RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson’s gear company Lerxst has partnered with with pedal-makers Morley for the new “Blah Blah” wah.
The “Blah Blah” (available via Reverb) derives its name from Lifeson’s eccentric speech during RUSH’s Rock Hall induction in 2013 — appropriate given the “expressive” nature of the new pedal.
As RUSH fans are well aware, wah has long been a prominent element of Lifeson’s style of playing, and Lerxt and Morley dialed in the pedal’s voice response to Lifeson’s specifications.
Morley’s switchless optical wah circuit is paired with a second circuit that allows for filtering effects. The two are interchangeable via a soft-click footswitch, with the pedal activated as soon as the treadle is moved forward. Spring-loaded action makes it return to the upright position once the player removes their foot.
Circuit response dynamics can be adjusted via a Pitch knob, so guitarists can dial in effects that compliment their specific guitar pickups. Meanwhile, the Tone control allows for exact EQ’ing to harmonize with any other pedals on the pedalboard. The Blah Blah’s steel enclosure also includes a premium Morley buffer circuit.
“Wah pedals have been an essential tool of sonic expression for me since the Fly by Night album,” Lifeson said [via Guitar World]. “With the ‘wah’ side of the Blah Blah, we really wanted to capture that classic sound while also giving it a wide enough frequency response to suit modern players.”
He continued: “The guys at Morley have designed some of the greatest wah pedals ever, so it was a natural collaboration to work on this project with them, and see where we could take it next.”
Morley’s Scott Fietsam added that the pedalmakers were able to achieve “the ‘Blah-talkie’ sound,” but were surprised by “how versatile this pedal turned out to be.”
“It opened up numerous sonic possibilities in both clean and distorted modes, making it enjoyable for a wide range of players,” he said.
The Blah Blah wah pedal is limited to 500 units and runs $299, available exclusively via Lerxst’s Reverb store. Watch a video on the Blah Blah pedal and see a close-up image below.