Specifications

Manufacturer:
Dunlop, jimdunlop.com

List Price:
$264.99

Originally published in Guitar World, 30th Anniversary 2010 issue

The Dunlop Kirk Hammett Signature wah is a great choice for rock and metal players who rely primarily on distorted tones.

Remember when a wah was just a wah? Today, Jim Dunlop offers 14 models of wah pedals, including seven specially tweaked signature models that match the tones and character of modified wah pedals used by famous players. Whether you like a narrow or wide frequency sweep or go for throaty, barfy or sizzling wacka-wacka wah tones, Dunlop now offers a variety of pedals that deliver almost every conceivable flavor of wah in the musical universe. The Dunlop Kirk Hammett Signature wah is the company’s latest venture, replicating the custom EQ, volume and tone settings that Kirk uses with his Cry Baby Rack wah and offering his personalized sounds in a compact, standard-size wah pedal format.

FEATURES

With its green-burst case and skeleton foot-bone tread (which, alas, does not glow in the dark), this wah won’t be mistaken for any other in Dunlop’s line. But the Kirk Hammett wah’s beauty is more than skin deep, providing a unique voice that’s the product of 300–380Hz low-pass filtering, 1.4–1.8kHz high-pass filtering and Kirk’s secret post-wah EQ settings. The pedal is the same size and has the same physical throw as a standard Cry Baby wah, and unlike several of Dunlop’s other models it does not boast any extra switches, knobs or functions. It has just standard mono input and output jacks, an input for an optional DC adapter and a bypass switch, and it’s hardwired to provide true bypass. The nine-volt battery is mounted in an easy-access compartment that allows you to change batteries in seconds without a screwdriver.

PERFORMANCE

The Kirk Hammett wah’s sweep covers a distinct and highly musical midrange sweet spot that avoids the swampy bass and piercing treble of wahs that have wider sweep ranges. In half-cocked position it delivers expressive, vocal-like midrange that’s a dead-ringer for Michael Schenker’s Seventies UFO solo tone. The pedal sounds best through an amp producing a decent amount of overdrive or distortion, as the postwah signal boost keeps volume levels consistent across the pedal’s entire sweep range. Hammett’s tweak works: even the bassiest (heel-down) settings don’t sound boomy, though due to this optimization, a slight volume drop is apparent when the pedal is used with a clean amp.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Dunlop Kirk Hammett Signature wah is a great choice for rock and metal players who rely primarily on distorted tones.

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