Specifications

Manufacturer:
Morley Pedals, morleypedals.com

List Price:
GLW2 George Lynch Dragon 2, $199.00; Kiko Loureiro, $199.00

Originally published in Guitar World, September 2009

Guitar World gives you the heads up on Morley's newest signature wah pedals from George Lynch and Kiko Loureiro.

Morley wahs came to prominence in the Seventies when funk guitarists discovered the sharp quack and extra-wide sweep range of the original Power Wah, not to mention the enhanced controllability offered by the pedal’s oversized treadle. Steve Vai and Mark Tremonti, among others, reawakened us to the Morley’s charms and potential with their own signature pedals. Legendary shredder George Lynch and Brazilian superstar Kiko Loureiro are the latest artists to receive custom-designed, multifunction Morley wahs. Although each has unique tones and features, both take advantage of Morley’s electro-optical circuitry, so there’s no pot to wear out. A “True-Tone” buffered bypass maintains a powerful signal whether the effect is on or off.

GEORGE LYNCH DRAGON 2

Lynch's wah is switchless and spring loaded, so the treadle returns to the up/off position when you remove your foot. Modes include Wah and WOW. In Wow mode, the effect is extremely smooth and vintage flavored; it excels at clean tones with no noticeable dropouts in the sweep. The WOW mode exaggerates the quack factor and low-mid accent to blast through heavy distortion and produce a vocal “wow” in every note. A second switch activates the Wah Lock, which allows the inductor to filter your tone at whatever frequency you set the notch knob, just like leaving a wah pedal in the half-cocked position.

KIKO LOUREIRO DISTORTION

Kiko's pedal is a venerable multi-tool that serves as a volume pedal, distortion box and wah. With the wah and distortion bypassed, it’s always on as a volume pedal. Dedicated switches engage the wah and distortion, and the distortion circuit has drive, tone and level controls. It’s actually a warm and tube-like distortion, with lots of British-style midrange focus and a wallop of gain—perfect for overdriving a crunchy amp or introducing some well-annunciated filth into a relatively clean channel. You can mix the distortion with the wah or use it independently. The throaty wah voice is neither overly aggressive nor timid, and is obviously tuned to create a deep wah tone in any register.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Lynch's switchless Morley produces old-school wah tones or a locked wah filter effect. Kiko’s pedal handles volume, wah and distortion chores, boasts a surprisingly organic overdrive and delivers a well-balanced wah complement to the guitar’s full range.

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