Some hot tips for phaser use. 1) All FET-based phasers - which is everything pretending to be just like a Phase 90 and a bunch of others - will have a small trimpot inside to adjust where in the spectrum the unit sweeps. This is also used to get the FETs into a range where they all "row together" rather than some rowing and some freezing up at the highest or lowest point of the sweep. That trimmer does not have an exceedingly wide range of adjustment, but there is usually a bit of leeway, that allows you to move the phasing up a bit to be more "swirly", or down a bit to be more "gurgly". If it's a one-knob phaser, then that trimmer will be adjusted for every single pedal out of the factory to sound the same and sweep in the same range of the spectrum. But you CAN play with it to get a different sort of sound, without destroying anything. Make a point of noting where it started out, though, so you can return it to the default. Better phasers, with more than 3 knobs might have a Manual or Offset panel control that allows the user to nudge the sweep range this way and that. MXR went with a compromise setting that worked for all speeds, and hid the possibilities from end-users. 2) TWO phasers in series can yield some really interested sound, especially if one is sweeping much slower than the other. It produces a phasing sound that can appear to gradually move up and down in its range. Look for the RU-vid demo of my Double Vision phaser for an example of this in action. 3) As has undoubtedly been described and demonstrated by countless RU-vids from people like Brian Wampler, phaser *before* distortion yields different sounds than phaser *after* distortion. Why? Pedals that distort do so by exceeding the headroom limits of the circuit and clipping the signal. When a phaser is located *after* a distortion of some kind, the swept notches filter out, or downplay, the harmonics added by the distortion. When the very same phaser is situated *before* the distortion, those swept notches move parts of the signal further away from or closer to the clipping threshold as the unit sweeps, producing different degrees of extra harmonic content in this or that part of the spectrum. The result sounds more "animated" than "filtered".
I have this weird Maestro phaser ph-70 I got for like $50. It does absolutely nothing for the majority of the range of the rate pot and then blooms into this incredible, wide, weird sound and I love it so much. It's the only phaser I've ever used and is one of the few modulation effects I really enjoy. This was an awesome episode, put me in a better mood watching you guys. Thank you for everything you do.
Back in the seventies the phase shifter was the second pedal I got after the fuzz box ! The chorus pedal kind of replaced the phase shifter ! I loved my phase shifter , pedals where rare and slowly picked up momentum , the wah pedal was another early pedal from the 60's !
These jams are some of the best you guys have done. It's not just that the concepts and playing are tight (although they are). It's mostly that they're some of the most inspiring you've done: they seriously make me wanna go pull out some pedals, plug in, and Try Stuff. Which is, I assume, the intent. Well....great success.
Phaser just takes me back to the sounds I heard as a kid coming from the radio in the 70's, a real nostalgia hit. The phased Rhodes on 10cc's I'm not in Love is a personal favourite. I think Massive Attack use Phaser subtly and beautifully on their song Protection as well
London Calling album by the Clash, Mick Jones was addicted to phaser at that time, it's all over that record. Don't know what brand or model he was using but it's everywhere. Kinda overdid it with the phase on that one maybe. I tried phaser and moved on to univibe real quick, but I guess that's just a fancy phaser.
Incredible videos. I'm 200% hooked. I'm a 56 yo drummer who grew up playing drums from my early teens, got fairly good in the 80's playing in the splendiferous hair metal era, just trying to keep up with shredders of the time, then hung up my sticks and drumming wrestling shoes for most part in the 90s to finally getting frustrated with 90% of 90's bands ripping off 60's-80's bands that I finally got back into drumming again and trying to bring back those classic drum sounds & rhythms and trying to find like minded musicians. Luckily there were plenty of us. But I seriously realized the younger musicians say under 30 were so obsessed with pro-tools, plug-ins and drum machines and learning and recording music in their rooms in moms house that actually finding under 40 yo guitarists with practical gigging experience was like finding a whale in New Mexico. Anyways, so at 56 I just purchased an electric guitar & bass to teach myself to play. I built my own rehearsal/recording room and have pretty much everything a band needs to practice or record minus guitars & pedals. I have a basic understanding of what certain pedals do and sound like but the mystery has always been how guitarists blend various pedals to achieve their sounds so since I've been a sucker for wahs & phasers I never actually knew how guitarists actually used and combined them. I've borrowed a few but of course they don't sound the way my guitarists plays so I knew I was missing something. But as a drummer we're to stupid and embarrassed to ask how to use them and waste their time to explain it, especially since I'm a novice. But your videos are well paced and informative not only in what your using but your musical examples and pedal explanations are perfect. Thanks a bunch....
For me, phaser before distortion - it sounds less "effecty". For cleans, just barely on - same reason. You don't want listeners to focus on the effect.
Flanger is by far my most favorite modulation pedal. But if I had to pick a pedal board as small as possible I'd pick a phaser. It's just so versatile. Phase and Tremelo would be my minimalist pick. And the less knobs the better. All a phaser really needs is a rate knob. And the Small Stone intensity switch. Which is why the Small Stone would be my phaser of choice.
I'm waiting for JHS to make a high quality Phase 90 + Small Stone in one. 4 Stage Phaser powerhouse! I know most of the songs you played in this videos would sound even better with it, rather than playing them with a 6 stage phaser as you did. Please make it Josh!
I'm just waiting for anyone to make a Small Stone inspired box that uses a knob instead of a color switch. I feel like it should exist (pretty sure it exists as a mod) but I've yet to find one online.
Which one did you buy? I’m in the market for one and I like this JHS 3 series because it has a blend knob. I tend to use phase as a subtle effect. Thanks
I love Tame Impala's "Innerspeaker" album, but I have the limited edition CD with the second disc "Extraspeaker" that has b-sides and remixes including the song "Half Full Glass of Wine" (probably my favourite Tame Impala song) and their excellent cover of "Remember Me" by Blue Boy.
Great work! I would have loved to see some thoughts on the mu-tron bi-phase. I had one (with the pedal!) for years... so much FUN!! GREAT for some amazing bass mu-tations as well!!!
Smashing Pumpkins "Mayonaise" is my all time favorite use of phase. From the Small stone low gain intro, to the over the top MXR 100 in the solo?!! From that day forward after hearing that? I HAD to have one. Hat's off to you Josh and many thanks for getting me close to the ballpark of both at an affordable price with the Series 3 Phaser. It's my current favorite of the line.😍🥰
That was where I got the phaser goosebumps for the first time. I saved my pennies and bought a DOD off musician's friend catalog. Too bad I suck at guitar
‘Meeting of the Spirits’ by Mahavishnu Orchestra has a pretty prominent phasey riff. It was released in 1971, so well before MXR. I don’t think it’s a Univibe, could it be Maestro? Maybe some weird wah pedal?
I think that the phasing effect on that was John McLaughlin using a wah, very slowly sweeping through the frequency spectrum. Try that if you have a wah pedal. I gives a really cool filter effect.
@@brianrollins7275 Yup. Had it for 6 months so far and I love it. Yeah, I can get a nice subtle phase to pretty spaced out effect and everything in between. It's pretty versatile and the price is great.
Somehow I always associate Andy Summers in the Police with chorus (and he did use chorus), but it only struck me later how much of their early stuff was played with a MXR Phase 90 pedal.
I like Keith Richard's use of phaser on the Some Girls album. Mick Ralph's of Mott The Hoople and Bad Company used one most of the time set at the slowest setting to get his toanz
I adore my MXR Phase 90. You just can't beat a one-knob wonder. It's great for accentuating solos post gain stage, or for adding thick chewiness to rhythm playing. A truly timeless effect.
My favorite phaser is the Spaceman Explorer Phaser! So many waveform patterns. Insane range of rate from hella slow to ridiculously fast. Expression jack for the rate, OR On the manual mode allows you to manually sweep the phaser. It's basically my wah pedal 🤘
I know I'm a weirdo where sound is concerned, I'm not showing off I just don't listen to bands that most people thibk sound good, Hawkwind are my favourite of all time fof reference, but when I plugged in my Bad Stone I immediately loved it. I barely touch it I adore how it sounds in manual at 9, 12 and 12.
Fanfrigginfabulous ! New to the Channel, discovered it about 15 minutes ago. This is the first video I've watched. I'm now Liked, Subscribed, Comment made,and hammered that damn Bell ! Great information, ( yeah, I used a phaser in the early 80's, and clicked on the video to remember what they did) I snorted/spit my coffee at several points on this video. Most notably, as "as if Santa is sitting there..." Que to mini-Santana sitting relaxed on top of the amp..........Comedy Gold ! Awesome Job!
Bernie Worrell used a Phase 100 on clavinet, Gary Shider used Maestro and Small Stone (Funkintelicky), Eddie Hazel, Catfish Collins (Flashlight), George Johnson (Bros. Johnson) used a lot of phasing and of course Ernie Isely's Mutron Phasor. If you play 70's R&B you need a phasor.
I have played and love the following: DOD stereo phaser, vintage script Phase 90, block Phase 90, reissue script Phase 90, small stone, and, Empress phaser. My favourite would be either script phase 90
Phasers are my phavorite - I have a Heptode Virtuoso (Maestro PS-1A clone) and a Mutant FlyPhase (Mu-Tron BiPhase clone). Really great jams as well guys & thanks for bringing back the shirt!
I have an MXR phase 100 in my setup, great pedal. Lenny Kravitz - Are you gonna go my way? The middle rhythm breakdown before the solo, one of the best uses of phaser in a song, Honorable mention - Roses in the Heather by Nazareth(Instrumental off Hair of the Dog). Great video Josh and the gang!
Wow this is amazing I just listened to the first track I'm tome Impala and it sounds awesome and I can hear it when you made that statement about the Beatles were going to sound like this I agree with you it almost sounds like the Beatles
My script phase 100. Original 1970’s . I bought it for $100. I played it and played it and couldn’t figure out where to situate it in my sound or technique. Then like a bolt of lightning, I had it on during some solo fills and it all made sense to me.
I have a phase 90 and i love it cuz it sounds great but it hasnt been a main stay in my board...yet...im convinced i need it in my life tho ...ill graduate myself into it 😆
The Van Halen one actually reminded me of Tull at the beginning at least. Been. While since I’ve broken out my Phase 90… think it’s about time…. Certainly seeing as I like Jethro Tull. Might try some old Tull stuff and see if using my Phase90 does it 😎
I love the strymon zelzah so much. I recently built a phaser from a kit, Mu-Tron. It’s really cool sounding. This video makes me want to get them out and make some sounds. 😎
Inspired me to bust out the old phase 90! It wasn’t my very first pedal, but it was a gift from a friend when I first started playing and I’ve never been able to part with it so it’s my oldest piece of gear.
The incredible and under rated late Paul Barrere of Little Feat used one of those original phasers Josh had in his hands, with those massive switches. I do prefer the uni-vibe sound....there is nothing like it !!
