Pedal Pawn Say Wah: UK Brand’s First Wah Sells Out
Pedal Pawn's Say Wah wah pedal is a hand-built UK effect with custom inductors and 2 million-cycle pots. Sold out in days, now accepting pre-orders.
British boutique effects builder Pedal Pawn has officially entered the treadle game with the Say Wah, a meticulously hand-assembled UK pedal that has already sold out its entire initial run of 200 units in just a few days. Named after the opening track of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s 1985 album Soul to Soul, the company's highly anticipated first-ever wah pedal represents a six-year quest to capture the ultimate vintage, vocal midrange sweep.
Chasing the Ultimate Vintage Quack
Pedal Pawn founder Chris King Robinson began developing the Say Wah concept in 2020. The goal was to isolate and recreate the aggressive, throaty, vowel-like tones heard on legendary tracks like Hendrix’s Voodoo Child (Slight Return) and SRV’s Say What!.
While vintage late-60s and early-70s Italian-style wahs—specifically the legendary V846 with the old TDK inductor—served as the tonal foundation, Pedal Pawn avoided making a simple 1:1 clone. Original vintage units are notoriously inconsistent; one might offer the perfect midrange quack but suffer from a weak sweep, while another might deliver treble bite but lack a vocal quality. The Say Wah was engineered from the ground up to deliver a consistently fat, expressive response that pairs exceptionally well with fuzz and overdrive—a notorious stumbling block for many traditional vintage wah circuits.
Custom Inductors and 2 Million Cycles
To achieve this level of consistency and tone, Pedal Pawn builds the Say Wah entirely around custom-designed internal architecture. The pedal features a proprietary hand-wound inductor developed entirely from scratch, paired with a custom-designed PCB.
For the essential potentiometer sweep, Pedal Pawn partnered with Mike McConachie of McCon-O-Wah fame. The Say Wah utilizes McConachie’s premium CTS 100K custom-taper McCon-O-Pot II. Rated for an astonishing two million cycles, this modern, long-life component eliminates the scratching and degradation associated with aging vintage pots while delivering a highly musical, expressive sweep.
The construction process is highly involved. Each unit begins its life as a carefully sourced donor wah enclosure, which the Pedal Pawn team strips back to bare metal, professionally refinishes, and completely rebuilds with their custom hardware. To ensure absolute quality control, Robinson personally tests and sets up every single pedal at the end of the UK production line.
Key Features and Specifications
- Tone Profile: Exceptionally fat, vocal, and expressive midrange quack
- Fuzz Friendly: Custom voicing explicitly designed to pair beautifully with fuzz and overdrive pedals
- Components: Custom hand-wound Say Wah inductor and proprietary Pedal Pawn PCB
- Potentiometer: Premium CTS 100K custom-taper McCon-O-Pot II (rated for 2 million cycles)
- Switching: True bypass operation
- Power: Standard 9V DC or internal battery power
- Build Origin: Completely hand-assembled in the UK using refinished donor enclosures
Pre-Order Availability and Pricing
Massive demand for Pedal Pawn’s most requested product ever meant the first 200 handmade units sold out almost immediately. The company is currently accepting pre-orders for the second production batch, though the extensive hand-building process dictates an estimated lead time of 12 to 16 weeks.
The Pedal Pawn Say Wah is priced at £327.00 GBP (approx. $435 USD), with free worldwide shipping available directly through the builder's website.
- +Fat, vocal midrange quack
- +Custom 2-million-cycle potentiometer eliminates scratching
- +Explicitly voiced for fuzz and overdrive pairing
- +Every unit personally tested by founder
- +Hand-built UK construction
- +Consistent tone across units
- −12–16 week lead time
- −First batch sold out immediately
- −Premium pricing at £327
What makes the Pedal Pawn Say Wah different from vintage wah pedals?
Unlike vintage wahs that are inconsistent, the Say Wah uses a proprietary hand-wound inductor and custom PCB engineered from scratch to deliver a consistently fat, expressive response. It's explicitly voiced to pair beautifully with fuzz and overdrive—a notorious weak point for traditional vintage wah circuits.
How long is the potentiometer rated to last?
The Say Wah uses a premium CTS 100K custom-taper McCon-O-Pot II potentiometer rated for 2 million cycles, eliminating the scratching and degradation associated with aging vintage pots while delivering a highly musical, expressive sweep.
How are the Say Wah units built?
Each unit is hand-assembled in the UK by the Pedal Pawn team. The process begins with a carefully sourced donor enclosure that is stripped to bare metal, professionally refinished, and completely rebuilt with custom hardware. Chris King Robinson personally tests and sets up every pedal at the end of the production line.
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