Wee Verb Wah: The Ultimate Guide

[@sean3361]

I found this review very informative and honest I feel Ben has done a great job here and especially showing us the product in full both the working parts and the different sounds that you are likely to achieve with this product. And although the sound seems subtle in places it definitely going to sound better acoustically than on an amp and mic I would imagine it’s a real shame that we don’t find more reviews on the internet of this standard. I would definately purchase this product based on Ben’s review it looks well made and very well put together I doubt very much that you could replicate something like this at home.This will almost certainly be on my shopping list. Well done again Ben great job.👏

[@harmonicamastery]

Your appreciation means a lot! I strive to provide honest and detailed reviews.

[@jonnynice42]

It's a nice little piece of kit for acoustic playing. I got one recently... recording loses a lot of the comparative effect but it is clearly discernable on this demo... particularly with the more percussive playing.

[@harmonicamastery]

Do you want to share a video here? I'd love to hear your take on it

[@petecodsi5450]

I just got one a week ago, I found it inspired my practice hour, the reverb jogs your memory and expands the idea of a melody that you might pick out from open air, not something you can rely on in a noisy space, but toy I disagree, backing tracks are toys too, I still prefer the large spring

[@harmonicamastery]

Thank you

[@harmonicamastery]

Would you like to share a video here? I'd be keen to see how others use this

[@haraldgundersen7303]

Being newbee harp player I can't yet compete with you on the instrument, but I take having the exact same floor lamp as you have in the background as a good omen...🤠😎

[@nigelneill4035]

Would love one myself.it does sound good.

[@harmonicamastery]

It does indeed - get one while you can!

[@jackokeef]

A balanced and honest review Ben. Might get one myself , after Ive come to grips with all the other stuff that is .

[@harmonicamastery]

Thanks, if you buy one I hope you enjoy it.

[@GaryKeepItSimple]

The best thing about this is that you do not have any knobs or leads to worry about. Pick it up and use it, The sound man at a gig is happy because you are in control.

[@harmonicamastery]

Yes good call, keep it simple

[@nickpomery5158]

Thanks Ben for the review. I need to go much further with my playing to appreciate the sublety of using this .

[@harmonicamastery]

Glad it was helpful Nick!

[@celticpeasant9753]

Absolutely I hear the difference and for someone without a Bulletini or something similar I think this will be awesome to take to the lake. Thank you so much for reviewing this for us all. Yup its a spring reverb - they are very often built into synths ;)

[@harmonicamastery]

Definitely. Thanks for your commentz!

[@harmonicamastery]

The attached playlist shows how the WEE VERB WAH may be used effectively. kzbin.info/aero/PLBHLUsk5d8zEgQUbH6ywkqv4PXdAN8aqH

[@harmonicamastery]

Does the link work? What do you think of the sound in experienced hands?

[@boiledvark]

Good, honest and very informative review, and especially that you showed the insides, I am always interested in taking stuff apart, for example finding your way around a dismantled harp is highly useful. Essential, really. That internal design seems quite clever. The effect seems to be subtle, but more effective in some passages than others and as a standalone small piece of kit with no wires or electrics, it is very interesting. You may have persuaded me to get one as you piqued my curiosity!

[@harmonicamastery]

Glad it was helpful! Hope you get one and enjoy it!

[@simeonharding8286]

Great review Ben. I love the sound and the simplicity of it. The sound reminds me of the old fashioned reverb spring that you got in old guitar combos back in the 70's. I don't know if that's still a thing. I should imagine the effect can be achieved digitally but there's a lot to be said for this unique tactile gizmo. I may well get one.

[@harmonicamastery]

Well said! Nice and analogue!

[@Amper-o-mat]

There is a noticable difference for sure. Nice sounding reverb. Where to buy this thing?

[@harmonicamastery]

Yes, it's great fun to play with. You will find it on Facebook or look above for the playlist attached by the inventor of this excellent gadget.

[@harmonicamastery]

You will find it on Facebook - I recommend you get one!

[@jonnynice42]

I have tried it on a mic ... not one in my view for amplifying via a mic... use the FX on the desk

[@ronaldcox3573]

There is some sort of reverb with it at least when I hear you play it Online. It's not something that I would buy just to experiment but I'm thankful to you for the independent and straightforward review. It seems odd that it is a cylinder shape and not the actual shape of a harmonica as it would seem, that to be useful, you have to move it along the harmonica to match the notes ...........and that looks difficult!

[@harmonicamastery]

Thank you Ronnie, most kind!

[@1977palvarez]

I saw Joe Filisko using something similar in some of his videos (holding it with one hand only). It seems to help with the Sonny Terry chord style.

[@harmonicamastery]

He may have used this, I don't know - he often uses a small can. He sounds great whatever he does - darn it!

[@1977palvarez]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/maaYinuie5ySbKcsi=knlOvMhN7-Tv2Eth

[@matthartley2934]

I like it! I put springs inside my cigar box guitars, and it adds a subtle layer to the sound. I can definitely here a difference in this product. I bet train sounds are better with this! I would like to hear it through a mic but I am with you as far as, might as well just add reverb through the amp.

[@harmonicamastery]

Great tip! I think it might work well amplified as well as acoustic if you want to experiment, although I believe it's only designed for the latter

[@PsuedoTym]

I like it…think it sounds great.

[@harmonicamastery]

Me too

[@PsuedoTym]

@@harmonicamastery any idea where I can find it? Can't find anywhere selling it.

[@ramosfurtado5313]

How much does this cost

[@harmonicamastery]

I think you would need to ask the producer. It would depend on the shipping as well. You can DM me if you want to know what I paid.

[@finkxuifingalbyfinkeybe.8262]

Sounds cool like your playing in a steel dustbin.

[@harmonicamastery]

Like Top Cat?

[@DebbieMerion]

I love that Ben took this apart and analyzed this from the outside in and the inside out. So helpful and interesting!

[@harmonicamastery]

Glad it was helpful Debbie!

[@busterwolfe54]

Thanks, Ben. Great job.

[@harmonicamastery]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@tombankes-jones964]

Looks to me as though it would put the kibosh on “The Mothers Lament” (you wouldn’t get the baby to go down the plug hole!)😮

[@wendywood4719]

Thanks for this informative review so helpful

[@harmonicamastery]

Glad it was helpful Wendy, thanks for the comment.

[@jackokeef]

..they cut the nightingale's throat to see what made it spring , I mean sing .And would be useful to wrap your fist around if the crowd got a tad frisky during Street Fighting Man

[@harmonicamastery]

ok thanks

[@cincinnatipedalsteel4347]

I don’t think it’s as subtle as you think…. From the other end away from you it is very noticeable. There is certainly a difference and it most assuredly gives you that spring reverb effect with a short dwell time. However in my mind, just run an effects pedal off your mic rather than holding that bulky thing.

[@harmonicamastery]

Thank you

[@harmonicamastery]

As I play it more I get better and yes it's becoming less subtle and more pronounced. I like the analogue 1930s vinyl vibe

[@macoustra1]

I think it works pretty well. Most of the gigs I play are in a small room and so no mics!. Taking it to pieces shows that it is thoughtfully designed and constructed. Bit of a faff trying to see how much they are and whether it is worth getting one via Facebook - I would suggest an eBay listing [linking to your review] would improve sales.

[@harmonicamastery]

Yes the purchasing is not easy, I would have assumed there was a website with information, pricing and ordering but this is one you have to search out on Facebook - and you will find it, buy it, and hopefully enjoy it

[@stevec4151]

Thanks for your review Ben. Very informative and interesting to know how this gizmo works. I agree that the difference in sound is quite subtle, but it did seem different enough to maybe give it a go. As you said perhaps you need more time to explore further and maybe that's what we all need to do when trying out new hardware: only with time and a bit of trial and error can we start to discover how much we can do with a particular gizmo (and its possible limitations). Your review of the Wee Verb Wah is really helpful: you don't go over the top but suggest that its potential is worth exploring. would be interesting to know the cost.

[@harmonicamastery]

Thanks Steve, I tried to be fair. If you get one I hope it serves you well.

[@MartynWhiteley-ep5ek]

Top review Ben. Where can I get one?

[@harmonicamastery]

Thanks Martin, most kind. You have to find it on Facebook, there's no website.

[@PhilPallett]

A useful review of a gadget which could be handy, particularly found the breakdown of how it works very interesting, and Ben's review helped me understand exactly what it does. Will certainly consider a purchase after watching it.

[@harmonicamastery]

Well done Phil - if you want a 30s Vinyl feel this could be the very thing for you.

[@norfolknwhey4787]

Yikes… the owner is not gonna be happy about showing the internals… he was very specific about not showing the components when he sent me one. 😬

[@harmonicamastery]

Ok Norfolknwhey, interesting you should say that. How did he tell you to not show the components? I didn't get that request/instruction. I just reread the instructions to see if I missed it, but there's nothing there to tell me to keep this quiet and I don't think I was aware of this until after posting the video. I have a KZbin manager who does all the posting, managing, and editing the videos and also writing the titles and text in order to grow the channel, and he was very pleased with the engagement so refused to remove the video, saying it's up to us what we say about products we buy - and I also have respect for him as well. Was the video balanced and positive? I hope so. If the inventor had asked me not to tell anyone about the internals I would have 100% respected that wish - or just not made a video at all. He didn't tell me before I made the video, and perhaps he should have told me if he wanted me to keep quiet about how it works - but that's why I bought it - I wanted to know how it worked! Maybe there was a Patent Pending? I don't know, that would have been serious, and of course I would have never mentioned the device at all out of respect. However I see about ten comments from people who want to buy one, and many complimentary comments, so if selling these devices is useful I have unintentionally helped promotion! Normally what I do with my videos is for my students or customers. It's never for the manufacturer and I never ask for a freebie. It's not really for me either, I'm just sharing interesting stuff with my community. My aim is to tell the truth with an unboxing or a review, and I started doing this because I had a shop that sold Harmonicas and accessories, so I wanted my customers as well as my students to have a clear idea of what everything is, on the outside and also on the inside. Don't you think items for sale should be truthfully reviewed? I do. Freedom of speech? And anyway, it's just my opinion - it doesn't mean I'm right. So all the Harmonicas that I've reviewed or unboxed have the lids taken off them so that people can see the insides. And I don't think if you're selling something you should hide the truth. If you were giving away the secret to Kentucky fried chickens secret mix or Coca-Cola's, mystery ingredients that would probably not go down well, and if you were reviewing a film you might have a spoiler alert so that people know what's coming but I think this WVW machine is most excellent and has been beautifully designed and engineered and produced. Of course there are toy 'microphones' with a cup in a spring, but they are not anything like this and you could not make anything like this without a huge amount of effort which obviously inventor has done. He has done a great job and should be proud of it in public - don't you agree? He should have no fear that people would think this is a toy, it is far from that, and I think it stands on its reputation very strongly. It is what it is - some people will like it and some people won't. Whether it's worth the money is also subjective. I think if you are selling something to the public and you obscure the truth or ask people to obscure the truth in review that is a bit concerning. My products and courses get reviewed, constantly as does my wife's guest house in Booking.com and I think you have to take on the chin the good and the bad reviews. If the product has any good it will stand firm and you need to have no fear. In this case, I did not do an unboxing, although I considered it and this is not really a review this is more a guide saying hi folks this is what came through the post today. Let's have a look at it. Let's see if it's any good. Let's see what we can learn from it. And I think my review was positive - if you call it a review, certainly not negative in anyway and of course with something like this you have to learn how to use it. I later found out at the B-flat harmonica and spring number five go really really well together and it sounds brilliant, but I didn't know that when I started, because I hadn't used it before. When I reviewed Roly Platt's HarpWah I had the same thing, I didn't know how to use it but I had to learn. My follow up videos were much better than the initial take on it, but the machine stands up well to exposure, competition and scrutiny - as does the one we're talking about here. I think if you buy something it becomes yours to do with as you wish correct? What if you bought a harmonica from my shop or a course from my site - could I say to you 'please don't reveal the contents, I don't want the insides revealed? If I bought a bottle of wine or a piece of clothing or a car or anything, I could speak freely about it, correct? provided that it was my honest opinion? Would I have to ask the person I bought it from? I don't believe so. I could tell people about the contents and the price and my thoughts - I think that would be up to me really wouldn't it? I would never slag a product off - although on occasions my own products, videos, courses and workshops have been torn to shreds with a 0 out of 10 rating, and my wife's guesthouse has also had a 0 out of 10 rating although luckily mostly nines and tens, but this is what happens in the world and there should be no surprises about that - I would just ditch the review if it was a piece of junk.

[@harmonicamastery]

I think I'm the owner since I bought it!

[@DermotSmyth_djsmyth]

Really interesting gadget. I like the sound it produces. This is how reviews should be done. Not by influencers who have something to gain. Thanks. I’ll probably check it out for myself. 👍

[@harmonicamastery]

Thanks Dermot - I agree, I just think I'm sharing news - but if you're going to check it out I maybe buy it I guess I just became a harmonica influencer! Oh wait, where's my commission? (That's a joke by the way) I think...

[@greggoehring2207]

Interesting little innovation. A couple of P-Trap plumbing caps with screen, washer and a short section of pipe. Add a cut off Solo plastic up and a spring and whala. Pretty clever use of household items and likely some personal exploration. Depending on price, I add one to my instrument arsenal. Thanks for the review.

[@norfolknwhey4787]

It’s $50

[@harmonicamastery]

Cool idea!

[@MrSupersidewinder]

I have such a thing... It's a childrens toy microphone with spring reverb, there is a place for special effects like this... Use sparingly...😂

[@harmonicamastery]

Thank you

[@GrilloTheFlightless]

Yes, when my kids were little they had a toy microphone which was nothing more or less than a spring reverb. It worked the same way as this and the innards were pretty much the same. The shell was a different shape, and was in bright yellow plastic. But the principle was the same.

[@GrilloTheFlightless]

@@roberttemple2521 I’m not saying that your product is an out-and-out copy of a child’s toy. I’m sorry if it seemed that way. Thats why I said the innards (essentially the spring) are the same and the shell is different. I’m not suggesting this is exactly the same thing, and I’m really not trying to take away the fact that you’ve come up with a modular unit for a particular purpose in mind. But the principle behind how the reverb works (ie sound causing vibrations on a spring in a cup inside) is the same, and it has a similar sound. Nevertheless. The way the WVW can change the sound of a harmonica does sound fun, and if it can be set up in different ways to achieve different sounds then it could be very interesting to try out.

[@MrSupersidewinder]

@@roberttemple2521 Don't be offended that we recognized a memory, I like what you've done and realize it's not a toy... Hope you sell millions of them...🤠

[@rbdogwood]

First I'd say there wasn't a huge difference. It does sound (on the you-tube) that it's like playing down a tube. Kind of obvious I guess. The spring resonates with the notes, but more so with those close to the natural harmonic of the springs. I'd assume the thinner springs would work more with higher notes although again the ¼, ½, 2x and 4x frequencies should have more effect. On that basis I'd assume the basic scale of the harmonica would work best with the appropriate spring. The spring is effectively mounted in a diaphragm so it'll be bouncing back and forth and interfering with the sound by absorbing energy and re-distributing it according to its fundamental frequency. I have a tin ear, so my opinion is a bit suspect at best and, as I cannot hear much of a difference, for me it would be more stuff to carry around in hands that might be better employed. So I'll leave the matter to people who have ears of greater distinction.

[@harmonicamastery]

Interesting thoughts - does anyone know which spring works best with which key harmonica? I'd love to know.

[@colinwestgate5631]

Hi Ben - It's a rather ugly thing and does take something away from the beautiful simplicity of the harmonica. However, the sound is pleasant, with an added tonal richness - but would I buy one? The jury is out!

[@harmonicamastery]

I guess it's an interesting choice Colin. I bought one and I'm sure many more people will after watching people using it

[@busterwolfe54]

👎🏻

[@harmonicamastery]

You don't like it?

[@busterwolfe54]

@@harmonicamastery Ben, thanks for the review, but it looks like too much for too little. It is extra baggage.

[@ralgor100]

subtle??? it's practically non existent🤣🤣

[@harmonicamastery]

Thank you

[@harmonicamastery]

Actually it's one of those things you have to learn about. Much much more pronounced now. I am learning how to play it better and getting much better results as I progress - I'll do some more videos as I get better

[@gary6449]

~OR~ you could just play your harp through a Fender Blues Jr, cranked with spring reverb and be DONE with it !

[@harmonicamastery]

Sure, many choices in life - but this is analogue 1930s vinyl type of sound - very tasty!

[@babaksafarnejad]

Its not usefull

[@harmonicamastery]

Thank you

[@harmonicamastery]

I guess not useful to you, but very useful to some people

[@GaryKeepItSimple]

This is how all reverb was done in the old days. Its simplicity is its beauty. Guitar Amps had springs in them for reverb. This will not electrocute you like the old amps could .LOL

[@TheBluesman56]

Well done Ben, a great review in my opinion. I can hear the difference between with and without - in some cases more subtle than others. The percussive style of playing sounds more effective especially at the lower end of the harp. It would be interesting to see a follow on review once you have experimented some more - particularly interesting to me would be what effect removing the “hole blocker” cup would have as well as a demo of each of the different springs and how they sound. But I could definitely discern reverb going on (except when you put your hand over the end to make more of a wah effect!) More of the same please 🙏🏻

[@norfolknwhey4787]

Neither is your opinion 🤷‍♂️