Every guitarist eventually plugs in a wah pedal, and more often than not it’s this one. The Cry Baby GCB95 has been the default wah for decades, the pedal every other wah gets compared against, the same way every overdrive gets compared to a Tube Screamer.
It’s about as simple as effects pedals get: one job, done well, at a price that doesn’t require much thought. No presets, no voicing switches, no digital modelling. Just rock your foot and go.
Here’s why it’s stuck around this long, and what you actually give up for the low price.
The Classic Fasel Voice
The red Fasel inductor at the heart of this pedal is a big part of why it sounds the way it does, a vocal, slightly nasal sweep that works equally well for funk rhythm chops and screaming rock leads. It’s not the widest-ranging wah on the market, but the sweep it does have is musical throughout its whole range.
Hot Potz 100k pot gives a quick, responsive feel underfoot rather than a slow, sluggish sweep, which matters more than people expect until they’ve tried a cheaper wah with a mushy pot.
No true bypass, and that’s mostly fine
This is a hardwire bypass pedal, not true bypass, meaning there’s a very slight tone impact even when it’s off. In practice it’s subtle enough that almost nobody notices in a full band mix, but it’s worth knowing if you’re chasing an ultra-transparent signal chain.
Build Quality
Solid die-cast metal housing that’s genuinely built to be stood on for decades, which is basically the entire point of a wah pedal. Battery compartment underneath means you can swap the 9V without unplugging cables, a small but appreciated detail on gig night.
At 1.68kg it’s reassuringly solid rather than cheap-feeling, and there’s a reason this exact shape has barely changed in decades. If it ain’t broke, Dunlop clearly isn’t fixing it.
Who Should Buy This
If you’ve never owned a wah and want to know what the fuss is about, start here rather than a pricier boutique option. It’s the reference point every other wah gets measured against, which means you’ll always know exactly what you’re comparing future pedals to.
Players wanting adjustable Q, volume-pedal functionality, or true bypass should look at the pricier Crybaby 95Q or Classic GCB95 F instead. For most people who just want a great classic wah at a fair price, this remains the obvious pick, and a natural pairing alongside a transparent overdrive like the MXR Custom Shop Timmy.
Specs
- Type: Classic wah-wah, fixed voicing
- Inductor: Red Fasel
- Potentiometer: Hot Potz 100k Ohm
- Switching: Hardwire bypass (not true bypass)
- Power: 9V battery or 9V DC adapter (not included)
- Housing: Die-cast metal
- Weight: 1.68 kg
- Made in USA
Verdict
The Dunlop Cry Baby GCB95 is the wah pedal that made „wah” a household guitar term, and it still does the job better than most pedals trying to reinvent it. Vocal sweep, solid build, and a price that makes it an easy first wah.
No true bypass and no extra features, but that’s exactly the point. This pedal does one thing and has done it well for longer than most guitarists have been playing.
