10 Best WAH Volume Pedals
for September 2023

This pedal from Sonicake is a cool alternative to other active wah pedals. With a 16-step volume knob and 9-mode wah switch, it gives you a wider range of options than our previous pick, the Micro Maestro. It also sounds good, and it includes a power adapter, which our pick didn't, so it's more convenient to use. However, the pedal's active volume control (which mutes the pedal when not engaged) has a strange and inconsistent behavior. When engaged, the pedal sounds awesome, and it feels great. When it's disengaged, the pedal sounds horrible, and it's incredibly hard to get it to sound right. Also, the volume knob doesn't turn as smoothly or as smoothly as our previous pick, so it takes some getting used to. We should note that Sonicake's pedal is a clone of the Line 6 M9 wah pedal, so you may have a better experience with this model.

The Donner Wah Guitar Pedal is lightweight, compact, and sturdy, and its a mix of classic wah sound and active volume pedal, making it useful for a variety of situations. It flows naturally through an instrument's signal chain, and it works well for replacing active wah pedals, and for adding wah to an instrument that already has one (such as a bass). In our testing, the Vowel 2 in 1 Wah Volume Pedal Mini Vintage Wah Active Volume Guitar Effect Pedal sounded good in a band setting, and its loudness and depth were on par with other active wah pedals we tested. The voice selector switch lets you choose from three voicings: Vowel, Classic Wah, and Treble Wah. The Vowel setting provides a smooth, round, and rich wah sound, and the Classic Wah setting provides a more resonant and rich wah sound. The Treble Wah setting provides more biting, sharp, snappish, and cutting wah sound than the Vowel and Classic Wah. The Vowel 2 in 1 Wah Volume Pedal Mini Vintage Wah Active Volume Guitar Effect Pedal is relatively inexpensive, and it comes with a three-year warranty.

The WAH-II Classic is JOYO's second generation of WAH pedals, and it offers the same great sound and features as the original, with a few welcome improvements. This pedal's smaller size is more comfortable for playing, and its EQ switch makes it easy to switch between a warmer, more aggressive tone and a twangy, bluesy one. The volume knob is much better than the original's, so you can easily boost or cut your tone. The pedal's overall quality is much improved, and it's built much sturdier than the original. One small complaint: When we tested the unit, it stopped responding after less than 30 minutes. JOYO customer support was very responsive, and they quickly sent a replacement unit.

The MeloAudio EXP-001 Volume Expression Wah Bass Guitar Effects Pedal is a no-frills, yet capable, solution for adding expressive control to your bass. The EXP-001 is smaller and lighter than the EXP-100, and has a more streamlined design with fewer controls. However, the EXP-001 does lack a mute switch, and while that may be a disappointment to some, the EXP-001's smaller size and streamlined design make it ideal for those who play music in small venues or on stage where space is at a premium. The EXP-001 is equipped with five controls: Volume, Expression Gain, Octave Down, Octave Up, and Expression. The Expression Gain control enables you to adjust the sensitivity (sensitivity varies by effect pedal) of the pedal's expression control. The Octave Up and Octave Down controls allow you to adjust the sound's pitch (by turning the knob clockwise), and the Expression control lets you control the volume (by turning the knob counterclockwise). The EXP-001 is powered via a standard 9V DC power supply, and it comes with an instrument cable. The EXP-001 is supplied with an expression pedal, but Melo Audio also sells an EXP-001 Pilotfoot, which enables you to control a pedal's expression pedal via footswitch.

The Morley 20/20 Power Wah Volume Pedal has 20dB of boost, which essentially makes the bottom end of your guitar louder, and 20dB of attenuation, which effectively makes the high end softer. The 20/20 is designed to work with overdrive pedals, but can also be used on its own, and because its signal is buffered, the 20/20 works without destroying your signal. The 20/20 also has a built-in boost/cut switch, which lets you boost the lows, cut the mids, or retain full range. The 20/20 also has a 1/4-inch input and a cab-length 1/4-inch output. The 20/20 has a sturdy, durable housing, and comes with a DC power adapter. The 20/20's boost/cut switch has detents, and is easy to operate, but it's a bit stiff, so if you don't use it often, it might be difficult to operate. The 20/20 also has only 20dB of boost, which might not sound like much, but it's enough to boost the volume of any guitar or bass, and to cut through a dense band mix. The 20/20 is well-made and reasonably priced, and it's an excellent value.

The Hotone Vow Press Combo Wah/Volume Guitar Effects Pedal is a sweet little pedal that offers a simple, no-frills yet effective wah effect. It's compact, light, and a little less expensive than a lot of wah pedals, and it's easy to use. The wah effect is rich and musical, and it produces plenty of bottom end, which is exactly what you want from a wah pedal. The volume pedal works well, too. The LED lights are nice, and it's nice to have bypass and true bypass switches. The pedal is a little noisy, but if that's an issue for you, you can plug it directly into a guitar. The Vow Press doesn't offer anything fancy, but it's an affordable, compact wah/volume pedal that gets the job done.

The Hotone Wah Active Volume Passive Expression Pedal is among the least expensive 4 in 1 guitar effects pedals on the market, and for that you get a lot. The Wah-Wah effect is one of the most popular effects in both rock and pop music, so having this pedal in your arsenal gives you plenty of options to play different music styles. The pedal's got plenty of features, including a wah, a volume control, an expression pedal, and an expression boost. The pedal has a wah range control, which lets you adjust the wah effect's range, from subtle to extreme. The pedal also has a Q control, which lets you adjust the wah effect's resonance. The pedal's expression pedal gives you the ability to control the volume and tone of the wah effect, as well as play different special effects. The pedal also has a true bypass switch, so you'll never have to worry about your tone being affected by the pedal's signal or signal reflections. The pedal's LEDs show the status of the pedal in real time, so you know exactly what's going on. The pedal's also equipped with a 9-volt DC power supply, so you'll never have to worry about buying batteries.

The JOYO WAH-I Wah-Wah & Volume Pedal is quite unusual. It performs a lot more than your average wah pedal, with volume, EQ, and filter functions. It's small enough to fit on a pedalboard, yet it also features controls for volume, wah, and EQ, as well as a bypass switch. Its wah feature is quite articulate, and the volume-level control is very responsive, so you don't have to worry about the pedal distorting your tone. Its EQ function allows you to change the amount of boost or cut in your signal, and the filter function allows you to apply different filter shapes to your signal. The pedal's bypass switch is great for live performances, as it prevents your guitar's volume from being affected by the pedal. It's also worth noting that the pedal's output is level-compensated, so it doesn't distort your signal when you turn it up. The WAH-1 Wah-Wah & Volume Pedal provides a lot of functionality for its size, and it performs well across the board. It does have a couple minor issues. First, its volume control takes a little getting used to, as it has a tendency of going past its maximum, which can be a nuisance if you're playing live. Second, the pedal's EQ function has a noticeable latency, so it doesn't respond as quickly as other pedals. Overall, though, this pedal is a steal for the price.