The Morley Mini Wah Volume is a dual-purpose pedal that puts a wah and a volume pedal in one compact, foot-operated unit. You rock the footplate as you would on any wah or volume pedal, and a switch selects which of the two effects the pedal is applying at any moment. Premier Guitar described it at its introduction as having "a traditional Wah tone combined with a smooth audio taper volume"1.
The pedal came out of a specific complaint: Morley's full-size wah and volume pedals were known for taking up a large amount of pedalboard real estate, and No Treble reported that the mini versions were released "in response to complaints about the amount of space wah and volume pedals take up on pedalboards"2. The Mini Wah Volume was introduced in November 2010 alongside the Mini Maverick, both made in the USA and housed in durable cold rolled steel1.
A wah and volume pedal in a smaller case
The Mini Wah Volume is around 25 per cent smaller than Morley's full-size Power Wah Volume, according to MusicRadar's review3. For a player who wants both effects on the board without giving up two full-size footprints, that is the whole point of the design. Pedal of the Day's reviewer called it "a nice little 2-in-1, with good tones and a small enclosure that won't take up a ton of room on your pedalboard"4.
Morley later revisited the same idea with the Morley Mini Power Wah Volume, one of three mini pedals introduced in 2018, each measuring under seven inches in length and five inches in width5. The 2018 Mini Power Wah Volume carried a $159 list price with a Wah Level control56, a step up from the original Mini Wah Volume's $89.99 street price in 20101.
One thing the short case does not cost you as much as you might expect: MusicRadar's reviewer noted that "that short footplate travels further than you might think"3.
The controls
The pedal keeps its control set simple. The footplate does the expressive work, and a small number of controls handle the rest.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Footplate | Rocks to sweep the wah or raise and lower the volume |
| Stomp switch | Toggles between wah and volume modes; a light indicates wah mode3 |
| Level knob | Sets the wah level and adjusts on the fly4 |
The switching behavior matters for live use. MusicRadar describes the workflow plainly: "hit the stomp switch and the light tells you you're in wah mode; hit it again and you're back to volume"3. There is one habit to learn: to turn the wah off, you park the footplate towards the toe-down position, otherwise you will not hear anything when you enter volume mode3.
The volume side uses a smooth audio taper, which Pedal of the Day highlighted as a feature in its own right4. The pedal also works with guitar, bass, or keyboards4.
No pots to wear out
The circuit is what separates Morley's wahs from most of the field. The Mini Wah Volume uses Morley's Electro-Optical circuitry, in which a light-based sensor reads the footplate position instead of a mechanical potentiometer1. The practical benefit is that there is no pot to wear out, and none of the crackle that a worn pot produces. MusicRadar's reviewer credited this design for the pedal's smooth behavior when clean, noting it avoids "the crackle and wear-and-tear associated with pots"3.
How it sounds
Clean, MusicRadar found the pedal smooth in both modes, with a fluid wah sound when played with single coils3. With distortion applied, the picture changes: the reviewer found "a definite step in the sound towards the middle of the sweep when you apply distortion, but playing with the Level control smooths this out"3. That distortion behavior was listed among the pedal's drawbacks, alongside its small size as a reason to buy3.
The overall verdict balanced the two:
"At this price, it may struggle to wow your attention away from larger pedals, but if a crowded pedalboard is compromising your tone then the two-in-one format and dinky design tick all the boxes."3
MusicRadar's review3
Where it came from
Morley has been building wah and volume pedals since its early rotating-wah designs, and the company's full-size pedals such as the Morley Power Wah Volume established the format the Mini compresses. The mini line was Morley's answer to players who wanted the company's Electro-Optical circuitry without the footprint2. Later Morley wah and volume pedals, including the 20/20 Power Wah Volume, continue the same light-based approach with silent switching to prevent pops and noise7, and Morley's own demo presenters note the pedals are still made in the USA8.
Videos
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Questions
How do you switch the Morley Mini Wah Volume between wah and volume?
A stomp switch toggles between the two modes, and a light tells you when you are in wah mode. To turn the wah off, park the footplate towards the toe-down position, otherwise you will not hear anything when you switch back to volume mode.
How much smaller is the Mini Wah Volume than the Power Wah Volume?
MusicRadar's review measured it at around 25 per cent smaller than the full-size Power Wah Volume. Morley's larger wah and volume pedals were a common complaint for eating pedalboard space, which is what prompted the mini versions in the first place.
Does the Morley Mini Wah Volume use pots that wear out?
No. It uses Morley's Electro-Optical circuitry, in which a light-based sensor reads the footplate position instead of a mechanical potentiometer, so there is no pot to wear out and none of the crackle that comes with an aging pot.
Where is the Morley Mini Wah Volume made?
It is made in the USA, housed in a durable cold-rolled steel enclosure, as Premier Guitar reported when the pedal was introduced in November 2010.
How long is the warranty on the Morley Mini Wah Volume?
The Mini Wah Volume carries a no-hassle two-year warranty, as does the rest of Morley's mini line from that period. Later Morley pedals, such as the 20/20 Power Wah Volume, offer a lifetime warranty with registration.
How does the Mini Wah Volume sound with distortion?
MusicRadar's reviewer found a definite step in the sound towards the middle of the wah sweep when distortion is applied, and listed that as a reason to avoid the pedal. Playing with the Level control smooths the step out somewhat.
Sources (8)
- Morley Releases Mini Wah Volume and Mini Maverick, Premier Guitar, 2010-11-05
- Gear Watch: Morley Mini Wah and Mini Volume Pedals, No Treble, 2010-05-19
- Morley Mini Wah Volume review, MusicRadar, 2011-03-31
- Morley MWV Mini Wah Volume, Pedal of the Day, 2014-08-12
- Morley introduces three new Mini pedals, Guitar.com, 2018-02-22
- Morley Debuts Three New Mini Pedals, Guitar World, 2018-02-20
- 20/20 Power Wah Volume, Morley
- Morley 20/20 Power Wah/Volume Pedal Demo, Sweetwater (YouTube), 2019-11-07
