Del Casher, Inventor Of The Wah-wah Pedal, Dead At 88

Del Casher, the music pioneer who changed live sound through the invention of the wah-wah pedal, has died aged 88. 

The wah-wah pedal, which forged a new path for distortion effects for guitars in rock and roll, being first used by the likes of Frank Zappa and Jimi Hendrix, was invented by Casher during the 1960s.

The musician pioneered the pedal after wanting his guitar to sound like a trumpet, while he was playing with the Thomas Organ Company’s Vox Ampliphonic Orchestra.

According to TMZ, Casher died on October 1st following a battle with cancer, being subsequently confirmed by a GoFundMe page set up to support his wife. 

“Over the last year, Del battled cancer and passed away on October 1st. Before that loss, COVID devastated his sound studio business and forced [him] to sell valuable guitars and equipment just to survive,” the fundraiser explained. 

It further noted that Casher’s wife Eiko is 89 years old and faced with her own number of health issues, on top of which she is now facing significant financial implications as a result of a reversal mortgage having been taken out on the couple’s home.

Prior to his health issues and passing, Casher had enjoyed a prolific career in which the wah-wah pedal featured in all corners of the rock music world, from the aforementioned Hendrix to Cream, and the Oscar-winning song ‘Theme From Shaft’ by Isaac Hayes. 

However, the musician also invented a number of other products, such as the Ecco-Fonic and the Fender Electronic Echo Chamber.

He was also known for his stint of work alongside Elvis Presley, most notably appearing in the 1964 film Roustabout with the King of Rock and Roll.