Trey's wah

[sour d]

For the people that think Trey gets those amazing wah sounds from a stock crybaby here's a couple pics of my mid 90's RMC sleeper model and a quote from Teese.

"Trey bought his wah from RUDY'S MUSIC STOP in NYC back in 1995, before I switched to my original hand-cast aluminum wah cases. They called me just as soon as he walked out the door with it. His model was all black and known as the "Sleeper" model. Also available at that time were the no-paint "Plain Jane" RMC3 and the "Voxalike" RMC3 (with black base and chrome Vox rocker)."

[Heady Jam Fan]

Nice!

I had an RMC3, set all the little switches painstakingly by ear, influence from trusted others, and a well-regarded thread from (IIRC) RUKIND. I liked it, but it was not a keeper for me, especially when I felt the need to do further tweaking about a week after the initial setup - I just gave up and sold it. Maybe I could have gotten it perfect, but I hated all those internal switches. IIRC they have a model where the switches are external now...

After playing with a GCB95 again at home (rather than with the band, so I could actually hear it), I didn't feel like I could get Trey-style wah tones (and I didn't buy it specifically to cop Trey, but rather that it was one of my favorite wahs after years of pedal flipping). It just has too much treble or too narrow a 'Q.' It sounded great without midrange-focused pedals like my TS and Ross, but with those pedals, I didn't feel like I had enough bass in the signal and I sounded bright and thin. A more midrange focused wah would have been more ideal for my personal rig (this is why I liked the Budwah and was interested in the MC404).

I'm probably gonna sell the GCB95 and toss on a Maxon AF9. I liked my vintage Ibanez AF9 a lot aside from the fact that the internal trims had been messed with and one of the slide-switches was broken. I found a Maxon for $120, so maybe we will hear some Dead-esque lead lines in up-coming tunes from my band

[Almost wish I didn't have a last spot on my pedalboard to fill! - first world guitarist problems]

[Buffered]

Very interesting! I had a plain jane, and it was tough to dial in (never really figure out the algorithm Teese had posted) but I may get another EF (Proton v3 is sweet, but a blown resistor due to static electricity made me get off the bus for a bit) I'd like to try the TruTron, but it's pricey. Maybe for the big 2-5 coming around the bend, we'll see. They're different effects but I really do love Trey's funk wah, I just don't think I can cop it well enough and to be honest it's the only real reason I dig wah.

[Down_With_Sco]

Excellent! Perhaps I'll try and acquire a RMC3FL since that is supposed to get all the sounds I believe.

Heady, you won't regret the maxon.

[Heady Jam Fan]

Excellent! Perhaps I'll try and acquire a RMC3FL since that is supposed to get all the sounds I believe.

Heady, you won't regret the maxon.

Thanks man!
I figured it would be very familiar after owning the vintage Ibanez. I'm pumped to get one that is more in working-musicians condition rather than just holding a place in a collection.

[Heady Jam Fan]

Very interesting! I had a plain jane, and it was tough to dial in (never really figure out the algorithm Teese had posted) but I may get another EF (Proton v3 is sweet, but a blown resistor due to static electricity made me get off the bus for a bit) I'd like to try the TruTron, but it's pricey. Maybe for the big 2-5 coming around the bend, we'll see. They're different effects but I really do love Trey's funk wah, I just don't think I can cop it well enough and to be honest it's the only real reason I dig wah.

Yeah, the Maxon/Ibanez is a Mu-Tron clone. It says it on Maxon's site

[tsbot]

I got the rmc3fl a few months back - I love it - just gotta dial in what you want and forget it - because you could drive yourself crazy with all the tones - it's a great wah and solid as all get up!

[Jkendrick]

I got the rmc3fl a few months back - I love it - just gotta dial in what you want and forget it - because you could drive yourself crazy with all the tones - it's a great wah and solid as all get up!

That's the way I feel.  I've had an RMC3 for probably 10 years. I remember it being tough to dial in but I haven't touched it since and I love it. But I also don't use it often.

[Buffered]

 The Maxon seems pretty cool - board real estate for me is at a major premium since I use a PT mini and I know it's small but the Tron looks a hair wider than the Maxon + side jacks in so it's a toss up. Going primarily for Jerry/reggae sounds. For that reason I might just go the wah route so I can have it off the board. Have to see how many outlets are left open on my COIKs Adam.

Sorry about the hijack. I actually owned 3 RMC3's over the years. 1st was a red cased one with a modernish PCB, second was a powder blue white foot that I was able to dial in the Island Tour sounds, and the final was the plain jane and I sent it back for a re-pot and it sounded really nice. I would definitely get the FL version if I was to try the RMC3 again.

[Buffered]

Thought I'd add if anyone is looking at a Tru Tron they're having a memorial day sale..

[sour d]

I have owned a few RMC wahs and I feel the same way that they are hard to dial in. If anyone has some settings they like please share. Speaking of envelope filters, I have always thought it would be cool if Trey used one.

[Heady Jam Fan]

I have owned a few RMC wahs and I feel the same way that they are hard to dial in. If anyone has some settings they like please share. Speaking of envelope filters, I have always thought it would be cool if Trey used one.

Yeah, I've thought about that too. I think the Dead's melody lines lend themselves more to an Envelope Filter than Trey's, although that may just be due to the fact that the Dead probably wrote those melodies with the EF and I'm sure Trey could do the same. However, I tend to think of the Dead's tone as more open - a lot less compression - so the notes don't bloom the same way as Trey's. I think the EF gave them some movement within the notes during a melody, while Trey's melody's take advantage of, or are shaped by, the way a hollowbody feeds back and notes bloom due to the compression from a TS>Comp. I guess I kinda think of that 'bloom' in Trey's notes as his equivalent to EF in Dead melodies. Two very different effects, but both give movement and texture.

[Jkendrick]

I think tunes like NICU or Seven Below could work with an EF though obviously not necessary.  For anyone old enough to remember the Edie Brickell hit "What I Am" might remember some people,  even casual Deadheads,  thinking Jerry played on the song. That's clearly just the EF and that sort of confusion is something Phish actively tried to avoid.

[Heady Jam Fan]

I think tunes like NICU or Seven Below could work with an EF though obviously not necessary.  For anyone old enough to remember the Edie Brickell hit "What I Am" might remember some people,  even casual Deadheads,  thinking Jerry played on the song. That's clearly just the EF and that sort of confusion is something Phish actively tried to avoid.

Hmm, thats a good point. I never get it when people say that Phish sounds like the Dead - I guess from an outsider, not jam-fan, perspective they seem similar, but to me, I hardly see any overlap.

Speaking if NICU, I wish Phish played that more often. I like those mellow upbeat tunes. Ya Mar included.

[Jkendrick]

I think the comparisons are more about the scene than the music. I first saw Phish in spring of '89 and they appealed to my love of Zappa, not my love of the Dead. But Phish clearly also embraced taping and the same sort of "following" the Dead had. It seems almost common now, but at the time,  no one was building a band that way.