Wilson Effects Freaker Wah V2

The Wilson Effects Freaker Wah V2 is a wah pedal built around a dual-filter circuit, inspired by the vintage Parapedal. Wilson Effects describes it as a faithful reproduction of the wah circuit that Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi made famous, and says it delivers "synth-like tones, extreme filter sweeps, and expressive volume swells" unlike any other wah¹. Premier Guitar called it "a dual-filter synth wah that provides a wide range of frequency sweeps to sculpt ones tone" when it launched².

Each pedal is hand-built in the U.S.A. and carries a one-year warranty on parts and labor¹. It has been phased out of production and replaced by the Freaker Wah V.3, which uses the same circuit and tones with more options¹.

A dual-filter wah inspired by the Parapedal

Where a conventional wah moves one resonant filter up and down with the treadle, the Freaker Wah V2 is built around two filters. Wilson Effects says the pedal is inspired by the legendary Parapedal, a vintage circuit, and reproduces the wah sound Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi made famous¹. Delicious Audio, covering the pedal, described it as "composed of a dual filter"⁵.

The result, in the maker's words, is a wah that goes beyond traditional wah effects: synth-like tones, extreme filter sweeps, and expressive volume swells¹. Premier Guitar's launch coverage noted it works equally well on guitar and bass², so bass players looking at bass pedals can treat it as a candidate rather than a guitar-only unit.

The controls

The V2 keeps the treadle of a standard wah but adds controls for shaping the filter response. Wilson Effects describes what each one does¹⁴:

The Q switch is the heart of the pedal's range. Delicious Audio noted the six-position switch adjusts the filter settings of the wah pedal, and the sweep knob lets you open the sweep to its maximum width or narrow it down to a thin filter sweep⁵. The boost knob pushes the filter above unity gain, which Wilson Effects positions as a way to cut through a mix⁴.

The toggle under the treadle is worth knowing about if you are buying used: it selects between the original Freaker behavior, with its volume drop at the heel, and the V2 mode that removes that drop².

Power: 9V DC, 40mA

The Freaker Wah V2 operates on a standard 2.1mm center-negative power supply or a high-quality alkaline battery¹. RockBoard's PedalPedia entry lists it at 9V DC with a 40mA current draw and an analog circuit³. Premier Guitar's launch coverage likewise specified 2.1mm center negative power or a 9V DC battery².

From the original Freaker Wah to V2 and V.3

The original Freaker Wah established the dual-filter, synth-wah concept. The V2 evolved it with an added six-position Q switch, a sweep knob, an external boost knob, and the volume/boost control at the heel⁴⁵. Premier Guitar reported the V2's street price as $225.00 at launch², matching the maker's list price⁴.

The V2 has since been phased out of production and replaced by the Freaker Wah V.3¹. Wilson Effects describes the V.3 as "an expansion of the Freaker Wah V.2 circuit" that offers the ability to further customize the six-position rotary switch values using interior DIP switches, so you can set the filter sweep to deeper depths or brighter highs⁶. The maker sums up the relationship plainly: "Same circuit and tones with more options!"¹. The V.3 is listed at $250.00⁶, and a brushed aluminum V.3 with LED version is also offered.

Wilson Effects also builds the concept into other wahs in its range, including the Wilson Wah V2, which the maker says can emulate just about any vintage wah tone as well as more modern circuits⁷.

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