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James... « Much awaited »
Published on 01/06/12 at 19:16Q control for adjusting the wah character. Has a 5 way adjustable tone switch. Variable boost control. New circuitry. Obviously an all chrome build. Very limited supply. And I may be wrong but I think these are hand made Could be wrong.
UTILIZATION
I was a huge fan of the original 535Q wah, a pedal that I thought was really under the radar as a great budget wah for years. It didn't win any shootouts but for the price I think it might be one of the best ever. The original had some arguable problems with reliability, although I rarely had any issues with the couple I owned. It's a wonder to me why they aren't used by many pro's. I've heard Adam Jones uses one but who knows if there's any truth to that. This chrome edition seems a lot more solid than the already pretty reliable feeling 535q. I understand it has a revised wiring scheme to cut down on noise. I haven't heard a ton of difference. Maybe I just use good gear. My main practice rig at the moment is a Budda Superdrive combo with a medium sized pedalboard and a couple Les Pauls. Nothing fancy.
SOUND QUALITY
I liked the original 535 for its versatility and Q control, but truth be told you are most of the time better off laying back of the controls and letting it do its thing. The Chrome version definitely comes with all the bells and whistles. You can get a lot of sounds out of it from classic and subtle to modern and aggressive. A lot of wahs seem to have their own voice but this one just sort of covers all the bases well. It's easy to get lost in tweaking for hours. There's some days when I wanna go get a teese wah and just play. But when you are looking to dial in a certain sound this thing can come in handy. It's pretty neutral overall. Doesn't impose tonally.
OVERALL OPINION
The 535 was never the best wah or the most reliable in the world, but then again it didn't cost $270 either. And for what it's worth I never had any major problems with mine. The chrome is just a bit more and it feels to me like something that could get toured hard and still work fine. I'll be keeping mine as hopefully my final 535. The extra features are a welcome addition. This is a great design that certain players will love. If you are a no knobs guy this isn't for you obviously. But for people who want a better 535...this is it.
UTILIZATION
I was a huge fan of the original 535Q wah, a pedal that I thought was really under the radar as a great budget wah for years. It didn't win any shootouts but for the price I think it might be one of the best ever. The original had some arguable problems with reliability, although I rarely had any issues with the couple I owned. It's a wonder to me why they aren't used by many pro's. I've heard Adam Jones uses one but who knows if there's any truth to that. This chrome edition seems a lot more solid than the already pretty reliable feeling 535q. I understand it has a revised wiring scheme to cut down on noise. I haven't heard a ton of difference. Maybe I just use good gear. My main practice rig at the moment is a Budda Superdrive combo with a medium sized pedalboard and a couple Les Pauls. Nothing fancy.
SOUND QUALITY
I liked the original 535 for its versatility and Q control, but truth be told you are most of the time better off laying back of the controls and letting it do its thing. The Chrome version definitely comes with all the bells and whistles. You can get a lot of sounds out of it from classic and subtle to modern and aggressive. A lot of wahs seem to have their own voice but this one just sort of covers all the bases well. It's easy to get lost in tweaking for hours. There's some days when I wanna go get a teese wah and just play. But when you are looking to dial in a certain sound this thing can come in handy. It's pretty neutral overall. Doesn't impose tonally.
OVERALL OPINION
The 535 was never the best wah or the most reliable in the world, but then again it didn't cost $270 either. And for what it's worth I never had any major problems with mine. The chrome is just a bit more and it feels to me like something that could get toured hard and still work fine. I'll be keeping mine as hopefully my final 535. The extra features are a welcome addition. This is a great design that certain players will love. If you are a no knobs guy this isn't for you obviously. But for people who want a better 535...this is it.