Boss AW-3 Dynamic Wah
Guitarists may choose from a variety of classic auto-wah and dynamic wah effects, as well as a novel “Humanizer” function that may replicate human vowel sounds, with the BOSS AW-3 Dynamic Wah pedal. For bass guitar, a bass input allows you to create a variety of wah tones.
Several settings for classic wah effects, auto-wah, and human vowel effects are available in the Boss AW-3 Dynamic Wah. A wide range of tones, including tempo, decay, and range, can be shaped with four adjustable controls.
Features AW-3
- A range of classic “wah” effects are produced by the compact pedal.
- The effect of dynamic wah is dependent on the strength of the picked note.
- The “humanizer” effect produces voice-like vowel sounds that are human.
- A bass guitar input has been added for dedicated processing.
- Wah control via an optional expression pedal is possible in EXP Pedal mode.
- In Manual mode, you can set the tempo for pedal control or at a constant pace.
Video Boss AW-3 Youtube
Basing this review on my application. I’ve owned the Mu-tron iii, qtron, DOG’S, Boss T-Wah, Boss Touch Wah, Ibanez AFL and AF-01, Guyatone WR and many more. The most “authentic” are the Mu-tron iii and Q-Tron. Most have that digital sound like the DOG’S. The Boss AW3 is in a class by itself. It can do so much. Need to play with it to understand. I use it more for rock funk. Overdriven. I tried to recreate the sounds I get from the AW3 with other pedals. Gets muddy and not as clear. A buddy of mine uses it for solos in his metal band. He was tired of being tethered to his wah. His slower sweep and picking attack allows him to control when the “Q” opens up. I currently have 2 on my board. One in the down sweep and the other in the up. The down I use for two things. A quick close and a slower one for that bouncing back effect.
Benefits Boss AW-3 Dynamic Wah
- Great variety of sounds.
- It’s easy to operate and change settings.
- Sample Item #3
- Another bonus is this is a buffered pedal and carries my signal a bit further than what was previously had.
- Gotta love the Boss bulletproof enclosure, giant stomp pad and easy battery access, too.
This dynamic wah is a quality built pedal. The tones are definitely what I was looking for on my board. You definitely have to tweak it in, but I am happy with the purchase for the music I am currently playing.
This pedal is so much FUN. I’m sure there are ways to be very thoughtful and musical with it, but it’s great just to play scales and modes and progressions until your fingers bleed. Lots of control over the pitch, depth, and intensity of the WAH, so make sure you play around until you find the sound that moves you. My favorite are the vowel settings, you can really “shape” the sound and it makes a lot of difference with your dynamics.
Conclusion
Versatile and solid sounds. Tracking is good. I personally feel it is not as dynamic as the name of the pedal would imply. I feel like there are a lot of envelope filters/wahs out there that have a little more range. That said it is virtually undetectable if you are playing a live gig with a band. Boss is pretty solid across the board.
Excellent for funk rhythm guitar, and the adjustable vowel sounds and decay time are wonderful. Can be used as an auto-wah or if you hook up an expression pedal you can use it as normal. No level or gain control on the unit itself. As envelope filters react to signal strength, your pickups and pedal chain will alter how dynamic the effect is.
Great Auto Wah, very touch sensitive. It does take a minute to get familiar with the parameters of each knob, but once I found the sound I was looking for I was happy. For the price(used), it cannot be beat. I have tried many other auto wahs (with this one coming in second to the Mad Professor Snow White Auto Wah, but the price to keep it on my board led me back to the AW3) The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 – IMO Boss pedals tend to hit the higher register of my tone – meaning that the OD’s & Dist I have tried are always a bit “sizzley” or “hissy”, this AW3 takes a little wrangling to not hit too much in the upper register.
