Wilson Effects Brushed Aluminum Rippah Wah Smooth Taper Version

The Wilson Effects Brushed Aluminum Rippah Wah Smooth Taper Version is a wah pedal in a brushed aluminum enclosure, fitted with the maker's Smooth Taper pot¹. It is one of two versions of the same pedal: Wilson Effects also sells the Rippah Wah ICAR Taper Version in the same brushed aluminum enclosure, the difference being the potentiometer that the rocker sweeps².

A wah pedal works by sweeping a resonant filter up and down as you rock the treadle, and the pot under the treadle is what translates your foot's motion into that sweep. Which pot a wah uses changes how the sweep feels and responds, which is why Wilson Effects offers the same pedal with two pot options.

Smooth Taper and ICAR Taper versions

The Rippah Wah is offered in two taper versions, and the choice runs through the wider Wilson Effects wah line. The maker describes the same arrangement on its Tunable Colorful Clone page: "Now available in two options, ICAR pot and Smooth Taper Pot, with either the tradition Black Powder finish or the new Br[ushed Aluminum]"⁴. In other words, the taper choice and the enclosure finish are separate decisions on several Wilson wahs.

For the Rippah Wah specifically, both taper versions come in the brushed aluminum enclosure¹²:

Because the two versions list at the same price, the decision comes down entirely to which pot's sweep suits your playing. Wilson Effects also sells the pots themselves as standalone products, including the Smooth Taper Wah Potentiometer and the Wilson ICAR Taper Wah Pot, and offers a Swap Your Pot Mod service, so a player who changes their mind is not locked into the original choice¹².

What a taper means on a wah

The taper of a wah pedal is the behavior of the potentiometer the treadle drives. As you rock the pedal, the pot's resistance changes, and the shape of that change, its taper, determines how the wah's frequency sweep unfolds across the pedal's travel. Wilson Effects frames the choice plainly as a choice of pot: ICAR or Smooth Taper⁴.

The ICAR pot is a type associated with classic wah designs, while the Smooth Taper pot is Wilson Effects' own smooth-travel option. The maker does not publish a side-by-side description of how the two sweeps differ on the Rippah Wah page, so a player comparing them is choosing between a pot with a vintage pedigree and the maker's smooth option, both at the same price of $185.00 USD¹².

Where the Rippah Wah sits in the Wilson Effects range

Wilson Effects sells a wide line of wahs, many of them available in the same brushed aluminum finish and with the same two pot options. Current models named on the maker's site include⁴¹⁵:

• 12 Position Wilson Wah, in Smooth Taper and ICAR Taper brushed aluminum versions, both listing at $225.00 USD as of October 19, 2026⁶⁷
• Rippah Booster Wah Smooth Taper Version, listing at $240.00 USD as of October 19, 2026⁸
• Tunable Colorful Clone Smooth Taper Version in brushed aluminum, listing at $215.00 USD³
• Brushed Aluminum Freaker Wah V.3 w/LED, listing at $250.00 USD as of October 19, 2026⁵

At $185.00, the Rippah Wah is the least expensive of these brushed aluminum models, with the 12 Position Wilson Wah, the Tunable Colorful Clone and the Freaker Wah V.3 stepping up in price from there. The Tunable Colorful Clone is positioned as the control-heavy option: Wilson Effects states that "The Tunable Colorful Clone has more exterior controls than any other Wilson wah"⁹¹⁶. The Rippah Booster Wah, at $240.00, adds a booster to the Rippah Wah platform⁸.

Availability

The Brushed Aluminum Rippah Wah Smooth Taper Version's product page is live on the Wilson Effects site, and the site's deals section was updated as of October 19, 2026¹. The ICAR Taper version of the same pedal was shown available for purchase at that date².

Questions