The Xotic XW-2 is a compact wah pedal from Xotic, first shown in September 2024 as an update to the company's XW-1. 123.
The design references what Xotic calls the Holy Grail wah, the 1967 to 1968 Italian-built Clyde McCoy Wahs3. Where the XW-1 put its tone shaping on the outside of the pedal, the XW-2 moves the main adjustment inside, leaving a clean top plate with no external knobs. It ships in a metallic blue enclosure, with limited edition finishes including a Candy Apple Red Limited Edition3 and a red metallic version limited to 1,000 pieces4.
What it does
A wah pedal sweeps a resonant filter peak across the frequency range as you rock the treadle, producing the vocal wah-wah effect. RockBoard's PedalPedia entry describes the XW-2 as producing "a warm, expressive, and versatile wah-wah tone that is equally suitable for playing throaty rock solos or funky muted rhythms"8. Premier Guitar's buying guide called it "a high-quality, versatile stomp that creates a '70s-style 'throaty' wah sound"9.
Under the hood, Xotic designed a new circuit with a custom wound inductor and potentiometer, referencing the Clyde McCoy classic5. The potentiometer is Xotic's proprietary wah pot, which the manual says offers high sensitivity and ICAR's unique curve characteristics10. The pedal has a self-lubricating nylon bushing pivot and adjustable rocker tension, so the treadle can be set to move as smoothly or as firmly as you like1.
The controls
The XW-2 keeps its control set deliberately small. Everything that shapes the filter lives inside the chassis or on the treadle hardware.
| Control | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Wah-Q knob | Inside the chassis | Adjusts the Q, the width of the filter peak, and in basic terms the amount of the wah effect, for precise filter shaping toward vocal-like results2 |
| Adjustable pedal torsion | Hex nut on the treadle | Fully adjustable rocker pedal tension1174 |
| Adjustable rubber stopper | Backside bottom of the treadle | Can be shimmed to adjust the travel range of the pedal11 |
| LED indicator | Top of the pedal | Lights when the pedal is on; flashes when battery power falls below 50 percent3 |
Guitar World's reviewer found the internal placement of the Wah-Q control a practical choice, noting the pedal is "easy plug-in and play with no external knobs," and that "the Wah-Q factory setup is dialed in perfectly, with a sweetened intensity à la Cream's White Room"4.
Power
The XW-2 runs on a single 9V (006P) battery or an optional AC adapter. Power consumption is listed at 9VDC and 5mA210, low enough that it is easy on a pedalboard power supply. The adapter range is 9VDC to 18VDC with negative tips, regulated recommended, through a 2.1mm x 5.5mm center-negative DC jack3.
The DC jack is center negative, the standard for most modern pedal power supplies. Xotic recommends a regulated adapter. The LED flashing is the battery warning: below 50 percent charge it flashes to tell you it is time to change the battery3.
Input impedance is 1M ohm and output impedance is 10k ohm, with a nominal input level of -20 dBV23.
XW-2 versus XW-1
The XW-2 updates Xotic's XW-1, the company's first wah, which launched in 2014 with Wah Resonance Frequency DIP switches among its features12. MusicRadar noted the XW-2 "is not a million miles away from its predecessor, the XW-1, in terms of tone or design"5. The main differences are physical and ergonomic: the XW-2 is about 20 percent smaller than traditional wah pedals, so it takes up less space on a pedalboard1, and its tone controls are internal rather than on the panel. Guitar World's reviewer flagged the smaller footprint as a trade-off, writing that "some players may prefer a normal-size foot treadle"4.
What reviewers said
Guitar World reviewed the red limited edition and was positive overall, calling the pedal "Xotic's no-nonsense wah with a throaty and articulate vocal-like sweep, and a must-have for wah connoisseurs," and "a case study in simple refinement combined with premium components and a superb build"4. The review's criticisms were the price, "expensive for a wah," and the smaller treadle4.
MusicRadar's launch coverage quoted player Alen Hinds on the box:
MusicRadar, September 20245
Premier Guitar's 2025 wah buying guide listed the XW-2 at $220.00 and described its '70s-style throaty character9.
Videos
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The Official Xotic Guitars and Effects Channel
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Questions
What is the difference between the Xotic XW-1 and XW-2?
The XW-2 updates the XW-1 and is not far from it in tone or design, but it is streamlined: the Wah-Q control that sat on the XW-1's panel has been moved inside the chassis, so the XW-2 has no external knobs. It is also about 20 percent smaller than a typical wah, which saves pedalboard space.
How much smaller is the XW-2 than a standard wah?
Guitar World's reviewer measured it at about 20 percent smaller than a typical wah pedal, and MusicRadar said the same of the metallic blue enclosure. Its dimensions are 3.94 inches wide, 8.27 inches deep and 2.64 inches high, and it weighs 2.16 pounds.
Is the Xotic XW-2 true bypass?
Yes. It uses a relay-based true bypass switch with gold contact relays, which Xotic says gives transparent true bypass tone with switching rated for a minimum of one million life cycles. The gold contact relay switching is also meant to help it play nicely with other effects on the board.
How do you adjust the Q on the Xotic XW-2?
The Wah-Q control is a knob inside the chassis. It adjusts the Q, the width of the filter peak, and in basic terms the amount of the wah effect, letting you shape the filter for more or less vocal-like results. Guitar World found the factory setting dialed in well, so many players may never need to touch it.
How many Candy Apple Red XW-2 pedals were made?
Xotic sells the XW-2 as a Candy Apple Red Limited Edition, and a separate red metallic finish reviewed by Guitar World was limited to 1,000 pieces. Xotic has not published a production count for the Candy Apple Red version itself.
Can the Xotic XW-2 run on 18 volts?
Yes. The optional AC adapter range is 9VDC to 18VDC with negative tips, regulated recommended, through a 2.1mm x 5.5mm center-negative DC jack. Power consumption is listed at 9VDC and 5mA, and it also runs on a single 9V (006P) battery.
Sources (12)
- Guitar Gear Gems: La Grotte Jack White spring reverb, gearnews.com, 2024-09-03
- XW-2 MB Manual_front, Xotic Effects, 2024
- XW-2 Candy Apple Red Limited Edition, Xotic California
- Xotic XW-2 Wah, Guitar World, 2024-04-10
- “Incredibly musical and vocal… the way it was always supposed to be”: Xotic Effects unveils the XW-2 in metallic blue, MusicRadar, 2024-09-02
- XW-2 Wah Pedal Metallic Blue, Xotic (Prosound Communications, Inc.), 2025-10-01
- XW-2 Wah, Xotic California
- Wah XW-2 by Xotic, RockBoard (PedalPedia), 2026
- Six Wah Pedals for All Sizes, Prices, and Styles, Premier Guitar, 2025-01-21
- XW-2LE Manual_front, Xotic Effects, 2023
- XW-2 MB Manual_front, Xotic Effects, 2024
- Xotic Effects Offers XW-1 Wah, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2014-11-10
