 |
| SUB | A deep, grunty, and unbelievably expressive option1 |
The Clyde lineage matters here because the Fulltone Clyde is an unofficial reissue of the Vox Clyde McCoy wah, built by Mike Fuller2. Its voicing kit uses a handmade inductor specially made to get the late 60s Clyde tone3, and the pedal carries a limited lifetime warranty34.
Players comparing Fulltone's wah range can also look at the Fulltone Clyde, the Fulltone Clyde Standard Wah, and the Fulltone Clyde Deluxe Wah.
The Clyde circuit and BC109B transistors
The Supa-Wah is powered by a matched pair of rare BC109B transistors, subject to availability, which Premier Guitar notes were the same ones used in 1960s Vox Clyde McCoys1. That transistor choice is the clearest link between the Supa-Wah and the vintage pedals the Clyde circuit set out to recreate.
The component philosophy goes back to the original Clyde. Vintage Guitar described its handwired circuit as using carbon composition resistors, Polypropylene WIMA .01 capacitors, and a tuned-core handwired inductor made from the same type of wire, with the same inductance, as the original Clyde McCoy2. The Supa-Wah builds on that same Clyde concept1.
The LEVEL knob
The Supa-Wah provides an adjustable input LEVEL knob, allowing the signal to hit the wah circuit cleanly when turned down, or to overdrive the circuit for grit and more overtones when turned up1. In practice this gives the pedal two characters: a clean, traditional wah sweep at lower settings, and a harder-driven, grittier sweep as the input level rises into the circuit.
Price and availability
At its launch, covered by Premier Guitar in May 2022, the Supa-Wah carried an MSRP of $375 and a street price of $282, and was available on fulltone.com1.
Videos
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Sources (4)
- Fulltone Introduces New Custom Shop Supa-Wah, Premier Guitar, 2022-05-05
- Fulltone Clyde Wah, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2001-06-12
- Clyde wah voicing kit, Area 51 Tube Audio Designs, 2020
- Fulltone Clyde Wah, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2004-01-13
