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Del Casher, Guitarist Who Invented the Wah-Wah Pedal, Dead at 88
Guitarist and inventor Del Casher has died aged 88, after a battle with cancer. He helped create the wah-wah pedal, a device that became a defining sound in rock and other music, influencing generations of guitarists.
Born Delton Kacher in Indiana, Casher conceived the idea while playing with the Vox Ampliphonic Orchestra in the early 1960s; Thomas Organ engineer Brad Plunkett built the device. First marketed as the Cry Baby in 1967, it gained wider recognition after Frank Zappa introduced it to Jimi Hendrix, and was later used by artists including Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and David Gilmour. Casher also worked with Elvis Presley, contributed to other electronic instruments and composed film scores.
In short
- Del Casher, inventor and guitarist, has died aged 88.
- His wah-wah pedal became a landmark instrument effect.
- Zappa, Hendrix and generations of guitarists helped popularise it.
Explained simply
The wah-wah pedal is an electronic effect that changes a guitar’s tone to make it sound as if it is saying “wah”. It became popular in the late 1960s, when electric guitar sounds were changing rock music and performers were experimenting with new effects.
Del Casher, born Delton Kacher, was a guitarist who came up with the idea while playing with the Vox Ampliphonic Orchestra in the early 1960s. Thomas Organ engineer Brad Plunkett built the device, which was first sold as the Cry Baby in 1967.
Frank Zappa introduced the pedal to Jimi Hendrix, and it was later used by guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and David Gilmour. Its distinctive sound became part of rock and other music; Casher also worked with Elvis Presley, developed other electronic instruments and composed film scores.