The wah pedal is surely the Volkswagen Beetle of effects — basic and enduring. Like the Beetle, the original wah concept has been updated and expanded upon in recent years. The Boss PW-10 V-Wah ($195) is the most technologically advanced standalone wah pedal on the market. It produces a versatile palette of vintage and modern sounds that will appeal to guitarists and bass players.
WAH'S THAT SOUND?
One of the biggest advantages of modeling technology is variety. Effects in the V-Wah include modeled classics such as the Dunlop Crybaby and Vox V846; more modern fare such as the Morley Bad Horsie and Voice (based on the Boss Humanizer effect); Bass Mix (which keeps the lower frequencies intact); and the choruslike Uni-Vibe emulation, Uni-V (in which the pedal controls the speed of the chorusing effect).
A top-panel switch lets you choose the wah model, and the Wah Range control allows you to determine the Q (or width) of the wah effect (or, in the case of Uni-V, the effect's intensity). Sometimes the differences between the models are subtle (as in the case of the V846 and the Crybaby). At other times the differences are obvious; the Voice, Double Resonance, and Advanced settings can take your guitar into synthlike territory.
If the V-Wah stopped there, it would be pretty cool, but the beefy distortion section adds to its value by providing emulations of eight additional vintage and modern effects. Among the highlights are the Boss Metal Zone, the Turbo Overdrive; and the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi. The distortion sounds great on guitar and is also quite effective on bass. There's also a useful clean boost setting that doesn't color the signal. You control the amount of distortion using the Drive knob.
The V-Wah's ability to mix and match the wah and distortion settings is the unit's best feature. The Bad Horsie's Q setting might be the ideal match for the Metal Zone distortion, whereas the V846 might be better with the Big Muff Pi. Although the V-Wah's programming routine is not intuitive, you can store your favorite wah and distortion combinations as presets.
PEDAL PUSHING
The pedal operates much like a traditional wah in that a toe switch activates the pedal effect. A heel switch takes you through the V-Wah's memory banks: you can switch between three presets or use the pedal in Manual mode, which lets you hear the current control settings.
The pedal's action is smooth, though light. It compares well to my ancient Crybaby, but less favorably to modern pedals. At times the pedal seemed to have a nonlinear response curve. Admittedly, the same is true of some vintage pedals, but performing subtle articulations can be tough with a nonlinear response. Adjusting the Range control often improved matters. On the flip side, the usual wah-wah problem areas — noisy pots, stripped pedal gears — won't be a factor with the V-Wah.
One small annoyance is that the unit runs on six AA batteries; good luck changing those on a dark stage. I recommend using the optional power supply.
CRY OF LOVE
Overall, the V-Wah scores high points for versatility, sound, and value. At $195, it doesn't cost much more than a typical analog wah pedal.
When you consider that it includes distortion, modulation, and noise-reduction effects, it's like getting the wah sounds for free. Whether you're looking to replace an old wah pedal or get your first, the V-Wah is worth a serious audition.
▪ Rating (out of 5): 3.5
Roland Corp. U.S.; tel. (323) 890-3700; Web www.rolandus.com.
