The Dunlop 535Q Wah is a Dunlop wah pedal. Close alternatives include the Dunlop Cry Baby Wah and the Ibanez WH10V2 Classic Wah. It pairs well with the Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ Combo and the Revv Generator G20 20-Watt 2-Channel Tube Head.
Dunlop 535Q Wah
Dunlop · pedal
The Dunlop Cry Baby 535Q is a versatile multi-wah, often called a swiss army knife of wah pedals for its wide tonal range. A six-position voicing switch shifts the sweep from narrow and dark to broad and subtle, while a range selector spans defined low end to screaming high harmonics. Its Variable Q control sets the sharpness of the wah, from gentle, mild weeps to vocal-like, refined sweeps. An onboard boost adds up to 16 dB to drive the signal chain harder and push an amp into natural distortion. Capable of nearly any classic wah tone, it suits funk, rock, blues, and lead playing where expressive, customizable wah voicing matters.
What stands out
“Highly versatile, vocal-capable wah that the community values for covering nearly any wah tone through its voicing switch, range selector, and Variable Q”
— from the community notes
“An onboard boost adds up to 16 dB to drive the signal chain harder and push an amp into natural distortion”
— from the listing
“A six-position voicing switch shifts the sweep from narrow and dark to broad and subtle, while a range selector spans defined low end to screaming high harmonics”
— from the listing
“The boost drives the amp front end harder for natural grit, and the range and Q interact to fine-tune how piercing the top and how honky the middle of the sweep get”
— from the community notes
“It is most used for funk rhythm, rock and blues lead, and expressive solo work”
— from the community notes
- wah
- vocal
- natural
- boost
- distortion
- dark
- funk
- expressive
Genres the Dunlop 535Q Wah is commonly used in
- Funk
- Blues
- 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. - Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Dunlop 535Q Wah
Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ Combo
Mesa Boogie
21% matchPut Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ Combo in front and the mid-forward tone leans further toward high gain
Comes later in the signal chain
Revv Generator G20 20-Watt 2-Channel Tube Head
Revv
21% matchRevv Generator G20 20-Watt 2-Channel Tube Head stacks high gain on top of the mid-forward already here
Comes later in the signal chain
Mesa/Boogie JP-2C John Petrucci Signature 60/100-Watt
Mesa Boogie
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Mesa/Boogie JP-2C John Petrucci Signature 60/100-Watt in front and the mid-forward tone leans further toward high gain
Marshall Studio JCM900 SN20H
Marshall
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Run mid-forward into Marshall Studio JCM900 SN20H for more high gain on top
Friedman BE-Mini Head
Friedman
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Friedman BE-Mini Head stacks high gain on top of the mid-forward already here
Hughes & Kettner Warp 7
Hughes & Kettner
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Hughes & Kettner Warp 7 stacks high gain on top of the mid-forward already here
Hughes & Kettner Coreblade
Hughes & Kettner
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Run mid-forward into Hughes & Kettner Coreblade for more high gain on top
Synergy SL2 Module
Synergy
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Synergy SL2 Module stacks high gain on top of the mid-forward already here
Pedals that stack with the Dunlop 535Q Wah
Wren and Cuff Box of War Small Foot Fuzz
Wren And Cuff
24% matchWren and Cuff Box of War Small Foot Fuzz stacks high gain on top of the mid-forward already here
Comes later in the signal chain
EarthQuaker Devices Dirt Transmitter
EarthQuaker Devices
23% matchEarthQuaker Devices Dirt Transmitter layers fuzzy onto an already mid-forward signal
Comes later in the signal chain
Dawner Prince Boonar
Dawner Prince
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 Dunlop 535Q Wah's mid-forward voice out front: Dawner Prince Boonar goes after Dunlop 535Q Wah in the signal chain so its modulated voice doesn't muddy it — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Boss DD-200 Digital Delay
Boss
7% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Run Boss DD-200 Digital Delay after Dunlop 535Q Wah in the signal chain, where it won't crowd Dunlop 535Q Wah — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler V2
Dr Scientist
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler V2 layers fuzzy onto an already mid-forward signal
Death By Audio Destruction
Death By Audio
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Run mid-forward into Death By Audio Destruction for more fuzzy on top
Warm Audio Jet Phaser
Warm Audio
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Warm Audio Jet Phaser belongs after Dunlop 535Q Wah, since modulation reads clearest once the core tone is set
Subdecay F-Bomb
Subdecay
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Subdecay F-Bomb in front and the mid-forward tone leans further toward fuzzy
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Dunlop
66% similarityShared character: honky, sweep, wah
Ibanez WH10V2 Classic Wah
Ibanez
64% similarityShared character: honky, wah, vocal
Dunlop Cry Baby
Dunlop
61% similarityShared character: middle, wah, dark
Dunlop Buddy Guy Signature Cry Baby Wah Wah
Dunlop
58% similarityShared character: versatility, top, sweep
Dunlop Jerry Cantrell Firefly Cry Baby Wah
Dunlop
58% similarityShared character: dark, wah, vocal
Dunlop MDU GCJ95
Dunlop
58% similarityShared character: dark, wah, grit
Ibanez TWP10
Ibanez
57% similarityShared character: bright, wah, wide range
Morley MTTW Tone Questor WAH
Morley
53% similarityShared character: dark, lead playing, wah
Vox V846 Vintage
Vox
52% similarityShared character: wah
Vox Vintage Wah
Vox
52% similarityShared character: wah, vocal, response
Morley 20/20 Distortion WAH MTPDW Effetto Distorsione E WAH A
Morley
52% similarityShared character: wah, grit, dark
Morley Wah
Morley
51% similarityShared character: wide range, sweep, wah
See all alternatives to the Dunlop 535Q Wah (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Dunlop 535Q Wah?+
The closest matches in character are the Dunlop Cry Baby Wah, the Ibanez WH10V2 Classic Wah, the Dunlop Cry Baby.
What pairs well with the Dunlop 535Q Wah?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ Combo, Revv Generator G20 20-Watt 2-Channel Tube Head, Mesa/Boogie JP-2C John Petrucci Signature 60/100-Watt — Put Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ Combo in front and the mid-forward tone leans further toward high gain.