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Area 51 Wah Pedal 
Quantity in Basket: none
Code: wah
Price: $199.95
Shipping Weight: 4.50 pounds
Say wah? Thassright - wah baby! Big, bold, badass wah wah. That wah tone you've been searching for.... That wah wah tone that makes you think of John Shaft walking down the street....That wah tone you've heard on records but could never seem to get.
Vintage-inspired....but better! That's what you get with the Area 51 Wah.
Here's the deal: Not all vintage wah wahs were created equal. Some are downright magical, and some are, well.......let's just say "less than inspiring". One of the keys to building a "magical" wah, is understanding those things that make it "magical" in the first place. Equally important, is how to make it repeatable. That's what you get with the Area 51 Wah.
If the sound you are looking for is vocal, dimensional, and vintage flavored - that's what you get with the Area 51 Wah.
Each one is built by hand, one at a time for YOU. It's built with the best parts, and built to last a lifetime. Here's what you get:
- Standard 2.1mm DC Jack with filtering and regulation - compatible with pedalboard power supplies and any other "Boss" type 9VDC, center pin negative supply wallwart.
- True Bypass wiring - Won't alter your tone in bypass mode.
- REAL old-style switchcraft jacks - chassis mounted (not the board mounted plastic ones - no way!)
- CTS/Area 51 Icar 100K pot - the best built ICAR taper pot around.
- Handmade at our shop in Newaygo Michigan, USA
- Carling 316-PP footswitch (non-LED wahs)
- 3PDT footswitch on LED equipped wahs
- Each board individually voiced for consistency
- Hand-wound Area 51 inductor
- Top quality components, selected for tone
- Available buffer (for use with fuzz)
- Custom options (see below)
- 48-hour money back guarantee! (see below)
Custom options
5 Position Range Selector - Gives you FIVE different wah voices! The center position is "stock" - the normal Area 51 Wah voicing. You also get 2 below (more bass, less treble) and 2 above (more treble, less bass). Another way to put it - It gives you "woh woh" and "wee wee" in addition to "wah wah".
Quack Control - This controls the smoothness of the sweep, or....the Quack. All the way down for super smooth - all the way up for mega-quack. About 1/3 of the way up is the stock Area 51 setting.
Growl Control - This one is useful for those of you who want a very clean wah tone. It's a "subtractive" control - meaning it removes growl. Growl is that clipping on the low notes that you get with a wah when it's rocked back into the bass position. The stock Area 51 setting is full up.
Buffer - This add-on circuit board allows you to run the wah in front of a fuzz face type pedal. Running them in that order gives you a more "natural" wah tone, rather than the nasally fuzz-wah tone that you get when running them the usual way. Normally, you cannot go from a wah to a fuzz - the low impedance of the fuzz "loads" the wah, causing it to not work properly - if at all. This board solves that.
LED - Bright blue LED - side mounted for good visibility.
Lefty Option - Lefty? Say wah?! Yes indeed! Here's the story: Our good friend Paul Bento from MHA and Carnivore in NYC (he has an mp3 on the sample page) requested this as an option on the latest wah that I built for him. He's a left handed player, and has always hated how his guitar cable crossed over his wah and got in the way. He asked if I could make him a "lefty version". I said, "Man, what a great idea." I built his that way, and now I'm offering it to all of our customers as a no cost option. Everything is the same, except the input and output are reversed.
48 Hour Trial
That's right! I'm pretty confident that you'll LOVE your new Area 51 Wah. But, if you don't like it - send it back! No fuss. No hassles. No runarounds or hidden rules. No B.S. The only catch is that we don't refund the shipping charge, and it must be returned in the condition that it was received. That's all. Send us an email within 2 days of receipt.
Be sure to read what Area 51 customers had to say about it - here. There are also reviews on Harmony Central. And also, be sure to check out the mp3 samples link. These samples have been sent in by actual Area 51 Wah users - in a number of different styles.
NOTE: Since each Area 51 Wah is hand-made to order, it will take approximately 4-6 weeks to get your wah built and shipped.
Shipping charges: Our website online store uses a US Postal Service utility to calculate shipping costs. It works pretty well, but it's not perfect. So if you put a wah in your basket, and the shipping charge seems high - shoot me an email or give me a call. Generally, the shipping charge for a wah to continental U.S. address should be between $18 and $23 for priority insured.
Those who would like to use the Stompin' Ground mounting plate with our wah, should order their MP-6 model. Area 51 Wahs made before November, 2009 require their MP-1 model.
Testimonials
Dan,
I am absolutely blown away with how this wah sounds and responds. I'm almost speechless. I have tried and purchased so many wahs over the years from 535's, Roger Mayer Red Lion and BOYC kits, RMC3s, etc. and this one makes me want to cry. We must have the same appreciation for what we both like hearing in wah pedals because this one is it. From the volume to the Q, tone, sweep and responsiveness I'm just finding it hard to believe that the wah in my head is now on the floor in front of me.
I'm so rarely impressed with a piece of gear but it is perfect for me. You're the man.
Thanks,
Timmy Strong
Valencia, CA
Hi Dan
Just wanted to let you know you did an outstanding job on my wah! You nailed it! It's so hard to find an authentic sounding wah.....well, at least it used to be. Nice job. And I know of what I speak - 30 years ago I was in a Hendrix cover band with an old Cry Baby Wah and an original Uni-Vibe. I know what it's supposed to sound like....
Thanks again!
Doug Miller
DAN!!!!!! holy **** !!!! this thing sounds un-f****** beliveable!!!! Man ,you do great work i"m telling you this verison sounds great, you took something that i thought was great before and took it to the next level of wah wah's . i hope you sell alot of wah's and kits because your wah's sound the best !!!!!
thank you so much,
jerryp.s. can't wait to blow evereybodys mind when i click this beast on and win my crown back!!!HA!!HA!!
Back story on the above comment: This gentleman sent his older Area 51 Wah to me for an upgrade/update to current spec after he heard another local player using a new Area 51 – Dan
Dan,
I bought a drop-in wah kit from you on e-bay a couple of weeks ago. You probably don't need any more endorsements but here's another one anyway.
I've been playing gigs since 1976. I've owned most brands of conventional wahs, plus a digital modeling wah. I used yours for a gig last night for the first time. At last everything I wanted in wah voicing, with the added bonus of no noise. A joy to use.Many thanks,
Ant White, Nottingham U.K.
Dear Dan,
I just wanted to send you a quick email to tell you that I am loving your pedal, it is truly amazing!
Thanks for that!
Camilo Salazar, Manchester U.K.
Dan,
I've been very happy with the greatest wah I have ever played. And I played thru them all. Crybaby, Vox, F******e, T***e, all of them sound weak to me. This is by far the greatest investment I have made in terms of pedals.
Ben Durbin
Burlington, IA
Hi,
Please feel free to use this as a testimonial if you so desire. You have tons already, but just in case. (don't mind if I do....- Dan;)
I put the battery eliminator kit in and assembled the wah tonight. WOW, Holy ****! I just purchased an original "film canister" inductor off ebay recently and put it in my very aged Vox wah and it is awesome, but it is noisy. Believe me I paid a pretty penny for it. I have to figure the part is somehow microphonic. It does sound killer at the same time. Your little "brainchild" sounds every bit as good and at the same time is very quiet with a simply and absolutely killer vibe. Holy smoke, this sucker smokes, I'm afraid you might just be letting the cat out of the bag here! Soon the world will find out and we'll all be defenseless. A Huge Applause!!!Sincerely,
Jim Tharp (Area 51 Drop in kit)
Des Moines, IA
Hi Dan!
Received the wah today. Wow, I'm very pleased. There are so many options and it's really a world of discovery for me right now. But certainly enjoyable. I've started with the standard settings and adjusting from there. I assume the buffer was turned on already. I'll save tuning that for last (if necessary).
Thanks!
Doug Johnson
Lemont, IL
(using his Area 51 Wah with an upright bass)
Dan,
Thanks so much! I am a wah addict and yours is the closest I've heard to my old Italian one. I love it. It will be on the road soon.
Thanks again,
Ryan Wariner
Franklin, TN
Dan,
If I was there I'd have to grab you and give you a hug! This is without a doubt the best and funnest wah I've ever played. You've got the sound nailed perfectly. That's what a wah should sound like. Will refer you to all concerned.
Thanks again,
Mike - San Francisco, CA
Hey Dan,
I just got done installing your wah drop in kit. I ended up using a different housing than we originally discussed. The RMC we initially talked about was kinda narrow, not much room in there, and the pot didn't want to mount on the mounting ridge very well. (If anybody out there has this problem, email me - I have a solution - Dan)
I also had an old Dunlop GCB95-F that I didn't care for, so I used that housing and it worked just fine. Drilled out the AC adapter plug hole to 1/2" and it mounted flawlessly. I also had no issues soldering the included components onto your pc board. Plugged it up and it worked perfectly. I am compelled to tell you that this pedal is the real deal! It is very musical, which is what it's all about anyway. My band played 130 gigs last year, and on track to do 110 this year, and I can honestly say that I hardly ever wanted to use my old wah pedals on a gig. We are now performing more tunes that specifically call for wah effects, which is what led me to find the Area 51 wah. Gigs are starting to slow down a bit, we've been canceled on a few gigs because of the economic situation. So, I am "jobbing" out a with various bands and shows, and I'm finding the wah pedal is a staple sound needed by versatile guitarists. In quantifying what makes your pedal so great... your wah is "usable" through the entire sweep. No harsh highs, and not muddy with the heel down. "Great musical voice" is the only way to describe it!!Thanks for creating a great wah! You rock!
Bing Burris
Redford, MI
Greetings,
I just installed your drop in wah kit in a brand new Dunlop GCB-95 box. Installation was simple. All I can say is WOW. The difference in the quality of the tone and the overall output from the original is amazing. Also, I found your customer service to be excellent. Shipping and delivery was prompt and reasonable in price. This is a great product and I will not hesitate to recommend it to anyone I know. Thank you..............keep up the good work, it is a pleasure to do business with people who come through in a prompt, courteous manner and provide a quality product at a reasonable price.
Regards,
Phil Paramore
Heya....Just a short note to thank you again for getting the wah out in time. Recording went great and last night was my first gig with it. Tremendously great pedal! I love it a lot. I still feel like I've only figured out a fraction of the possible tonal qualities...
Thanks again!
Chris Barrus
Glendale, CA
Hi Dan,
Just a bit of feedback for you on the wah pedal I bought.
I think it's great! Best sounding wah I have ever played out of the box (I've owned various Dunlop, Vox and Morley and played Boss, Fulltone and Roger Mayer - Area 51 beats them all!) So far I've only really been using the "stock" tone. That is a great wah sound. I got the extra controls and range selector too so I'm sure I'll be finding other great tones in the future. My only initial criticism was I thought the treadle/rocker was too loose. Then I read the manual and a feature of it is it's adjustable! Perfect!Mark Gardiner
Rosyth, Fife
U.K.
Dan,
She sounds Great!!! I'm putting her into her new spot to work with my 1970 Marshall small box 50! It has great quack and growl too! Quite simply the BEST boutique wah pedal being built today PERIOD!
Mitch Mills (Sugarwall)
Nashville, TN
