Tech 21 Richie Kotzen Killer Wail Wah: With Light Sensor Technology
The new Richie Kotzen Killer Wail Wah from Tech 21 has been tested for roadworthiness by the maestro and has proven rock-solid. Thanks to a unique light sensor technology, there is hardly any noise or signs of wear.
Richie Kotzen Killer Wail Signature Wah
The Richie Kotzen Killer Wail Wah combines traditional wah sound and modern technologies. Designed for guitarists interested in the sonic characteristics of vintage wah pedals, this model brings some technical improvements.
Kotzen has worked with Tech 21 before on his Flyrig, so this new wah pedal makes a lot of sense, as that unit does not contain a wah. It follows the release of the Marty Friedman signature Sansamp last month.
Modern light sensor technology
Light sensor technology replaces the classic wah coil in the Richie Kotzen Killer Wail.
Unlike conventional wah pedals, which often contend with irritating scratching noises and wear and tear on potentiometers, this pedal has no mechanical components that could wear out. Instead, it uses specially developed filters that provide a true-to-original vintage wah sound without the limitations of a simple bandpass or lowpass filter.
Unlike the standard Killer Wail V2 model, a spring-loaded rocker ensures that the pedal returns to the “resting/bypass” position as soon as the foot is removed from the pedal and locks into place when pushed forward.
The pedal can be powered by a 9V battery or a Tech 21 DC9 power supply. The billet aluminum housing ensures high robustness and durability.
Price and availability
Overall, the Richie Kotzen Killer Wail Wah is a solid alternative. It offers simple operation, a classic sound and a modern pedalboard-friendly format.
The pedal is now available at Thomann.
MSRP – EUR 359
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One response to “Tech 21 Richie Kotzen Killer Wail Wah: With Light Sensor Technology”
So here’s a great example of marketing mumbo jumbo: “Light Sensor Technology”
Wow, sounds super modern, doesn’t it.
Except it’s just an optical Wah. And optical Wahs have been on the market for decades, Morley being one of the main manufacturers.
It’s a Wah pedal with a photo cell in it, great in terms of durability, sure, but not new at all. So they could have just called their pedal “optical wah” instead of giving it some fancy name suggesting that this is brand new technology from the future.