Cocked Wah Sound Search w/Super Reverb

[old guy]

Greetings,

I am seeking the 1960s-70s cocked wah sound without the aid of electronic mods other than out of phase magnet on one of two humbuckers. I've messed with this one for about 6 months, using every magnet combination available A2 - A5. I've settled on a pair of short A2s as giving me the best/most o.o.p. for my ES335.
This is OK but it is not quite where I need to be. Question is ... if I wire 2 of the 4 speakers o.o.p., will that cause any damage to the speakers? Before I try it, I come to you folks for consultation.
No, a rotary switch like BB's Lucille is not the answer ... bin there/done that. It may be part of the full equation but there are other factors up higher on the list.
Thanks in advance,
Old Guy Jake.

[nosaj]

Greetings,

I am seeking the 1960s-70s cocked wah sound without the aid of electronic mods other than out of phase magnet on one of two humbuckers. I've messed with this one for about 6 months, using every magnet combination available A2 - A5. I've settled on a pair of short A2s as giving me the best/most o.o.p. for my ES335.
This is OK but it is not quite where I need to be. Question is ... if I wire 2 of the 4 speakers o.o.p., will that cause any damage to the speakers? Before I try it, I come to you folks for consultation.
No, a rotary switch like BB's Lucille is not the answer ... bin there/done that. It may be part of the full equation but there are other factors up higher on the list.
Thanks in advance,
Old Guy Jake.

Do you have an example of a player or a song you may be referencing. I'm sure that with just a guitar and an amp part of it could be the amp?

See your in FL hopefully not near Panama City, we missed it here in Pensacola.
nosaj

[Leo_Gnardo]

I know you're trying to do it without pedals, but I'm afraid you'll be stymied every other way. If you do decide to accept the pedal solution, two things come to mind, both available at tubesandmore.com aka Antique. I'm not an owner/worker, just a satisfied customer.

First, a kit they call the T-philter. Couple of transistors, simple enough to build point to point. No circus board offered. I built one for a customer, he likes it a bunch. Plays in Zep & Who tribute bands. link: https://www.tubesandmore.com/product...ilter-t-filter

Second, and most obvious, they sell the loaded circuit board that goes in a current Dunlop copy of the old Vox wah. link: https://www.tubesandmore.com/product...dunlop-crybaby You supply the box, switch, jacks, battery, and a 100K pot. Can't get much more authentic than that. Of course you could pull the guts out of any working used wah you can score cheap. Option: you can swap in a Fasel inductor, alter the value of the peaking resistor, anything else to suit your taste.

A wah is a medium-narrow band parametric EQ, with about 20 dB of boost at the frequency selected by sweeping the control pot. I'd have to say, that's an impossible bill to fill by fiddling with pickups, passive guitar electronics, running speakers out of phase, etc. You could spend months, years, poking around with ineffective solutions. Why not go for the gusto?

[old guy]

Thanks Guys!!

You can reference the sound at the following video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGAqBaHYJ8Q
After a 7 year stint in Austin Texas in the eighties, my then research into Freddie Kings' 335s, 45s and 55s told me his rotary switch was never functioning. Also, I do have an old dunlop wah pedal and can achieve the tone BUT, as a performer, I hate tap dancing on switches or just plain having anything in the signal path between guitar and amp.

[nosaj]

Thanks Guys!!

You can reference the sound at the following video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGAqBaHYJ8Q
After a 7 year stint in Austin Texas in the eighties, my then research into Freddie Kings' 335s, 45s and 55s told me his rotary switch was never functioning. Also, I do have an old dunlop wah pedal and can achieve the tone BUT, as a performer, I hate tap dancing on switches or just plain having anything in the signal path between guitar and amp.

Ok follow me here, you want to have a sound like Freddy kings guitar with non functioning rotary switch? MAybe the reason for it non functioning is the reason for his sound?

ok i found this what do you think?
https://www.premierguitar.com/articl...Esquire_Wiring
nosaj

[Leo_Gnardo]

I do have an old dunlop wah pedal and can achieve the tone BUT, as a performer, I hate tap dancing on switches or just plain having anything in the signal path between guitar and amp.

A guitarist I knew - he's fallen off the scene, last I heard has taken on a new career as a jailbird - back in the 70's chipped a big cavity in his Melody Maker, installed a Vox wah circuit board, battery clip, toggle switch and 100K frequency control pot. You have a hollow body axe, right? Well that will save having to hack a hole in the body.

After that, I'm out of ideas. I'll be watching though. If you find a solution that works for you, sure thing I'm not the only one who will want to know how ya done it. Best of luck!

[Pedro Vecino]

I think you d´ont need a wah. Try a good Dallas Rangemaster treble booster.

https://youtu.be/0PcmBORGXPM?t=58

[rjb]

ok i found this what do you think?
https://www.premierguitar.com/articl...Esquire_Wiring

You beat me to it. The Eldred circuit may not sound exactly like a cocked wah, but does produce a useful tone that some describe as "nasally vocal-like". Works on Tele, anyway.

-rb

[Chuck H]

Something I mentioned here not long ago has helped Steve A get some tones he was after that aren't unlike what you want. The tone control on your guitar can alter the resonant peak of the pickup. Altering the cap value can change the effect. Unfortunately this only works with the 335 wiring when the volume control is up full. Otherwise the pot resistance spoils the interaction between the pickups inductance and the tone cap. But below are images of a generic guitar circuit, wired as the 335 with the tone control following the volume, including the guitar cable capacitance and typical 1M load at the amp. Figure 11 shows the stock arrangement. Figure 22 could be implemented on a push/pull pot. As you can see it moves the resonant peak down almost 2K and rolls down LF with very little loss in peak frequency output. Like a mid boost with HF and LF roll off. Not dissimilar to what a Wah pedal does. Submitted for your consideration:

[Daver]

I would think that if you want the Freddie King sound you have to do things like Freddie did. Turn your amp Volume and Treble up to 10, turn the Bass and Middle down to near 0. Set you guitar Volume controls to about 5 and the Tones to taste. Then, you need to use a thumb pick and a metal pick on your index finger. I don't think any pedal or guitar device is going to get you there. He was a unique player with garden variety equipment that he knew how to manipulate to get his sound.

Dave

[Justin Thomas]

Not just ANY amp... No! A Super Six Reverb or Quad Reverb! Which, I'm not scared to turn to 10, but many are...

Justin

[nosaj]

Not just ANY amp... No! A Super Six Reverb or Quad Reverb! Which, I'm not scared to turn to 10, but many are...

Justin

Which you suffer from, maybe why jusrin comes out every now and then.
nosaj

[Chuck H]

Wow! Everyone just ignored that post I put up.?. I agree that at a glance it's not very compelling. But look! The signal at 1.1K is actually boosted by 6dB!!! And I think that's sort of the goal.?. The LF is trimmed to take out the mud in absence of the HF so what you end up with is a sort of narrow band mid boost sound. Like a Wah pedal. Further, it can be done at the guitar without the need for pedals or boosters.

[nosaj]

Wow! Everyone just ignored that post I put up.?. I agree that at a glance it's not very compelling. But look! The signal at 1.1K is actually boosted by 6dB!!! And I think that's sort of the goal.?. The LF is trimmed to take out the mud in absence of the HF so what you end up with is a sort of narrow band mid boost sound. Like a Wah pedal. Further, it can be done at the guitar without the need for pedals or boosters.

All that geek speak and stuff we need sound remember we're simple creatures.
nosaj

[Leo_Gnardo]

we need sound

Late last night the radio brought me an example. Plenty of mid boost tones here! I'm not much a fan of this band BUT can't argue with terrific tone & playing. Ear candy guitar bits start with a lick at 0:52, more at 1:32 then continuing to the fade at 3 minutes. Whether you're a glam rock fan or not, I'm sure you can dig this, enjoy...