Dunlop Cry Baby
| Cry Baby | |
|---|---|
 The Original GCB95 Cry Baby Wah | |
| Manufacturer | Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc. |
| Dates | 1966 – present |
| Technical specifications | |
| Effects type | |
| Hardware | Digital |
| Polyphony | supported (on Whammy DT & V) |
| Filter | 1 wah-wah (on XP-100) |
| Controls | |
| Pedal control | Expression pedal for pitch bend |
| Input/output | |
| External control | MIDI I/O (on Whammy IV) for pitch bend via CC[1] |
The Dunlop Cry Baby is a popular wah-wah pedal, manufactured by Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc. The name Cry Baby was from the original pedal from which it was copied, the Thomas Organ/Vox Cry Baby wah-wah, first manufactured in 1966.[2] Thomas Organ/Vox failed to register the name as a trademark, leaving it open for Dunlop. More recently, Dunlop manufactured the Vox pedals under licence, although this is no longer the case.
The said wah-wah effect was originally intended to imitate the supposed crying tone that a muted trumpet produced, but became an expressive tool in its own way. It is used when a guitarist is soloing, or to create a "wacka-wacka" funk styled rhythm.[3] The original pedals were popularized by guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and David Gilmour, though many artists have developed signature sounds with them since.[4]
Models
There are many different models of the Cry Baby manufactured by Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc, most are listed below:
- GCB-95 - Also known as the "Cry Baby Original". Typically the lowest priced model. Bypass switch has improved over the years therefore loss of tone is not as bad. Revision "H" and above models have the Red Fasel Inductor.
- GCB-95F Classic - A Cry Baby with a Fasel (classic Italian-made) inductor and a Hot Potz 100K Ohm potentiometer. This model also features true hardwire bypass.[5]
- 95Q - A Switchless Cry Baby with a Q control (which varies the intensity of the wah effect), a volume boost, and the auto-return function.
- 535Q - Features tone shifting abilities using the Q control, six different wah ranges, a volume boost, and can also be used as sustain pedal.
- JH-1 Jimi Hendrix Signature - The Jimi Hendrix Signature Cry Baby is an original 1960s design to sound like Hendrix. Its circuitry is nearly identical to the GCB-95.
- JH-1FW Jimi Hendrix Fuzz-wah - A combination of the Jimi Hendrix Signature Wah and the Jimi Hendrix Fuzz. It can be used as a Wah Pedal, a Fuzz Pedal, or both at the same time.
- BG-95 Buddy Guy Signature - Buddy Guy's Signature Cry Baby.
- DB-01 Dimebag Signature - Dimebag Darrell's Signature Cry Baby. Based on the 535Q, as he used one prior.
- EW-95V Mister Cry Baby Super Volume - A Cry Baby that doubles as a wah pedal and a volume boosting pedal. It can provide a volume boost of up to 16 decibels.
- ZW-45 Zakk Wylde Signature - Zakk Wylde's Signature Cry Baby.
- 105Q Bass - A Cry Baby for bass guitars that only affects the mid and high frequencies, and features Q and Volume controls.
- SW-95 Slash Signature - Slash's Signature Cry Baby with an added heavy distortion booster introduced by Dunlop in 2007.[6]
- SC-95 Slash Signature - Slash's Signature Cry Baby introduced by Dunlop in 2012.[7]
- Limited Edition (1999) Purple, White, Red or Hammertone Gray
- EVH Signature - Eddie Van Halen's Signature Cry Baby.
- KH-95 Kirk Hammett Signature- Kirk Hammett's new Cry Baby.
- JC-95 Jerry Cantrell Signature- Jerry Cantrell's signature Cry Baby.
- TM95M Tak Matsumoto Signature Tak Matsumoto's signature Cry Baby.
With the exception of the GCB95F and most of the artist signature wah's, many of the newer Cry Baby models use a single-pole switch instead of true-bypass; using single-pole switching instead of true-bypass adds significant impedance, which can affect the tone.<ref name=dunlop-bypass /
See also
References
- ^ a b "Whammy (4th Gen)". DigiTech. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
- ^ "Dunlop Manufacturing :: Electronics :: :: Cry Baby® Wah Wah". www.jimdunlop.com. Retrieved 2015-05-31.
- ^ Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music (1st ed.). Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 375. ISBN 1-904041-96-5.
- ^ David Moskowitz (2010). The Words and Music of Jimi Hendrix. ABC-CLIO. pp. 127–. ISBN 978-0-313-37592-7.
- ^ "What is True Bypass? [with Dunlop Bypass Guide]". Dunlop Blog. Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc. 28 September 2009. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ^ "Cry Baby SW95 Slash Signature on SlashParadise". www.slashparadise.com. November 10, 2012.
- ^ "Cry Baby SC95 Slash Signature on SlashParadise". www.slashparadise.com. November 10, 2012.