The Hotone Wong Press is a compact pedal that combines three jobs in one small footprint: it works as a volume pedal, as an expression pedal for controlling another device, and as a wah. It is a signature model developed with guitarist Cory Wong, built on the Soul Press II concept with his own tweaks, including a custom volume curve and a Wah-Q control designed around his playing style. gearnews.com listed it at $159.00 USD as of February 20261.
What it does
The Wong Press covers the same functional modes as the Soul Press II it is based on1. That makes it a single pedal that can do the work of three separate units on a board.
| Mode | What the pedal does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Rocks as a volume pedal, with an active design RockBoard's PedalPedia says keeps the tone lossless2 |
| Expression | Sweeps a parameter on another pedal or a modeler2 |
| Wah | Rocks as a wah pedal, with a Wah-Q control for the filter1 |
| Volume/wah | Runs volume and wah together1 |
Hotone's product page for the Wong Press highlights an active volume design intended to keep the tone lossless as the pedal is rocked back2. That matters for players who find passive volume pedals dull their high end at the toe-down or heel-up ends of the travel.
Where it came from
The Wong Press is a development of Hotone's Soul Press II, a volume, wah and expression pedal in the same compact format3. Pedal of the Day described the relationship plainly:
"The Wong Press builds on the features of the Soul Press II"
The Soul Press II itself grew out of two earlier Hotone pedals. Hotone's product page says its "new-designed upgrade is based on the popular concepts of both the Soul Press and Vow Press"3. Features that reviewers noted carrying through the family include:
- A Q control "for adjusting the wah filter frequency width", as Bass Musician Magazine's reviewer Cláudio Ribeiro put it5
- "Extra routing options with Tuner Output and Expression Output", in Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio's words6
The Wong Press differences
What sets the Wong Press apart from the Soul Press II it descends from are the signature changes made for Cory Wong. gearnews.com's Julian Schmauch wrote that "That includes a custom volume curve and Wah-Q control designed around his playing style"1. The custom volume curve changes how the pedal responds across its travel, and the Wah-Q control gives direct adjustment of the wah filter's width, the same parameter the Q control handles on the Soul Press II5.
The Wong Press is a signature variant of the Soul Press II, not a replacement for it. The Soul Press II remains the reference design in Hotone's compact press-pedal line3.
Videos
Cory Wong
Pedal of the Day and HotoneAudio
James Stanley
Questions
What is the Hotone Wong Press?
It is a compact pedal from Hotone that combines three functions in one unit: it works as a volume pedal, as an expression pedal for controlling another device, and as a wah pedal. It can also run volume and wah together. It is a signature version of the Soul Press II concept, with a custom volume curve and a Wah-Q control designed around Cory Wong's playing style.
How is the Wong Press different from the Soul Press II?
The Wong Press builds on the features of the Soul Press II, which offers volume, wah and expression modes, an active volume design, a Q control for the wah filter frequency width, and extra routing with Tuner Output and Expression Output. The Wong Press adds Cory Wong's signature tweaks, chiefly a custom volume curve and a Wah-Q control shaped around how he plays.
Sources (6)
- The 6 Best Expression Pedals: Taking your Effects to the Next Level, gearnews.com, 2026-02-02
- Wong Press by HOTONE, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Soul Press II by HOTONE, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Hotone Wong Press Cory Wong Volume Wah Expression Pedal, Pedal of the Day, 2024-11-23
- Review: Hotone Soul Press II, Bass Musician Magazine, 2023-05-22
- Hotone Soul Press II Wah/Expression Pedal, Delicious Audio, 2022-04-25
