The Jim Dunlop Jerry Cantrell Firefly Cry Baby wah is a special edition of the Alice in Chains guitarist's signature Cry Baby wah, announced in November 2022. It takes the circuit of his signature JC95, a wah Dunlop voiced to match the wider, darker response of the vintage wah-wahs Cantrell favored, and dresses it in glow-in-the-dark details inspired by his 2021 solo album, Brighten12. Dunlop now lists it as a legacy product that is no longer in production1.
The pedal is a standard foot-rocking wah: pressing the treadle sweeps a bandpass filter across the frequency range, producing what the manual calls the "vocal, expressive tones that the Cry Baby Wah is famous for"3. Guitar.com described the result as a "custom-voiced, tight and impactful tone"4.
The glow-in-the-dark design
The Firefly's distinguishing feature is its finish. The tread carries firefly artwork and a "JC Cantrell" logo, both of which glow in the dark, as do the front badge and the bottom plate text2. Dunlop's product page puts it the same way: glow-in-the-dark features on the tread, front badge, and bottom plate stand out against the casting's finish1.
The bottom plate also continues a tradition of the Cantrell signature line: printing lyrics there, in this case the lyrics to Brighten's title track2.
A second version, the Jerry Cantrell Firefly Cry Baby Wah in Cream, is a limited edition with a special cream finish carrying the same glow-in-the-dark features. Dunlop also lists it as no longer in production5.
Power and connections
Setting the pedal up is straightforward, per the manual3:
- Run a cable from your guitar to the JC95FFS INSTRUMENT jack.
- Run another cable from the AMPLIFIER jack to your amplifier.
- Rock your foot back and forth on the treadle to sweep the wah.
Power comes from one 9-volt battery, accessed via the underside of the pedal, from the Dunlop ECB003 9-volt adapter, or from an MXR Brick Series power supply3. At 1 mA of current draw3, the pedal is light on a power supply by the standards of most effects.
The Firefly uses hardwire bypass rather than true bypass3. Players who leave a wah permanently in their signal chain may want to consider where it sits relative to a buffer.
Specifications
The manual for the JC95FFS gives these figures3:
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Input | -11.5 dBV |
| Output | +6 dBV |
| Gain at center frequency, toe down | +20 dBV |
| Gain at center frequency, heel down | +18 dBV |
| Noise floor, heel down | >97 dB |
| Noise floor, toe down | >89 dB |
| Current draw | 1 mA |
| Power supply | DC 9 volts |
| Bypass | Hardwire |
Where it came from
The Firefly is a variant of the JC95 Jerry Cantrell Signature Cry Baby Wah. Cantrell favored wah-wahs with a wider, darker response, and Dunlop replicated that voicing for the signature model6. Guitar World noted the Firefly was the latest in a raft of Cantrell signature gear "masterfully timed to hit the market throughout the Brighten campaign"2.
At launch, the press disagreed slightly on the price: Guitar.com reported it as available for $200 from retailers worldwide4, while Premier Guitar listed it at $199.997.
The Cantrell Cry Baby line has since moved on. Dunlop's current special edition is the Jerry Cantrell I Want Blood Cry Baby Wah, tied to his later solo record I Want Blood8. Earlier editions included the Rainier Fog Cry Baby Wah. All of the Cantrell wahs share the hardwire bypass listed in their manuals3.
Videos
The Pedal Picassos
NX Revs
Questions
Does the Jerry Cantrell Firefly wah glow in the dark?
Yes. The tread carries firefly artwork and a JC Cantrell logo that glow in the dark, and the front badge and bottom plate text do too. The Cream limited edition adds a special cream finish with the same glow-in-the-dark features on the tread, front badge, and bottom plate.
Is the Firefly Cry Baby discontinued?
Yes. Dunlop lists both the standard Firefly and the Cream limited edition as legacy products that are no longer in production. The same applies to the original Jerry Cantrell Cry Baby Wah. The Firefly launched in November 2022 at $200 from retailers worldwide.
What album inspired the Firefly wah?
Jerry Cantrell's 2021 solo album Brighten. The pedal is a special edition of his signature Cry Baby Wah inspired by that record, and the bottom plate continues the JC95 tradition of printing lyrics, in this case the title track of Brighten.
Is the Jerry Cantrell Cry Baby true bypass?
No. The Firefly's manual lists its bypass as Hardwire, the same as the JC95B Jerry Cantrell Cry Baby Wah and the later I Want Blood edition. None of the Jerry Cantrell Cry Baby manuals list true bypass.
Sources (8)
- JERRY CANTRELL FIREFLY CRY BABY® WAH, Jim Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
- Jim Dunlop announces glow-in-the-dark Jerry Cantrell Firefly Cry Baby wah pedal, Guitar World, 2022-11-23
- JC95FFS.pdf, Jim Dunlop, 2023
- Dunlop drops a glow-in-the-dark wah pedal for Jerry Cantrell, Guitar.com, 2022-11-23
- JERRY CANTRELL FIREFLY CRY BABY® WAH, Jim Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
- JERRY CANTRELL CRY BABY® WAH, Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
- Jerry Cantrell & Dunlop Launch New Signature Wah Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2022-11-22
- JERRY CANTRELL I WANT BLOOD CRY BABY® WAH, Jim Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
