Review: Vox V845 Wah-Wah

Alkuperäistä, laajempaa Rockway-juttua voi lukea TÄÄLLÄ.

The Vox V845 is an interesting wah-pedal for at least three reasons – it’s made by the inventors of the wah-wah, it is very affordable (around 70-75 euros in Finland), and it is much lighter than regular Vox- or Dunlop-made wah-wahs (only 900 g compared to approx. 1.6 kg).

This drastic difference in weight is achieved by using a plastic core for both the main casing and the treadle. This core is then coated with an aluminium-based coating that gives the V845 the traditional look of a wah.

Electronically the Vox V845 is virtually identical to a vintage Vox-wah, apart from being built with a couple of PCBs and modern components.

An important improvement over the originals from the 1960s and 70s is the addition of a DC input, which allows you to power the V845 from a modern power supply.

The Vox V845 looks like a wah-wah, feels like a wah-wah, so it’s no surprise that it also sounds like a genuine Vox-wah. The V845 switches on and off in the traditional way by giving the switch beneath the treadle a push in the toe-down position. The sound is big and warm, and, typical for a Vox, a little less abrasive in the top end than a standard Dunlop Cry Baby. What’s not to like?

I’ve been using the Vox V845 for four years by this point, and it hasn’t given me any trouble so far. Check it out!

****

Here are two recent recordings I’ve used the V845 on: