Taking inspiration from Alex Lifeson’s acceptance speech on the induction of Rush to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, the Lerxst Blah Blah pedal reflects Lifeson’s search for new and innovative guitar sounds.
With Lerxst a partnership between Lifeson and Mojotone, the new pedal represents a further collaboration between Lerxst and pedal designer, Morley. They describe the Blah Blah as ‘one of the most unique wah pedals ever designed’, and reckon that it ‘offers a bold new world of both classic and avante-garde sounds all available at the touch of a foot pedal’.
The pedal’s Blah Blah Circuit offers touch-sensitive filtering effects that evoke both vocal and synth-like sounds out of whatever instrument that is run through it – including a recognisable ‘Blah’. Its tone control allows precise EQ control of these effects to make them fit alongside anything else on a pedalboard, or mix.
‘Alex wanted us to create something unique and inspiring,’ says Morley owner, Scott Fietsam. ‘We certainly achieved the “Blah-talkie” sound, but what surprised us was how versatile this pedal turned out to be. It opened up numerous sonic possibilities in both clean and distorted modes, making it enjoyable for a wide range of players.’
The Blah Blah uses Morley’s switchless optical wah circuit as a springboard, further tuned by Lifeson and the engineers at Lerxst and Morley for an expressively vocal response.
‘Wah pedals have been an essential tool of expression for me since the Fly by Night album,’ explains Lifeson. ‘With the wah side of the Blah Blah, we really wanted to capture that classic sound while also giving it a wide enough frequency response to suit modern players. The guys at Morley have designed some of the greatest wah pedals ever, so it was a natural collaboration to work on this project with them, and also see where we could take it next.’
Asked to comment on the implications of a new wah pedal in a crowded market of effects, Lifeson offers: ‘Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah. Blah blah blah blah, blah blah. Blah, blah blah blah. Blah blah. Blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah. Blah? Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah.’
The Blah Blah is available now for US$299 as a limited-run of 500 units.
