Dunlop Cry Baby
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The Jim Dunlop Cry Baby (also known as the Crybaby) is a highly popular wah-wah pedal, manufactured by Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc.. It is the best selling guitar pedal of all time, as extensively shown on the packaging the pedals come in.
[edit] Models
There are many different models of the Cry Baby manufactured by Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc, most are listed below:
- GCB-95 - Also known as the "Cry Baby Original", it is based on the original Crybabies. Typically the lowest priced model, uses a 'generic' inductor instead of the Fasel.
- GCB-95F Classic - A Cry Baby with a Fasel (classic Italian-made) inductor and a Hot Potz 100KOhm potentiometer.
- 95Q - A Cry Baby with a Q control (which varies the intensity of the wah effect), and a volume boost.
- 535Q - Features tone shifting abilities using the Q control, six different wah ranges, a volume boost and can also be used as sustain pedal.
- JH-1 Jimi Hendrix Signature - The Jimi Hendrix Signature Cry Baby is an original 60's design with modified circuitry to lower the pedal's frequency range.
- JH-1FW Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Wah - A combination of the Jimi Hendrix Signature Wah Wah and the Jimi Hendrix Fuzz. It can be used as a Wah Pedal, a Fuzz Pedal, or both at the same time.
- DB-01 Dimebag Signature - Dimebag Darrell's Signature Cry Baby. Based on the 535Q as he used one prior.
- EW-95V Mister Crybaby Super Volume - A Cry Baby that doubles as a wah pedal and a volume boosting pedal. It can provide a volume boost of up to 16 decibels
- ZW-45 Zakk Wylde Signature - Zakk Wylde's Signature Cry Baby.
- 105Q Bass - A Cry Baby for bass guitars.
- Slash Signature - Slash's Signature Cry Baby with an added heavy distortion booster.
The newer crybaby models are known to have a single pole switch instead of true bypass; using single pole switching instead of true bypass can cause a slight suck of the tone. This is due to the fact the pedal has no hard wired way to bypass the signal without loading it electrically and the guitar's tone. Thus when the pedal is switched 'out' it is still altering the guitars tone slightly. The GCB-95, 95Q and EW-95V have single pole switches and are all well known to suck the guitar's tone somewhat when bypassed.
[edit] Artists who have used the Cry Baby
- Eric Clapton was an early user of the wah pedal, and used it most notably on the songs White Room and Tales of Brave Ulysses.
- Tim Commerford is also famous for using effects pedals on bass guitars. He uses two 105Q Bass Wahs bridged together with a piece of wood.
- Dimebag Darrell used a Cry Baby 535Q in many of his solos.
- David Gilmour used a Cry Baby on many of his recordings.
- Kirk Hammett uses the Cry Baby in many of his guitar solos. He is quoted as saying "The only way for you to stop me from using it is to cut off my legs."
- Jimi Hendrix is widely considered to have been a master of the wah pedal, and was one of its earliest users. He was believed to use the Crybaby, but he more often used a Vox wah, on such recordings as "Voodoo Child (Slight Return), in which he used the Vox Clyde McCoy model.
- Slash uses the wah-wah pedal among other special effects.
- Tom Morello is noted for his extensive use of effects pedals including the wah pedal.
- John Petrucci uses a Dunlop Cry Baby Custom Shop Rack Wah.
- Joe Satriani uses a Dunlop Cry Baby in many of his recordings.
- Zakk Wylde uses a Dunlop Signature Model wah pedal.
- John Frusciante uses the Cry Baby in many songs. He also uses an Ibanez WH-10, which is now discontinued.
- Aaron Barrett uses a Dunlop Cry Baby wah on many songs while performing live.
- Stevie Ray Vaughan used a Cry Baby in many of his recordings.
- Brian May uses a Cry Baby.
- Joe Perry uses a Cry Baby GCB-95 in many Aerosmith songs too.
- The Edge of U2 uses one on live versions of Bullet the Blue Sky and The Fly.
- Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers uses a 105Q Bass CryBaby xx.
- Adam Jones of Tool has been rumoured to use a Dunlop Crybaby 535Q.
- Boyd Tinsley of Dave Matthews Band uses a Dunlop Cry Baby in the song Everyday.
