Vox Clyde McCoy Owned and Used by Tom Verlaine Wah-Wah Pedal Effect (1967)
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Item # 12796
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Vox Clyde McCoy Owned and Used by Tom Verlaine Model Wah-Wah Pedal Effect (1967), made in Sepulveda, California, serial # 3605, chrome and textured enamel finish.
As commercial production boomed in the early to mid 1960's, California's Thomas Organ Company was an American distributor for the Vox, a British company. After several years facing high costs for importing products and materials, Thomas Organ struck a deal to become a completely independent and autonomous seller and devleoper of new gear in America while staying under the Vox name. One of their earliest offerings was a guitar boosting module called the MRB, or Mid-Range Resonant Boost; it was found that when toggling between the three-way frequency switch, an unusual "wah" was produced. A young engineer named Brad Plunkett was tasked with redesigning the effect into a simpler and sweepable filter. Plunkett would come to develop what would undoubtedly cement themselves in the historical record of effect pedals: the Clyde McCoy Wah-Wah.
In 1966, Thomas Organ released the 'wah-wah' pedal, attributed to Clyde McCoy: not a guitarist, but a trumpet player! The pedal was intended to achieve a similar effect for guitar to the warbling effect of a muted trumpet. The pedal centers around a relatively simple circuit running off a 9V battery and halo inductor with the filter of the wah controlled by foot. The pedal went through a few changes, both cosmetically and in regards to production over the years. By 1967 when this example was made, the pedal would have been built in Italy with a 'Clyde McCoy' cursive script label on the back rather than the made-in-California portrait design of the first few pedals. The company would go on to release similar versions of the pedal under different monikers (famously the Crybaby_ as the sensation spread and competitors began creating their own renditions of Plunkett's wah. This pedal, passed down through NYC's early punk scene and landing with Tom Verlaine, is certainly "the real McCoy!"
Length is 10 in. (25.4 cm.), 4 in. (10.2 cm.) width, and 3 in. (7.6 cm.) high.
This McCoy has seen a fair amount of heavy stage and studio use with wear overall and corrosion in the chrome and some additional markings added. The circuit itself appears original down to the snazzy Mullard 'tropical fish' and Ducati capacitors, the halo inductor, and the Italian ICAR pot. The mechanics of the pedal are working smoothly and properly, and the long-since-dried original foam above the stomp has been freshly replaced.
An extra interesting bonus to this pedal is the label marked "Erasers S.S.," seemingly tracing the history of this wah-wah back from before Verlaine to his scenemate Susan Springfield, frontwoman and guitarist of punk band Erasers. Erasers seemed to not have a lot of output beyond several shreddy singles found on compilations (often alongside Television rarities) and there are accounts of them having played some shows in the same CBGB circuit as Verlaine. The pedal also comes with a letter of provenance from Jimmy Ripp (his co-guitarist on most Verlaine projects since 1981). Overall, a somewhat worn but still rocking classic pedal with an extra bit of NYC rock allure. Overall Excellent Condition.
As commercial production boomed in the early to mid 1960's, California's Thomas Organ Company was an American distributor for the Vox, a British company. After several years facing high costs for importing products and materials, Thomas Organ struck a deal to become a completely independent and autonomous seller and devleoper of new gear in America while staying under the Vox name. One of their earliest offerings was a guitar boosting module called the MRB, or Mid-Range Resonant Boost; it was found that when toggling between the three-way frequency switch, an unusual "wah" was produced. A young engineer named Brad Plunkett was tasked with redesigning the effect into a simpler and sweepable filter. Plunkett would come to develop what would undoubtedly cement themselves in the historical record of effect pedals: the Clyde McCoy Wah-Wah.
In 1966, Thomas Organ released the 'wah-wah' pedal, attributed to Clyde McCoy: not a guitarist, but a trumpet player! The pedal was intended to achieve a similar effect for guitar to the warbling effect of a muted trumpet. The pedal centers around a relatively simple circuit running off a 9V battery and halo inductor with the filter of the wah controlled by foot. The pedal went through a few changes, both cosmetically and in regards to production over the years. By 1967 when this example was made, the pedal would have been built in Italy with a 'Clyde McCoy' cursive script label on the back rather than the made-in-California portrait design of the first few pedals. The company would go on to release similar versions of the pedal under different monikers (famously the Crybaby_ as the sensation spread and competitors began creating their own renditions of Plunkett's wah. This pedal, passed down through NYC's early punk scene and landing with Tom Verlaine, is certainly "the real McCoy!"
Length is 10 in. (25.4 cm.), 4 in. (10.2 cm.) width, and 3 in. (7.6 cm.) high.
This McCoy has seen a fair amount of heavy stage and studio use with wear overall and corrosion in the chrome and some additional markings added. The circuit itself appears original down to the snazzy Mullard 'tropical fish' and Ducati capacitors, the halo inductor, and the Italian ICAR pot. The mechanics of the pedal are working smoothly and properly, and the long-since-dried original foam above the stomp has been freshly replaced.
An extra interesting bonus to this pedal is the label marked "Erasers S.S.," seemingly tracing the history of this wah-wah back from before Verlaine to his scenemate Susan Springfield, frontwoman and guitarist of punk band Erasers. Erasers seemed to not have a lot of output beyond several shreddy singles found on compilations (often alongside Television rarities) and there are accounts of them having played some shows in the same CBGB circuit as Verlaine. The pedal also comes with a letter of provenance from Jimmy Ripp (his co-guitarist on most Verlaine projects since 1981). Overall, a somewhat worn but still rocking classic pedal with an extra bit of NYC rock allure. Overall Excellent Condition.