Hello All,

I had posted this is the amp section but thought I'd get more information back so I'm putting the link here in the lounge as well. There is no doubt the wah sounds better in the FX loop but what do folks do when they have an amp with out one? Someone answered one part already, but I still have a question of should I be using some sort of a buffer circuit inline?

http://www.fender.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?t=43115

Its hard to explain the sound, but it sounds like I'm overdriving the wah when I go toe up (bass side) when I turn the volume way down it sounds better... when no effects are used it sounds wonderful so there isnt a problem with the wah. Plus it does it with other models as well. Ive tried batteries and different powersupplies too.... oh it doesnt seem to matter if the overdrive is after or before, altough I like it before.

Thanks and sorry for the double post.

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'00 American Deluxe Stratocaster (Kinman Hx pups)
'08 Ibanez AS73 (Gibson Burstbuckers)
Fender DeVille 410

I never use the effects loop on my amps that have them,I prefer the sound I get by going into the regular guitar input.I don't use any type of buffer either.The wah pedal's performance is very dependant on where it's placed in the signal chain.I always put all distortion,overdrive and fuzz before the wah and modulation devices such as tremolo,flange,vibe etc. after the wah with my digital delay going last.Some prefer putting the wah first but I've found after much experimenting that it works and sounds best-to my ears anyway-after the boost pedals.Putting the wah first really muddies up your tone as far as using the wah goes.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Effects loops should be banned, horrible things. I even think delays, reverbs and chorus/phasers sound better into the front end of the amp. The first pioneers of those effects achieved unparalleled results on amps without effects loops.

I always run my wah first in. I think of it as altering the guitar sound in that position, rather than altering/emphasising a eq stack. Which I suppose it would be doing in either the loop or after drive pedals. I'll let them things emphasise my wah.

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No no and no

Hendrix and Clapton made good use of wah many years before effects loops became available.
I always put my wah first in line before all other pedals for the same reasons as nikininja. And I shudder to think of what it would sound like in the loop. It don't matter though, put it wherever you want it where it sounds good to YOU.

A buffer might help. But it depends how many true bypass pedals are you using? How long are your cords?

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

When loops came along I used to put the entire FX chain through them... because I kinda presumed that was what you were meant to do. That was a long time ago though: these days everything goes in the front end.

My grownup amp (TSL122) has no less than two FX loops - I'd almost forgotten they were there!

Come to think of it, I've never tried the wah on its own through the loop. Maybe I'll give it a go, just to see what it does...

Sorry kk5fe: no particularly useful information to offer. But you've given me an excuse to power up, so... thank you!

Cheers - C

Wah's in loops dont sound too bad. It's more like controling the amps eq than it is getting a wah'd guitar sound. It doesn't really do what the effect was intended to do in that position. Sound like a Hawaian guitar. It's more like a tone control. The 'Q' tends to get lost a bit.
If you have a effects loop and a wah, it's worth doing. Who knows you too may prefer it.

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No no and no

Though something in your tone of voice suggests that you've politely chosen not to add; " - but I wouldn't!"

Cheers - C

My what big ears you have grandma.

Maybe tone of text is more appropriate.


It's a very sedate kind of sound that, I think, loses a lot of the vocal qualities of the wah. It would benefit from having a volume effect added to the wah. So you get a fade in/out wah. Or perhaps thats just my prefrence for having one box to do one thing just for one passage.

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No no and no

I always say feel free to experiment, but traditionally a wah should be the first pedal in front of an amp if you want a traditional wah sound.

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Guitars:
1. mid 70's Ventura MIJ Gibson l6-s clone (Pre-lawsuit) in Black with Rosewood FB and EMG 81 BR/ 85 Neck
2. ESP KH2 Neck Thru
3. 2008 Am Std Strat in 3 tone sunburst