Wilson Effects Mini Ten Spot II

The Wilson Effects Mini Ten Spot II is a mini wah pedal that puts a faithful reproduction of the vintage WH-10 version 1 circuit into a small, board-friendly enclosure¹. Wilson Effects builds each one by hand in the USA using premium components, and the maker says the sound is matched side-by-side with the original for true vintage tone¹. It lists at $225.00¹.

The vintage WH-10 it reproduces is a wah that players know for its strong output boost, and the Mini Ten Spot II keeps that character while adding controls the original never had. It is an analog pedal with true bypass, so it leaves your signal alone when switched off¹².

A mini wah based on the vintage WH-10

Wilson Effects describes the Mini Ten Spot II as "a faithful reproduction of the vintage WH-10 version 1 in mini pedal form"¹. The WH-10 circuit has a reputation among players for its pronounced level boost when the wah is engaged, and the Mini Ten Spot II carries that trait while giving you a Volume control to rein it in¹.

The pedal sits in what Wilson Effects calls a small, real-estate-friendly enclosure that does not sacrifice features or tone³. For players who want the same circuit in a full-size box, the Ten Spot II V.3 covers the same ground with more internal trimming options⁴.

Two features round out the design:

• Fuzz-friendly design: Wilson Effects says it works seamlessly with fuzz pedals¹, a point that matters because many wahs interact poorly with fuzz in the same chain.
• Original-style potentiometer: The pedal uses a fully serviceable, accurate reproduction of the original WH-10 pot¹, which means the part that wears out on a wah can be replaced.

The controls

The Mini Ten Spot II keeps its control set simple, with three user-facing elements³:

An LED indicator shows whether the pedal is on or off³.

The Volume control is the one most players will reach for first. The WH-10 circuit's boost is the thing many players complain about on the original, and on the full-size Ten Spot II V.3 the same control is described as taming a boost that many players find overpowering⁴¹. The Depth control sets how intense the sweep is, from a subtle filter movement to a full, vocal wah¹.

Circuit and versions

The Mini Ten Spot II is an analog wah, listed as such in RockBoard's PedalPedia². Its circuit follows the vintage WH-10 version 1¹.

The pedal is part of a family of Wilson Effects wahs built around the WH-10 heritage. The full-size Ten Spot II V.3 is also based on the vintage WH10V1 and adds two banks of internal six-position frequency switches for deep tone customization; Wilson Effects notes that when switches 3, 4, 5 and 6 are engaged in both banks, you get the stock WH10V1 bass and guitar settings⁵¹. The designer has said that one limitation of the original circuit was its lackluster bass mode, and improving it while tweaking the guitar settings led to the Funk Factory⁴. The Ten Spot II V.3 comes in Black and Brushed Aluminum versions⁴.

The potentiometer itself has its own history. Wilson Effects sells a Ten Spot II/Funk Factory replacement pot described as a dual gang 500k/50k clone of the vintage WH10 pot, and a second-generation version of that pot exists as leftover NOS stock, sold without a warranty⁶. The Mini Ten Spot II's serviceable original-style pot means the wear item on the pedal can be maintained rather than replaced wholesale¹.

Buying and ownership

Enclosures are built to order, and Wilson Effects asks buyers to allow 1 to 2 weeks for completion¹. The pedal carries a one-year warranty on parts and labor, excluding friction-based components¹, which in practice means the potentiometer, the part that physically moves, is not covered.

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