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Wah without wah?


Jeff_Reigns

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Posted

Alright, I've got a good subject for you guys. After searching this forum I haven't found one thing on it so I'm gonna throw it out here...

 

How do you make a wah effect with your right hand?

 

I know it's possible. Zakk uses it among many others.

 

And as for the "why don't you just get a wah" answer... I have one. I would love not to have to step on it to use it with just one note.

 

Thanks guys!

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I suspect you're talking about artificial harmonics - squealing noise when you hit a note? ZW is addicted to them and I suppose at a big stretch you might call it a 'wah' noise...

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If you pull an artificial harmonic with a bit of a bend, you're going to get a sort of wah sound. The other way is, of course, the old school Roy Buchanon way. Reach down and start messing with that tone knob!

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Originally posted by bardsley

the old school Roy Buchanon way. Reach down and start messing with that tone knob!

 

 

Yes. Roy did more with less. put your pinky on the tone knob, and get it going.

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You could also use an Auto-Wha. You set the sensitivity to open the wha by how hard you attack the string. No foot action required, just precise picking ;)

But, yeah the Zakk thing is probably pitch/false/artificial harmonics as mentioned and described. It him the 'WHHHAAAAA" sound.

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Posted

Someone mentioned Roy Buchanon, and I've read that his technique involved working both the volume and tone knobs together. Of course, how easy this is will depend on the style of your guitar (how many knobs, how accessible they are to your right hand, etc.) Roy used a Tele, so the simple controls on that guitar (and, of course, his supernatural talent) made it possible. I've tried it a few times with my tele-style G&L guitar, but it's definately not something I've got down yet.
-dd

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Posted

Originally posted by Knottyhed

I suspect you're talking about artificial harmonics - squealing noise when you hit a note? ZW is addicted to them and I suppose at a big stretch you might call it a 'wah' noise...

 

 

No no, not pinch harmonics. Thats simple, and to me sounds nothing like a wah.

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Posted

Originally posted by Jeff_Reigns



No no, not pinch harmonics. Thats simple, and to me sounds nothing like a wah.

 

 

You can do a pretty damn convincing wah effect with the tone knob on your guitar. This is easier on a strat but Roy Buchanan did it on a tele and the best example from him is at the end of Five String Blues on Second Album.

 

I've seen this guy do it on a strat live at a jam session. Turned a lot of heads. Anyway, the trick is to have the tone way down as you hit the note and then quickly turn it up. It has to pass a ceertain point where it sounds like it opens up, that's where you have the vocal effect, the "whoaw" sound. This point is a little different for every note... practice and more practice...

 

There are a few other tricks. For strumming you can alternate between strumming close to the bridge and then close to where the neck joins the body.

 

Pinch harmonics, or rather pinch harmonics that don't quite make it, can give a bit of a quacking sound.

 

If you are using a slide there is a really wild wah effect to be had from gliding right over the point where the string goes over the bridge, right there on the edge. Only works on open strings of course, cause you'll need both hands to do it.

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Posted

Originally posted by Jeff_Reigns

Case in point... now true, it was studio work, it could've been a wah. But I've heard from more than one source that you can do that without a wah.

 

 

That's a pinch harmonic with a bucketload of vibrato.

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Posted

If you're doing pinch harmonics, it's important that you still let the original note ring out as clearest. The pinched harmonic you want as more of a background sound. If you just hear the harmonic, it's not going to sound like a wah. If you get a bit in, and put massive amounts of vibrato on, you'll get there.

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