Joe Bonamassa Signature Crybaby (JB95)

Goldtop11

Mojo & Blues
A week or so ago, I ordered and received a brand new Joe Bonamassa Crybaby. I had tried one out at a local Sam Ash a few months ago, but him-hawed about getting it until now. (Mainly because of the steep price.) Up until I got the JB95, I used a Crybaby 535Q. While there was nothing wrong with the 535Q, I liked the JB95 because of the deeper, throatier growl it had.

First off, you MUST try this wah before you buy it. It's very unique and I can see where a lot of guitar players will not like it. It is voiced more for humbuckers and is more on the dark side tone wise. It will not give you a quacky sound like most wah pedals will. If you are looking for a wah to play funk with, this is not it. As a matter of fact, if you engage the wah on a clean setting on an amp, it is quite lackluster. It doesn't have any snap or quack to it and really seems like a dud. If you are looking for a wah to play clean on, this again is not the wah for you.

Now, overdrive on the other hand, is another story entirely. This little puppy absolutely screams when ran through the dirty channel or an amp or with a dirt pedal. The more drive you add, the more depth and tone this thing cranks out. It's quite strange, because there are all kinds of harmonics and tones that just aren't there when this wah is ran through a clean setting. Dunlop claims that this added harmonic content is due to the Halo inductor exclusive to the JB95. (Exclusive at least in Dunlop's current Crybaby range. I know vintage wahs had them.) I'm sure this is mainly a marketing ploy, but I really do think the Halo inductor adds richness to this wah. The JB95 just has a throaty, mid-range growl that neither of my Fasel inductor Crybabies had.

The JB95 also has a pretty wide sweep. It goes from a deep bass-y tone in the heel down position to a very nasally slightly sharp tone in the toe down position. What I do love about this wah is while it is very distinct and in your face, it is not shrill or over powering.

This wah does not have many features in the tweaker category. The only switch it offers is a small slider inside that switches it from non-true bypass to true bypass. I switched it to true bypass pretty much as soon as I got it, but apparently Joe likes it without it. I didn't hear much of a difference as far as the tone of the pedal goes, but to each his own. There's no "Q" control or volume boost like what's on the 535Q. I didn't use the volume boost on my 535Q, and the "Q" intensity was always maxed with the dial always in the 3rd position, so I don't miss these features at all. If you are used to a wah with these kind of features that you change constantly, this will very much be a one trick pony that you will probably get frustrated with.

I absolutely love this wah and it has replaced my 535Q on my pedal board. It is not at all for everyone, but do yourself a favor and try one out to see if you like it. :thu:

 
:thu:


Your description makes me think of slashes wah sound


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
:thu:


Your description makes me think of slashes wah sound


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It is the same idea as Slash's wah sound, with it being tuned lower than most wahs. It's just a little more vintage sounding and musical to my ears.
 
I kinda like the throatier wah sound. I'm really happy with my Fulltone Cyde Standard though.
 
Not good for funk = Not interested

Nice review though. Thanks.

I'm wondering what pedal he's used on the Rockcandy and SeeSaw records then.

TBH the wah I like the most for that stuff is my Fulltone classic wah though. Its like a better balanced version of the Vox Clyde McCoy that I've owned a few times over.
 
I'm wondering what pedal he's used on the Rockcandy and SeeSaw records then.

TBH the wah I like the most for that stuff is my Fulltone classic wah though. Its like a better balanced version of the Vox Clyde McCoy that I've owned a few times over.

I've been using the 535Q but its old and starting to get rusty. I shy from fulltone bc most of them are touch activated and I often use wah as a mid boost. Also my next wah has to have an LED because I need to know if its on or off in live situations w/o stepping on it.
 
I've been using the 535Q but its old and starting to get rusty. I shy from fulltone bc most of them are touch activated and I often use wah as a mid boost. Also my next wah has to have an LED because I need to know if its on or off in live situations w/o stepping on it.

Yeah, mine operates just like an old vox with no frills. They make a deluxe version for a zillion dollars but I don't think that has the features you need either.
 
Yeah, mine operates just like an old vox with no frills. They make a deluxe version for a zillion dollars but I don't think that has the features you need either.

Ill have to look into those when I get serious about a new wah. The MXR CAE has been on the radar for a while but I just read a review that it returns to original position... Deal killer. :(
 
Ill have to look into those when I get serious about a new wah. The MXR CAE has been on the radar for a while but I just read a review that it returns to original position... Deal killer. :(


Does it do that on purpose? That would drive me nuts.
 
Back
Top