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Del Casher, the guitarist and inventor best-known for creating the wah-wah pedal, has died at the age of 88.<\/p>\n
News of Chaser\u2019s passing was shared via a GoFundMe<\/a> page set up to raise money for his wife, Eiko. \u201cOver the last year, Del battled cancer and passed away on October 1st,\u201d the page said in part. \u201cBefore that loss, COVID devastated his sound studio business and forced him to sell valuable guitars and equipment just to survive.\u201d<\/p>\n Born in Hammond, Indiana, Casher moved to Hollywood after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh. His first major gig as a guitarist came on The Lawrence Welk Show<\/em>. He parlayed that into a touring role with the Three Suns, the pop group known for their hit song “Twilight Time.” It was while\u00a0on the road with the Three Suns that Casher came up with one of his first notable inventions, the Ecco-Fonic, a portable tape device that allowed performers to use echo effects in concert.<\/p>\n Though Casher would go on to work as a session guitarist with several notable stars \u2013 including Elvis Presley<\/a>, Gene Autry and Sonny & Cher — it would be another one of his inventions that left the biggest impact.<\/p>\n In the mid-\u201960s, Casher was working with the Vox amplifier company — and playing with the Thomas Organ Company\u2019s Vox Ampliphonic Orchestra — when he presented an idea. \u201cI want to sound like I can compete with a trumpet or a trombone,\u201d he recalled saying<\/a> to the Vox engineering team, while describing the technical attributes he wanted to achieve. Their collaborative work resulted in what we know today as the wah-wah pedal, but at the time Casher struggled to convince people of the device\u2019s potential.<\/p>\n \u201cI was describing to James Brown<\/a> that the wah-wah pedal is really a thing of the future,\u201d he remembered, noting how he tried to pitch the pedal to the Godfather of Soul. \u201cAnd James Brown said, \u2018I just think it\u2019s a passing fad.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Vox initially had no plans to release the device for guitars, instead thinking it would be better suited for other instruments. \u201cNobody saw any future for the guitar being used with this device,\u201d he noted to the New York Times<\/em><\/a>. \u201cThey thought I was a crackpot.\u201d However, Casher eventually convinced them to let him release a promotional recording using their prototype. The guitarist then traveled to instrument stores to put on demonstrations with the pedal, but he still failed to generate much commercial interest.<\/p>\n It was a different rock pioneer, Frank Zappa<\/a>, who gave the wah-wah a needed push. After Casher sat in with the Mothers of Invention<\/a>, Zappa became intrigued by the pedal\u2019s distinctive sound. He gifted a one to Jimi Hendrix<\/a>, who then utilized the device throughout his groundbreaking 1968 album Electric Ladyland<\/a><\/em>. Suddenly, the wah-wah was a sound every guitarist wanted.<\/p>\n Such iconic rockers as Eric Clapton<\/a>, Jimmy Page<\/a>, Tony Iommi<\/a> and David Gilmour<\/a> utilized the wah-wah pedal to great success. It has since been utilized by generations of guitarists.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel gratified that I was there at the beginning,\u201d Casher admitted to the New York Times<\/em>, noting his unique place in music history. \u201cI would just like guitar players to think of me once in a while. The only thing I ask is: remember me.\u201d<\/p>\n A look at those we’ve lost in 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nHow Del Casher Came Up With the Wah-Wah Pedal<\/h3>\n
In Memoriam: 2026 Deaths<\/h2>\n