The REAL MCCOY CUSTOM THREE WAH-WAH Pedal

Instruction Manual

By Geoffrey Teese

The REAL MCCOY CUSTOM THREE WAH-WAH PEDAL was created to allow guitarists to tailor their wah effect to their own "dream sound" and is not merely a Clone-O-Wah. With a little time and attention, guitarists can mimic the sweep and tones of most all U.S. and Italian made vintage Thomas Organ Company wahs and their modern counterparts, as well as most any other wah ever made. But, the beauty of the RMC3 lies in it's ability to let you create your own sounds and wah textures. You know, the ones you've been carrying around in your head forever! The RMC3 can also be adjusted to suit both novice and advanced players. You are able to dial in wah sounds that range from one with a narrow range and smooth attack all the way to a Colorsound-rivalling range with attack sharper than an original Picture Clyde McCoy. Therefore, it takes a little time to break in your sound, much like breaking in a new set of strings. Play a little, tweak a little, play a little more, tweak a little more. Putting this time into building your own wah tone is essential. When you're done, you will be amazed at what the RMC3 has allowed you to do.

The physical feel of all RMC3 models is also different than the stock mass produced wahs. Many players report that they prefer the tactile response of the RMC3 to other pedals that they have used. The fact that the RMC3 is built by hand and not machine helps to account for this. There is no factory, no machine, and no assembly line that produces the RMC3. It is entirely built by hand. One set of hands, mine. This wah is as personal as it can get. From the 100,000+ cycle lifetime of the recreated ICAR taper pot to the reissue of the old Thomas (brown) inductor, extreme care has been taken to insure accuracy of the neo-vintage components.

Tuning Instructions for the RMC3

THERE ARE SIX VARI-TUNE CONTROLS ON YOUR RMC3 BOARD

  1. LOW - The LOW (1st/top) trimmer enhances or cuts the low frequencies in the sweep. This control affects resonance, and acts as an output booster due to the increased strength of the frequency enhanced signal. The Q contour should be checked after adjusting this trimmer.
  2. MID - This (2nd) trimmer boosts or cuts mid-range frequencies and also effects vocal quality, as the human voice falls mostly into mid-range frequencies. It can be used to subtract some of the boominess which may come from saturation of the LOW control.
  3. Q - The (3rd) trimmer controls the Q, or resonance, of the inductor. Turning this trimmer changes the resonant peak contour (sweet spot), affecting where and how quickly it occurs in the pedal's sweep. The effect is smoothest and most like the U.S. made V-846 at minimum (counterclockwise) rotation, and sharpest, most closely resembles the Picture Clyde McCoy at the maximum (clockwise) rotation.
  4. VOL - (4th) This controls the "wet" signal output strength and is used to balance the affected signal with the bypassed signal, so there is no drastic change in volume when the pedal is switched in or out.
  5. FINE TUNE - The two trimmers (5th & 6th) let you subtly fine tune the primary SWEEP DIP settings. Turning the trimmer to line up with the "leg" (solder point @ 9:00) adds bass. Turning the trimmer to the 3:00 position adds treble. While these tuners can be turned 360 degrees, only the half-turn from 9:00 to 3:00 is required to make the transition from bass to treble.
  6. SWEEP - The 9 pole DIP switch expands or compresses the sweep range of the RMC3. The switches are set up in a sonic progression. Switch #1 equals the maximum sonic value of FINE TUNE. Switch #2 is the sonic equal of Switch #1 and FINE TUNE together... and so on. This overlapping stairstep sequence lets you select the depth and width of the RMC3's actual frequency sweep. The higher the number switch(es) selected, the wider and deeper the sweep will be.

These VARI-TUNE controls allow you to adjust your RMC3 to emulate almost any wah pedal made. Better yet, they let you create your own signature sound. No matter how eccentric your taste, your new RMC3 delivers. All you have to do is tune it in. Your sonic adventure has just begun...

REAL MCCOY CUSTOM, RMC, REAL MCCOY CUSTOM THREE, RMC3, and VARI-TUNE are all trademarks of Geoffrey R. Teese.

WARRANTY INFORMATION

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