How Eric Clapton Uses The Vox V846 Wah Pedal

Here's some ideas on how to use a wah pedal in a similar way to Eric Clapton, focusing on his early days in Cream and particularly the song White Room.
I used the Vox V846 hand wired reissue for this.
Timecodes:
00:00 - Intro
00:36 - Manual Modulation on Sustained Chords
01:36 - Rhythmic Variation
02:28 - More Rhythmic Ideas For Chords
03:19 - Rhythmic Wah For Lead Playing
04:19 - Using Wah To Develop a Repeated Lick
05:05 - White Room Solo
06:36 - Other Ideas
06:58 - Matching The Shape of a Phrase
07:48 - Targeting Notes

[@azbluesdog]

I was listening to "White Room" on CD in my old truck this morning. How did the UA-cam algorithm know I was focusing on Clapton's wah pedal technique? You nailed it!

[@MichaelBanfieldGuitar]

Oh dear... The algorithm has hacked our physical media, no one's safe...

[@azbluesdog]

@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar my thoughts exactly-haha!

[@spacerockwizard]

It's cool that Eric influenced Jimi to get a wah-wah.

[@sonicmistress]

He also influenced Rock Against Racism....Never understood how he's so admired when his best hit was a cover....He's a DH.

[@eddiesigerexperience9803]

@@sonicmistressWhite Room, Sunshine of your love, old love, Layla, tears in heaven, so many originals

[@t_mac41603]

Jimmy Page during "'No Quarter" at MSG '73 was very useful with the Wah as a rhythm to his guitar, emphasizing what he was playing. During the solo and even the main sections.

[@gunkanjima3408]

I love your vids, Michael. Keep up the good work

[@steveturner6770]

really enjoyable. some nice tips, thanks Michael.

[@MichaelBanfieldGuitar]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@netoxz215]

Oh man, that wah sound, that song, just amazing

[@MichaelBanfieldGuitar]

Yeah considering the wah pedal was a fairly new effect at the time Clapton just nailed it in White Room. It sounds good in Tales Of Brave Ulysses as well but not quite as interesting as how he uses it on White Room.

[@gazb2069]

Another fantastic revue matey.

[@MichaelBanfieldGuitar]

Thank you!

[@1millioneggs3]

Thanks for the video Michael. I've never really bonded with a wah. Probably because I've never spent enough time to figure out all the possibilities shown in this video. You've given me a few more ideas to work with next time I decide to give it another go. Cheers.

[@MichaelBanfieldGuitar]

Glad to help. I don't claim to be a master of the wah pedal but looking into those Clapton tunes and how he used it really helped me anyway. Thanks for commenting!

[@TheRealTrevorRoberts]

Amazing. And I just purchased a hand wired VOX!

[@KRG54]

Great video.

[@MichaelBanfieldGuitar]

Thank you!

[@binface9]

Only yesterday I was thinking that we're due another video from you

[@MichaelBanfieldGuitar]

Yep I'm trying to get back on it, just recorded another short one today. Thanks for checking in!

[@binface9]

@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar Nice one. Interesting subject matter on this one. I used to own a wah but sold it as I wasn't confident how to use it *properly* or that I had the coordination to operate something with my foot. (If I did i'd be a drummer not a guitarist.) If this video had been around then, then I might have kept the wah pedal.

[@FarmerSlideJoeBob]

I was trying many wahs. An Ibanez WH-10, the classic Dunlop Cry Baby and Vox V847. I like the Ibanez Wah for the aggressive Wah tone, the dunlop was too bassy for my ears. The Vox V847 was a good wah for being in the middle of a dunlop and the Ibanez Wah. But I put mostly an treble booster to get the kinda Ibanez Wah Sound :)

[@slucas380]

Oh man, I love my 846hw, but I do some mods, like add dc input and add a new inductor and a switch to select witch one I prefer

[@cbaten2]

Like yoour vids, very usefull foor understanding and getting a practical hook into tone control. Made me undig my Cry Baby. Now up for Maggot Brain!

[@thomaslthomas1506]

Don’t forget to swing the rhythm of your wah, ie coming slightly before or after the beat.

[@matthewkennedy7283]

Do Hendrix next! Sounds great

[@derekclacton]

Nice video :) I wonder why Eric switched from VOX to Cry Baby
For me, Thin Lizzy’s Brian Robertson was an absolute wah-master

[@MichaelBanfieldGuitar]

Good question. I wonder if it had anything to do with him moving over to strats rather than Gibson style guitars, maybe he felt the crybaby worked better with strats...who knows

[@harveycooke9181]

100% agree, Brian Robertson is a phenomenal guitarist, and uses wah so effectively. Such great melodies as well.

[@waynegram8907]

MICHAEL BANFIELD, i always thought clapton turned down the volume pedal to 7 using the bridge pickup with the wah pedal, I'm not sure if he used the SG guitar, Firebird or 335 for whiteroom because the LIVE royal albert hall he is using the firebird bridge pickup with the wah which is a single coil pickup

[@rayjayvids]

👍

[@greenleaves6924]

Are you using a Princeton reverb amp?

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

Is that a vintage unit or a reissue?

[@MichaelBanfieldGuitar]

It's the reissue, would love to try an original but they're pretty pricey...

[@iLightSoundGeometry]

[@onewiththings]

His foot gets tired on the second bridge

[@brutallyremastered4255]

Far out