The Snarling Dogs Super Bawl Whine-O Wah is definitely one of the coolest-looking wah pedals available, with its bright red base and foot-shaped treadle, it’s reminiscent of those custom gas pedals for hot rod cars in the ’70s.
In the Snarling Dogs tradition, the red LED eyes on the trademark dog in the middle of the treadle light up when the effect is on. The Super Bawl operates using a 9-volt battery or regulated 9-volt power supply. The battery cavity is located on the bottom of the pedal and fastens with a single flathead screw, so it’s easily accessible when changing batteries. The Super Bawl is available with a hard bypass or true hard bypass on/off switch. The version I tested had the true hard bypass switch.
The Super Bawl offers more features than the average wah pedal. Along with the standard in and out jacks, there are a variety of controls that allow you to shape the effect’s sound. A three-position range selector switch (on the left side) lets you choose between different wah sounds; Shaft, Voo Doo, and White Room. These three positions were designed to simulate the most recognized wah sounds like those used on “Shaft,” Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile,” and Cream’s “White Room.” This switch changes between high-pass, mid-pass and low-pass filters, which alters the EQ response in each position. Additionally, there’s an effect volume control (on the right side of the pedal) and a two-way Hormone Control switch (on the right side) that selects between Estrogen or Testosterone settings for clean or dirty tones, and a Twinductor Beef Boost (located on top, just above the fourth toe on the treadle) that activates a second inductor that adds a compressed boost and a layer of thickness to the wah’s sound. According to the manufacturer, Charlie Stringer, this is the only wah with two inductors.
The Super Bawl is very responsive to the slightest treadle movement and the treadle’s action is fairly tight, so you can leave it set in a fixed position. The effect’s sweep is fairly wide and the pedal’s controls provide 12 different sounds to select from, ranging from thinner, tinnier sounds with more high-end to deep, thick sounds with colossal bottom end. You can basically shape the sound of the effect for the results you want.
If you’re in the market for a new wah pedal, definitely check this one out.
Snarling Dogs Super Bawl Whine-O Wah
Type of Unit: Wah-wah pedal
Features: Three-position wah range selector switch, effect volume control, Hormone Control switch (clean/dirty), Twinductor Beef Boost switch (activates second inductor), available with hard bypass or true hard bypass on/off switch
Price: $189.95
Contact: Stringer Industries, PO Box 4241, Warren, NJ 07059, (908) 469-2828, fax (908) 469-2882, e-mail: charlie@snarlingdogs.com
This review originally appeared in VG‘s March ’99 issue.
