Sweep-Picking.org

I don’t know much other than what you appear to know, but I would try listening to some Steve Vai if you don’t already. I’m not really a fan of his music but he can surely play the guitar, and I know some of his songs have some crazy sounds with his "Bad Hoarsy" wah or whatever it’s called. I’ve tested the pedal before and you can get some really raunchy tones from it, and he for sure knows how to work it. Obviously Hendrix would be another to listen to for some technique with a wah.

SRV would sometimes use his wah throughout an entire song but keep it completely high end for some parts, mid range for others, etc. It’s kind of cool cuz he almost used it like another tone knob on his guitar to change his sound without necessarily using the wah effect. I hope my input helps, it’s always fun talking with other guitarists.

If you’re a blues guitarist, I am too. I have a youtube video of me jamming with myself via split-screen. If you search "kevin ham productions" you’ll find it.

First, that Kevin Ham guy can play (previous post)! When I use my wah, I do it a few different ways. I never do the fast sweep stuff because I hate that. Let’s say I’m jamming in A and I slide to the 10th on the B, I click the wah on and leave it throttle forward but not all the way. Then I might do some hammer-on stuff, pull offs, whatever and I ease the wah forward-back, but getting it less and less treble with each rocker motion. I end up in A on the G in the 14th, and then I do a pull off on the B string and I will go throttle forward for the pull off part, going back when I hit the A root. Then I go throttle forward again for my B string bend, but not all the way. I save that last little bit of wah to hit the high E bend in the 15th up to the A, where I now have the wah all the way. It’s the only time it’s all the way, because I want that big high note to be the one….

Time your wah with your bends. On the B and E string in the 15th (A again), bend the B while fingering the E and holding it still. When you strike the strings, use your 3rd finger to push the B up, and hit the wah it. Add some inflection, like going 1-2 on the pick strokes and simultaneously wahing twice, once with each pick stroke.

When you wah, snap the strings with your pick. I mean slap the string you intend to sound with the pick to try to make it squeal a little bit (assuming you’re using gain, but it works either way), because wahs love odd ball squeals and feedback and vibratos and so forth. Just don;t over use it.

Finally, (phew!) turn it on and leave it on, in one place. Maybe just ease it back a pinch, but don’t touch it. Jimmy Page did that trick, so does Stevie.