All user reviews of 3/5 for the Dunlop GCB95 Cry Baby

You probably already know what this is and what it does. Should you not know. Jimi Hendrix was the one who really made the Crybaby brand know along with the Wah sound (often referred to as Wah Wah). The GCB95 version was the first of a long line of Wah pedals designed by Dunlop.
The simplicity of the pedal is to be admired. There's an input and an output with some components attached to a pot in between. You also get a foot switch to turn the effect on/off when you need to.

UTILIZATION

Should you feel the need to point out who invented the plug and play principal, then it has to be Dunlop. You plug in you cords, give it some power and bam - you'r up and running.
However! Getting the right sound out of this kind of effect does take some time and practice. Granted, some require longer then others.

SOUND QUALITY

To be honest, I'm not that into the GCB95 version of the Crybaby. To me the sound if it, is simply to harsh and thin. The basic function of the Wah pedal is an EQ low-pass filter changed in real time through the pot on the inside of the housing. The Wah effect is found on many pedal boards throughout the world, but even though they might not all be the same, they all have the same issue. They suck out the tone of your setup. You might want to either give the pedal its own looping system or throw in a buffer after the Wah.

The GCB95 I had (yes, HAD) on my pedal board, sounded like it had a weird range. It was like it would get to the midrange and then go completely mad and go straight to the top range. It didn't fit into my sound at all, so it had to go.
Did I have a bad example of the pedal? I don't know.

OVERALL OPINION

It's a legend and the first of it's kind from Dunlop, but that also shows when you play it. It's like they needed to tune in, on how the circuit should be, which took a few generations.
The effect has ben overdone throughout time, but you can't really have a pedal board without it. It can spice up a funky rhythm guitar or give that extra squeal to your heroic guitar solo with the full on distortion blasting at full volume.
Don't just go out and buy the GCB95, because everybody else has one or because it's the "standard Wah" test out a few others and you might find something that's more your style and sound.

This is the first of what seems like an almost endless line of Crybaby effects from Dunlop. Made as simple as can be there is an input for guitar and an output for connecting to your amp. It produces a Wha sound just as the name implies that kind of cycles from the "W" in heel down position to the "a" in toe down position. The only parts are the rocker pedal and the switch under the front of the pedal which turns it on or off.

UTILIZATION

This is most likely one of the simplest effects to understand but getting it right with your playing will take some practice. This is truly a plug and play pedal because there is nothing to set up or alter. The pedal controls the sound of the filter and honestly can only be learned and mastered through use.

SOUND QUALITY

This version of the effect is used on guitars. I'm sure other instruments have made use of it in the past but these days there are ones specifically tailored to the frequency range of lets say a bass for instance. I would see no reason to buy this version for use with anything other than a guitar. This unit will suck some of the sound out of you guitar when not in use and if you are driving a huge pedal board you might want to boost the signal along the line after this unit. When in use there is no denying the signature sound of this effect. Aptly named a Wha-WHa it literally causes that sound to be coupled with your playing. It can be used in rhythm as well as lead playing and when properly applied will add a very desirable emphasis to your playing.

OVERALL OPINION

This is the standard wha sound and I do prefer many of the alternate models to this one. It is the tried and true wha so money spent on it is well spent in my opinion. The thing is built like a tank and is capable of kicking the butt of any other pedal in a cage match. The major down sides to this pedal are based in its older design. It turns on it the toe up position and starts in the "a" instead of the "W" portion of the sweep. The button can tend to also add a little "pop" into your sound when hit. The worst however is that the pedal itself could be designed to feel a bit more comfortable if they used an updated design instead of the antiquated pot but I guess it would no longer be original then.

classic, purchased 20 years ago.
effect known architects, made in USA.

UTILIZATION

intuitive.
recurring problem of reliability:

the knob constantly crashes, the trip setting of the knob is not easy to handle when the creature is dismantled, there is no true bypass and the sound is different between I go through the pedal without enclancher and I not wear it ... which in hindsight is crap.

SOUND QUALITY

the sound is very good at first, but with its bypassed this problem, it's pretty average.
So I installed a true bypass. there are clear topics on the net about it, it's pretty easy to do if you're clever but you have to adjust it stomp of "triggers the right place with your foot ... a hair GALERE. But this changes everything!

second point, I had to change the volume pot pourri by a knob replacement official. The sound is very different from before. it's cleaner, better staged (excellent), but also more powerful, clean sound and less easy to maintain as the boost is most important.
Finally, after the changes, it is a good pedal, but that's still a pedal to avoid.

OVERALL OPINION

I had a morley wah volume, tried a real VOX 2000 and 2008 another Chinese, nothing beats a real old vox. The recent vox are pretty rotten, the morley are clean but there are too many models ...
So a crybaby a little secondhand revisited, it's not too expensive and it will patrce the basic sound is not bad. attention, not because it is old and made in U.S. that quality will await you ...

The GCB-95 Crybaby by Dunlop is your basic straightforward wah pedal. It has a metal housing with a heavy duty bypass switch mounted under the metal foot rocker board, four rubber feet screwed to the bottom, an input for your instrument and an output to go to your amplifier. There are no high tech optical switches, Q knobs, or modes to fool with or go bad on you. It’s a black brick that is made for years and years of use with nothing extra going on.

UTILIZATION

This wah pedal can sound good just about anywhere in the signal chain, but most people like to put it first in line after their guitar. This is the classic design of putting the footswitch under the foot pedal in the toe down position to turn it on and then you go to town on your filtering. I like this method much better than the alternatives other companies have come up with like having a separate on and off switch located on a floor panel or switchless designs like Morley has been putting out. Dunlop just put out a good version of this pedal to start with and that’s why it’s still around and so popular today. Some versions of this pedal have different tweaks for different modes and sweeps, but I find the original version to be more than enough to achieve those classic wah tones.

SOUND QUALITY

The original Crybaby has a distinct sound. The range of this model is quite wide and you are able to get abrupt quacks or slow filter sweeps depending on how you use the foot pedal. The pot on the inside of the pedal can be manually adjusted to change the sweep range of the foot pedal, so if you want a little more bass or treble you can get that. This is a simple pedal, so you only get one sound and sweep, but it’s well voiced and cuts through the mix well in a live band setting. This pedal does roll off some of the high end of your guitar tone regardless of how you power it or where you put it in your signal chain. It’s the nature of the bypass. It can be modded to be true-bypass easily, you can adjust a little more treble on your amp, or you might like the inherited rounding off of the high end.

OVERALL OPINION

The GCB-95 would be a good choice for someone looking for a classic wah tone. It does lose a little bit of high end when put into your signal path, but nothing that can’t be corrected by your amplifier. If I were to be looking for another wah pedal I would probably go another route and get something with a few more bells and whistles that could get a few more tones, but overall I’ve been satisfied with my Crybaby. It’s a staple in rock and roll guitar. Every teenage guitar player has to go out and get a wah pedal after hearing it for the first time, and on a teenager’s budget the GCB-95 fits the bill. This also leads to a lot of them being on the used gear market, and that’s where I would pick one up if I were getting one. They usually go fairly cheap and since they are built very well, getting a used one sight unseen off the internet wouldn’t worry me a bit. Altogether, there are better wahs out there, but this is a decent pedal for the money and has the potential to be a lifelong piece of gear with a few mods.

Between a guitar
An output amplifier
Alim: adapter (not sold) or 9V battery (ACCS laborious under the plate).
Swicht On / Off by pressing the pedals.
A little heavy and therefore stable trs coating prevents any dparrage.

Basic Config trs

UTILIZATION

Simply press and hop before Guiguamp!
Mine (uh not that of the general pardon of my ERRF singer) works fine.
Big BMOL: if it is not dyed it impossible not to see, horrible sound becomes especially acute in position (cd down to max).

SOUND QUALITY

The magnitude is not great but it works trs trs well in heavy distortion especially solo.
It is located in the middles plutt / treble. For clean sounds it going, especially on the agreements. For the solos sound like fairly clear.
Small even when BMOL: once triggers the signal loses power then for solos prvoir a Boost to hear a little story that is played.
The sound is vintage trs for a first prize. So for a Wah Wah by CHRE I recommend. For other conimiser be a little high and hit it.

OVERALL OPINION

It is not me but it does not fawn all done to please me.

Wah pedal you can not simple.pas adjustment Q.

UTILIZATION

Very easy to use!

SOUND QUALITY

SETTINGS penalizes the lack of this pedal after a few months we get tired! Deplus the sound of this one is in my opinion "too late" and very showy in acute which further limits its use to avoid getting hurt ears ....

OVERALL OPINION

Wah is the cheapest, and I understand why! the problem is that the other pedals are much more expensive so there is no competition and you end up with a pedal that my taste is not very good quality, but it is the first wah can be not so bad, the problem starts when you start to play on a tube amp ...!

Everything is already said

UTILIZATION

Such

SOUND QUALITY

His legendary course wah (like chicken mythic Mc ***) but too advanced for my taste, I find the depth of the effect troublesome for the Hard Rock in any case it is my opinion in general.

The sound is very good, it just does not to my taste.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 5 years now, I tried qques models before but not the masses, I recently discovered that I need, I'm just waiting on the ^ ^ '

I think it's still worth a good wahwah greatly look as legendary.
The value for money is cool to see.

I would do this choice as a beginner if I knew little in wah-wah, but not anymore because I know the sound I want.

Ah, the classic wah pedal, the Dunlop Crybaby. Not much special as far as specs go, buffered bypass, no LED indicator, no knobs or extra switches. Although there is far better wahs out there stock, the Dunlop can be found for cheap, and is a great pedal to mod. I got mine used for only $20.

UTILIZATION

It's not exactly hard to use, stick your foot on the pedal, activate the switch, and then rock said foot back and forth. Ta-da! You too can now be Kirk Hammett!

Seriously though, it can take a little getting use to if you're not great at multitasking. That said, once you get it down, it becomes pretty much second nature. And even if you can't get the hang of it, it is built well enough to chuck at the drummer.

I can't say how well the manual explains how to use it, as I got it used with no manual, but really, it's not rocket science guys.

SOUND QUALITY

This is were a stock Crybaby falls short. Stock it is way too shrill and piercing, and it sounds pretty whimpy all around. That is quite easily fixed though, I spent about $20 to mod mine and it sounds nothing short of amazing now. That being said, this review is for a stock wah, so I have to give it pretty low marks for sound. I'm pretty sure that the newest revision of the Crybaby comes stock with a reissue Red Fasel inductor, which very well may help the general lack of tone.

The buffer is also pretty nasty as well. I know buffers are good for when you have long cable runs, but that kinda goes out the window when the buffer in question sucks. Once again though, modding it for true-bypass just about couldn't be simpler. I'm not entirely sure why Dunlop just doesn't do it straight from the factory. I'm running through a Peavey Ultra all-tube amp pushing a 5150 Straight cab with Celestion V30's and G12T-75's. The guitar I use is a BC Rich Warbeast NJ Deluxe that has EMG's in it. I play mostly Thrash metal and some down-tuned chugga-chugga stuff. I have to have a wah that really cuts through, and that sounds really meaty. Stock, that tone is almost impossible to achieve with this wah.

OVERALL OPINION

Overall, I have to say that if you are the kind of person that is not comfortable modding guitar pedals, then stay away from the Dunlop GCB-95. On the other hand, if you love diving into pedals, soldering iron in hand, then this very well may be the Wah pedal for you. It has massive potential to sound awesome, and the mods for it are very simple to do.

I would definitely buy it again for the price I got it for. I mean honestly, I put about $40 into this pedal total ($20 for the pedal, $20 for mods) and it sounds amazing for quite a bit less than one of the more expensive Crybabys, and I had a great time modding it to boot.

This is a wah pedal. Nothing fancy, just a wah. Very simple. I bought the standard GCB-95 Crybaby. When I got mine, It had a red Fasel, not a Dunlop inductor in it. It has an input, output, and a 9v DC Plug, which is the standard Boss, center negative style.
This is NOT true-bypass, but it is very easy to make it true-bypass.

UTILIZATION

This is a very simple pedal to use. Plug it in, Turn it on, and rock away. No knobs or switches or sliders here, just click it on and turn into a Voodoo Child.
The manual is very clear about using it.
Nothing more to write here really.

SOUND QUALITY

This is where we meet at the crossroads with this pedal. It's a very shrill sounding wah. It benefits greatly from reindexing the pot, which takes 5 minutes and you can easily find out how to do it with a quick Google search. I did mine and it sounded much better. This is a GREAT platform to mod on. A few quick and easy mods can take this to a less than decent wah to a great wah.
Stock, it usually comes with the Dunlop inductor, but for some reason, mine came with the red Fasel inductor. It sounds decent at best. It;s very harsh and shrill, but as I said it can be taken care of with a quick reindex.
It is buffered bypass, and the buffer is NOT a good one. There is noticeable tone suck when using it. The True Bypass mod is very easy to do to it, but requires a new switch. If you're not willing to mod it, you may want to reconsider buying this pedal because stock, it leaves much to be desired.

OVERALL OPINION

This thing is VERY Shrill and Harsh stock. It is a great platform for modding, and some people may like it's level of shrillness, but not me. I reindexed the pot and have done a few mods (true bypass and increased the mids) and it sounds like a new pedal. If you're not in to modding, or don't like a shrill, harsh wah, then this is not the pedal for you.
I would have preferred a better buffer than the crap one dunlop threw in this thing. They could have also made it less shrill and throatier stock.
This is an on OK pedal all in all, but again, it's too shrill. It's a great platform for modding, as they can be found used for very cheap, but stock, there's many other great options.

The GCB-95 is a bare bones wah. No Q control, bass control, treble control, level control, etc. It does have a modern 9VDC center negative adapter jack though.
The construction is pretty good for the price. Nice PCB, heavy duty enclosure, neat wiring, high quality parts/jacks/switch. Nothing really to complain about there.
The pedal is all analog using the classic inductor type wah circuit found in 90% of wahs out there.
Bypass is old style 'hard' bypass rather than true bypass. This results in the 'tone suck' (high end loss) that's common to pedals using this design. This can be fixed very easily if you have a soldering iron and a couple bucks though.
Unlike past years' models, the new Rev I GCB-95 comes with the red Fasel inductor found in some of Dunlop's higher end wahs. This is a noticeable and appreciated upgrade.
The battery door on the bottom is a nice touch.

UTILIZATION

Set up is very easy. Simply open the battery door and insert a battery or use the adapter jack and then put it in your signal path.
Since there really isn't anything to tweak, you're stuck with the one tone, for good or bad. This does make it idiot proof though and could be a welcome feature for some touring bands who want consistency and don't want to futz with knobs.
The feet do cause a problem with mounting the wah on pedalboards but simply removing them and the battery cover and applying velcro is a reasonable and cheap solution, though one of the popular mounting plates available from several sources is a more elegant (and costly) solution.

SOUND QUALITY

I use my Strats with both single coils and humbuckers with this running into my THD Flexi 50. The sweep is very smooth and it doesn't quack like many vintage styled wahs. Depending on what you play, this could be a deal breaker. I find the smoother sweep works better for high gain stuff while it lacks the familiar quack for funk and clean sounds.
The high end is a bit splatty with the treadle in the toe down position, however it is much improved over one I owned 5 or 6 years back. If the treble is turned up a bit high on my amp, it can sound very nasty and splatty but I tend to keep it rolled back so it's not a problem for me.
The low end is tighter than the last one I owned and works reasonably well with lots of distortion. Not as well as some other models, both from Dunlop and other companies, but it's passable for the price.
One major complaint I have is that it's prone to radio interference. This can be very bad during quieter moments and would be a definite deal breaker if I wasn't planning on modding it. It truly is awful.

OVERALL OPINION

The thing I like most is the build quality. I wouldn't worry at all about it failing under heavy use. If it ever did fail, repairs would be very easy due to a clean layout and the fact that it uses full sized components.
I absolutely hate how noisy it is. It's a definite deal breaker if you plan on using it without modding it. For home use at low volumes, it might be passable but it's definitely a no go for gigs, particularly those in noisy, interference prone parts of town.
The sound is consistent and I believe that for the price, it's the best wah you can get. The comparable Vox doesn't handle distortion nearly as well and the build quality leaves much to be desired.
I've tried dozens of other wahs and owned 5 or 6. I knew the GCB-95 wasn't the best of wahs but I was pleasantly surprised at how passable the tone was. The noise is definitely worse than any other wah I've owned though, especially when compared to my Teese RMC3.
I'd make the same choice again though because it's very easy to mod and the build quality is great. If I were to leave it stock, I'd probably save up some more money and get a Budda or a Teese.