The Hotone Wong Press is a signature pedal built for guitarist Cory Wong, and it does the job of three pedals at once: a wah, a volume pedal, and an expression pedal. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as "Cory Wong's signature Press pedal featuring his personal specs," packing a wah, expression, and volume function into a single unit1. Guitar World's Sean Daniel framed it the same way, calling it "Cory Wong's Hotone signature pedal" that offers "a solution to cramped pedalboards by packing a wah/expression/volume pedal" into one2.
It is an analog, true bypass pedal released in 2024, built on the Soul Press II concept with Wong's own tweaks134.
Where it comes from
The Wong Press is the second chapter of a design that started with Hotone's Soul Press II. That pedal, reviewed by Bass Musician Magazine's Cláudio Ribeiro in 2023, is "a 4 in 1, true bypass pedal that can act as a volume pedal, an expression pedal, wah, or volume/wah"5. Pedal of the Day reported in November 2024 that "the Hotone team has meticulously crafted the Wong Press, a pedal tailored specifically for Cory Wong," building on the Soul Press II's features two years after that pedal's first generation3.
Julian Schmauch, writing at gearnews.com, described the relationship plainly: "The Hotone Wong Press builds on the Soul Press II concept with Cory Wong's signature tweaks"4.
Pedal of the Day covered the Wong Press on 23 November 2024, noting Hotone's dual-color STATUS LED strip that indicates pedal mode and position in real time, alongside a classic-voiced wah tone with a flexible tonal range and separate tuner and expression outputs for more connection possibilities1.
Modes and controls
The Wong Press carries over the Soul Press II's four modes and adds Wong's custom specifications on top14.
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Acts as a volume pedal, with a curve fine-tuned for swells |
| Expression | Sends control signals to other gear via its expression output |
| Wah | Classic-voiced wah with a flexible tonal range |
| Volume/wah | Volume and wah together in one mode |
Two of Wong's personal specs shape how it feels in use1:
- A custom volume curve. Pedal of the Day noted that "the volume control was fine-tuned for a smoother, more musical transition, enhancing the overall feel of volume swells"3.
- A wah Q control. The Q setting shapes the wah filter's resonance. gearnews.com describes "a custom volume curve and Wah-Q control designed around his playing style"4.
RockBoard's PedalPedia describes the wah voice as "classic-voiced wah tone with flexible tonal range"1. A dual-color STATUS LED strip shows the pedal's mode and position in real time, so you can see where the treadle is sitting at a glance1.
Connections and power
The pedal has separate tuner and expression outputs, which RockBoard's PedalPedia says allow "more connection possibilities"1. In practice that means you can send the wah's audio one way, feed a tuner from its own output, and use the expression output to control a modeler or another effects unit without the audio path and the control path getting in each other's way.
Power is straightforward:
- 9V DC, center negative, or a 9V battery1
- Current draw of 30mA1
The Wong Press is true bypass and analog1. If you use it as an expression pedal for digital gear, the expression output carries control data, not audio, so it connects to the expression input of the device you are controlling.
How it compares to the Soul Press II
The two pedals share the same 4 in 1 layout: volume, expression, wah, and volume/wah14. The differences are Wong's tweaks. Where the Soul Press II is Hotone's general-purpose design14, the Wong Press adds the custom volume curve, the wah Q control, and the dual-color status LED strip, all specified around Wong's playing14. For a player who wants the same multi-function format with those adjustments already dialed in, the Wong Press is that version of the idea.
Videos
Cory Wong
Pedal of the Day and HotoneAudio
James Stanley
News
Questions
Is the Hotone Wong Press true bypass?
Yes. Hotone lists the Wong Press as true bypass, so when it is off, your guitar's signal passes straight through the pedal without going through its circuit. That matters for players who want the pedal out of the signal path entirely when they are not using the wah, volume, or expression functions.
Can the Wong Press run on a battery?
Yes. Hotone lists the Wong Press as running on a 9V DC power supply, center negative, or on a 9V battery. Current draw is 30mA, which is light enough for most pedalboard power supplies.
Is the Wong Press analog or digital?
The Wong Press is an analog pedal. Hotone lists its circuit type as analog, which covers the wah and volume functions. It can still act as an expression pedal for digital gear such as modelers and multi-effects units through its separate expression output.
What does the wah Q control do?
The Q control shapes the wah's resonance, or how pronounced and peaky the filter sweep sounds. On the Wong Press it is part of Cory Wong's custom specification: gearnews.com describes a custom volume curve and Wah-Q control designed around his playing style, alongside a classic-voiced wah tone with a flexible tonal range.
Who designed the Hotone Wong Press?
The Wong Press is a signature pedal built for guitarist Cory Wong, with his personal specifications. Pedal of the Day reported in November 2024 that the Hotone team crafted the Wong Press specifically for Wong, building on the features of the Soul Press II.
Can it be used as an expression pedal for other gear?
Yes. Expression is one of its four modes, and Hotone lists separate tuner and expression outputs for more connection possibilities. That means it can send control messages to a digital pedal, modeler, or multi-effects unit while the audio path stays separate.
Sources (5)
- Wong Press by HOTONE, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Casio Dimension Shifter review, Guitar World, 2026-04-15
- Hotone Wong Press Cory Wong Volume Wah Expression Pedal, Pedal of the Day, 2024-11-23
- The 6 Best Expression Pedals: Taking your Effects to the Next Level, gearnews.com, 2026-02-02
- Review: Hotone Soul Press II, Bass Musician Magazine, 2023-05-22
Cory Wong
