The following troubleshooting information is generalized to deal with most wah pedals. If you have a different problem, or the suggestions do not help, feel free to contact us. When contacting RMC with specific problems, be sure to have the serial number of your RMC wah available.
If your FFT equipped
RMC wah has too high of an output for your rig and is causing distortion,
feedback, or funky harmonics, please contact me for an easy fix. These
units can be identified by a silver (or black on the WW/RMC5) signature
on the bottom plate. New, gold signature units already feature this modification.
Q: How can I make my rocker tighter?
A: This answer can be found on the ADJUSTMENT HELP page. As of October 2006,
all RMC wahs have easily adjustable rocker tension.
Q: My switch is acting weird and won't engage all the time. What is going on?
A: This answer can also be found on the ADJUSTMENT HELP page. As of October
2006, we have ceased using the blue 3PDT in favor of a more reliable DPDT switch.
Q: My wah makes a
scratchy sound when I sweep with the rocker.
A: The best bet is your pot has some foreign matter stuck on the interior carbon
track. When the wiper goes over the gunk slowly there is no scratch as the
wiper doesn't lose contact with the carbon track. When the wiper goes over
the gunk
fast (regular speed of use) then the wiper loses contact with the carbon track
and
makes
a
noise
when it reconnects. Use spray tuner cleaner/lube such as RADIO SHACK #64-4315.
Do not use simple compressed air. If
the spray does no good then the pot should be replaced. This spray works great
on amp controls also and should be part of every player's crash-kit. Look at
the rear of the pot and you'll see a black plastic dust seal. That dust seal
can be moved/removed. The access to the pot's interior can be found directly
below/underneath
the 3 solder lugs. That is where you will direct the cleaner/lube spray. Spray
heavily, rotate the pot several times, spray again, rotate again. WEAR EYE
PROTECTION!!! RMC wah owners should use WD-40 instead
of a tuner cleaner/lube. According to my current ROC-POT manufacturer, the formula for WD-40 is the
closest commercial substance to the original lubricant used when the pots are
manufactured. WD-40 is NOT recommended for pots that are not RMC ROC-POTS.
Q: My wah picks up
radio signals.
A:
This
is an age old problem with wah pedals. Contact me directly so I can determine
the proper solution, which depends on the model that you own.
Q: I get a squeal when I turn on the wah.
A: The input jack
could be out of alignment. Without removing the plug in the input, take
off the bottom plate and
inspect the jack/plug
connection.
The
tip
connector
on the jack
is probably not seated properly on the plug tip. This can happen with most
any free-standing jack. Also, make sure input is input (from the
guitar) and output is output (to the amp). Some British wahs have
reversed ins and outs. You could also try increasing the distance
between your wah and amp.
Q: My wah has started getting static, or buzzing, or
makes a strange noise when I turn it on or off.
A: Check the input and output
jacks to see if they are tight. A loose jack can cause any number of problems,
not limited to those mentioned. These symptoms (in addition to no or
intermittent signal) could also indicate a failed or failing on/off switch.
Also check to make sure the bottom plate is secure.
Q: I received a
new switch for my wah but I don't know where the wires go. There are more
solder lugs than the Carlings.
A: Here's a shot
of the wiring of my 3PDT switches. Be careful when soldering because the
switches are heat sensitive. Solder the lugs on either end first so you
don't burn the insulation on the middle green and white wires. To get the
right switch height, use either one of the nuts, the toothed washer, or the
plastic washer as the spacer between the switch body and the interior of the
case. If you use one of the washers, do NOT over-tighten the top hex nut.
Just make it snug so you don't rip the switch bushing apart. More info can be
found on the ADJUSTMENT HELP page.
Q: My wah hums with a power adapter.
A: Most power adapters are poorly
filtered, if at all. Even wahs with power filters built-in can hum with
some of the power systems out there. Try adding a diode (1N914 is cool)
to the
adapter
jack's "+ power" to the board wire . The "clear glass" end
towards the
jack, the end with the stripe gets the wire lead. If that is not enough,
add a 100uF/25V electrolytic cap between the + (striped) end of the diode and
the power jack's negative lug. The next Q/A (below) is also of great importance.
All RMC wahs already have power filtering. If your RMC wah hums then the most
likely cause of the problem is an EMI source close to the wah.
NO power supply which exceeds 200mA output should be used with "new-generation" RMC wahs. This is not limited to any particular brand or style.
Q: My wah hums and I only use
batteries.
A: This is an age old problem. Wah circuits are very
sensitive to power leads. This include cables running to and from power
supplies. Try moving your wah away from other cables and from power supplies. If
all
is
well, you'll need to re-think your pedalboard layout. If it still hums,
check to see if both jacks are secure. Tighten if needed. The hum
could also be caused by a failed or failing on/off switch, although this is rare. Be
attentive
of
any switching problems to help ID the problem as being switch related. If you
are using a power supply for other efects then the power supply could be causing
the electromagnetic interference (EMI). If you are using other effects that have
a power supply or transformer inside them, then that effect is possibly causing
the hum to appear in your wah. The
only
way
to
determine
the
EMI source is by trial and error, removing the power from EVERYTHING, including
the power to any battery eliminating power supply, turning
the
wah on,
and listening as you power up each device, one device at a time. This is a time
consuming process but it is the only way to determine the source of the EMI bubble.
Q: I need to change my pot. How
do I do it?
A: The following is a copy of the
instructions the Thomas Organ Company included in their first issue wahs.
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