The Morley Britt Lightning Wah is a signature wah pedal built on Morley's switchless optical design, set to Britt Lightning's preferred tone and sweep. Because it is switchless, there is no on/off footswitch to press: you step on the treadle to engage the wah and step off to go to bypass. Morley equips it with a 20dB wah boost and a buffer circuit the company says prevents signal loss and maintains tone1.
How it works
The pedal uses Morley's optical circuitry, in which the treadle's movement controls the wah effect without a traditional pot or mechanical switch in the signal path. Morley calls this its "world famous Optical circuitry and switchless design"1. In practice, the lack of a footswitch means the wah is on whenever your foot is on the treadle and off when it is not, so the effect follows your playing rather than a stomp.
"A Switchless, Optical Wah set to Britt's preferred tone and sweep"
Power and hardware
Power is straightforward: the pedal runs from one 9V battery or an optional 9V adapter, and a quick clip battery door makes battery changes simple1. The housing is cold-rolled steel, with a glow-in-the-dark treadle grip and a glow-in-the-dark toe-end logo, and the circuit uses an MQ4 custom inductor1.
At 6.85" L x 4.5" W x 2.75" H, Morley describes the pedal as just right for pedal boards1.
Where it sits in Morley's range
Morley builds a wide line of switchless optical wahs, many of them artist signatures such as the Morley Bad Horsie 2 and the Morley Tye Trujillo TruDrive Wah, which adds built-in drive to the same switchless format. The Britt Lightning Wah follows that template as a single-effect signature pedal, with its tone and sweep fixed to the artist's preference rather than adjustable from the pedal1.
Questions
Does the Morley Britt Lightning Wah have an on/off footswitch?
No. It is a switchless wah: you simply step on the pedal to engage the wah effect and step off to return to bypass. There is no separate footswitch to press, which is the design Morley uses across its switchless optical wahs.
Does the Britt Lightning Wah take a 9V battery?
Yes. Morley says the pedal powers from one 9V battery, and it has a quick clip battery door for changing it. An optional 9V adapter can be used instead of the battery.
How big is the Morley Britt Lightning Wah?
Morley lists the pedal at 6.85 inches long by 4.5 inches wide by 2.75 inches high, and describes it as just right for pedal boards.
Is the Morley Britt Lightning Wah an optical wah?
Yes. Morley describes it as a switchless, optical wah built on the company's optical circuitry, which uses no pot or switch in the signal path.
Sources (1)
- Britt Lightning Wah, Morley
