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So I have a MXR Script Phase 90, and I'm starting to think maybe I should start looking into getting a new phaser. It's a nice phaser, but I've come to the conclusion that it's just a bit too subtle when placed before fuzz/distortion, and too overbearing when placed after fuzz/distortion. I went with the Script Phase 90 over the regular Phase 90, because back when I was doing my original phaser search, I kept reading complaints about the regular Phase 90 adding distortion/grit over clean playing. For a while I appreciated the subtly of the Script Phase 90, but yeah, I'm thinking it's just too subtle now. Placed before dirt, you only hear a slight difference with the pedal on, unless it's on the fastest settings, and I usually use Phasing for slower settings. And when it's after dirt, whether it's just after my fuzzes, or in my amp's effects loop (to be after amp distortion), it's just too overbearing. I really like the phasing swoosh that comes out, and the phasing is much more obvious than when placed before dirt (which I like), but there's just too much of it ha. It just overpowers the distortion/fuzz, and kind of makes the dist/fuzz more boxy, muffled, and quieter than the phasing.

So I guess I'm looking for phaser alternatives that would work better with dirt for me. Not too subtle, but also doesn't bury the dist/fuzz and make it muffled. I also love phasers for clean tones, so I would want something that sounds great on my amp's clean channel, as well. I play a Mesa Boogie Royal Atlantic into a Mesa cab with Vintage 30's.

Looking for a small MXR-ish sized pedal, extra points if it's orange haha. I usually use slower phase settings, but it would certainly be cool to be able to obtain weirder, fast, warbly settings I guess. I'd like to be able to get the best phase tones with my amp's distortion and my fuzz pedals, so if you guys have any recommendations on a Phaser that sounds not too overbearing and not too subtle with amp distortion (and whether or not it should be in the amp's effects loop), than that would be really helpful. Who knows, maybe one of the other Phase 90 variants would be just what I'm looking for.

Some pedals on my radar include:

-Blackout Effectors Sibling
-Earthquaker Devices Grand Orbiter V2
-Fuzzhugger Phasehugger
-Maxon PT999 Phase Tone
-Mr. Black Gilamondo
-MXR Phase 90
-MXR Phase 100
-MXR Phase 99
-MXR EVH90 Phase 90
-MXR Wylde Phase
-Tidal Waveforms Atmosphase
-Tidal Waveforms Occam's Phaser
-Tortuga Mai Tai Classic Phaser

Atmoshphase yo, check out John's demo/s.

I haven't tried it, but the atmosphase definitely seems like your ticket! I know you're not looking for stuff like this, but the infinitphase is top fucking shelf.. I would say the same for the doppelganger, but I've just tried a clone!

I don't mean to hijack, but I am interested in a phaser with master volume and exp control over the sweep. does such a thing exist?

resincum wrote:I don't mean to hijack, but I am interested in a phaser with master volume and exp control over the sweep. does such a thing exist?

Infanem Compact Faye Sing B will do that for you (using the gain knob as master volume).
Back to the OP, if the script Phase 90 isn't doing it for you, don't go for another version. A Phase 90 is pretty much a Phase 90 in my experience. I'd definitely look at the Mr Black GilaMondo. Eight-stage phasing should give you a very different sound to the four-stage Phase 90. Heard some nice sounds from the Alexander La Calavera phaser, too.

Indeed seems like the Phase 90 or Phase 100 isn't your cup of tea.

Out of your list I would suggest the following:
-Blackout Effectors Sibling
-Earthquaker Devices Grand Orbiter V2
-Fuzzhugger Phasehugger
-Tidal Waveforms Atmosphase
-Tidal Waveforms Occam's Phaser
-Tortuga Mai Tai Classic Phaser

These are other phasers I can recommend:
4ms Phaseur Fleur, Phaseur Moire
Anarchy Audio Small Stone
Boss PH-1R
Carlin 8 Stage Phaser
Chase Bliss Wombtone MKII
Electro Harmonix Small Stone (old bigger version)
Gigahearts Doppelganger
Ibanez PH99
Infanem Faye Sing B
Loud Button Electronics Morphine Dream
Maestro Stage Phaser
Maxon PT-9 Pro
Pigtronix EP1
Red Witch Deluxe Moon Phaser
Ross Phaser
Solid Gold FX Apollo
Toadworks Phantasm
Walrus Audio Vanguard

I think something more in the direction of a Small Stone or Ross Phaser is more likely to tickle your fancy, it's probably a good place to start your search.

It sounds like a phaser with a mix knob and a feedback/resonance/intensity knob would be ideal. You can knock off a few phasers from your list on this criteria alone. Your experience is typical: modulation pre-dirt errs on subtlety, modulation post-dirt errs on overwhelming. With no control over how much effected signal you're hearing or the feedback of the effect, you lose the ability to adjust for the difference. The feedback control especially will let you control just how vocal and warbly you want to get.

I could give you a long write-up, if I wasn't wiped out and turning in for the night. If you want a classic phaser from the Phase 90 family tree, you might like the VFE Enterprise. It's compact, easy to use, while also versatile. ---I have a custom VFE in blue, which is my favorite small footprint phaser.

I'll touch on the Gilamondo briefly since it was on your list. It sounds a bit like a cocked wah crossed with a phaser. It really doesn't sound like any other phaser I've used, which works well for me. That's it in a nutshell.

Tomorrow I'll revisit this thread, though, and see where things have gone. I've got about 19 phasers on the shelf behind me, so if you want feedback on stuff I use, I'll try my best to give some additional insight.

I'm looking for a phaser that does the longest, deepest sweep possible to get Spacemen3 type effects, can anyone recommend one?

SonicReducer wrote:I'm looking for a phaser that does the longest, deepest sweep possible to get Spacemen3 type effects, can anyone recommend one?

Whetstone goes really slow

SonicReducer wrote:I'm looking for a phaser that does the longest, deepest sweep possible to get Spacemen3 type effects, can anyone recommend one?

If you want something that's really slow to develop, as well as warm and resonant, then I'd recommend a Moog (I use two, but don't buy 3, you won't hear the third one).

La Calavera goes very slow at minimum speed as well for people into Krautrock. (it's a digital phaser powered off the FV-1 spin chip)

The Aphazing (also an FV-1 pedal) could be available in the next two weeks, and I speculate it will handle slow sweeps quite well. It's supposed to have a street price around $169, which would make it one of the most affordable and versatile phasers in the sub-200 range.

I owned a Schulte clone and the big box, dual-channel Faye's Her. Both were fairly good for slow, creeping phased passages, but both were quite thin, compared to typical phasers. At $500+ each, they were both fairly disappointing to me.

If someone asked me to play in a Spacemen 3 tribute show, I would not bring my Vanguard (it's too modern for that sound), but if someone was going to meet up with Pete Kember for an E.A.R. recording session, then I'd tell him, "Yeah, go ahead and take the Vanguard." ---It's a weird phaser, because of the dedicated 10. I wouldn't say it sounds digital, but if you max out both channels' depth pots, you're going to get sounds reminiscent of artificial wind. It's very filtered and very focused on my keyboards. With something like the Moog, though, you've got a drive pot, which is going to make the Moog sound wider and fuller. (of course you can add external effects to create more movement and body for the Vanguard) Considering that these can be had for $185-200 used in mint shape, then I would never talk someone out of heading to Reverb and snagging one. It's a unique take on phase for sure, but I would've added a couple more controls (like a series/parallel option for affecting how the phasers interact with each other).

friendship wrote:It sounds like a phaser with a mix knob and a feedback/resonance/intensity knob would be ideal. You can knock off a few phasers from your list on this criteria alone. Your experience is typical: modulation pre-dirt errs on subtlety, modulation post-dirt errs on overwhelming. With no control over how much effected signal you're hearing or the feedback of the effect, you lose the ability to adjust for the difference. The feedback control especially will let you control just how vocal and warbly you want to get.

This covers a lot of what I was going to share. Getting a phaser with a mix/depth pot seems to be the most important element for you. A feedback pot is a big plus (when Bob Moog was a consultant to Maestro, he added the BALLS (fdbk) pot and it completely brought the effect to life). Like friendship said, that will greatly help to narrow your search.

To the OP, I've never used the Sibling, but it seems like you don't necessarily need all the extra features of the Whetstone (filter, symmetry pot, extra speed range). That might be a good place to go for your next phaser.

Brandsmannen wrote:

SonicReducer wrote:I'm looking for a phaser that does the longest, deepest sweep possible to get Spacemen3 type effects, can anyone recommend one?

Whetstone goes really slow

The Whetstone is definitely one of the slowest phasers available. I must confess that I keep mine in vibrato mode 90% of the time, though, because it does spooky, spacey, trem-like chop that no other pedal can touch.

Go to about 4:19. That's 95% of the reason why I bought the Whetstone a few years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmkDtK7gGgI

echorec wrote:

SonicReducer wrote:I'm looking for a phaser that does the longest, deepest sweep possible to get Spacemen3 type effects, can anyone recommend one?

If you want something that's really slow to develop, as well as warm and resonant, then I'd recommend a Moog (I use two, but don't buy 3, you won't hear the third one).

La Calavera goes very slow at minimum speed as well for people into Krautrock. (it's a digital phaser powered off the FV-1 spin chip)

The Aphazing (also an FV-1 pedal) could be available in the next two weeks, and I speculate it will handle slow sweeps quite well. It's supposed to have a street price around $169, which would make it one of the most affordable and versatile phasers in the sub-200 range.

I owned a Schulte clone and the big box, dual-channel Faye's Her. Both were fairly good for slow, creeping phased passages, but both were quite thin, compared to typical phasers. At $500+ each, they were both fairly disappointing to me.

If someone asked me to play in a Spacemen 3 tribute show, I would not bring my Vanguard (it's too modern for that sound), but if someone was going to meet up with Pete Kember for an E.A.R. recording session, then I'd tell him, "Yeah, go ahead and take the Vanguard." ---It's a weird phaser, because of the dedicated 10. I wouldn't say it sounds digital, but if you max out both channels' depth pots, you're going to get sounds reminiscent of artificial wind. It's very filtered and very focused on my keyboards. With something like the Moog, though, you've got a drive pot, which is going to make the Moog sound wider and fuller. (of course you can add external effects to create more movement and body for the Vanguard) Considering that these can be had for $185-200 used in mint shape, then I would never talk someone out of heading to Reverb and snagging one. It's a unique take on phase for sure, but I would've added a couple more controls (like a series/parallel option for affecting how the phasers interact with each other).

Sorry who makes the 'Aphazing' pedal.. Yes I am looking at the Moog but it's quite pricey, the Whetstone looks great, also pricey, the Mini Whetsone could work, but not sure how slow and deep it's phase is. I'm more after the Spacemen3/Hawkwind/Monster Magnet phase than the typical Led Zep 'no quarter' that ever guitar wanker uses a phaser for and uses to demonstrate a phaser's capability.

Some really helpful suggestions here, guys-thanks! I'm always impressed by how knowledgeable you guys are.

the aphazing seems nuts, would like to hear it in action! the fayes her B seemed like just my ticket, but I figured out how the doppelganger actually works today and I'm pretty blown away by this thing! now I would like to see this circuit more readily available for the masses and hope more builders introduce a sample and hold function to their phasers

btw, if anyone is interested.. there's a pretty cheap faye's her on reverb right now. not the B, but it looks ace