The Greatest Wah Pedal Solos
Rock the pedal and the guitar cries, quacks or sings. The wah arrived in 1967, and within a year Jimi Hendrix (Voodoo Child) and Eric Clapton (White Room, Tales of Brave Ulysses) had made it essential. Slash, Kirk Hammett, Mike McCready and Jerry Cantrell carried it on. These are the greatest wah solos, and every video starts at the solo.
- 1Guns N' Roses · solo by Slash · 1987
- 2Jimi Hendrix · solo by Jimi Hendrix · 1968
- 3Jimi Hendrix · solo by Jimi Hendrix · 1968
- 4Joe Satriani · solo by Joe Satriani · 1987
- 5Chicago · solo by Terry Kath · 1970
- 6Cream · solo by Eric Clapton · 1968
- 7Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett · 1991
- 8Jane's Addiction · solo by Dave Navarro · 1990
- 9Cream · solo by Eric Clapton · 1967
- 10Pearl Jam · solo by Mike McCready · 1991
- 11Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble · solo by Stevie Ray Vaughan · 1984
- 12Led Zeppelin · solo by Jimmy Page · 1975
- 13Black Sabbath · solo by Tony Iommi · 1970
- 14The Rolling Stones · solo by Mick Taylor · 1973
- 15Robin Trower · solo by Robin Trower · 1974
- 16Michael Schenker Group · solo by Michael Schenker · 1980
- 17Alice In Chains · solo by Jerry Cantrell · 1992
- 18The Stone Roses · solo by John Squire · 1989
Quick answers
What is the most famous wah solo?
Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child (Slight Return) is the usual pick. On the site, Slash's Sweet Child O' Mine solo ranks highest of the solos that use wah.
What was the first famous wah pedal song?
The Vox wah came out in 1967. Early landmarks include Cream's Tales of Brave Ulysses and Hendrix's Burning of the Midnight Lamp from that year.
Why do guitarists park the wah halfway?
Leaving the pedal part-way down (the 'cocked wah') acts like a fixed filter and gives a nasal, vocal midrange. Michael Schenker is famous for it.