If you love blues as I do, then the best guitar pedals for blues is good for you. A guitar pedal is an essential tone-shaping effect to add to your pedalboard; this is just the instrument to add peculiarity to your music.
It is considered one of the must-have effects. The pedal makes a sound that mimics the “wah-wah” sound a baby makes, which is why it is also known as the cry baby pedal.
Also, the guitar pedal is so versatile that it is used not only by electric guitarists but also keyboardists, bassists and musicians who play the violin.
This article is a guide to help you choose the best guitar pedals for blues to suit your personal and playing purposes because there are several perfect guitar pedals out there that might make your choice a tricky one.
The Best Guitar Pedals For Blues
Picking 10 out of the numerous choices of guitar pedals for blues was not easy, but these ten topped our list of the very best.
Xotic Effects Wah XW-1 Guitar Effects Pedal
This beautiful model is based on the Holy Grail wah. It is highly versatile such that it produces unlimited sounds and also has distinct controls that alter your sound to make it better. The adjustability and flexibility are features that make it one of the best selling guitar pedals.
It has a bias control, Wah Q control, treble and bass control, adjustable pedal torsion and LED indicators, features put in place to make the using process easier as the 4 controls allow you to dial in the exact wah range, shape, colour and gain.
Pros
- Considered the most versatile and customizable guitar pedal
- It produces a very quiet and clean sound
- The pedal is very responsive to the slightest movement
- Excellent sounding
Cons
- There is a brief moment of silence when the wah is activated.
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Dunlop GCB95F Cry Baby Classic Wah Guitar Effects Pedal
This is a fine, highly versatile guitar pedal. The GCB95F has a lower frequency centre and a more subtle effect with true bypass and switching.
It is easy to use, highly durable and costs a reasonable amount that makes it affordable within a reasonable budget. Also, it comes with a Fasel inductor that produces warmer sounds than most. Finally, it is a good, solid guitar pedal and produces the classic sound you’re aiming for.
Pros
- Highly durable and made with sturdy materials
- It produces a throaty kind of harsh wah sound that stands out anywhere
- It produces a warm tone and variability
Cons
- Slightly limited tone ranges.
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Dunlop CBM95 Cry Baby Mini Wah
This might be a mini wah pedal but it packs as much punch as its larger counterpart. A mini wah pedal is just the extra flair to add to your pedalboard and although small-sized doesn’t cut corners on tone, usability and durability.
The CMB95 mini wah pedal is ideal wherever space is a requirement without forfeiting tone, it comes fully equipped with the legendary Fasel inductor, a full sweep range, and three internally adjustable voicings which include Low, Vintage, and GCB95.
It also captions credible bypass switching and outstanding quality hardware making it one of the best guitar pedals for blues.
Pros
- Tone is great
- Decent sweep and solid wah
- Sturdy and durable
Cons
- It doesn’t come with a LED light to signify whether it is on or off
VOX V847A Wah Wah Guitar Effects Pedal, Black
This vox wah-wah pedal with AC jack is based on the specifications of the original pedal produced by VOX in the 1960s. It offers musicians the same legendary tone but with added features like the addition of AC power capability and a buffered input jack for retaining the unprocessed guitar tone when the pedal is not activated.
Also, the pedals have undergone a redesign that makes them closer in specifications to the original VOX inductors. These added features increase the versatility of the pedal and make it beneficial to all musicians.
Its other features include Connectors: 1/4-inch INST jack (input), 1/4-inch AMP jack (output), DC input jack, power supply: one 9V DC battery 6F22, power consumption: 540uA at 9VDC, battery life for continuous use: approximately greater than 100 hours with manganese battery.
Pros
- The sound it produces is great
- Well built and durable
- The pedal gives total control
Cons
- Poor quality control
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Cry Baby Standard Wah (GCB95)
The cry baby has been the leading guitar pedal for decades, these have been used by everyone from Slash (GnR) and Jimi Hendrix to Kirk Hammett (Metallica) and Adam Jones (Tool) to achieve a wide variety of tones, and honestly, if you’re just getting into guitar pedals, this pedal is an excellent start.
It has just the right amount of sweep and can be easily “cocked” for locking in the desired tone, it also comes with a Fasel inductor.
Pros
- Made of sturdy materials and highly durable
- A classic Wah pedal tone with a good sound and a great sweep right out of the box
- The functionality of the pedal is top-notch
Cons
- It doesn’t have the classic throaty “talking” sound or feels, like the old pedal models
MXR MC404 CAE Dual Inductor Wah Wah
This analogue pedal allows you to switch between two distinctly-voiced Fasel inductors with an inbuilt boost/line Driver circuit, internal Q and gain controls, and brilliant status LEDs on each side of the pedal.
It features a custom-designed CTS extended life low noise potentiometer, user-selectable gain output stage with kick switch and LED indicator and designed with low noise Class ‘A’ operational amplifiers. It also has bright LEDs that indicate effect status, inductor mode, and boost on or off mode.
Pros
- It produces a high sound with a yellow Fasel button and a low sound with the red
- It doesn’t change your tone when not engaged
- Versatility
Cons
- It is heavy and not pedalboard-friendly
MOOER Free Step Guitar Wah and Volume Pedal
It recreates the vocal sweep and lush harmonics of the classic wah tone, while remaining small and compact, it is equipped with four pressure sensors. The pedal is an easy-to-use design that makes you able to focus solely on your performance.
It also has a LED light indicator that indicates the wah effect is in operation or not. It has an extendable pedal ring that can be removed from the pedal, creating a larger contact area between the foot and the pedal. This strengthens the feeling and sensitivity of your touch.
When it’s not in use, the rings can be withdrawn, bringing The Wahter back to its mini size, the smoothness of tone is all thanks to the high-quality electronic components Mooer uses.
Pros
- The sound and performance of the pedal is great
- Multifunctional
- Great range
Cons
- It doesn’t accept a 9v battery unless you need an adaptor
SONICAKE VolWah Active Volume & Wah Expression Pedal
The unit is small but well built and lightweight. It is also jam-packed with killer wah tone and also has a volume function and bright LED indicators, red and green that tell you what option you have.
Pros
- The wah sounds great and has a decent sweep to it
- Both the wah and volume effects function greatly
- Despite its size, packs a punch
- No noise whatsoever
Cons
- The LED lights are under the footrest of the pedal which reduces visibility
Cry Baby 535Q Mini Wah Guitar Effects Pedal (CBM535Q)
This mini wah provides the perfect proportion of pedalboard efficiency and wah control. It features a range selector that helps you set the tonal character of your sound(four different sweep ranges), a Q control with which you can shape the wah’s response.
From a narrow bandpass that emphasizes higher-end harmonics to a wide bandpass that emphasizes lower end harmonics, volume control, boost switch, LED indicator and sports the legendary red Fase inductor. This pedal is the ideal choice if you want to retain space on your pedal-board without cutting corners on sound and build quality.
Pros
- Highly versatile
- Well built and amazing sound
- Basic features make it easy to use
Cons
- It lacks a LED switch to indicate whether the pedal is turned on or off
Dunlop KH95 Kirk Hammett Signature Cry Baby Wah Wah
Meticulously tuned and tweaked to create exceptional wah sound. Dunlop’s engineers took Kirk Hammett’s EQ, volume and tone settings reflecting decades of blazing Cry Baby sound and recreated them with exacting precision. It has a thick top end and the full dynamic range requires 9v batteries.
Pros
- Great sounding
- Nice and solid
- No noise whatsoever
Cons
- Sweep is limited
What To Consider When Buying A Guitar Pedal
If you’re buying a guitar pedal, then it’s obvious that you’re clearly into your music career and concerned about enhancing your musical output. However, there are many things to consider when choosing this game-changer.
Budget
Although an excellent guitar pedal will come at a high price, you’ll be able to get one that suits your taste and is perfect for you and is also within your budget.
Sound and Tone
Another feature is the sound and tone it produces. Although the guitar pedal as a particular sound attributed to it. Many companies have been trying to spice up the tone the wah pedal produces, and a lot of them produce good sounds with a wide range of adjustable frequencies.
Durability
If you’re going to buy a guitar pedal, you should ensure you buy one long-lasting and will not give you any problems in the long run. For example, if the potentiometer breaks, it will affect the smooth running of your wah pedal. Also, you should buy a sturdy one made of very quality materials.
Analogue or Digital
Another thing to consider is whether it is analogue or digital. If you want something that needs less, then optical is the way to go. It is operated electrically and has fewer controls. However, for someone who likes the extra controls, the mechanical guitar pedal is the better choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does a Guitar Pedal Do?
A Guitar pedal simply changes the sound of your guitar signal, it usually changes the guitar tone from more of a bass tone to a treble tone that has a little bit of edge to it, the increase and decrease in the frequency of the resonance is what alters the sound the guitar produces.
The Guitar pedal is listed under effects that modify guitar sounds and while some are basic with only a few controls, others have a wide range of features that increase the versatility of the wah pedal and makes controlling it less simple.
How Do I Use the Guitar Pedal?
There’s nothing much to it as it is a foot pedal, the lower part where the heel is placed contains the bass sound while the upper part where the toe is placed is where the treble sound is found and it is the back and forth movement between two is what creates the wah sound, so how fast your foot moves affects the number of wah sounds you create.
There’s another favourite trick used by a lot of guitarists in which they press the pedal halfway down, this is known as a “cocked” position and it produces an interesting sound that won’t be gotten any other way.
Conclusion
Since you’re on this page, I know you’re planning on getting your blues guitar playing to a higher level by making the very great decision of buying the best guitar pedals for blues, and I’m sure as well that you either don’t know what you’re looking for yet or making a choice out of the many options is tricky.
This is just a guide to help, making the decision depends solely on you as you should buy a wah pedal that works perfectly for you and ticks all your criteria. Have fun with the interesting, new and unique sound your guitar is going to be producing with the addition of a wah pedal.
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