Morley Steve Vai Bad Horsie Electro-Optical Contour Wah Demo
My Verdict and Review Summary
Those who follow my content know that I have a long history with the Morley Bad Horsie wah pedal, one that date's back to my 16th birthday. After getting my driver's license, I got my first wah pedal: The original Morley Bad Horsie. 20 years later, I've still never used a wah pedal without a switch. That original Bad Horsie stopped working after about 20 years, so now I get the chance to upgrade and keep the story going. The Electro-Optical version is, in my humble opinion, the absolute BEST wah pedal on the market from the best wah pedal series ever made.
BEST FOR: Metal, rock, lead, heavy blues, performances, and just about everything else.
TONE
99
CONTROL
99
FLEXIBILITY
95
PRICE/VALUE
90
- Lots of range with the contour controls.
- Higher contour settings are really crisp and sharp.
- Sounds great at all gain levels.
- Vocal, but not too vocal.
- Switchless design is superb. I will never abandon it.
- I refuse to say anything negative about it.
This review has been over 20 years in the making. When I got my first Bad Horsie switchless wah on my 16th birthday, I never once turned back. It lasted me until my 36th year of life, and now two years later, I get to try out the latest rendition of that same pedal.
Spoiler alert: I like it. And I recommend this wah pedal with zero hesitation. Enjoy the review.
20 years in the making. I'll never use a different wah pedal.
Bad Horsie Sound and Use Case
Tone quality is not usually an issue when it comes to wah pedals, because the technology is fairly simple. I've noticed that the really cheap wah pedals, like under $50, don't cut as well because the sweep just seems shallow and always dull. But the Morley Bad Horsie series, especially this one, are high-end and the contour controls allow you to dial in a really sharp or subtle cut - whatever you prefer.
Using the Contour Control
Turn the contour up for a sharper wah and down to for a reduced, more subtle sweep, then set the level knob for the overall intensity.
Wah Style
It's not overly vocal, but it's also very defined and crisp. You might be able to call it more of a modern wah, more Tony Rombola (Godsmack) than Jimi Hendrix, so there might be some style considerations here.
But overall, it just sounds great. The real selling point of this pedal (at least for me), is in the control mechanisms.
Sharpen or smooth the cut to your liking.
Control and Mechanics: Switchless and Kickback Design
If you're not familiar, switchless wah pedals engage by simply pushing the pedal forward. Traditionally, wah pedals have had a switch like a typical guitar pedal which requires you to press the pedal all the way down to first click the button and engage the effect, then start controlling it back and forth.
Most Morley pedals do not require engaging a switch, including the Bad Horsie.
Me using my original Morley Bad Horsie wah for a cover of "Greed" by Godsmack. Timestamped to start at the solo where I engage the pedal.
Kickback Spring Functionality
Additionally, this pedal has a spring functionality that pushes backward when you're not actively pushing the pedal forward. This saves you further manual input in that it will kick backwards on its own.
In a traditional wah pedal, you have to rock the pedal backwards with your heal to move it in that direction.
To summarize, the Morley design - and Steve Vai's signature in particular - takes a ton of the work off your foot, and just...works. No clicking needed. Just step to engage and let off to disengage.
Step on to engage and then just lift your foot off the pedal to disengage. I'm not sure why all wah pedals are not made like this.
Cost and the Wah Pedal Economy
I've always thought wah pedals and volume pedals seemed overpriced, just because of how simple the technology is. At the time of this review, the Bad Horsie Contour wah was $200, which is pretty comparable to the rest of the market and other well-known wah brands like the VOX wahs and the Cry Baby series.
Part of the cost is that they're just bigger, and it has been this way forever. But this applies to the market as a whole, and is not specific to Morley pedals or the Bad Horsie in particular.
I'd like all wah and volume pedals to be cheaper, but given that the Bad Horsie - which is a Steve Vai signature - is roughly the same price as most Cry Baby signature wah pedals, I have no issues with the asking price.
It's the economy, stupid!
Morley Bad Horsie Review Summary
To conclude, this is my favorite wah pedal and I have the experience to back it up. If you have questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section below and we can chat. Thanks to everyone for supporting our content over the years. I sincerely hope it has been helpful.
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Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Pedals & Reviews
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Pedals & Reviews
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