In 1967, the Thomas Organ company introduced the "Cry Baby" wah pedal—a thinly-veiled copy of the Vox V845 wah pedal made famous by Jimi Hendrix. According to the original marketing materials, its vocal sweep "makes the grooviest sounds you've ever heard!" While many wah-wahs have come and gone, not many match up to the musical, rich tone of the original vintage units.
Manufactured in Italy by Jen Electronics, the Cry Baby Super (model 250.422) was the first Crybaby unit with a 9V adapter jack. This model was manufactured from 1969 to 1979, and different color Fasel inductors deliver slight subtleties in sound. This 1970s Jen Cry Baby Super features an orange Fasel, and it has a slightly mellower sweep that makes it versatile and usable across a variety of different genres. Relative to other wahs, this one is smoother, more vowel-like, and less in-your-face.
Around the edges, this Cry Baby Super shows some paint chips, scuffs, and cosmetic signs of use (see photos). But it functions 100% as it should, and all of the circuitry, parts, and components appear to be original. A felt square is adhered to the bottom of the treadle, and it makes it easier to click the switch on and off. The original bumper pads tend to wear down with time, so this is helpful. This 1970s Cry Baby Super includes its original leatherette carrying pouch.
As soon as you plug in this Cry Baby Super, you'll understand why the Wah-Wah sound is so heavily influential in such a variety of different musical genres. There is truly no sound quite like the vintage units, and these Italian-made Jens get the job done in style. Dig the vibey white rubber piping around the baseplate!