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Posted by: Fran Dec 22 2007, 02:43 PM

Hi,

I just got a Dunlop cry baby, and after playing a few hours it now makes a creaking noise when I use it, that comes from the mechanism, like when you open a door and it creaks!

The noise doesn't come through the amp, it's just from the mechanism inside the pedal that seems to creak all the time now when I lift it up and down...

Is that normal?

Posted by: Muris Dec 22 2007, 04:11 PM

Guess it's not normal...
I'm not that familiar with Dunlop wah,had one looong time ago
but I think adding some "oil" on to mechanism would make it disappear .

Posted by: Fran Dec 22 2007, 04:51 PM

Actually it only creaks when I move it very slow. If I move it fast it doesn't creak at all.

I tried with the oil but it didn't help much.

Maybe it's new and needs to wear off a bit... who knows. I'll take it to the shop and ask on monday though, just in case.

Posted by: MickeM Dec 22 2007, 04:54 PM

I'd bet my life on that it's a bad pot inside or in that area (like cold solder on the pot, or oxides)

Posted by: Fran Dec 22 2007, 06:25 PM

The sound is awesome on the amp, it works perfect.

It's the actual mechanism that makes the noise, but it doesn't affect the sound in the amp / headphones at all. It's a noise that doesn't have anything to do with the electronics, solders, etc... it's just like the noise an old door makes when it's opened in a horror movie XD

But the creaks bother me because I still can hear them all the time... not coming through the amp, but from my left foot!!

So I'll take it to the shop on monday and change it for another one, see if that one doesn't make so much noise!

Damn, I guess I had bad luck, but I love this pedal it sounds great (in the amp...).

Posted by: Muris Dec 22 2007, 06:43 PM

Let us know how it went in music shop,
I hope it's not big issue since it doesn't effect your sound.

Posted by: MickeM Dec 22 2007, 09:34 PM

Would it be too late to take it back, what I said?

Posted by: Bogdan Dec 22 2007, 09:54 PM

Well I think its ok , Wah has simple mechanism and there is need for lubrication...My squeaks all the time but I don't worry much about it because it works (sounds) normal..I can hear it squeaking only when I play at home..But I would be very interested if someone knows what to use to lubricate it (there is some kind of white oil in it which is like gel or something)..

Posted by: MickeM Dec 23 2007, 12:28 AM

If you're lubricating mechanical parts there's these spray cans which includes oil. Don't know what they are called where you're from but here we have 5-56 and WD-40 which are popular.

If your cleaning pots and electrical parts you need another special cleaning spray, absolutely no oil included.

Posted by: Fran Dec 23 2007, 03:16 AM

Yup, the problem is that I play at home... and I'm going nuts!
Mine has that white gel too, but I guess it doesn't help much!




I tried a product which I believe to be similar to those you mention... to no avail.

As I said I guess I'll take a trip on monday to the music shop and see what they tell me.

I might as well exchange it for a VOX wah, maybe those don't make so much noise?

I'll let you guys know what happens in the end

Posted by: Fran Dec 23 2007, 01:51 PM

I can't believe it!

This is a mistery unsolved!

Yesterday I didn't play the wah wah anymore during all evening, and when I came home late at night I checked to see if it still made the creaking noise, which, of course, it did.

Now comes the weird part:
This morning I get up, take the pedal again, and... the noise is GONE!, how come!! Why? Unbelievable...

All I kind think of that might have changed in the meantime is... temperature? but not even that much, my house keeps an even temperature between day/night.

Astonished as I am, I will play again, and see if the noise comes back after using it for a while... (I'm sure it will, this is too easy to be true )

Luckily the shop is closed today, or else they would have thought I'm out of my head!

Posted by: Milenkovic Ivan Dec 23 2007, 02:23 PM

They put white paste lubricant on the gear connections on the pot in Dunlop Wahs in order too prevent that sound, but I think it is normal when you buy a new wah pedal to squeak a bit. (not through the amp off course )

Posted by: Fran Dec 24 2007, 01:20 PM

Well, the pedal kept squeaking after 5 minutes playing... so this morning I exchanged it for another one (same model), and this one doesn't squeak so far.

It seems that it's mechanism is looser than the other one too, maybe the other one was too tight... who knows.

I'll keep my fingers crossed