The Jennings W.1 Wah-Wah is a wah pedal made in England by Jennings Electronic Industries Ltd. in 19701. It sits in the same family as other wah-wah pedals, but it works in an unusual way: instead of a treadle that rocks under the foot, the player operates a rotating platform.
What it does
As a wah, the W.1 sweeps a filter across the guitar's frequencies to produce the vocal "wah" character players know from treadle-style pedals. What sets the W.1 apart is the control method. TONEHOME's product page notes that "operating the rotating platform requires much more physical engagement than a simple treadle"1. Where a treadle wah responds to a small rocking motion of the foot, the rotating platform asks for a larger, more deliberate movement.
That difference cuts both ways. The same page describes the pedal as suited to extreme wah effects, and adds: "But if you are into cooked wah effects there's nothing better - and finding the sweet spot is much easier as well."1 In other words, the physical effort of the rotating platform comes with a payoff: the range where the effect sounds its best is easier to land on than on comparable wahs.
Context
The W.1 was made in England by Jennings Electronic Industries Ltd. and dates from 19701. The company's own description of the pedal makes clear where it was aimed: suited to extreme wah effects, with a sweet spot that is much easier to find than on comparable wahs. As the maker put it, "But if you are into cooked wah effects there's nothing better - and finding the sweet spot is much easier as well."1
The W.1 dates from 1970 and was made in England by Jennings Electronic Industries Ltd.1
For players used to modern treadle wahs, the W.1 is a curiosity of wah history: a different answer to the same problem, traded ease of operation for a wider, more extreme sweep and an easier-to-find sweet spot1.
Sources (1)
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME
