Jim Dunlop Cry Baby Mini 535Q

The Jim Dunlop Cry Baby Mini 535Q is a wah pedal from Dunlop that packs the control set of the full-size 535Q Multi-Wah into an enclosure half the size of a standard Cry Baby¹²³. Where a basic Cry Baby gives you one fixed sweep, the Mini 535Q lets you choose from four frequency ranges, shape how hard the midrange peaks with a Q knob, and kick in a switchable volume boost of up to +16dB for solos⁴³.

The Mini 535Q packs the Cry Baby wah into a smaller housing, and its range selector gives players a choice of sweep ranges, from 420Hz to 2100Hz at position 4⁵⁴. The pedal keeps the controls players expect from a Cry Baby in a format that takes up less room on a pedalboard⁵.

A 535Q in a mini wah enclosure

The Mini 535Q exists for players who want the 535Q's flexibility without the real estate. Dunlop's own buying guide describes it as offering the 535Q's dynamic versatility in a space-saving footprint, at half the size of a standard wah¹. Guitar World's buying guide frames the appeal plainly: if you like the voicing of the Dunlop Cry Baby but want extra control, the 535Q is the answer, and the Mini version brings that control to a pedalboard-friendly size³.

The family around it gives a sense of the sizing options. The standard Cry Baby GCB-95 is the full-size original; the CBM95 Cry Baby Mini Wah is the simpler mini model with a single voicing; and the CBJ95 Cry Baby Junior, released in November 2020, sits between the two. MusicRadar's review of the Junior notes that the Mini 535Q is smaller still if space is an issue^1091112.

The controls: range selector, Q and boost

The control set breaks into three parts: where the sweep sits, how it peaks, and how loud it is.

The Range Selector is the headline feature. Dunlop says it lets you choose one of the standard 535Q's four most popular sweep ranges to set the tonal character of your sound⁶. MusicRadar's buying guide describes the four ranges as running from bassier to trebly sweeps¹³, and its review notes that the six selectable ranges of the full-size 535Q were cut down to four for the Mini⁵. The manual gives the frequencies for three of the four positions:

The Q knob works alongside the range. Guitar.com's review explains that it lets you choose how hard the midrange kicks out through the center of the sweep⁸, and Guitar World's guide characterizes the 535Q's controls as governing frequency center and width, the two parameters that define a wah's character³. With the Q control at maximum clockwise and the boost off, the manual lists a filter gain of 15 dB⁴.

The boost is adjustable and switchable. The manual gives a boost control range of 0.1 dB to 17 dB⁴, while the VOLUME knob sets the gain boost up to +16dB⁴. Dunlop's product page suggests cranking the Volume control and kicking the Boost switch to push the Cry Baby signal to the front of the mix, with an LED next to the switch showing when it is engaged⁶. MusicRadar's buying guide calls it up to a 16dB lift to give leads extra output¹³.

Power and connections

Setup is conventional: an instrument cable runs from the guitar to the INSTRUMENT jack, and a second cable runs from the AMPLIFIER jack to the amplifier's input⁴. Guitar World lists the ins and outs as 6.3mm mono jack³.

Power comes from one 9-volt battery, installed by removing the bottom plate, a Dunlop ECB003 9-volt adapter, or Dunlop's DC Brick, Iso-Brick and Mini Iso-Brick power supplies, which are not included⁶⁴. The manual specifies DC 9 volts and a current draw of 2.5 mA⁴, low enough that an isolated power supply output is rarely a concern.

Bypass and the inductor

Two details matter to players comparing wah circuits. The first is the switching. Dunlop's manual lists the bypass as True Hardwire⁴, the same term the manual uses for the full-size 535Q¹⁴, while Guitar World's buying guide and Guitar.com's review both describe the Mini 535Q as true bypass³⁸. The sources use different terms for the switching, so players with strong views on bypass should note both descriptions.

The second is the inductor. MusicRadar's review reports that the Mini offers the same red Fasel inductor as its bigger-brother 535Q model⁵, and Dunlop's product page for the auto-return version likewise cites the red Fasel inductor inside¹⁵. On Premier Guitar's demo of the 535Q, the presenters described Dunlop hunting down the original OEM manufacturer of the inductor, calling the inductor the heart and soul of a Cry Baby.

The auto-return version

In July 2020 Dunlop issued the CBM535AR, an auto-return version of the Mini 535Q¹⁶¹⁷. It carries the same controls, the same red Fasel inductor and the same half-size footprint, but the pedal returns to bypass automatically when you lift your foot, which Dunlop describes as the ultimate mod for convenient live performances¹¹⁵. Gearnews characterized the Range Selector's four sweeps as going from warm, vintage-inspired tones all the way through to more modern and aggressive ones¹⁶. It lists at $189.99, ten dollars above the standard Mini 535Q's $179.99¹⁸⁷. Full details are on the CBM535AR page.

What reviewers said

Published reviews have been positive about the format. MusicRadar's review highlights the small footprint and the red Fasel inductor as the Mini 535Q's strengths, noting it as an iteration of the Cry Baby wah at half the size of the original⁵. Guitar World's buying guide lists it as versatile and customizable with a small footprint, while allowing that some players may prefer the full-sized version³. Its classic-rock pedals guide notes that the Mini retains the controls you would expect on the 535Q model, with four sweep ranges, Q control and an LED².

Guitar.com's review also credits the Q control for letting you choose how hard the midrange kicks out through the center of the sweep⁸. MusicRadar's pricing coverage lists the Mini 535Q at $179, £169 and €177¹⁹, consistent with Dunlop's own $179.99 list price⁷.

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