The Real McCoy Custom RMC1 is a hand built wah pedal, developed and built by Geoffrey Teese and on the market since its release in 1998. Teese describes it as delivering more sweep range than mass produced wahs, with a more musical sweep and a repositioned sweet spot, richer mids, and a stronger low end1.
Controls and adjustments
The RMC1's internal controls shape the wah voice before it ever reaches your foot. Delicious Audio's buying guide, written by Paolo De Gregorio, describes the pedal as having three controls for volume, Q and Sweep: Q shifts the position of the filter in the frequency spectrum, and Sweep changes the range of the sweep2. Teese also sets the pedal's gain structure at what he calls DNU, short for Darn Near Unity1.
Other controls and hardware details from the maker:
- 100K RMC-ICAR wah pot, the same pot Teese used in the original RMC11
- Easily adjustable rocker tension, a feature carried since October 20061
- Low noise inductor1
- AC adapter jack1
The design has been revised over the years. For Fall 2019, Teese cut back the pedal's strong boost to make it less in-your-face1. On the newest version, a board mounted trimmer (VR21) lets the output and low end be dialed back for players who want a reduced level3.
Power
The RMC1 runs on external power only, according to the maker's published specifications: a 9V DC regulated Class II adapter with a 20mA to 200mA max current output, using a 5.5/2.1mm coax plug with a negative center post. Current draw is listed at under 10 mA1.
With a draw of under 10 mA, the RMC1 is light on a power supply, but the maker specifies a regulated Class II 9V DC adapter rather than listing a battery option1.
Where it sits in the Real McCoy Custom range
The RMC1 was the first of Teese's wah designs to reach players, released in 19981. The wider Real McCoy Custom wah line grew from there, including the RMC3, the RMC4 Picture Wah, the RMC5/Wizard Wah, the RMC6 WHEELS OF FIRE, the RMC2FL, the RMC10, the RMC11 and the Joe Walsh Signature Wah.
What reviewers said
Delicious Audio included the RMC1 among wah pedals it considers friendly to fuzz pedals, noting its three internal controls for volume, Q and Sweep2.
"three controls for volume, Q (shifts the position of the filter in the frequency spectrum) and Sweep (which changes the range of the sweep)"
Videos
yodchula
Sam Vilo
Questions
Is the Real McCoy Custom RMC1 true bypass?
Yes. Geoffrey Teese lists the RMC1 as true-bypass, and it also includes what the maker calls fuzz-friendly technology, which is aimed at keeping wah and fuzz pedals working well together in a signal chain. The pedal also has easily adjustable rocker tension, a feature carried since October 2006, and an AC adapter jack.
Who designs and builds the Real McCoy Custom RMC1?
The RMC1 is developed and hand built by Geoffrey Teese of Real McCoy Custom. Teese states that the hand built wah delivers more sweep range than mass produced wahs, and the pedal has been in production since its release in 1998.
Does the RMC1 wah take a battery?
The published specifications for the RMC1 describe power as 9V DC from a regulated Class II adapter with a 5.5/2.1mm coax plug with a negative center post, drawing under 10 mA. No battery option is listed among the maker's published power details.
What is the warranty on the Real McCoy Custom RMC1?
Real McCoy Custom covers the RMC1 with a limited one year warranty, according to Geoffrey Teese's product page for the pedal.
How much does the Real McCoy Custom RMC1 cost?
The US MSRP for the Real McCoy Custom RMC1 is $235, as listed by the maker.
Sources (3)
- RMC1, realmccoycustom.com, 2022
- The 7 Best Fuzz Friendly Wah Pedals In 2022, Delicious Audio, 2020-05-29
- Teese Real McCoy RMC Wah Wah Pedals, Analog Man Vintage guitar effects (analogman.com), 2025
