NPD....Crybaby GCB-95 Rev G

[clutch71]

Picked this up cheap and thought I might try the true bypass, LED, sweep (ie...adjusting travel at the pot gear...no soldering required) mods. I've reviewed some online resources/Youtube videos but am very interested in your guys thought/exerience.

The general theory on "tone suckage" is the loss of treble that is created by the buffer. So should I just re-EQ when the pedal is hooked up and skip the mods all together?

For the true by pass mod there seems to be two thoughts 1) remove the buffer or 2) sever the connection by cutting the trace to the buffer. Is this correct? I prefer removing the buffer, this way the mod is reversible.

I will say I've been going back and forth between a 535Q and Clyde Deluxe in front of my DSL for the last several weeks. I do notice "tone suckage" with the 535Q when the pedal is off and prefer the Clyde in this regard. However I like the "Jerry Cantrell" setting for the 535Q which I find to work well with other stuff I play. I find that setting to sound similar to GCB-95.

 

[iron broadsword]

Unless the buffer is messing with stuff (it was messing with my big muff..) then don't bother with the TB. Too much work getting it to sound normal again. You just lose a little treble

 

[rmlevasseur]

I have a vox and a crybaby and not really happy with either. Not sure what i am looking for but neither make the board very often.

 

[Durden]

been modding this gcb95 i bit recently, its a 2012 rev -I- which come stock with red fasel inductor & 100k hot potz 2 ..... its work in progress this one, but i'll be leaving the buffer as is, its not sucking tone at all.

 

[clutch71]

I've been using this pedal most of the week. I returned the Clyde to my buddy. The Clyde Deluxe is a great pedal, I just really don't want to drop that kind of cash on a wah as a non gigging hack.

The GCB-95 fits me pretty well actually and with no knobs, it's kind of a fire and forget missle. I did adjust the toe down sweep to remove a little of the high end. Pretty easy "mod" requiring no soldering. I have also found that the Crybaby's are somewhat difficult to turn on, especially on carpet. So I removed the plastic spacer and that brought the switch up a little higher. Easier to turn off and on without bearing down on it too hard.

I did dial in a little more treble and presence on the DSL to make up a little of the high end lost with the wah going into the amp.

I found a schematic and it appears that removing the buffer and cutting the trace are two separate things. So I think I will wire it up for true bypass and leave the buffer in place. I like the idea of having an LED so I'll use a 3PDT toggle. I'll update when complete.

 

[vintagevoltage351]

Nice work Durden!
I regret taking out the buffer in mine, its easy to fix a trace clutch.
Here is mine. Sounds great, but it still lacks something...

 

[chee16]

I modded my Crybaby and really like it. I have thought about new inductor, or a new pot but it is hard to say without knowing someone who has one. Right now it has a pretty neat sound to it. I did these:
True bypass for the Dunlop GCB-95 Crybaby
Well I didn't do all of these ones, I think I did the first 2 and the volume mod:
Vox and Crybaby Wah Mods

In my opinion it is a definite improvement, maybe not the "last wah pedal I will ever use", but it has some great sounds now. I don't use a wah that much either, so defining my wah tone is hard.

 

[Durden]

Nice work Durden!

cheers mate, the old wah gets on the work bench fairly regular for a tweak....

 

[clutch71]

I finally bought the parts I need. 3PDT switch for true bypass, LED/Bezel, (2) 100k, 5k, and 1k trimpots for the Volume, Vocal, Mids, and Gain/Bass mods respectively. These seems pretty common and I've found about 3 sites and many forum entries on these mods. I plan on measuring and marking the trim pots in such a way that I can use stock values tweaking from there. It will most likely be a seperate board for the trim pots as there is plenty of room.

I'll post with more updates as I move forward.

 

[iron broadsword]

Sounds great! If you're gonna do the TB, do that first because it changes the sound of the pedal a lot so everything else should come at the same time or later imho.

 

[clutch71]

Sounds great! If you're gonna do the TB, do that first because it changes the sound of the pedal a lot so everything else should come at the same time or later imho.

That was the plan. Stuff may even be in tonight.

I do plan on removing the buffer, then the true bypass w/ LED, and then ensure that it's working. From what I've read I'll get a volume drop after removing the buffer. I'll then add the volume mod.

I have enough to do what vintage voltage did but not sure I'll take it that far.

 

[clutch71]

Did the true bypass last night. By the time I got done, I essentially burned all my time to really put it through it's paces. I did notice that it no longer colors the tone of the amp when off. I left the buffer in place cutting the trace. So if you dig the tone of a stock Crybaby you could probably stop there.

I'll add the LED next. Not really needed but a light it just cool.

I would like to do some of the other tweaks. I'll build an additional board for the Vocal, Q, Gain/Bass, Mids, and Sweep cap. I'll mark the Bournes trip pots with at the stock and suggested values, and then tweak from there. As silly as it sounds, once I find the settings I like, I may pull the additional board, measure the resistance, and put in fixed components.

I find I get to distracted by knobs and have been focusing more on playing. I've actually been playing acoustic more than anything else!

 

[dreyn77]

aren't you supposed to plug it into the loop where there is a boost of '5' to compensate the pedals signal?
It doing more than just amplifing trebles.
Are you using the bass pickup when you switch it on? you should be!
You are going to get boosted trebles, so don't make it add trebles to the treble pickup, and the mod the pedal to take out trebles.
that's just WRONG!
If you want to boost the mids you get the VH or ZW or JH models.

Why do designers spend 4 years of their lives going to uni?

 

[clutch71]

aren't you supposed to plug it into the loop where there is a boost of '5' to compensate the pedals signal?
It doing more than just amplifing trebles.
Are you using the bass pickup when you switch it on? you should be!
You are going to get boosted trebles, so don't make it add trebles to the treble pickup, and the mod the pedal to take out trebles.
that's just WRONG!
If you want to boost the mids you get the VH or ZW or JH models.

Why do designers spend 4 years of their lives going to uni?

Not quite sure I follow.

 

[dreyn77]

If you study Hendrix's use of the wah, you'll notice most of the time he uses the wah when he's using the middle or neck pickup. this give him a full sweep of sound from bass notes to treble notes. you can get the same notes by switching to the bridge pickup (the treble pickup).

when he uses the wah with the bridge pickup he only gets a tiny change in tone. he uses the wah more for sound effects noises while using the bridge pickup.

 

[clutch71]

I thought that's what you were getting at and ill give it a shot. The main wah tone I like is Jerry Cantrell, Tom Morello, and Kim Thayil.

 

[clutch71]

Yesterday I did the Gain/Bass, Mids, and Volume mod. I put variable Bournes pots for each. Measuring and marking the pot with stock and recommended values. I think it sounds pretty good.

I still have the LED mod and I may do the Vocal mod and the Selectable sweep cap.

 

[jwebb1970]

I thought that's what you were getting at and ill give it a shot. The main wah tone I like is Jerry Cantrell, Tom Morello, and Kim Thayil.

If you are looking to nail the Tom Morello wah sound, you do have to do the seemingly unthinkable...plug a basic GCB95 into your amp's FX loop.