The Wilson Wah V2 ICAR Taper is a wah pedal made by Wilson Effects, built around an inductor-based circuit and fitted with a potentiometer whose taper follows vintage ICAR pots. Wilson Effects positions the V2 as a wide-ranging wah: the maker says it "is capable of emulating just about any vintage wah tone imaginable as well as more modern sounding circuits"1. The V2 was designed to replace two of the company's flagship wahs, the Signature Wah and the Wilson Wah1.
The pedal is sold in a brushed aluminum enclosure, and the ICAR Taper version carries a list price of $185.00 USD as of October 19, 20262.
What is inside the Wilson Wah V2
The V2 is an inductor wah, the classic design in which a coil and capacitor form a resonant filter that the pedal sweeps as you rock it. Wilson Effects winds its own inductor for the circuit, listed as a "Custom wound Wilson Effects Inductor"1. Around it sit BC109B transistors, NOS tropical fish capacitors, and carbon composition resistors throughout the wah circuit, parts choices associated with vintage wah builds1.
The company traces the circuit's lineage to the classic vintage wah, which it modifies for increased bass response on the input, as described on its 12 Position Wilson Wah page, a pedal from the same family3.
Controls and parts at a glance:
| Component | What Wilson Effects specifies |
|---|---|
| Inductor | Custom wound Wilson Effects inductor1 |
| Potentiometer | ICAR taper pot on this version2 |
| Transistors | BC109B1 |
| Capacitors | NOS tropical fish capacitors1 |
| Resistors | Carbon composition throughout the wah circuit1 |
| Switching control | 6 Position DIP Q Switch, to "dial in just about any wah sound imaginable"1 |
| Jacks | Neutrik input and output1 |
The 6 Position DIP Q switch is the V2's main voicing control. Wilson Effects says it "allows you to dial in just about any wah sound imaginable," which is what backs the maker's claim that one pedal can cover both vintage and modern wah territory1.
What an ICAR taper pot is
The potentiometer is the part a player moves most, and its taper, the way resistance changes across the pedal's travel, shapes how the sweep feels and where the vocal peak sits. ICAR was the brand of pots found in vintage wahs, and an ICAR taper pot reproduces that response curve.
Wilson Effects makes its own Wilson ICAR Taper Wah Pot, described as a "Genuine OEM replacement pot for all inductor based Wilson Wah pedals" with "True vintage taper and a cleanable potentiometer with all the vintage quack!"4. It is "specifically designed for all inductor-based Wilson Wah pedals for a seamless drop-in replacement"5. The company says its vintage taper pot was replicated by measuring the taper of a vintage ICAR taper pot3.
Wilson Effects is not alone in this approach: Area 51 Tube Audio Designs also sells a replacement ICAR taper wah pot, listed as a "Replacement Wah Pedal Pot"6.
ICAR and Smooth Taper versions
The Wilson Wah V2 comes in two pot versions that share the same circuit. The ICAR Taper version, covered here, uses the vintage-style pot described above2. The Smooth Taper version uses Wilson Effects' smooth taper potentiometer instead78.
| Version | Pot | Circuit |
|---|---|---|
| Wilson Wah V2 ICAR Taper | ICAR taper pot, vintage-style sweep2 | Wilson Wah V2, custom wound inductor1 |
| Wilson Wah V2 Smooth Taper | Smooth taper pot8 | Wilson Wah V2, custom wound inductor7 |
Because the inductor, transistors, and Q switch are the same, the practical difference between the two is the potentiometer: the ICAR taper version uses an ICAR taper potentiometer, a pot with a true vintage taper. Players comparing the two are choosing a feel and sweep shape, not a different wah circuit24.
The same choice runs through Wilson Effects' wider wah range. The 12 Position Wilson Wah and the Rippah Wah, the latter based on the vintage Maestro Boomerang circuit, are both offered in ICAR and Smooth Taper configurations, and several models also come in the same brushed aluminum enclosure as this V29102.
Powering it
Wilson Effects' wahs in this family operate on an industry standard 2.1mm center negative power supply or a high quality alkaline battery, as stated on the 12 Position Wilson Wah page3.
The 2.1mm center negative supply is the standard used by most modern pedal power supplies, so the V2 fits typical pedalboard power without an adapter.
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Questions
What is an ICAR taper wah pot?
It is a wah potentiometer whose resistance curve follows the vintage ICAR pots found in classic wahs. Wilson Effects makes its own version, described as a true vintage taper with a cleanable body, and it is sold as a drop-in OEM replacement for all inductor-based Wilson Wah pedals. The taper determines how the wah's sweep responds through the pedal's travel.
What is the difference between ICAR and Smooth Taper on the Wilson Wah V2?
The two versions share the same Wilson Wah V2 circuit; the difference is the potentiometer. The ICAR Taper version uses a pot with a vintage-style taper, while the Smooth Taper version uses Wilson Effects' smooth taper pot. The choice changes how the sweep feels and sounds through the pedal's range rather than the underlying wah circuit.
Does the Wilson Wah V2 use a custom inductor?
Yes. Wilson Effects builds the Wilson Wah V2 with a custom wound Wilson Effects inductor, the component at the heart of an inductor-based wah's voice. The pedal also uses BC109B transistors, NOS tropical fish capacitors, and carbon composition resistors throughout the wah circuit.
What is the Wilson Wah V2 enclosure made of?
The Wilson Wah V2 ICAR Taper is built in a brushed aluminum enclosure. Wilson Effects also offers other wahs in the same brushed aluminum finish, including 12 Position and Rippah models in both ICAR and Smooth Taper versions.
Sources (10)
- Wilson Wah V2 ICAR Version, Wilson Effects
- Brushed Aluminum Wilson Wah V2 ICAR Taper, Wilson Effects, 2026-10-19
- 12 Position Wilson Wah ICAR Version, Wilson Effects
- Wilson ICAR Taper Wah Pot, Wilson Effects
- Wilson ICAR Taper Wah Pot, Wilson Effects
- Replacement Wah Pedal Pot, Area 51 Tube Audio Designs, 2015
- Wah V2 Smooth Taper Version, Wilson Effects
- Brushed Aluminum Wilson Wah V2 Smooth Taper, Wilson Effects
- Rippah Wah ICAR Version, Wilson Effects
- Brushed Aluminum Rippah Wah ICAR Taper Version, Wilson Effects, 2026-10-19
