The Boss PW-3 is a Boss wah pedal, currently around $156.99. Close alternatives include the Shins Music Shin's Music BOG Wah and the Tech 21 Killer Wail v2 Wah. It pairs well with the Park P50 Classic and the Roland Cube Street.
Boss PW-3
Boss · pedal
The Boss PW-3 is a compact, all analog wah pedal that delivers professional wah tones in a rugged, space saving die cast chassis far smaller than a traditional wah. A slider switch toggles two voices: Vintage, which scoops the low end for a classic, squawky Hendrix and 1970s wah sweep, and Rich, which retains low end fullness for a fatter, more modern wah voice. The pedal action is long, smooth and responsive, with status LEDs on both sides for stage visibility. It suits funk, rock, blues and lead players who want a reliable, pedalboard friendly wah with both old school squawk and a fuller contemporary option, built to Boss durability standards at an accessible price.
What stands out
“The Boss PW-3 is a compact, all analog wah pedal that delivers professional wah tones in a rugged, space saving die cast chassis far smaller than a traditional wah”
— from the listing
“The pedal action is long, smooth and responsive, with status LEDs on both sides for stage visibility”
— from the listing
“A slider switch toggles two voices: Vintage, which scoops the low end for a classic, squawky Hendrix and 1970s wah sweep, and Rich, which retains low end fullness for a fatter, more modern wah voice”
— from the listing
“It is well priced and built like a tank”
— from the reviews
“blues and lead players who want a reliable”
— from the listing
- wah
- smooth
- bass
- response
- responsive
- vintage
- tank
- lead
Price updated Oct 24, 2026
Genres the Boss PW-3 is commonly used in
- Blues
- Funk
- Rock
- Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Soul
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Classic Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Boss PW-3
Park P50 Classic
Park
23% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain. (dynamic → compressed)
Into a dynamic tone, Park P50 Classic brings a pull toward compressed that's missing
Comes later in the signal chain
Roland Cube Street
Roland
23% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (scooped → mid-forward)
Roland Cube Street's own full character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
Fender FSR Blues Junior IV (Black, Greenback Speaker)
Fender
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Fender FSR Blues Junior IV (Black, Greenback Speaker) after Boss PW-3
ENGL Special Edition E670
Engl
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put ENGL Special Edition E670 after Boss PW-3
Roland Cube Street EX
Roland
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Roland Cube Street EX after Boss PW-3
Gallien-Krueger GK Legacy 4x10 Bass Combo Amp
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Gallien-Krueger GK Legacy 4x10 Bass Combo Amp goes after Boss PW-3 in the chain
ENGL E610II Savage 120 MkII Head
Engl
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
ENGL E610II Savage 120 MkII Head goes after Boss PW-3 in the chain
Gibson Dual Falcon 20
Gibson
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Gibson Dual Falcon 20 goes after Boss PW-3 in the chain
Pedals that stack with the Boss PW-3
JAM Pedals Tubedreamer
Jam Pedals
26% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (scooped → mid-forward)
JAM Pedals Tubedreamer leans toward mid-forward, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Comes later in the signal chain
J. Rockett The Dude
J Rockett
22% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (scooped → mid-forward)
J. Rockett The Dude leans toward mid-forward, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Comes later in the signal chain
Echoplex EP-3
Echoplex
8% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Keep Echoplex EP-3 after Boss PW-3 in the signal chain, where it won't crowd Boss PW-3 — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Wampler Catacombs
Wampler
8% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Put Wampler Catacombs after Boss PW-3 in the signal chain, where it won't crowd Boss PW-3 — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
JAM Pedals Double Dreamer
Jam Pedals
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
JAM Pedals Double Dreamer goes after Boss PW-3 in the chain
JHS Pedals JHS Pulp N Peel V4
JHS Pedals
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Into a dynamic tone, JHS Pedals JHS Pulp N Peel V4 brings a pull toward compressed that's missing
Behringer TO800 Vintage Tube Overdrive
Behringer
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Behringer TO800 Vintage Tube Overdrive goes after Boss PW-3 in the chain
A/DA MP-1
A Da
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
A/DA MP-1 goes after Boss PW-3 in the chain
Cheaper alternatives
Morley 20/20 Classic Wah
Morley
61% similarityShared character: tank, wah, compact
Dunlop Cry Baby
Dunlop
57% similarity“some players feel it lacks the vintage mojo and character of a classic Cry Baby despite its strong tone and value”
Electro-Harmonix Wailer Wah
Electro-Harmonix
53% similarityShared character: wah, lead
Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Dunlop
51% similarityShared character: wah, response, lead
Dunlop Cry Baby GCB-95
Dunlop
51% similarityShared character: tank, wah, response
Boutique & premium upgrades
Snarling Dogs Super Bawl Whine-O Wah Pedal
pedal
53% similarityShared character: tank, wah
T-Rex Gull Wah
T Rex
52% similarityShared character: wah, response, lead
Morley Power Fuzz Wah
Morley
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Morley MO PFW 2
Morley
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Vox Vintage Wah
Vox
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Shins Music Shin's Music BOG Wah
Shins Music
59% similarityShared character: wah, rich, smooth
Tech 21 Killer Wail v2 Wah
Tech 21
55% similarityShared character: wah, lead
Morley 20/20 Wah-Lock
Morley
55% similarityShared character: tank, wah, smooth
Vox V846HW Wah
pedal
53% similarityShared character: wah, smooth, vintage charm
Fulltone Clyde Deluxe Wah
Fulltone
53% similarityShared character: tank, wah, response
Friedman Gold-72 Wah
Friedman
53% similarityShared character: wah, vintage charm
See all alternatives to the Boss PW-3 (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Boss PW-3?+
The closest matches in character are the Shins Music Shin's Music BOG Wah, the Tech 21 Killer Wail v2 Wah, the Morley 20/20 Wah-Lock. Budget picks: Morley 20/20 Classic Wah, Dunlop Cry Baby, Electro-Harmonix Wailer Wah. Boutique upgrades: Snarling Dogs Super Bawl Whine-O Wah Pedal, T-Rex Gull Wah, Morley Power Fuzz Wah.
What pairs well with the Boss PW-3?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Park P50 Classic, Roland Cube Street, Fender FSR Blues Junior IV (Black, Greenback Speaker) — Into a dynamic tone, Park P50 Classic brings a pull toward compressed that's missing.
How much does the Boss PW-3 cost?+
Around $156.99 (live listing price, updated Oct 24, 2026).