The Vox Big Bad Wah is a wah pedal from Vox's new line of pedals1. Its core idea is a dual-mode design that offers two distinct wah sounds in a single pedal, with a Drive knob, Voice toggle switch and Inductor switch shaping the sound1. For a player, that means one pedal can cover two different wah voicings without swapping pedals. Premier Guitar's reviewer described one of its modes as "a harder, modern British wah sound. Its got great honk, sweep and natural smoothness"2.
Controls
WAH Two carries Satriani's own settings, and the pedal gives the player three controls to shape it1:
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's reviewer, Gary Lenn, described WAH One as "a harder, modern British wah sound. Its got great honk, sweep and natural smoothness," and found it would cut through any band mix without being annoying2.
On WAH Two, he was more emphatic: "It's ten times better than what I've been using. It's like night and day. It's very pure and doesn't add a lot of crap and noise." He noted that WAH Two adds a little crunch but still cleans up well, and called the pedal extremely versatile overall2.
Where it sits in Vox's wah range
Vox has built a wide family of wah pedals around the Big Bad Wah, from the classic Vox V847A and the hand-wired Vox V846-HW to signature models like the Vox V847-C and the Vox King Wah. The Big Bad Wah stands apart in that line for carrying two wah voicings, one of them drawn directly from Satriani's own settings, in a single enclosure1.
Videos
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Questions
What is the Vox Big Bad Wah?
It is a wah pedal made by Vox as part of Joe Satriani's signature line of Vox pedals. Its dual-mode design puts two distinct wah sounds in a single pedal: WAH One is a classic Vox wah, while WAH Two provides Satriani's original drive and voice controls, so one pedal can cover both a traditional wah sound and his personal voicing.
What do the controls on the Big Bad Wah do?
The pedal carries a Drive knob, a Voice toggle switch and an Inductor switch. These controls shape the wah's gain and character, particularly in the WAH Two mode that carries Satriani's own drive and voice settings, letting a player adjust how hard and how voiced the wah effect sounds.
Sources (2)
- Joe Satriani Talks About the Vox Big Bad Wah, Premier Guitar, 2009-06-30
- Vox Joe Satriani Pedal Review: Time Machine & More, Premier Guitar, 2009-07-01
