The Foxrox Wah Retrofit is a self-contained JFET buffer/amp circuit that gets installed into your Wah Wah pedal, giving it the ability to cut through any Fuzz Face or Fuzz Face clone. By essentially installing a "real" output section, the Wah Wah pedal becomes immune to the effects of loading, restoring range and depth to older, vintage Wah Wah pedals without affecting their vintage value. Newer, high-end "boutique" wah pedals, such as Teese RMC pedals also benefit from this mod because they are based on the same, classic inductor-based circuit. Since it is a basic JFET audio buffer/amplifier, this circuit can also be added to effects pedals that need more output, as well as effects that need more drive at the input.
Sweet! Was going to build this into a bypass looper pedal because I didn't want to mod the guy's gorgeous Vox handwired Wah. Figured I'd design the vero from the schematic on my own, then this appeared on your page. :D
ReplyDeleteMaybe for once I'll be able to verify something here!
good luck guys. this vero looks great, BUT....
ReplyDeletein my experience, not a single one of these "wah buffers" works for shit.
i built every single one i could find on the net, including buffs by rg, amz,foxrox,teese...you name it.
NONE of 'em work the way people claim.
if you HAVE TO HAVE YOUR WAH FIRST..... the best solution i've found (after building a dozen + circuits) is to add a 50k pot in series between the output of the wah board, and the same connection on the switch. you can use a dpdt to take the pot out of the circuit (like i did). you only need the input and the wiper of the pot. dialing in a small resistance makes almost no effect on tone, and works at least as well as any of the buffers people suggest.
you can run your fuzzface after your wah. it won't sound very good there, but it will work better with the series resistance than any buffer.
don't believe me...try it for yourself.
peace
pink jimi
Thanks for the info Jim. I've heard good and bad reports back about these but thought it was definitely worth adding to the collection so people can try it for themselves.
DeleteVerified! As a buffer anyway. :) Will report once the guy tries it with his wah and fuzz.
ReplyDeleteThanks for verifying!
Delete+m
Anytime! It's the least I could do. :)
DeleteJust got word that the foxrox buffer fixed his Wah into Fuzz issues! For reference it was a Vox V846HW into a Analogman Sunface BC108 and a Peppermint Fuzz.
ReplyDeleteExcellent, thanks for verifying mate
DeleteI always wanted to make one of these, will give it a go!
ReplyDeleteAny chance of getting the CC Hybrid fuzz or Hot Si fuzz?
FoxRox makes killer fuzzes for sure :) I would love to put together a captain coconut even hehee :p
So, Just so I understand, the buffer comes before the wah in the signal chain, right? And, if you wan tto install the buffer in a wah pedal, the input would be wired to the buffer, and the buffer output wired to the wah input...right?
ReplyDeleteNo, it's used at the wah output, before the fuzz pedal.
DeleteHaven't tried this one but will do next week.
ReplyDeletebased on experience...
Just modify your wah to true bypass and it will work with fuzz face.
(i think the problem with the wah is that they have this buffer circuit,
bypassing it will work with fuzz face.)
BEst if the wah is near the amp.. then the fuzzface more Gnarly.
thanks for the post!
I finally got around to adding this to my Clyde McCoy clone. I have to say, the tone has improved overall. It's nice having the trimmer there to adjust volume. I tried with Fuzz Face clone before wah and don't really get any wah sound but moved the wah in front with Fuzz Face after and now it actually does cut through, though not completely. I will try it later with Buzzaround and Tonebender and see if the results are similar.
ReplyDeleteHey all
ReplyDeleteInstalled this on my Clyde McCoy clone and it works great...
pinkster is talking smack about this because imo, this works just fine. Now I can run the wah before a fuzz and it sounds KILLER
Thanks IvIark!
i used this actually as a front end for the suzy q and it was brilliant, but the best option i found is a 50k pot in series with tthe output of the wah board before the switch. wire it as a variable resistor, and you can dial in a resistance that works better than this buffer does. as a buffer, it works. as a "magic box to make your wah play nice before a fuzzface" not so much.
Deletei built EVERY buffer circuit peeps reccomended, and the pot alone works as well if not better than any of them.
as a buffer, it's fine. works great... as a magic fix? not so much.
ymmv of course, but i gig with this shit 3-5 nites a week usually.
it may work better on silicon than ge; i don't run silicon fuzzes.
i've played agitprop's rig, and it was amusing, but nothing like mine (he has a very nice wah setup he put a lot of time into and it shows) and he uses si... when i played thru it at the last gig, i could see why he liked it, but it wasn't for me. the wah plain doesn't cut right. just going from bass to treble does not a good wah sound make.. again... ymmv.
if that's talkin smack, so be it.
;)
peace
I am going to try the 50k pot in series trick on a Chinese Vox 847a that has been gutted and replaced with a 846 vero from Sinner from FSB -
DeleteI am also going to just put the fox buffer inside a little 1590a in a bypass looper for my vintage wah that I am not modding. I like the 50k Pot idea since it can be mounted on the outside of the wah and no extra boards in the wah
Cheers!
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ReplyDeleteI made a mistake earlier.
DeleteI made and installed this into one of my wahs, no more squealing in front of a fuzz face. Works perfectly. Thanks.
Mine works great too. I am running an old crybaby into an Arctic White Fuzz. The cool thing about the old Crybaby is, it has these metal "posts" that stick up from the board, so it was easy to figure out which post was power and which post was ground. I already had to replace the original pot, so I didn't feel bad at all installing this little buffer directly in the wah enclosure, and wiring it directly to the power and ground posts. then I just desoldered the signal lead from the output jack and soldered it onto the buffer input. Then I wired the output to the output jack. Done. My trimmer is cranked all the way up, though, for unity. The Arctic White sounds like it is supposed to now when the wah is on. I even noticed an improvement with my Blues Driver.
ReplyDeleteI've done one of those but I can't get it to work.
ReplyDeleteWhen I push it on it get quiet but in bypass its fine.
Gone over the layout many times and can't find any faults.
I'm started to wonder if I installed it wrong.
I used foxroxs installation guide.
Is it not installed the same way?
Could anyone help me with the wiring.I try this as a buffer outside the wah and it works but when i put it in the wah pedal it did not.The bypass works but when i engage the wah i have no signal.I am using the companys information and put it like this:http://www.foxroxelectronics.com/TeesePicture.html
ReplyDeleteI tried the trimmer in series at the output. It made things better and sounded decent but I wasn't really happy. Tried this buffer and now it's perfect! Sounds just as good before my fuzz face as straight to the amp or before regular dirt pedals. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI used tantalam caps for 1uf and 100nf, how can I sure I have the polarity right, I spent sometime try to work it out and I'm 99% sure I have the correct polarity. I've installed it into my wah and I'm getting a boost when the pot is turned up, so I guess that means I have it built correctly? Regards, Will
I do not built this buffer yet but i guess, what you say it's correct.
DeleteThere is no polarity on tantalum condensator. Or check it on original schematics.
You should try it on your wah and fuzz to see how it work.
Personnaly, I already tried an other buffer, it work but.. not transparent. Will try this one with the moddable input impedance trimpot.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt works great! Thanks for sharing this schematic. There is some differences between original circuit, sounds basically identical to my ears.
ReplyDeleteCan I use a LF353?
ReplyDeleteI just made this with a TL071 opamp chip and wow it really works pretty well. Im using it in my pre 2006 RMC 4 Picture Wah and by messing with the volume trimmer i can get almost a full sweep out of it through my fuzz face. With some tweaking of the gtr vol, fuzz control/vol I can get it close to perfect. It works well with my octavio too. Im very happy.
ReplyDeleteI just made this with a TL071 opamp chip and wow it really works pretty well. Im using it in my pre 2006 RMC 4 Picture Wah and by messing with the volume trimmer i can get almost a full sweep out of it through my fuzz face. With some tweaking of the gtr vol, fuzz control/vol I can get it close to perfect. It works well with my octavio too. Im very happy.
ReplyDelete