Pantera’s Rex Brown Revives His Secret Weapon: Morley’s “Old Blue” Wah Pedal Returns
Morley has long been known for their wah pedals, even for bassists. That reputation will be further cemented with a new signature pedal for Pantera bassist Rex Brown called “Old Blue.” The new model is a modified recreation of the Morley Pro Series II Wah “Old Blue” that has been on his board since the ’90s. He used that wah on several albums, including The Great Southern Trendkill and Reinventing the Steel, calling it his “little secret weapon.”
“It starts off using the same through-hole components and circuit layout as the original but has a modified sweep per Rex’s preference to sound like the original 1970’s Morley Wahs,” Morley explains. “The circuit is derived from Morley’s 1992 redesign, which introduced Switchless Activation and converted their classic Wah circuits to use modern optics. A key feature on this old school design is that it prevents any frequencies from being shaved off, which gives it an intense monstrous sweep that’s found on Morley’s original 1970’s Wah pedals.”
Morley adds that the pedal can get a phase shifter-like tone by slowly rocking the treadle back and forth. Other features include a wah level knob with 15dB of headroom, a premium buffer circuit, an LED indication light, and a Glow-in-the-Dark treadle grip. Finally, Morley and Brown reworked the Morley Man logo to resemble Brown.
The Morley Rex Brown Signature Wah Pedal “Old Blue” marks the first in the company’s new Classic Series pedal lineup, which they say will expand this year. It’s available now exclusively through Sweetwater for $179.
Morley Rex Brown Signature Wah Pedal “Old Blue” Features:
| Recreation of Brown's ’90s-era Morley Pro Series II Wah |
| Electro-optical design |
| Switchless Operation |
| Wah Level Control with 15dB of Headroom |
| Premium Buffer Circuit |
| Cold-rolled steel housing |
| LED indicator |
| Powered by 9V Battery or optional 9V Adapter |
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
