The Automagic Classic 20th Anniversary is a wah pedal from Musician Sound Design, the 20th Anniversary version of the original Automagic design by German engineer Hardy Kurandt. It keeps all the features of the original and adds improvements, and its defining idea is that there is no footswitch at all: a pressure-sensitive button in the treadle turns the wah on when you step on it and off when you step away1.
The maker's product page lists the pedal as sold out1.
Switchless operation
Instead of stomping a switch, you step on the treadle to engage the wah and step off to disengage it, using a pressure-sensitive button built into the treadle1. For players used to conventional wahs, that means the effect comes on with the rocking motion itself, and there is no switch to wear out or miss mid-song.
Two wah voices
A top-mounted mini-switch, located safely beneath the treadle, selects between two separate wah sounds1:
- 1967 Vox style: the maker says this mode replicates the sound of the vintage 1967 Vox wah1
- 1970 Thomas Organ style: the maker says this mode emulates the tone of the 1970 Thomas Organ wah1
Those two names matter to wah players: the early Vox and the later Thomas Organ built wahs are the two touchstones of the effect's history, and this pedal puts a version of each behind one switch1.
Buffer and bypass options
The Automagic offers selectable true-bypass or "parallel input" bypass operation1. In parallel input mode, the input section stays in-circuit even when the wah is off, emulating the way a vintage wah circuit loads the guitar's signal, which some players prefer for how their pickups interact with it1.
The output is also selectable between buffered and non-buffered1, so the pedal can sit on a board either as a plain true-bypass wah or as a wah that also drives the rest of the chain with a buffer.
The maker notes that the switching JFETs are the same as those used in the legendary V676a microphone amplifier1.
Chassis and design
The pedal is housed in a standard-sized wah chassis to conserve pedalboard space, a re-purposed Dunlop Crybaby chassis with industrial-grade powder coating1. That means it takes up the footprint players already expect from a wah rather than an oversized enclosure.
"German engineer Hardy Kurandt turned the effect pedal industry on its head with the introduction of his ingenious Automagic wah pedal"
Videos
Godlyke Inc.
Questions
How does the Automagic wah turn on without a footswitch?
A pressure-sensitive button built into the treadle activates the wah. You step on the treadle to engage it and step off to disengage it, so the effect switches with your foot's weight rather than a mechanical switch1.
What is parallel input bypass on a wah?
It is a bypass mode, selectable alongside true-bypass on the Automagic, in which the input section of the wah stays in the circuit even when the effect is off. The maker says this emulates vintage wah circuit loading, keeping the way the pedal interacts with your guitar's pickups the same whether the wah is engaged or not1.
Does the Automagic wah have a buffer?
Yes, and it is optional. The output is selectable between buffered and non-buffered, so you can run it as a true-bypass pedal or let it buffer the signal going to the rest of your board1.
What chassis does the Automagic wah use?
A standard-sized wah chassis, chosen to conserve pedalboard space. It is a re-purposed Dunlop Crybaby chassis finished with industrial-grade powder coating1.
Who designed the Automagic wah?
Hardy Kurandt, a German engineer. The 20th Anniversary version is described by the maker as a 20th Anniversary manifestation of his original Automagic wah design, offering all the features of the original plus improvements1.
Sources (1)
- AUTOMAGIC CLASSIC WAH, Godlyke Distributing, Inc.
