Customer Kudos

"I have rarely encountered better service, in-person or online, as I have with zZounds. Their payment options are insanely generous (why isn't the rest of life like this?), and when I did have issues on two occasions, they had me fixed up and taken care of IMMEDIATELY. Honestly, THANK YOU, zZounds. I will probably never shop anywhere for instruments or gear again if I can at all help it."
March 4, 2025
Sculpt the Perfect Tone

Buying Guide: Filter and EQ Effects

To truly master your sound, you need to control what it's made of. As any audio engineer will tell you, a complex sound is made up of its component frequencies -- from the lowest fundamental, to the highest harmonics.

An equalizer -- or EQ for short -- can cut or boost the level of specific frequency bands within your signal, resulting in a mellower or brighter sound. EQ pedals are useful for setting the overall shape of your sound.

Filter pedals use specialized EQ circuits that let you continuously vary which frequency bands your signal passes through. Some filter pedals let you change the level of cut/boost over time, or adjust the filter's envelope -- attack, sustain, decay, and release -- resulting in a sound that no longer resembles a pick on strings. One famous example of a filter pedal is the ubiquitous wah-wah pedal.

If you're ready to dive deep into the sound of your instrument and amplifier to find tonal perfection, filter and EQ pedals are a must for your pedalboard. Build a new vocabulary of sonic expression with any of these filter and EQ effects.

Get in the loop: see all our effects buying guides »

Wah Pedals
Wah pedals are a classic effect in pop music, with an unmistakable vocal-like sound. When your foot rocks the pedal back and forth, a peak filter sweeps up and down across a range of frequencies -- just as human vocal cords vibrate at different frequencies to create different vowel sounds. Plugged into a wah-wah pedal, your instrument can sound like a human voice wailing or laughing! This effect has been the backbone of innumerable guitar solos and riffs since the wah's creation in the 1960s, and is still an essential part of any pedalboard.
Shop all Wah Pedals »

Dunlop GCB95 Original Cry Baby Wah Pedal

$99.99
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $16.66
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $25.00

Morley Power Wah Wah Volume Pedal

$199.00
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $33.17
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $49.75

Xotic Wah Pedal

$280.00
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $46.67
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $70.00

Friedman No More Tears Gold 72 Wah Pedal

$169.99
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $28.33
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $42.50

Dunlop JH1D Jimi Hendrix Signature Wah Pedal

$169.99
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $28.33
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $42.50

Dunlop DD95FW Daredevil Fuzz Wah Pedal

$229.99
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $38.33
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $57.50
ONLY 2 LEFT

Dunlop Akira Takasaki Crybaby Fuzz Wah Pedal

$229.99
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $38.33
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $57.50

Dunlop Jerry Cantrell JC95B Wah Wah Pedal

$199.99
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $33.33
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $50.00

Vox V845 Classic Wah Pedal

$109.99
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $18.33
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $27.50

Dunlop Justin Chancellor Cry Baby Wah Pedal

$299.99
  • 8 x  
    $37.50
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $50.00
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $75.00

Ibanez TWP10 Twin Peaks Classic Wah Pedal

$199.99
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $33.33
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $50.00

Dunlop Dimebag Darrell Cry Baby From Hell Wah Pedal

$199.99
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $33.33
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $50.00
Auto-Wah and Envelope Filter Pedals
Do you want your sound to kick in suddenly, or sneak in slowly? Some filters let you control the attack, sustain, decay, and release of your signal. These "envelope filters" add seemingly impossible dynamics to your playing, adding layers of sound for texture, or creating the sensation of movement.

Auto-wah envelope filters respond to the dynamics of your attack to make extremely fast or slow wah sounds -- beyond what a human foot and rocking pedal can do. Envelope filters and auto-wah effects have formed the backbone of many funk and R&B rhythms, and rock guitarists frequently use them to add punctuation to heavy riffs and solos.
Shop all Autowah and Filter Pedals »

Boss AW-3 Dynamic Wah Guitar and Bass Wah Effects Pedal with Humanizer

$139.99
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $23.33
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $35.00

Keeley Neutrino V2 Classic Envelope Filter

$179.00
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $29.83
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $44.75

EarthQuaker Devices Spatial Delivery V3 Envelope Filter Pedal

$199.00
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $33.17
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $49.75

Electro-Harmonix Micro Q-Tron Filter Pedal

$112.50
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $18.75
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $28.13

MXR M82 Bass Envelope Filter Pedal

$169.99
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $28.33
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $42.50

Electro-Harmonix Nano Q-Tron Envelope Filter Pedal

$111.70
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $18.62
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $27.93
ONLY 3 LEFT

Electro-Harmonix Q-Tron Plus Envelope Filter Pedal

$192.30
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $32.05
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $48.08

Maestro Agena Envelope Filter Pedal

$159.00
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $26.50
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $39.75
EQ Pedals
Much like the treble, midrange, and bass knobs you might find on your amp, EQ pedals isolate specific frequency bands and boost or cut them. With some time and experimenting, EQ pedals can unlock the true sonic range of your instrument and amplification.

Use an EQ pedal for a clean (but obvious) boost when you launch into your earth-shattering guitar solo and need to cut through your band's dense live mix, or add some meat to the cleanest of tones.
Shop all EQ Pedals »

Source Audio EQ2 Programmable Equalizer Pedal

$289.00
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $48.17
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $72.25

MXR M108S 10-Band Graphic EQ Pedal

$149.99
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $25.00
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $37.50

JHS Haunting Mids Sweepable Midrange Equalizer Pedal

$149.00
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $24.83
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $37.25

Boss GE-7 7-Band Graphic Equalizer Pedal

$119.99
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $20.00
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $30.00