Dunlop Cry Baby vs MXR CAE Wah

The Dunlop Cry Baby and the MXR CAE Wah are both pedals sharing mid-forward. The Dunlop Cry Baby leans dynamic and transparent. The MXR CAE Wah leans smooth. Current prices: $85 vs $110.87.

Similarity
citedBlended from circuit-archetype lineage, dynamic feel, tone-signal overlap and tone-vector distance — the tone vector itself is derived from editorial description text, not a measured acoustic signal, so this reflects how similarly the catalog copy describes the two, not a lab measurement. Shown only within a gear class, and only where there's enough evidence to be meaningful.

45% — somewhat different

Shared genres
citedGenres both listings are associated with.
  • Metal
  • Funk
  • Blues
  • Rock
Shared tone character
citedDerived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.
  • mid-forward
Citation fame
citedCitation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.
79%
0%
Price

$85via Reverb

$110.87via Reverb

Description

The Dunlop Cry Baby GCB95 is the standard-production version of the original Cry Baby wah pedal, built around a Fasel red inductor and a halo-style pot that defines the classic late-1960s wah sweep character. It produces a midrange-focused vocal sweep that sharpens attack on distorted lead tones and adds expressive movement to clean rhythm playing. Heavily associated with the foundational wah sounds of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Slash, and Tom Morello, it is among the best-selling and most widely used wah pedals in production. Genre fit is broad: blues, rock, funk, metal, and psychedelic rock all use this pedal's sweep as a core element.

The MXR CAE Wah (Custom Audio Electronics MC404) is a Bob Bradshaw-designed dual-inductor wah with two voices and a boost, prized for a wide, vocal sweep and pro-grade build. Used by Eric Gales and Kim Thayil, it offers selectable inductors for different sweep characters plus a clean boost, suited to rock, blues and metal lead. It is a versatile, high-quality wah for serious players.

Genres
citedGenres this gear is documented as being used in.
  • Psychedelic Rock
  • Classic Rock
  • Blues Rock
  • Alternative Rock
  • Electronic
Tonal lean
  • dynamic
  • transparent
  • smooth
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Dunlop Cry Baby vs MXR CAE Wah — Shared Character & Differences — NodeTone