A great addition for guitarists (Jim Dunlop GCB95 Cry Baby Pedal)

Member Name: tinkabubble

Product:	Jim Dunlop GCB95 Cry Baby Pedal
Date:	29/05/09 (23 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Sounds great, looks great, reliable, reasonable price, versatile, well used by famous artists

Disadvantages: none

I believe that the first Cry Baby pedal was produced sometime in the 1960s, and this modern version captures that amazing quality of shift between bass and teble that first attracted Jimi Hendrix to the original model (Hendrix was appararently introduced to the pedal by Frank Zappa).

I first got my wah wah not long after I started playing the guitar (for those who may not know, these pedals are referred to as wah wahs because that's the noise which they create with your guitar as it shifts, as I said, between bass and treble as you rock the pedal with your foot). However, I think I got mine too soon, before I really needed it. I think this is a pedal which will serve you best when you have advanced onto improvisation and more advanced solos.

Many songs have solos which feature a wah wah pedal, for example, lots of Metallica songs (enter sandman being one of the most popular) and Zakk Wylde uses the pedal a great deal. There is also lots of guns n roses stuff which uses wah (sweet child o mine again being one of the most popular) while predominantly blues guitarists such as Eric Clapton also use the pedal and Jimi Hendrix was possibly the most famous guitarist to champion the wah wah pedal. The range of guitarists and their music genres show how versatile this pedal is.

Jim Dunlop is probably the most famous producer of the pedal and many artists rely of his cry baby range, with many even having their own signiture pedals, such as Zakk Wylde, Dimebag Darrel, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, Kirk Hammett, Buddy Guy, so it is well represented!

The pedal looks cool, and the signiture pedals have their own style (the Zakk Wylde one is camoflage in colour and has a key so that you can dictate how much bass and treble are added and taken off as you rock the pedal) and it is simple to use; just stand on it to push the button under the pedal and then rock your foot!) You can either plug it in with a standard 9 volt adapter or you can use a 9 volt battery (which is useful for live performances, although if you are going to use it alot, you may be best plugging it in still)

They are very reliable and hardy; they can take alot of use and wear and I can't fault mine at all (It's about 5 years old and came with copious amounts of oiling cream inside to ensure that it doesn't start jamming). They can be picked up for a reasonable price (mine was about £60) and are a great investment for any guitarist, whatever your style. They are fantastic for improvised solos and adding a little something extra to them. I also believe that it is impossible to sound bad when using a wah wah; they make things sound better, but I don't think they should be over used either! Although, if you're thinking about buying your first wah, you may get a bit obsessed at first!

You can also buy a Dunlop cry baby for bass guitar, as used by artists such as Duff Mckagan (guns n roses, velvet revolver) which are also very nice and stylish and come in a nice white colour.

Summary: Fantastic!