• Devan
  • Devan
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  • From: Darwin, Australia
  • Registered: 2010-04-13
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Topic: Anyone having a noise issue with the JB Wah?

As I posted here a week ago, I recently rebuilt my pedalboard and incorporated the JB Wah on there as well.

I've got the Wah as the very first pedal that the guitar plugs into, and the pedal is powered via a T-Rex Fuel Tank power supply.

The problem is that when I switch the Wah on, I get a LOT of hiss and extra white noise coming through my amp.  The guitar signal itself seems unchanged, and I can use the Wah sweep etc., but the extra latent noise is just WAY too much.  Also, I have the issue that often when I depress the toe switch to turn the Wah off, the Wah disengages but the noise level stays high.  I usually have to turn the Wah on and off a couple of times before it properly disengages and I am back to my normal (quiet) chain.

I've never actually used a Wah pedal before in 20+ years of playing.  But I am thinking that they are not usually a 'noisy' pedal are they?

Board pic:  http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8012/7005 … c637_z.jpg

Tone chain is: Guitar -> Wah -> Compressor -> Chorus -> Drive Pedals -> Delay Pedals -> Reverb -> Amp

Thanks,
Devan

JBLP Gold Top #129 - redubbed "#1 in Oz"
  • From: Adelaide, South Australia
  • Registered: 2011-10-14
  • Posts: 1,339

Re: Anyone having a noise issue with the JB Wah?

https://forum.jbonamassa.com/viewtopic.php?id=20931

Seems to be the nature of the beast!!

http://www.stefanhauk.com

stefanhauk's Website

  • Devan
  • Devan
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Re: Anyone having a noise issue with the JB Wah?

stefanhauk wrote:

https://forum.jbonamassa.com/viewtopic.php?id=20931

Seems to be the nature of the beast!!

Oh cool ! Thanks Stefan, I missed that thread before.  Very informative.

I've been testing the new pedalboard with it sitting immediately in front of my amp - just a couple of feet away.  I will try moving the pedalboard well away from the amp to see if the noise issues persist... smile

Thanks!

JBLP Gold Top #129 - redubbed "#1 in Oz"
  • From: Adelaide, South Australia
  • Registered: 2011-10-14
  • Posts: 1,339

Re: Anyone having a noise issue with the JB Wah?

Devan wrote:
stefanhauk wrote:

https://forum.jbonamassa.com/viewtopic.php?id=20931

Seems to be the nature of the beast!!

Oh cool ! Thanks Stefan, I missed that thread before.  Very informative.

I've been testing the new pedalboard with it sitting immediately in front of my amp - just a couple of feet away.  I will try moving the pedalboard well away from the amp to see if the noise issues persist... smile

Thanks!

No problems Devan... I remembered the post from earlier (probably because the man himself commented on it)

I'm very interested in the JB wah so let me know how it goes and if all goes well I think GAS will get the better of me!!

http://www.stefanhauk.com

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  • Devan
  • Devan
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  • From: Darwin, Australia
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Re: Anyone having a noise issue with the JB Wah?

UPDATE: I moved my pedalboard well away from my amp, and yet the noise issues continues.  So does the 'iffy' disengage.  Pretty much makes the Wah a no-go for my board unfortunately.  It will cost me a packet to send it back to the US for warranty repair, so I think I am just going to be stuck with a big paperweight/doorstop! sad

JBLP Gold Top #129 - redubbed "#1 in Oz"
  • From: York, PA
  • Registered: 2010-08-27
  • Posts: 1,749

Re: Anyone having a noise issue with the JB Wah?

I see the wah pedal is crooked on the board..may not be the source of the noise but it bugs me smile Too bad its giving you trouble, lot of $ shelled out for a broken pedal. I was never a big wah player but for some reason you just have to have one on your board even though it gets used maybe twice a night. I've been really happy with the standard Vox v487, nice sweep and very affordable. Like it better than the 2 crybabys I also have. ..Guess I contradicted myself saying I'm not a big wah person saying that I have 3 of them, not to mention the Bad Horsie I used to own. haha, actually that one was really nice as it had NO on/off switch. Should have kept that thing. -S

  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: Anyone having a noise issue with the JB Wah?

I also own 3 wahs hmm
Morley PDW
Vox 847
JB wah

been happy w JBwah so far. Haven't gotten too deep into it yet, but like initial results.

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
  • Registered: 2012-04-02
  • Posts: 38

Re: Anyone having a noise issue with the JB Wah?

The outputs of your power supply are a daisy chain and not isolated so the noise could definitely be coming from that and aswell Joe uses voodoo labs pedal power in which all outputs are isolated. Try using your JB wah with its own wall wart isolated from other pedals and see how it behaves.

Cheers, Alex.

  • From: York, PA
  • Registered: 2010-08-27
  • Posts: 1,749

Re: Anyone having a noise issue with the JB Wah?

Dark_Side_of_the_Moon wrote:

The outputs of your power supply are a daisy chain and not isolated so the noise could definitely be coming from that and aswell Joe uses voodoo labs pedal power in which all outputs are isolated. Try using your JB wah with its own wall wart isolated from other pedals and see how it behaves.

Cheers, Alex.

Good point, I didn't catch that when I read it initially. Incidentally, I almost bought a T-rex fuel tank the other year until I realized it wasn't isolated. The Red fuel tank JR is for some reason, so I bought that instead. -S

  • From: Ridgeland, MS
  • Registered: 2009-08-12
  • Posts: 1,248

Re: Anyone having a noise issue with the JB Wah?

i can't see it well enough to tell whether the effects are daisy chained. If they are, i would definitely run it from an isolated power source.

  • RickB
  • RickB
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  • Registered: 2009-10-30
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Re: Anyone having a noise issue with the JB Wah?

Hiss, noise, crackles, whistles, birdies and hum all can result from wierd ground loop issues. All this points to what others say. Isolated power!
Rick

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  • Devan
  • Devan
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  • From: Darwin, Australia
  • Registered: 2010-04-13
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Re: Anyone having a noise issue with the JB Wah?

Thanks for the tips guys - I will try running it on separate power or battery and see how it goes.  The power leads aren't daisy chained - I have one lead from each outlet on the Fuel Tank, but as several have mentioned, they are not isolated outlet, plus I have maxed out ALL outlets on the FT.  I am also close to pulling the maximum current from the FT what with the El Cap on there too! smile

@helrazr - I am OCD about my pedals lining up perfectly too, and am annoyed that the cramped lower row forces the bottom end of the Wah pedal to the right a bit!  Also, the top left, the Room-Mate reverb won't line up with the Replica next to it because the cable keeps pushing it to the left! big_smile

Cheers!

JBLP Gold Top #129 - redubbed "#1 in Oz"
  • From: York, PA
  • Registered: 2010-08-27
  • Posts: 1,749

Re: Anyone having a noise issue with the JB Wah?

wharris wrote:

i can't see it well enough to tell whether the effects are daisy chained. If they are, i would definitely run it from an isolated power source.

I think he's saying basically that the outputs are internally daisy chained inside the t-rex unit. That power source doesn't have isolated outputs so even though they are separate, I guess its still like daisy chaining your effects with a one-spot or something.

  • From: York, PA
  • Registered: 2010-08-27
  • Posts: 1,749

Re: Anyone having a noise issue with the JB Wah?

Devan wrote:

Thanks for the tips guys - I will try running it on separate power or battery and see how it goes.  The power leads aren't daisy chained - I have one lead from each outlet on the Fuel Tank, but as several have mentioned, they are not isolated outlet, plus I have maxed out ALL outlets on the FT.  I am also close to pulling the maximum current from the FT what with the El Cap on there too! smile

@helrazr - I am OCD about my pedals lining up perfectly too, and am annoyed that the cramped lower row forces the bottom end of the Wah pedal to the right a bit!  Also, the top left, the Room-Mate reverb won't line up with the Replica next to it because the cable keeps pushing it to the left! big_smile

Cheers!

Devan, I see what you mean with the room-mate pedal. I'd gap all the pedals slightly in the top row so they all have a lilttle room in between. That way they all are even. I'm so anal about pedals that if it doesn't even look good, I don't care what it does! -S

  • richp
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  • Registered: 2006-05-08
  • Posts: 30

Re: Anyone having a noise issue with the JB Wah?

That is a damned shame!!
I was just about to pull the trigger on one of these!!
But the LAST thing I need on my pedalboard is a source of unwanted noise!!
Yeah...it would be nice to have something endorsed/used by Joe on my board.....but not at the cost of silence!
I have awesome WAH sounds from my Fulltone Clyde Deluxe and Dunlop 535Q Crybaby......
Oh....well........

"One of Chuck's children out there playin' his licks"
  • From: Ridgeland, MS
  • Registered: 2009-08-12
  • Posts: 1,248

Re: Anyone having a noise issue with the JB Wah?

Every now and then you can have trouble with a wah situated on top of a power supply. The best solution is a Cioks or Pedal Power 2+ unit.

  • Registered: 2012-04-02
  • Posts: 38

Re: Anyone having a noise issue with the JB Wah?

helrazr84 wrote:
wharris wrote:

i can't see it well enough to tell whether the effects are daisy chained. If they are, i would definitely run it from an isolated power source.

I think he's saying basically that the outputs are internally daisy chained inside the t-rex unit. That power source doesn't have isolated outputs so even though they are separate, I guess its still like daisy chaining your effects with a one-spot or something.

Yeah that was what I was getting at. Just like the Dunlop DC Brick there just basically a One-spot but in a box. I run a One-spot for my overdrives/distortion/fuzz but I have a delay I keep on a separate wall wart because there was noise when it was powered by the One-spot.

I think its funny how when voodoo labs etc specifically advertise with "isolated outputs" with no noise, no hum, no ground loops etc and then the other companies making the daisy chain boxes are quiet about that fact and it can be misleading to customers!

  • From: York, PA
  • Registered: 2010-08-27
  • Posts: 1,749

Re: Anyone having a noise issue with the JB Wah?

Dark_Side_of_the_Moon wrote:

I think its funny how when voodoo labs etc specifically advertise with "isolated outputs" with no noise, no hum, no ground loops etc and then the other companies making the daisy chain boxes are quiet about that fact and it can be misleading to customers!

Yeah for the price they charge for the fuel tank, you'd think its isolated, especially because it looks like a PP2 etc. I almost bought one before but luckily I realized it wasn't isolated so didn't purchase. I've had Good luck with the PP2 but I like the looks and names of the Cioks products, never heard of them until Wharris posted something about them a few months back.