NAMM 2025: Morley has unveiled a signature wah pedal for Rex Brown that’s based on – and named after – the Pro Series II Wah that has been on the Pantera bassist’s pedalboard since the ‘90s.
If you’ve got a Pantera record in the collection (and if not, then pray tell, what exactly are you listening to in the gym?), you will have no doubt heard “Old Blue” applying its filter sweep to Brown’s meandering basslines.
As it turns out, Brown is a Morley obsessive, and has had a long fascination with the brand, and this signature “Old Blue” wah has a design that bridges two eras of Morley – the sound of the ‘70s, and the switchless activation that arrived with its ‘90s designs.
This new for 2025 model is put together using through-hole components, with a circuit that has been tweaked to deliver a “modified sweep” just the original vintage Morley wahs from the ‘70s. “A key feature on this old-school design is that it prevents any frequencies from being shaved off, which gives it an intense monstrous sweep,” says Morley.
Sounds good. Also, it sounds quiet, with Morley promising that it is “virtually immune” to outside noise and electromagnetic interference.
It doesn’t just do wah noises. Carefully apply a slow rocking motion to the treadle and it can behave much like a phase-shifter for bass guitar.
Of course, one of the big selling points of a Morley wah is its switchless activation. Eschewing circuitry in favour of an optical setup, you are not going to wear this wah out. Just step on the treadle to activate it.
That treadle has some grippy tape on top. There text is glow-in-the-dark so that you can see it in low-light situations (i.e. the stage). It is constructed of cold-rolled steel so you’d better believe it’s built tough, and it would need to be on a Pantera pedalboard – especially back in the day.
“Old Blue” has been equipped with wah level knob and has 15dB of headroom to play with. It has a premium buffer. An LED lets you know when it’s activated. It’s available now and exclusively via Sweetwater, priced $179, so do head over there if you think this could give your basslines something extra.
That, says Brown, was what he was always looking for with his basslines. Speaking to MusicRadar, Brown explained his approach to his top five Pantera basslines, revealing that he had to think out of the box to give the rhythm section its secret sauce and complement what Dimebag Darrell was doing on guitar.
“It's funny, if it were up to Dime he would've had me play everything in unison with him for the entire record,” said Brown. As a bass player, you have to get away from that a little bit. You’ve gotta add your own mustard to it.”
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