Price Paid: US $115 used
Ease of Use: 10
Early 70's King vox wah, serial number 1931818. Not sure of the exact year, but I think it's somewhere between '70 and '72 (if someone knows, please email me). Thomas Organ Co., Sepulveda CA. True bypass has been installed. As with any wah, it's plug and play, but the switch is much easier to engage than most modern wahs (especially crybabies), and the wah is much easier to move up and down than most as well. TDK inductor and a fairly new Dunlop Hot Potz, possibly to be replaced with a fulltone pot soon.
Sound Quality: 8
G&L comanche into King Vox Wah into Sunn T50c. Saving up for a classic tonebone, lovepedal, reverend drivetrain, or possibly a captain coconut2 if i can scrape together $400. May update to inform how well the wah works with these. This wah has an excellent sweep and is very vocal, much more so than most modern wahs, excluding maybe a Teese and such. There is a slight loss of volume and bass when activated, and some sweep with distortion, but thats to be expected. With wah at the nose, it doesn't get too trebley or screetchy, and isn't too muddy at the opposite end. The only thing that really pisses me off is that when played in my room, there is often interference with the signal, causing a loud buzz. My guess is it's caused by the fish tank, as it does not have this problem out of the room. Other than this, it's almost dead quite, especially for a vintage wah. Excellent sound.
Reliability: N/A
It has a battery, so there better be a spare with this, although I've been running the same batter for the last four or five months, so it allows a pretty decent battery life. Other than that, it's survived in great condition for the past thirty or so years, so yes, i would gig with a backup.
Customer Support: N/A
Have yet to deal with them, but I doubt they would be of much help.
Overall Rating: 9
Play blues, classic rock, and some jazz. Would definately buy another if lost, but they're pretty hard to find in good condition with any regularity. Great sounding pedal; definately worth looking into if you're trying to get a good vintage wah as it sounds almost as good as a V846, but commands a lower price. If anybody has any information about the year or possibly any worthwhile mods/replacement parts that allow an even better tone and sweep, feel free to email me.
Submitted by Jason at 11/25/2004 12:14
