Guitar Journal: ’90s Cry Baby, Braille Overdrive & Rush Chorus!
3 new pedals including the upcoming Geddy Lee Amalgamation Chorus!
5,0 / 5,0 | 
This week, we look at the Cry Baby BB535 Wah Reissue, a recreation of a now classic ’90s wah pedal circuit. Next, we look at ThorpyFX, which has collaborated with blind guitarist Anthony Ferraro to create the world’s first braille guitar pedal. Finally, we check out the upcoming Tech 21 Geddy Lee Amalgamation Chorus!
Guitar Journal
Cry Baby BB535 Wah Reissue
The Cry Baby BB535 Wah Reissue is a meticulous restoration of the 1994 original, the pedal that defined the “throaty growl” of the early ’90s rock scene. Post-grunge, alt-rock, and beyond all used this versatile wah pedal on stages and in studios, and now it is back!
Vocal-like Wah Tones
This reissue captures the warm, vocal tone of a custom-modded circuit and brings it back for today’s players. It has a real growl to the wah sweep and offers a range of very usable wah tones in one classic wah pedal format.
Dunlop has recreated the tones and also added a subtle yet very handy modern update to the pedal design.
’90s Rock!
This ’90s Rock classic effect pedal features a military-grade inductor tuned to a precise 535 millihenries, delivering a rich response while preserving your guitar’s natural character. It also comes with a six-position frequency selector and an adjustable +16dB boost.
LED Upgrade
They have updated the design with on/off LEDs for both the wah and boost functions. Hopefully, these should start popping up at dealers very soon, as Dunlop has just dropped a new video for them.
I’m a sucker for a decent wah pedal, and the Cry Baby BB535 packs a lot of useful features into one unit, making it a great option for your pedal setup.
MSRP – $229
Braille Overdrive
Based on The Dane MKII—a dual-stage overdrive and boost—the pedal follows Anthony Ferraro’s previously commissioned custom Braille Victory amplifier.
Braille Solution
Standard pedal layouts are often too cramped for braille. To solve this, founder Adrian Thorpe developed a custom removable cover plate.
This provides enough spacing for Ferraro to tactually identify every control, including Knobs: Level, Gain, Tone, and Lows. It also covers the Functions: Clipping toggles and independent Drive/Boost switches.
Custom Plate
It was an ingenious solution that lets you keep the standard pedal format. This also means the plate could be added to a standard pedal, which really opens up accessibility for partially sighted and blind users.
Pure Freedom
As the industry shifts toward digital screens and touch interfaces, accessibility for visually impaired musicians has become more difficult. Ferraro, a longtime advocate for inclusive gear, notes that this modification provides the “pure freedom” to dial in specific tones without assistance.
Tech 21 Geddy Lee Amalgamation Chorus
The Tech 21 Geddy Lee Amalgamation Signature Chorus pedal captures that iconic, “swirlicious” tone in a roadworthy stompbox specifically engineered for bass. Developed in close collaboration with the Rush frontman, this pedal delivers studio-quality modulation while preserving your low-end integrity.
Deviate
The Amalgamation offers a unique control set designed for maximum girth. The Detune knob subtly shifts pitch to create an enveloping shimmer, while the Deviate mode adds a secondary voice for even greater depth and complexity.
Standard Speed and Depth controls let you dial in everything from a gentle thickening to an outrageous swirl, keeping your tone clear and impactful in any mix.
Lush
Built for both the stage and the studio, the pedal features a dedicated Level control and a hard Bypass to protect your dry signal.
Perfect for anyone seeking Geddy’s signature presence or a versatile tool for experimental textures, the Amalgamation delivers a lush, multidimensional effect and will be available in the next few weeks. Pre-orders are open now!
Available to order at Thomann, priced $249/£229/€259
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