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DigiTech Whammy WH-4
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DigiTech Whammy WH-4
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mooseherman mooseherman
Published on 04/14/09 at 19:48
The Digitech Whammy pedal is a pretty interesting piece of gear. It certainly has a unique sound that many players have found to be inimitable. Tom Morello, Wes Borland, Dimebag Darrel, and many others were fond of this in the late 90's, and much of that music has its stamp all over it. While that music may have fallen out of fashion, there are still plenty of uses for this pedal in other genres that haven't been tried.
Unlike most octave pedals, this one lets you take the signal up or down two octaves instead of just one (for the somewhat old-fashioned, the one octave feature is still there). If you're having trouble finding an electric bass, the one octave down setting can sometimes be a decent replacement for practice sessions.
It has some other effects too, like a series of harmonizers that sound pretty decent, and the sweet &quot;dive bomb effect&quot; that basically simulates the Floyd Rose Whammy Bar, without taking forever to set up and potentially ruining your tuning. The newest model has a midi controller that was absent on the first.

UTILIZATION

The pedal is pretty self explanatory. Anyone who knows what octaves and intervals are should not have a problem with it. The manual is probably unnecessary for all but the newest players.

SOUND QUALITY

Ever wonder how Tom Morello plays that nuts solo in &quot;Killing in the Name&quot;? He uses this pedal on almost everything Rage did. If wild, crazy noises are the kind of thing you are into, then I suggest you buy this pedal. You will have some of the funkiest noises imaginable coming out of your amp. If used sparingly it can change up the sound during a live show and really turn heads! The best effects are the dive bomb and the octave jumps. The harmonizers are cool but I really have no use for them.

OVERALL OPINION

Overall, this pedal is pretty great. I've had it for about six years and it's served me well when I needed it. The only thing I can say is, handle with care. I dropped mine once and the knob that changes the settings broke off. It's become almost impossible to use without a makeshift knob replacement, and even then, it's a pain. Also, stay away if you are looking for more traditional sounds, because this pedal is supposed to be pretty wacky. If you don't want other players to know exactly what you're using, find something else, because this might be one of the most obvious pedals on the market. It also can be quite grating on the ears if not EQ'd properly, so be careful. One bad experience with it was enough for me to put it down for awhile. It's also pricey so make sure you're gonna get your money's worth.
Personally, I tend to play more classic-style rock and R&B, and when I freak out I tend to stick more to feedback and echoes. Two octave leaps usually aren't what I'm looking for. If you are looking for something to really make people notice you, this might be it, but use it sparingly and don't rely on it or you'll risk sounding more novelty than innovative.