Iron Maiden Killers Cry Baby vs Kirk Hammett Wah

Signature wah pedals tend to fall into two camps. Some are mostly cosmetic collector pieces. Others are heavily tuned around a specific player’s sound and playing style.

The Dunlop IM95K Iron Maiden Killers Cry Baby and the KH95 Kirk Hammett Signature Cry Baby sit somewhere in the middle. Both are unmistakably aimed at metal players, but they approach wah tone very differently.

If you’re trying to decide between them, the real question is less about Iron Maiden vs Metallica and more about how you use a wah in your actual playing.

At Chesbro Music, this is usually the point where players realize they prefer one pedal immediately after a few minutes plugged in.

The Iron Maiden Killers Cry Baby Has a More Traditional Voice

The IM95K keeps much closer to a classic Cry Baby foundation.

Under the artwork and collector styling, you’re getting a fairly familiar wah sweep with a slightly vocal midrange emphasis and a smooth transition from heel to toe position. The pedal’s frequency range runs roughly from 350 Hz to 2.5 kHz depending on treadle position.

That matters because it keeps the pedal usable outside of high-gain metal tones.

Players using:

• British-style amps

• classic heavy metal rigs

• hard rock setups

• old-school thrash tones

• cleaner melodic leads

will probably feel at home quickly with the IM95K.

The sweep is broad enough to sound expressive without becoming overly sharp or nasal. Fast galloping rhythm parts, harmonized leads, and classic metal solo phrasing all work naturally here.

This pedal feels more like:

• “traditional Cry Baby with personality”
  than:

• “specialized modern metal wah.”

That distinction is important.

The KH95 Kirk Hammett Wah Is More Aggressive and Focused

The KH95 is a very different pedal.

Kirk Hammett’s wah sound has always been more exaggerated than a standard Cry Baby. The KH95 reflects that immediately with:

• higher output

• more pronounced top-end sweep

• sharper vocal peak

• tighter low end

Compared side by side, the KH95 cuts harder through saturated distortion.

That makes sense for Hammett’s lead tone. His solos often sit on top of dense rhythm guitars, active pickups, heavy compression, and high-gain amps. The wah has to be extremely present to avoid disappearing in the mix.

The result is a pedal that feels:

• faster

• narrower

• more intense

Some players love that immediacy.

Others find it less versatile outside metal.

If your rig already has aggressive upper mids, the KH95 can become pretty sharp unless you dial your amp carefully.

The Biggest Difference Is the Sweep Feel

This is the part most spec sheets never explain well.

The IM95K has a smoother and more gradual transition across the sweep. You can park it halfway and get usable tones without sounding overly filtered.

The KH95 feels more dramatic. Small foot movements create bigger tonal changes.

That makes the KH95 excellent for:

• fast solo accents

• rhythmic wah stabs

• aggressive lead phrasing

• modern metal articulation

The IM95K works better for:

• slower expressive phrasing

• classic heavy metal solos

• blues-rock crossover tones

• players who leave the wah partially engaged

If you’re the type of player who rides the wah constantly during solos, the KH95 can feel exciting and reactive.

If you want a wah that behaves more naturally across multiple styles, the IM95K usually feels easier to control.

The Iron Maiden Pedal Feels More Flexible Outside Metal

This is where the IM95K may surprise people.

Even though the pedal is visually tied to Iron Maiden’s Killers era artwork, the underlying voicing isn’t hyper-specialized.

It can work well for:

• classic rock

• NWOBHM

• hard rock

• traditional metal

• fusion leads

• cleaner melodic playing

The KH95 tends to pull you back toward heavier tones because of its sharper voicing and gain structure.

That does not make the KH95 worse.

It just makes it more specific.

At the store, players who use multiple gain levels or several guitars often adapt to the IM95K faster. Players running high-output humbuckers into modern high-gain amps usually gravitate toward the KH95 immediately.

Collector Appeal Matters Here Too

These pedals are also collector pieces whether players admit it or not.

The IM95K leans heavily into Iron Maiden visual identity with the classic Killers Eddie artwork covering the treadle. It looks more like a tribute pedal.

The KH95 has been around long enough that many players already associate it with a recognizable era of signature wah pedals.

If the pedal is going onto a live board permanently, aesthetics may matter less.

If it’s part of a collection, the Iron Maiden model has stronger visual impact.

Build Quality and Operation

Both pedals follow the standard Cry Baby layout and feel mechanically familiar underfoot.

The IM95K uses:

• standard Cry Baby switching

• 9V battery or adapter power

• traditional rocker construction

The KH95 follows the same overall platform.

Neither pedal feels fragile. Dunlop has been building these housings for decades, and they hold up well to touring, rehearsals, and regular stage use.

Which One Makes More Sense for Your Playing?

Choose the Iron Maiden Killers Cry Baby if:

• you want a more traditional wah response

• you play classic metal or hard rock

• you use several amp styles

• you want smoother sweep control

• you value collector aesthetics without sacrificing versatility

Choose the Kirk Hammett KH95 if:

• you play mostly high-gain metal

• you want aggressive vocal peaks

• you need a wah that cuts sharply through distortion

• you prefer faster, more dramatic sweep behavior

• your leads need maximum presence

Neither pedal is objectively better.

They simply emphasize different approaches to wah tone.

The easiest way to decide is still plugging both into your own style of rig. At Chesbro Music, that comparison usually becomes obvious within a few riffs.