Vox V847-C Custom

Vox no longer makes it. The product page states plainly that the V847-C is no longer in production, so it is now a secondhand-market pedal¹.

A V847 wah tuned to Char's tastes

The V847-C came out of a collaboration between Vox and Char, one of Japan's best-known guitarists. Guitar World described it as a version of the venerable V847 that "Char has spec'd" himself². What that means in practice is a set of deliberate changes to the classic circuit rather than a cosmetic signature model.

The changes Char asked for, as reported at announcement:

• A frequency range set lower than the standard model, with more focus on the lows³⁴
• Higher gain, which gearnews reported improves the pedal's sweep⁴
• A Q value customized to Char's tastes, sharpening or softening the wah peak to his preference⁴
• An adjusted output impedance, which gearnews said should deliver a more "powerful sound" with a warm tone⁴

Vox's own history of the wah calls the V847-C a "modern reimagining of the classic wah," with a lower frequency sweep and higher gain than the stock circuit⁵¹. The pedal also carries traditional Japanese artwork on its front and bottom plate, a visual nod to its Japanese designer and manufacture³⁴.

One small practical detail from Vox's product page: the V847-C uses a softer rubber foot material than previous models, which makes switching the effect on and off smoother under your foot¹.

How it differs from a standard V847

The standard V847 transmits the 1960s Vox wah sound faithfully, based on the specs of the original¹. The V847-C keeps that foundation but moves the voicing. Guitar.com found the result "a warmer and more powerful tone than that of the regular V847," attributing the change to an adjustment of the wah's input impedance³. Gearnews pointed to the output impedance change as the source of the powerful, warm output⁴.

The true bypass is worth noting for anyone who has used vintage wahs. Gearnews pointed out that because the V847-C is true bypass, "should play nicely on modern pedalboards, which old '60s wah do not"⁴. Vox's product page confirms the design: the signal does not pass through the circuit when the unit is switched off¹.

For context, the standard V847 circuit is well documented by builders. Its Q factor is set by resistor R7 at 33K, and a popular modification among players, sometimes called the Vocal Mod, raises that value to 39K, 68K or even 100K to spread the filter bell and make the wah more vocal sounding. The V847-C's customized Q value is a factory take on the same kind of tuning that players have long done themselves⁶.

Price and availability

At announcement in January 2020, gearnews listed the V847-C Custom at a UK RRP of GBP 229⁴. US pricing was never settled in the launch coverage: guitar.com reported pricing and availability as "TBC" at the time³. The pedal was made in Japan as a limited edition³⁴², and Vox has since discontinued it²³⁴.

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