Best Wah Pedal For Beginners in 2021

Made famous by Jimi Hendrix, the Wah pedal produces a very unique “wah waw” sound.

Just to be fair though, a lot of people used it in the 70s. It was like the ‘hippie era’ sound. Kind of like what 808s are to trap music is today.

A really cool thing to do with the wah-wah pedal is add distortion and you can really get some cool lead sounds. Not necessarily opening and closing the pedal based on a certain rhythm, but more based on just how you feel about what you’re playing. The wah pedal is just as popular as the overdrive pedal and couple others.

It almost gives your guitar playing an additional soul. Just remember, most pedals in general do require an additional 9V battery and patch cables.

Let’s explore some of these Wah Pedals:

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Dunlop GCB95 Wah Pedal

This wah pedal my friends is the OG. It’s the Alpha, the Omega and well you get the idea. This is the pedal that started it all and it’s pretty much has the same design as it did when it first came about. Kind of like the Mercedes G63 of wah pedals.

If this is your first time or you’ve always wanted to try a wah pedal, this is it. When it comes to wah pedals guys, the dunlop is basically the main brand.

Yeah guys, this specific model is considered the best wah pedal ever made and even to this day. They Cry Baby model weighs just under 3.8 pounds and comes with Dunlop’s very own and quite unique ECB-03 AC technology.

With this specific model, you can either buy it with a instrument / patch cable or without. So they give you two options.

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Dunlop 535Q Baby Multi Wah Pedal

If you are looking for a wah pedal that naturally stands out, the 535Q by Dunlop is it. This was one of the wah pedals that not just Jim Hendrix but even Slash from Guns N Roses used on a regular basis. Considered an excellent pedal by most users, it also comes with an overdrive button. It literally comes with 6 different types of “wah” sounds.

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Dunlop DB01 Dimebag Darrell Wah Pedal

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Okay don’t even read anything . . . did you see the word “Dimebag”? Yes you guessed it.

This wah pedal was literally co designed by the late and always great dimebag darrel from Pantera. I’m sorry but as a true fan, I’m not going to justify anything about this pedal.

Salute to Dimebag for creating one of the most incredible riffs ever heard in the history of mankind.

Sorry, we got a little emotional here . . .

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Behringer Wah Pedal

If you spent any time on my site, you will see that whenever I mentioned Behringer, I have nothing but good things to say about this brand. After all, my very first audio interface was made by Behringer. Since then I’ve realized that these guys make quality products that last a lifetime. Well unfortunately, I can’t say the same thing about the Behringer Hellbabe HB01 wah pedal.

You see, to be the best wah pedal, the majority of the people should have great things to say about you. Regrettably that’s not the case here, but that doesn’t mean that this wah pedal is bad. from what we understand, the Behringer Hellbabe HB01 is one of those guitar wah pedals you’re either going to love, or it’s just plain isn’t going to work out for you.

One thing we can tell you is people who do love this wah pedal, they totally love the sound it creates.

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Donner Dynamic Wah Pedal

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If you know guitar pedals, you already know what Donner is. So we’re not going to waste our time talking about how amazing this brand is. I mean Donner is the Coca-Cola of guitar pedals. If you’re looking for a proper wah pedal sound that won’t break your financial spirit (Bet you never heard that before), give this one a try. This donner wah pedal has some haters but plenty of supporters as well.

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Dunlop 105Q Cry Baby Pedal

Here is another model by Dunlop. The 105Q Cry Baby. This sleek looking guy is actually designed for bass guitars. What that means is the 105Q is made in such a way that it can compliment your bass guitar sound better than a normal everyday wah pedal. Great sound just make sure you press the pedal all the way forward. That would give you some killer bass cry baby sounds. Donner does it again.

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Dunlop CBM95 Cry Baby Mini Pedal

Another beauty by Dunlop except it’s a mini version. Now why would you need a mini guitar wah pedal?

To be honest, it’s just a personal preference thing. It’s like saying which is a better daw? Ableton or Logic?. Same thing but depends on how your workflow is. In this case, perhaps you like to place this in a different way on your pedal board?

Either way, options are always appreciated. The CBM95 is overall a quality pedal. It has a few plastic parts but the build is quite sturdy.

Enjoy some solid tones, fun sweeps and just a solid “wah” effects all around. If you are planning to use it for longer than a year, then perhaps a full size version might be better. As people have reported the Dunlop CBM95 may only last around a year. So just a heads up I guess.

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Boss PW 3 Wah Pedal

This is the first and only Boss pedal on our list and rightfully so. The Boss PW 3 is one of the quitest wah pedals around. It runs on a 9v battery as well and is liked quite a lot by most people who have used them.

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Ibanez WD7 Weeping Demon Wah Pedal

Another phenomenal wah pedal, the Ibanez WD7 is actually used by many in their live shows. It helps you create tons of unique wah related sounds and is built like a freaking tank. Most people love it but the size is a little bit bigger than your usual wah pedal. I guess that’s the only downside for most people. If you can get it, definitely give this wah pedal by Ibanez a good shot.

Sources:

• Wikipedia, Wah-wah pedal
• The Highest Rated Wah Pedals
• Setting Up Your Effect Signal Chain