Rainbow Dash Buys a CryBaby Wah Pedal

by Brony_Headbanger

Rainbow Dash Buys a CryBaby Wah Pedal

“So you’re telling me that this pedal. It has some type of...vocal like sound to it?” Rainbow Dash asked Sunset Shimmer as they both walk to Vinyl Scratch’s music shop.

“Duh.” Sunset Shimmer replies. “It’s one of the coolest. You’ll love it Rainbow Dash! It’ll be perfect for your lead guitar tracks in the band.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” Dash said, as she rolled her eyes. “By the way. What’s the pedal called again?”

“A wah pedal.” Sunset Shimmer replied.

“A wah pedal.” Dash repeated as if she thinks it’s a joke. In the Rainbooms, Rainbow Dash already owns other different guitar pedals. Such as the fuzzface, MXR phaser, the tape echo, and other various pedals.

However, Rainbow Dash has not yet come close to a wah-wah pedal in her entire music career. Nor her entire life for that matter.

“Have you even tried this pedal before?” Rainbow Dash asked Sunset Shimmer as they’re almost there.

“I tried it once yesterday when I was here to get a new guitar. Vinyl had a collection of them. Just came in. I tried it out, and it sounded awesome. I didn’t buy one though.” She said as they reached the entrance.

“Okay,” Rainbow Dash replied as they walked inside. “Let’s get this over with.”

Rainbow Dash begins to walk to the counter as Vinyl was there.

“Oh, hey, Rainbow Dash! Hey Sunset Shimmer! What brings you two in today?” Vinyl asked as Dash begins to look inside the glass case as she sees various pedals. Especially the wah pedals. If she can recognize what they look like.

“Do you have any wah pedals?” Rainbow Dash asked her.

“Oh, I got a ton of them right here.” Vinyl said as she pulled them out. She pulls out two pedals, and places them on the glass counter.

One of them is a Vox wah, while the other says Cry Baby.

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath as she took the pedals, in her hands. They have a bit of weight to them as she holds them.

Sunset Shimmer helps her pick out a random guitar. Making sure it’s a floyd rose floating bridge. The type Rainbow likes.

She gets the amps set up, as well as the pedals. She takes her right foot, and rests it on the heel of the Vox wah.

“Here goes nothing.” Dash said as she clicks the button with her toe, and begins to play a tiny solo with the wah.

The Vox has like a more high pitched vocal type as Rainbow plays it more.

A few seconds goes by, as Dash turns off the Vox wah.

“Uh...I don’t know about that one.” Was all she could say as she then goes for the Cry Baby.

She clicks the heel with her toe, as she begins to play the same tiny solo with the wah.

“Okay, now we’re getting somewhere.” Dash responded as she keeps playing the solo with the pedal.

A few seconds later, she clicks it off, as she places the pedal in her hand.

“It doesn’t sound...that bad. But, it’s kinda not enough.” Was all she could say, as if she’s a bit disappointed.

“Hold up, I know a good Cry Baby for you, Dash.” Vinyl said as she goes back behind the counter, and pulls out another Cry Baby wah.

Except this time, it has a knob.

“This is the CryBaby 535q. It’s got a six position knob, with a red button for the boost. It’s also got these two knobs here on the other side to adjust the Q range and the volume. Try it out.” Vinyl said, as she hands the pedal to Dash.

Dash takes the pedal in her hands, and plugs it in.

She begins to play the solo with it, as she puts the knob position to four, and the Q range knob to one o’clock. Until…

“*Gasp*”

Dash keeps playing the solo more with the pedal. Until she found the sound she was definatly looking for.

“Oh wow. I’m...I’m really speechless.” Was all Dash could say as she’s finished with it.

She picks the pedal up in her hands again as she looks at it.

“Well, what do you think, Rainbow Dash?” Sunset Shimmer asked her friend as a smile forms on her face.

Until those three words finally came out of her mouth.

“I love it.”

That put a smile to Sunset Shimmer’s face. Seeing her friend happy makes her happy as well.

“You were right, Sunset Shimmer. The wah pedal is a really great pedal for a guitar effect. I’ll take it.”

Rainbow Dash goes behind the counter, as she pays for the pedal, while Vinyl Scratch puts it in a box for her, places it in a bag, and hands it to her.

“Here you go, Dash. Can’t wait for you to use it one day.” Vinyl said to her as her and Dash fist bumped, and Sunset Shimmer and her walk out of the store.

“So that’s the pedal, huh?” Sunset Shimmer asked Dash as she playfully punched her.

“Yup, it’s the one. I’m so glad you introduced me to this. I can’t wait to use it.” Dash said in excitement as it starts to fill her up with joy. Like Pinkie Pie.

All Sunset Shimmer could do was chuckle.

“I’m glad you like it, Rainbow Dash.If you’re happy, I’m happy.”

***

The Next Day.

The Rainbooms are setting up for practice. Rainbow Dash was getting her pedal board ready, as she also adds in her new CryBaby 535q as the farther right, for easy access to the kick/boost button that’s on the farther right side of the pedal.

“Ah take it Sunset Shimmer introduced you to that pedal, Rainbow Dash?” Applejack asked her, setting up her bass.

“Yup. Just got it yesterday.” Rainbow Dash replied as she plugs in her amp, and test sounds it.

“You should’ve seen her face though.” Sunset Shimmer said as she giggles. “She fell in love with it, right away.”

“Oh shut up!” Dash said as she blushes a little.

“Okay, enough of all that.” Rarity comes in as she chuckles.

“So, um, what does this pedal do, Rainbow Dash?’ Fluttershy asked as she walks to Dash’s pedal board.

“Sunset Shimmer told me it has this...vocal effect?” She said, trying to remember. “Like for example, let’s say you’re saying “wah”.”

“Okay?” Fluttershy replied.

“It’s hard to explain. I’ll show you.”

Rainbow Dash kicks on the pedal as she played a chord, and activates the “wah” she was trying to talk about.

“Oh my.” Fluttershy replied as her eyes go wide. “It sounds really pretty.

“Pretty? Talk about totally awesome!” Dash replied. Until it was time for practice.

“Okay! Places everyone! Let’s do this.”

Pinkie Pie holds up the drumsticks, and claps them together.

“One! Two! Three! Four!”

And everyone begins to play their musical instruments. As well as Rainbow Dash using her wah pedal for her solos.

***

After two hours of practice. Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash began to walk home with Dash holding the pedal in the box that it came in.

“Well, that was fun.” Was all Dash could say.

“Oh please, I bet you enjoyed it more because of that pedal, isn’t it?” Sunset Shimmer asked her, playfully punching her shoulder.

“Heh, you can say that.” Rainbow Dash replied as she looks at the box. “Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow, Sunset Shimmer.Don’t we have that test tomorrow for Cheerliee?”

“Oh yeah,” Sunset Shimmer replied, rolling her eyes as they reached Rainbow’s house. “I forgot we do. I need to study. I’ll catch you later.”

“Yeah, you too. See ya.” They both say, as Sunset Shimmer walks down the sidewalk.

“Hey, Dash!” Sunset Shimmer yells behind her shoulder to look back at her friend with a smile.

“I’m really glad you like that pedal.” She said as she walks away. Leaving Rainbow Dash to walk in her house, and shut the door behind to so she can study for her test.

Or practice on her new wah pedal more.

Author's Note:

For my 500 follower special. I hope you enjoyed it. Since I'm a guitarists myself. The wah pedal is now part of a huge impact on my sound when I'm playing. Except I don't own a CryBaby 535q. I own the original CryBaby, and the John Petrucci signature wah pedal, which sounds amazing. But yeah, hope you guys enjoyed it.

-BH

Comments

[Rose Quill]

The wah is a great effect pedal, and in my opinion helped define a number of band's sounds. I don't use it much myself as opposed to a slapback reverb, but it's a stylistic choice. I was heavily influenced by Lindsey Buckingham and Tom Scholz more than anyone.

Enough about music, time for my opinion on the words!

Loved it. It was short and sweet and gave depth to Dash still growing as a guitarist. Have a Like and an Upvote!

[Dark Shade 75]

Title is "She buys one"
Description is "Will she buy one"

Disappointment intensifies regardless of outcome.

[forbloodysummer]

I'm not sure about Rainbow going for the wah; her lead sound has such a mellow neck pickup tone to it that I think she wouldn't notice the wah effect much unless she dialed it in so much that the toe position would make her tone overly harsh. Also, she plays so cleanly to begin with, so the wah isn't exactly necessary to hide the notes (I'm looking at you, Kirk Hammett and Zakk Wylde), and she loves her big reverbs, so I mostly think it'd get in the way.

Do we ever hear much lead playing from Sunset? I remember the chords she busts out when she picks up the flying-V at the end of Rainbow Rocks, but I can't remember if we hear any lead from her in Friendship Games or Legend of Everfree. But might she be a better fit for it?

Damn right about the CryBaby being the pedal of choice though. I'd have gone for the rack version, myself.

[Lunasservant1985]

this is great work BH it really it really shows that even with your ficus on sfw titles youre still a very cteative and talanted writer keep it up as much as possible

[forbloodysummer]

I bought a CryBaby Wah pedal today

[Brony_Headbanger]

8799787
Sorry I’m late on replying. But it’s a lovely effect isn’t it?

I own two wah pedals. I have the original, and a John Petrucci signature wah pedal. My most favorite. Now that one...defiantly takes me breath away. It sounds absolutely flawless. Whenever you can, and if you can afford it. You need to get a John Petrucci wah pedal. It is worth...every. Single. Penny.

[forbloodysummer]

9267483 It sounds fantastic! And it covers such a wide variety of sounds and genres - when I got it, I spent the evening playing 70s cop show music on my strat, but I used it on stage a couple of months ago with a B. C. Rich to sound like Drowning Pool.

I bought it 2nd hand, and it's not in great shape, kind of falling apart and missing the battery compartment cover. I mostly use a MIDI rig, so the pedal is a bit of a stopgap until I can afford one of these. I'm wondering how easy it would be to make the cry baby MIDI-controllable myself, though, as that'd be much cheaper.

[guestivity]

What distortion pedal do you think she uses?