First wah pedal: C.A.E., XW-1, or Colorsound?

Question

My biggest wah influences are Jerry Cantrell and the boys Thin Lizzy (with some Robin Trower and Tom Morello thrown in).

The thing is, those are two entirely separate eras and I don't know what I need to get close to both wah sounds.

  • Xotic XW-1: loads of people have sung this thing's praises, but there's apparently an activation delay that has driven some people nuts that no other wah pedal has (not sure why). I'd hate to spend the money only to potentially have the same issue.

  • Dunlop C.A.E.: up there with the XW-1 in terms of sheer number of recommendations, but I absolutely do not understand internal trimpots. If versatility is the goal, I want knobs I can easily reach.

  • Colorsound: I believe Brian Robertson used a Colorsound pedal back in the day. I'm unsure if I should get the limited run "WoW" or inductorless model that Macari's sells. I also don't know if this will handle that Cantrell/Morello-style wah.

I also had the Ibanez Weeping Demon on my list for years, but I was bummed to learn they've been discontinued. I also don't know how it stacks up against the three I've mentioned.

Feedback and opinions are highly welcome since I'm pretty new to this. Thanks!

Posted Dec 30, 2025, 8:58 PM UTC

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