The Keeley Electronics Mello Wah is a modified wah pedal: a Dunlop Crybaby circuit tricked out with extra controls that let you shape the sweep and the voice of the effect. Keeley named it after studio guitarist Ney Mello, and Premier Guitar's reviewer described it as a mod "righteous enough to please persnickety studio cats and gonzo live performers."1
The controls
The Mello Wah keeps the rocking treadle of a standard wah and adds two controls of its own, both described by Premier Guitar's reviewer.1
| Control | Location | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Midrange/volume knob | Right side of the unit | Dials in more volume and midrange. Rolled back counterclockwise gives a stock setting; clockwise adds midrange and volume boost. |
| Bass/resonance toggle | Next to the knob | Three-way bass and resonance booster. Center position gives the stock sound; rear position offers sweep capacitor sounds found in Dunlop's Jimi Hendrix and Zakk Wylde wahs; forward position enables the deep and the low. |
| Inductor switch | Toe of the pedal | Toggles between warmer vintage-voiced sounds to the right and a higher-voiced cutting tone to the left. |
Keeley also added a blue "On" LED in the back left corner of the heel, which the reviewer called "another stroke of genius," since it makes the pedal's status easy to see on a dark stage.1
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's reviewer tested the pedal at gigs and jam sessions using a Performance Frankenstein Strat through a '65 Fender Pro Reverb, an '82 Marshall JCM 800 and a 50 watt Ceriatone Overtone Special. The verdict was positive: "I like this wah a lot." The reviewer appreciated that with the knob rolled back there is no big volume boost and no screech, and found the pedal works well for smooth, mellow recording tones overall.1
"They got hold of a Dunlop Crybaby and tricked it out with bells, whistles, lights and best of all luscious tones."
Where it sits among wahs
The Mello Wah starts from the circuit most players mean when they say wah: as Guitar FX Layouts puts it, "When people talk about wah-wah pedals, they're talking about the Cry Baby Wahs."2 Compared with a stock Jim Dunlop Cry Baby GCB-95, the Mello Wah adds the midrange/volume knob, the three-way resonance switch and the inductor switch, giving a player several voices in one enclosure. Dunlop also builds signature wahs of its own, such as the Dunlop Crybaby Jerry Cantrell Wah, which MusicRadar described as "a proper Crybaby."3
Videos
Priestfilms
Questions
Who is the Keeley Mello Wah named after?
Keeley named the pedal after studio guitarist Ney Mello. Premier Guitar's reviewer noted the connection when the pedal was unveiled, describing it as a wah mod built to please both studio players and live performers.
Is the Keeley Mello Wah true bypass?
Yes. Premier Guitar's review confirms the Mello Wah is true bypass, so when the pedal is off your guitar's signal passes straight to the amplifier without going through the wah circuit.
What does the inductor switch do on the Mello Wah?
The inductor switch sits at the toe of the pedal and toggles between two voices. To the right you get warmer, vintage-voiced sounds; to the left you get a higher-voiced, cutting tone that stands out more in a mix.
Is the Mello Wah based on a Crybaby?
Yes. Premier Guitar's reviewer described the pedal as a tricked-out Dunlop Crybaby, with added controls, lights and what the reviewer called luscious tones. The Crybaby is the classic wah design, as covered on our Jim Dunlop Cry Baby GCB-95 page.
Sources (3)
- Keeley Electronics Mello Wah Mod Review, Premier Guitar, 2009-03-04
- Guitar FX Layouts: Jim Dunlop CryBaby GCB-95, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2014-09-02
- Dunlop Crybaby Jerry Cantrell Wah review, MusicRadar, 2010-07-23
