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Legendary Guitar Innovator Who Helped Change the Sound of Rock Music Forever Dead at 88
Guitarist and sound innovator Del Casher, widely credited with inventing the wah-wah pedal, died on 1 October aged 88 after a cancer battle. A fundraiser says his widow, Eiko, is facing serious financial hardship and needs support with housing and care.
Casher developed the pedal in the early 1960s while trying to make his guitar sound like a trumpet. It gained wider attention after Frank Zappa gave one to Jimi Hendrix, who used it on his 1968 album *Electric Ladyland*; Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi and David Gilmour also used the effect. Casher created other audio equipment, including the Ecco-Fonic and Fender Electronic Echo Chamber. The fundraiser says the pandemic damaged his studio business, and had raised 14 per cent of its $14,000 goal at the time of publication.
In short
- Wah-wah pedal innovator Del Casher has died aged 88.
- His work shaped the sound of generations of rock guitarists.
- A fundraiser is helping his widow with housing and care costs.
Explained simply
Del Casher was an American guitarist and audio inventor who worked on ways to change and shape the sound of an electric guitar. In the early 1960s, he developed the wah-wah pedal while trying to make a guitar sound like a trumpet; moving the pedal changes the tone to create a distinctive “wah” effect.
The effect became part of rock music through players including Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi and David Gilmour. Casher also made echo equipment, which adds repeats to a sound, and his work reflects how new technology helped musicians expand what the electric guitar could do.
Casher’s widow, Eiko, is the focus of a fundraiser seeking help with housing and care costs. It says the pandemic harmed his studio business, leaving her in financial difficulty.
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