Behringer Drops the Real McCoy WahWah: Authentic Late-’60s Vocal Tone for $99
Looking for classic Jimi Hendrix wah tone on a budget? The Behringer Real McCoy WahWah offers all-analog '60s voicing and true bypass for just $99.
Finding that iconic, sweet-spot vintage wah tone usually forces guitarists down two painful paths: hunting down an unreliable, wildly expensive 1960s original, or dropping a massive chunk of change on a boutique replica. Behringer is throwing a wrench in that paradigm with the release of the Behringer Real McCoy WahWah Pedal.
Priced at an aggressive $99 MSRP, this pedal aims to deliver the legendary, expressive vocal sweeps popularized by Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, without emptying your wallet.
The Secret Sauce: The "Holy Grail" Halo Inductor
What separates a harsh, piercing modern wah from a classic, "talking" vintage unit? It almost always comes down to the inductor—the tiny electronic wire coil that shapes the filter's frequency sweep.
Behringer has built the Real McCoy’s all-analog circuitry around a replica of the highly coveted halo-style inductor. This specific component is responsible for providing that signature nasal bite, warm midrange growl, and searing sustain that defined the late-’60s blues-rock explosion.
Instead of a clinical, digital filter sweep, the Real McCoy delivers an organic, almost human-sounding cry.
MSRP - $99/£69.99
Designed for Smooth Sweeps and Tight Pedalboards
A stellar tone won't mean much if the pedal feels awkward under your foot. To tackle this, Behringer outfitted the unit with a custom-taper potentiometer (the variable resistor that alters the audio signal as you rock the footplate). This custom taper ensures a creamy, highly predictable transition from heel to toe, avoiding the sudden "volume-jump" or harsh ice-pick frequencies common in budget entries.
While the voicing is strictly old-school, the physical design leans hard into modern convenience:
- Compact Footprint: Unlike the massive, heavy metal enclosures of the past, this pedal features a pedalboard-friendly footprint that leaves plenty of room for your favorite fuzzes and overdrives.
- Road-Ready Build: The housing is built like a tank to survive heavy stomping, complemented by a rubberized treadle plate that keeps your foot firmly planted during intense solos.
- True Bypass Switching: A massive win for modern players, the true bypass design completely isolates the pedal's circuitry when it is turned off. Your pure guitar tone flows through uncolored, eliminating the notorious "tone-sucking" associated with vintage hardware.
The Verdict
An absolute budget champion for classic rock purists.
Behringer has executed an impressive balancing act here. By putting the emphasis on what truly matters—a high-quality halo-style inductor clone and a tailored sweep pot—they have managed to extract authentic, expressive '60s classic rock mojo out of an remarkably affordable unit.
Wrapped in a rugged, space-saving shell with true bypass transparency, it completely disrupts the idea that you have to pay a premium for a legendary vocal wah sound.
Final Score: 7.1 / 10
Where To Buy
Available at Andertons Available at Sweetwater Available at Thomann
#Behringer #Real McCoy WahWah
- +Authentic late-1960s wah voicing with halo inductor replica
- +True bypass prevents tone-sucking when disengaged
- +Custom-taper potentiometer for smooth, creamy sweeps
- +Compact, pedalboard-friendly footprint
- +Rugged build with rubberized treadle plate
- +Exceptional value at $99 MSRP
What exactly is a halo inductor, and why is it special?
An inductor is the electronic component inside a wah pedal that manages the moving frequency peak. Vintage wahs from the late 1960s used a halo-shaped casing for this coil, which accidentally created a very specific, warm, vocal midrange frequency curve. The Real McCoy replicates this layout to give you that classic, expressive character.
Will this pedal drain my tone when it's switched off?
Not at all. Thanks to its true bypass mechanical switching, the pedal completely disconnects itself from your signal chain when deactivated, ensuring your guitar's native tone remains perfectly pure.
Can I power this with a standard pedalboard power supply?
Yes. It runs comfortably on a standard 9V battery or a typical center-negative 9V DC power supply, like the Behringer PSU-SB adapter or any multi-output pedalboard power brick.
