Voodoo Lab Wahzoo

The Voodoo Lab Wahzoo is a wah pedal that puts three different wah effects in one treadle-style enclosure: a traditional vintage wah, an automatic envelope-controlled wah, and a step wah that jumps through rhythmic filter positions like a synthesizer arpeggiator. Voodoo Lab positions it as its most versatile wah, and Premier Guitar's reviewer called it the most versatile wah pedal he had played¹².

It is an analog pedal with true bypass via a gold contact relay, handmade in the U.S., and it lists for $279.99¹². When it launched, it carried an MSRP of $400 with a street price of roughly $280 in May 2010³.

Three wahs in one: Vintage, Auto Wah and Step Wah

The Wah Mode knob selects between the three modes³, and each one works differently.

Vintage mode is a traditional treadle wah. Premier Guitar describes it as having "a classic Clyde McCoy vocal tone" with a wide sweep and vocal-like qualities, controlled by the treadle². MusicPlayers.com's reviewer, John Quigley, wrote that it "strives to attain that legendary Clyde McCoy tone"³. Voodoo Lab itself says the mode "delivers all the clarity and expressiveness of the classic, highly sought after, Clyde McCoy signature wah," with throw, taper and feel described as vocal and musical¹. The Clyde McCoy reference goes back to the lineage of the effect itself: as MusicPlayers.com notes, all wah pedals owe their existence to the '60s-era Vox Clyde McCoy signature wah-wah³.

Auto Wah mode turns the Wahzoo into an automatic, foot-free wah controlled by picking dynamics, regardless of tempo. Premier Guitar notes it is voiced like a traditional wah rather than a generic bandpass filter, which is also how Voodoo Lab frames the design: "But rather than utilizing a generic bandpass filter, it's based around an outstanding vintage wah"¹². The treadle position adds a further option here, switching the envelope from normal to reverse¹.

Step Wah mode creates rhythmic patterns by automatically jumping through different treadle positions, which Premier Guitar likens to a synthesizer arpeggiator. Moving the treadle controls the tempo of the step sequences². Four built-in patterns come preset from the factory to get you started³, and you can store four custom sequences of your own creation¹.

The controls

The controls change with the mode. In Auto Wah there are two knobs: Sensitivity and Normal/Reverse Envelope².

• Sensitivity: dials in the sweet spot so the wah effect adjusts to the velocity and output of your playing².
• Normal/Reverse Envelope: with the treadle in heel position the filter is closed and opens with playing velocity; toe forward reverses it, so the filter is normally open and closes with playing velocity².
• Step Sequence knob: selects four different presets of user programmable patterns, which Premier Guitar describes as very easy to create².
• Wah Mode knob: chooses between the three wah modes³.

In Vintage mode the treadle wah's responsiveness is adjustable, and an internal trimpot controls how high the treble position goes, letting you set whether the top of the sweep is warmer or brighter and edgier².

Bypassing the pedal is done with a solid Carling-style footswitch located at the bottom right of the enclosure³. The treadle itself has a rubberized grip finish that sticks to the sole of your foot³.

Programming step sequences

To create your own step patterns, turn the mode switch to the Create Seq position and enter a custom sequence, which overwrites one of the built-in patterns³. In CREATE SEQ mode you design rhythmic patterns of up to 30 wah positions, according to Voodoo Lab's product page¹; MusicPlayers.com's review describes custom sequences of up to 28 steps³. Four custom sequences can be stored¹.

An external footswitch can be used to control the tap tempo and to switch between modes².

What reviewers said

Premier Guitar's reviewer was unambiguous in his overall verdict:

He went on to say it was as if the pedal took his wish list of everything he wanted in a wah pedal and put it into one unit, and he also praised the build: "Each pedal is handmade in the U.S. and the build quality is excellent"².

Premier Guitar reviewed the Wahzoo, and its reviewer called it "definitely the most versatile wah pedal I have played," as if it took their wish list of everything wanted in a wah pedal and put it into one unit². The review noted a street price of roughly $280 against an MSRP of $400, which it described as a good price, and pointed out that the manual is version 2.0, so players who obtained one of the first units should download the latest documentation from the Voodoo Lab website³.

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