Xotic XW-1 Wah Pedal is a boutique made pedalboard friendly way-wah pedal with some great tone shaping features. The Xotic XW-1 is about 20% smaller than your standard was pedal, but not as tiny as the Dunlop mini wah. It is extremely well made in California, USA and great to look at with its cool white finish and screwed on nameplates. I liked this way pedal so much I could not resist, even know I own several.

The Xotic Effects Wah XW-1 is based on the 1967-1968 Clyde McCoy “Holy Grail” Wah, but with this Wah you get unlimited control of your tone shaping and Wah Q. The XW-1 uses top shelf components giving a low noise circuit and has several appointments that make it one of the most versatile Wah pedals I have tried. It has 4 external controls, as well as a 4 switch intern DIP Switch and a variable internal input gain trimmer control. The external controls consist of Bass, Treble, Wah Q, and Bias control, while the internal DIP Switches gives you a 4 band EQ (On – Treble, Off – Bass) control.

Plug it in and get a clean, quiet, expressive wah sound. The action on the treadle is super smooth and there is a generous throw. The smaller size is not any issue and feels great under foot. XW-1 has relay bypass switching, adjustable pedal torsion (via the hex nut), and an LED that is courteous enough to blink when your battery dips below 50 percent. I run mine on One Spot, but love the LED to let me know when the pedal is on.

Regardless of the settings you dial in, I found it impossible to get a bad way sound from this pedal. Unlike many wah pedals I have tried, the Xotic XW-1 will does not alter your volume or guitar tone at all when switched on.

Not only does the XW-1 give you loads of tone shaping options, it’s also built with high quality, sturdy parts for long lasting performance. This Wah Pedal has several customizable comfort options. Like the heel stopper that can be lowered or raised for optimal travel, and the rocker tension can be adjusted for a loose, tight or anywhere in between response.

Specs & Features:

  • Self-lubricating nylon bushing pivot for quiet and smooth operation with fully-adjustable rocker pedal tension
  • Gold contact relay true bypassing, which allows for transparent true bypass tone, while incorporating ultra reliable switching with minimum one million life cycle
  • Fuzz friendly buffering circuit assures a great sounding wah tone with your favorite fuzz pedals
  • Power: 9V DC / 5mA
  • Battery: 9VDC
  • Bypass: True Bypass Soft Touch Switch
  • Optional AC Adapter: 9VDC Center Negative
  • Weight: 2.16 lbs
  • Dimensions: 3.94″W x 8.27″D x 2.64″H
  • Input Impedance: 1M ohm
  • Output Impedance: 10K ohm
  • Nominal Input Level: -20dBV
  • External Controls: Bias, Wah Q, Treble, Bass, Adjustable Pedal Torsion, LED Indicator Light
  • Internal Controls: Dip Switch (4 switch, Up Treble Frequencies, Down Bass Frequencies), Input Gain Trimmer

The original Italian-made Clyde McCoy wah pedals from the 1967-1969 era are considered Holy Grails in terms of classic wah tone. These are high priced collectors items and pretty rare to find a working one. Xotic Effects is a boutique effect maker that has created some really nice stomp boxes loved by many. This is their first wahh pedal and they wanted to do it right. I think they did a great job here. Shows with a bit of innovation and desire to build a better product even the age ole was pedal can be improved!

When all of the external knobs are set at their indentions at noon it is meant to capture the 1968 Clyde McCoy “Signature” Wah sound. Adjusting these tone shapers and you can get a wide range of sounds out of this smooth way pedal.