Wilson Effects Wilson Wah V2

The Wilson Wah V2 is a wah pedal from Wilson Effects, hand-built in the U.S.A. and priced at $185.00 USD on the maker's site¹. Wilson Effects describes it as a faithful reproduction of the original Halo Wah with interior controls you can set and forget, and says it was designed to replace two of the company's flagship wahs at once: the Signature Wah and the original Wilson Wah¹. The maker pitches its tonal range as "Late 60's, early 70's and every other tone you can imagine!"¹.

The circuit is built around BC109B transistors, NOS Italian ARG 250v capacitors, and, in the ICAR version, a custom wound Wilson Effects inductor²¹. Each pedal carries a one-year warranty on parts and labor¹.

The controls: Growl, Mid-Range, Boost and the Q switch

Most of the Wilson Wah V2's shaping happens inside the pedal, which is what Wilson Effects means by "set it and forget it": you dial in the wah's character once, then just rock the treadle. The maker lists four main adjustments²³.

The Growl and Mid-Range trimmers work together to set the pedal's basic voice: more bass and gain for a thicker, throatier sweep, or less for a leaner, more vocal quack. The Boost trimmer is the one to reach for if the wah sits quieter than the rest of your signal, or if you want the pedal to push an amp harder when engaged. The Q switch changes the width and intensity of the filter peak, from subtle to drastic, across six positions²¹³.

Wilson Effects uses a similar control philosophy across its wah line. The Rippah Wah carries its Growl and Boost controls as internal trim pots, with the Growl maxed by default for the stock setting, and the 12 Position Wilson Wah adds a 12-position Q switch on top of the same trimmer set. The V2's six-position DIP switch sits between those two approaches⁴²³.

Power and connections

The Wilson Wah V2 operates on a standard 2.1mm center-negative power supply or a high-quality alkaline battery¹. The ICAR version is described by the maker as running off a 9 volt battery or a center negative Boss style power supply³, so it will share a pedalboard power supply with most modern 9V pedals. The pedal uses Neutrik input and output jacks².

The pedal is true bypass with an LED indicator, which Wilson Effects says prevents accidental activation¹. Shipping is via USPS Priority Mail, and returns are accepted within 7 days of receiving the pedal, with shipping costs not refunded and return shipping the customer's responsibility².

Versions: ICAR and Smooth Taper

The Wilson Wah V2 is available in two pot options, ICAR and Smooth Taper, each offered in either the traditional Black Powder finish or a Brushed Aluminum finish¹. The two versions share the same circuit and controls; the difference is the sweep potentiometer under the treadle.

• ICAR version: Uses a Wilson Effects custom made early Clarostat cloned potentiometer³, also sold separately as the Wilson ICAR Taper Wah Pot, which the maker describes as having a true vintage taper and "all the vintage quack!"⁵. The ICAR version also uses carbon composition resistors throughout the wah circuit³.
• Smooth Taper version: Uses Wilson's own Smooth Taper pot, sold separately as the Smooth Taper Wah Potentiometer⁶, a genuine OEM replacement for all inductor based Wilson Smooth Taper wah pedals⁷.

Both pots are drop-in OEM fits for their respective inductor-based Wilson wah pedals, so a worn pot can be replaced without changing the pedal's character⁸⁷. Wilson Effects offers the same ICAR versus Smooth Taper choice on its Rippah Wah and 12 Position Wilson Wah lines, so players who settle on one taper can carry it across the maker's wahs.

For a player choosing between them, the maker's own positioning is the guide: the ICAR pot is the vintage replication, cloned from an early Clarostat part for the sweep and response of the originals, while the Smooth Taper pot is Wilson's own taper. The ICAR version is described by Wilson Effects as capable of emulating just about any vintage wah tone imaginable as well as more modern sounding circuits³.

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