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Of all the best wah pedals, the Dunlop Cry Baby GCB95 is the one most guitarists should buy. It’s affordable, tough, and it’s the sound on countless records. If your board is tight on space, get the Cry Baby Mini. If you want to shape the sweep, try the 535Q. For a different voice, the Vox V847A and Morley Bad Horsie are the strongest Cry Baby alternatives.
A wah is one of the few effects you play with your foot, so the right one feels as important as it sounds. This guide is part of our complete guide to building a guitar pedalboard, and it’s the buyer’s companion to our how to wah tutorial.
Below you’ll find the best wah pedals for every budget and board size, a quick comparison table, advice on choosing a wah pedal for beginners, and where a wah belongs in your guitar pedal order.
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Send My Cheat Sheet →Best Wah Pedals at a Glance
| Wah pedal | Best for | Size | Key feature | Skip it if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunlop Cry Baby GCB95 | Most players | Full size | The classic Cry Baby voice | You want tone controls |
| Dunlop Cry Baby Mini CBM95 | Small boards | Mini | 3 internal voicings | You have big feet and lots of room |
| Dunlop 535Q Multi-Wah | Tone tweakers | Full size | 6 ranges, Q knob, boost | You want plug-and-play simplicity |
| Dunlop Cry Baby Mini 535Q | Tweakers with small boards | Mini | 4 ranges, Q, boost | You never adjust knobs |
| Vox V847A | Vintage 60s tones | Full size | Smooth, vocal Vox voice | You need a pedalboard-friendly size |
| Morley 20/20 Bad Horsie | Switchless, no-fuss wah | Compact | Optical, step-on activation | You prefer a toe-down switch |
How We Picked the Best Wah Pedals
Every wah does the same basic job. A rocking treadle moves a filter peak up and down the frequency range, so your guitar seems to say “wah.” The differences come down to four things.
- Voice. Some wahs are bright and aggressive, and others are warmer and more vocal. The inductor and circuit tuning decide this.
- Sweep range. This is how low and how high the filter travels. A narrow range sounds subtle, and a wide range sounds dramatic.
- Size. Full-size wahs feel familiar under your foot. Mini wahs free up board space.
- Switching. Most wahs click on and off when you push the toe down hard. Switchless wahs turn on as soon as you step on them.
We also looked at build quality, power options and how easy each pedal is to service. A wah takes more physical abuse than any other pedal on your board, so durability matters.
The 6 Best Wah Pedals in Detail
1. Dunlop Cry Baby GCB95: Best Wah Pedal Overall
The Dunlop Cry Baby GCB95 is the default wah for a reason. It has a focused, aggressive sweep that cuts through a band mix. Dunlop now builds it with the red Fasel inductor and a Hot Potz potentiometer rated for a million cycles, inside a heavy die-cast housing.
It runs on a 9-volt battery or a standard 9V adapter. There are no knobs to set, so you just plug it in and play. If you want the sound of classic rock, funk and blues records, start here.
- Pros: iconic voice, tough build, easy to find parts and service
- Cons: full-size footprint, no tone shaping
2. Dunlop Cry Baby Mini CBM95: Best Mini Wah
The Cry Baby Mini is half the size of a standard Cry Baby but keeps a full sweep range. An internal switch picks between Low, Vintage and GCB95 voices, so you can tune it once and forget it. It also has true bypass switching and the same Fasel inductor.
It’s our pick for travel boards and crowded pedalboards. The shorter treadle takes a few minutes to get used to, but most players adapt quickly.
- Pros: saves space, three voices, true bypass
- Cons: voicing switch is inside the pedal