Tom Morello’s Digitech WH-1 Whammy

Tom used this pedal (exclusively only the original vintage model) for the most part of his career, and it can be heard among others during the solo on “Killing in the Name” and “Like a Stone”, and the main riffs on “Know Your Enemy” and “Bullet in Head”.

He uses his Whammy pedal to create a range of pitch-shifting effects, including octave harmonies, dive bombs, and unique sounds that mimic turntable scratching. He often uses the pedal to create dramatic, high-pitched squeals and harmonics, as well as to create rhythmic effects by having the pedal active while rapidly toggling the “kill switch” on his guitar.

The whammy pedal for me was a great invention because I never had the patience to read all the manuals (that came with various pedals), and when you plugged them in they drained all the sound and it sounded kinda crappy.

So when heard there was a harmonizer in a stompbox, I thought I gotta get me one of those. It was right around the time of beginning with Rage Agains The Machine, and I was basically designated to be the band’s DJ. I found that with very simple manipulations, with a very simple pedal, all of the sudden the guitar for me was finding a lot of very new sonic possibilities.

Tom Morello: Tricks & Guitar Gear]