Dunlop Cry Baby

For other uses, see Crybaby (disambiguation).

The Dunlop Cry Baby is a popular wah-wah pedal, manufactured by Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc. It is the best selling guitar pedal of all time.^{[citation needed]} The name Cry Baby was from the original pedal from which it was copied, the Thomas Organ/Vox Cry Baby wah-wah. Thomas Organ/Vox failed to register the name as a trademark, leaving it open for Dunlop. More recently, Dunlop manufactured the Vox pedals under licence, although this is no longer the case.

The said wah-wah effect was originally intended to imitate the supposed crying tone that a muted trumpet produced, but became an expressive tool in its own way. It was, and is, utilised when a guitarist is soloing, or being used to create a "wacka-wacka" funk styled rhythm.^[1]

The Original GCB95 Cry Baby Wah

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". Typically the lowest priced model.
• GCB-95F Classic - A Cry Baby with a Fasel (classic Italian-made) inductor and a Hot Potz 100K Ohm potentiometer. This model also features true hardwire bypass.^[2]
• 95Q - A Switchless Cry Baby with a Q control (which varies the intensity of the wah effect), a volume boost, and the auto-return function.
• 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 1960s design to sound like Hendrix. Its circuitry is nearly identical to the GCB-95.
• JH-1FW Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Wah - A combination of the Jimi Hendrix Signature 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 Cry Baby 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 that only affects the mid and high frequencies, and features Q and Volume controls.
• SW-95 Slash Signature - Slash's Signature Cry Baby with an added heavy distortion booster.
• Limited Edition (1999) Purple, White, Red or Hammertone Gray
• EVH Signature - Eddie Van Halen's Signature Cry Baby.
• KH-95 Kirk Hammett Signature- Kirk Hammett's new Cry Baby.
• JC-95 Jerry Cantrell Signature- Jerry Cantrell's signature Cry Baby.

With the exception of the GCB95F and most of the artist signature wah's, many of the newer Cry Baby models use a single-pole switch instead of true-bypass; using single-pole switching instead of true-bypass adds significant impedance, which can affect the tone.^[2]

References

1. ^ Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music (1st ed.). Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 375. ISBN 1-904041-96-5. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "What is True Bypass? [with Dunlop Bypass Guide]". Dunlop Blog. Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc.. 28 September 2009. http://www.jimdunlop.com/blog/?p=384. Retrieved 25 August 2011. 

External links

• Cry Baby's section at Jim Dunlop site