Morley Cliff Burton Tribute Series Power Wah Fuzz

The Morley Cliff Burton Tribute Series Power Wah Fuzz is a wah and fuzz pedal in a single treadle, built by Morley as a modern reissue of the original 1976 Power Wah Fuzz that Metallica bassist Cliff Burton used on his recordings, including the intro of "For Whom the Bell Tolls"¹. Morley describes it as a tribute reissue of the pedal Burton used for his bass solos, and it works with guitar, bass or keys²³.

Guitar World calls it "a careful recreation of the original 1976 issue pedal," with the same optical circuitry that gave Burton's pedal its character¹. MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley summed up the sound as "a wah circuit with 15dB of juice behind it, and a fuzz that sounds like things are coming apart"⁴.

What it is and what it does

The pedal combines a wah and a fuzz in one unit, and the two effects can be used individually or together⁶⁷. The wah engages the moment you step on the treadle and instantly bypasses when you step off, so there is no footswitch to hit mid-phrase¹. The fuzz side emulates what Morley calls "that old-school ripped speaker sound of the original"⁵, while Guitar World notes the low sweep of the wah remains unchanged from the 1976 pedal¹.

The circuit is electro-optical: instead of a mechanical potentiometer that can wear out, the treadle moves against a light source and sensor. Morley's press release touts "Our world-famous Electro-Optical design. No pots to wear out!"⁵. The pedal also carries a premium buffered circuit, which Morley and Guitar World say ensures unblemished tonal output when the pedal sits in a chain¹⁴.

The controls

The 2024 tribute keeps the control set of the earlier tribute versions:

The 15dB wah level control is the feature Morley highlights for soloists: "perfect for pushing your signal above the mix for earth shattering solos"². Note that the Modern/Vintage fuzz switch is documented on the 2015 and 2016 chrome editions⁶⁷; the 2024 reissue's coverage emphasizes the level control and switchless activation instead⁷⁶.

History and versions

The line traces back to the original 1976 Morley Power Wah Fuzz, the pedal Burton himself played¹. The tribute story runs through several editions:

• February 2024: Morley launched the Cliff Burton Tribute Power Wah Fuzz, a modernized reissue of Burton's pedal. Its fuzz circuit emulates what Morley describes as the "old-school ripped speaker sound" of the original, while the low sweep of the wah is unchanged¹⁸. It uses switchless activation: the effect engages as soon as the treadle is stepped on and instantly bypasses when the treadle is stepped off¹⁸. It costs $229¹⁸.

The 2024 edition was sold exclusively at Guitar Center and Musician's Friend in the USA, with a wider release to the rest of the world from April 1¹⁴.

Who uses it: Cliff Burton

Cliff Burton, the late Metallica bassist, is the player the whole series honors. Morley calls the original Power Wah Fuzz "one of the secret weapons to his tone arsenal"³, and Guitar World describes the reissue as "the exact same pedal that Cliff used on his iconic recordings," including the "For Whom the Bell Tolls" intro¹. Guitar World's 2015 coverage noted that "the combination of the fuzz and the Wah is what gave Cliff his signature tone, especially when soloing"⁷. Morley also notes Burton used this pedal interchangeably with one other Morley pedal, the Cliff Burton Power Wah Boost, to get his tones⁸.

Where to buy it in the US

The 2024 Cliff Burton Tribute Power Wah Fuzz is available exclusively at Guitar Center and Musiciansfriend.com in the United States²¹⁴, at a list price of $229 as of its February 2024 launch¹.

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