Boss PH-2 Super Phaser

This is a VERY easy pedal to get a good sound out of. I bought it on ebay without a box or manual but didnt need it. I had heard many great things about it and just 1 or too bad..Recommended to all!

At 1st I thought it was just a tad to trebly but I read here that theres a trim pot inside that you can turn to the left to get more bass - AND it did!!!Thanks guys! Makes a lot of difference. Its perfect now!

Its Boss. Thats why I got rid of most my other crap-I fix/build effects pedals and I rarely have to fix these in comparison.

Never had to try.

I play a huge variety of music so this fit in here and there- but I also make it work in a few other places as well. Both modes sound great to me. The only other phase pedal I like better or as well as this one is an oldie (Nady Phase Shifter PS-019)But those are impossible to find anymore. The only reason I gave it a 9 instead of 10 is because i had to adjust the trim pot. To bad it wasnt already done like that for me.

Pretty easy: 4 knobs, the only tricky and overly sensitive one is the RESONANCE knob.

Great! Two modes is definitely a plus, and they are VERY distinct. It's like having 2 phasers in one. Mode 1 is more lush and deep, with quite a bit of range. It's more the "typical" phaser sound. Mode 2 is very trebly and metallic sounding. With a lot of distortion, Mode 2 can get some crazy, sweeping, almost filter-like sounds. Mode 2 is best when the rate is set very slow.

It's not as lush and deep as a phase 90, but that's a totally separate effet. If you want a phase 90 sound, get a phase 90, but it's not near as versatile as this one.

Perfect.

This pedal is perfect, especially for the price they sell for on ebay. I admit it, I got this because it's essential to play Incubus songs accurately. Mikey even owns two of these, and I can see why. If that's all you want it for, to play Incubus songs in your bedroom or whatever, even to just play a cover or two by Incubus, get this effect-it's A LOT of fun! You can dial in your own unique sounds too of course.

3 knobs, 2 modes. turn until it sounds good

i've been having some issues with it here. granted, i haven;t tried the trim pot mod yet, but it's only really noticable in the effects loop of my amp (traynor YCV40) and it's too wet in the loop. however, that's great for doing really extreme phaser sounds. it can also do a reasonable leslie sound, but it's nothing to write home about. as oit is now, it does the incubus phase sound very well and wacky noises even better. i'm still trying to get a warm, vintage-ish sound from it, but like i said, i haven't tried the mod yet

it's a boss

if you want a modern, incubus phase sound, the buck stops here. it's awesome for that. if you want weird noises, it works for that. if you want a vintage phase sound, i suggest sticking to your small stones, phase 90's and guyatones. perhaps the mod will get me closer to the warmer phase sound i desire

It's a very basic setup. The unit has four knobs, two modes, one input jack and one output jack, and a power supply input (see photo).

If you're familiar with phasing, you shouldn't have a hard time figuring this one out. Regardless, if you're an audiophile, or have sensitive ears, tread lightly. This phaser can achieve some (not to sound trite) extreme sounds, biting to the ear, which is why I consider this my "experimental" phaser.

I do not have the manual for the PH-2. My unit has not been upgraded.

I currently use a (laugh all you want) Fender Mexican Fat Strat into a Peavey Special 212 II amp.

Since I use a Boss NS-2 (gate), I get no background noise from this pedal. However, when the signal is not suppressed, this pedal gives off blatant background noise (especially on Mode 2, as well as any setting with high "Res"). The use of a noise gate with this pedal is highly recommended!

The effects are anything but weak. While I would say this phaser is generally more aggressive than mellow, it can produce a good variety. Let's discuss:

Mode 1
While I bought this pedal out of curiosity for Mode II, Mode I was a pleasant surprise. When my guitar/amp is set to a nice clean setting, I usually set the rate and depth a little past halfway, and the Res a little before, and I have a nice mellow setting (for Incubus-heads, think "Stellar"). If I bump up the rate, it actually achieves a very nice, rather smooth vibrato, adequate for reggae. One final thought, the PH-2's Mode I (on a balanced setting) is excellent with distortion. I expected it to swallow the sound, but it gave it just a little bit of edge, impressive.

Mode 2
Here's where this thing's character shows. This is where you'll love it or hate it. As mentioned before, this is my "experimental" phaser, and this mode is where the experimenting takes place. In a nutshell, Mode II takes the sound from the "woo-aa-oww" of Mode I to a more piercing "waa-eee-aoww". I've achieved some nice, weird sounds. With the Rate way back, and the Depth and Res maxed, you get that slow rising effect that culminates into that overblown, almost harmonic-driven phase (the "Incubus" thing). Recently, I discovered with the Rate and Depth at 0, and the Res maxed, I achieved a very hollow, biting, transistor-esque sound. It's all a matter of opinion, but I was very pleased with both modes (for my needs anyway).

As for artists using it (besides Incubus): Orgy, Sister Hazel, Ivy, Disturbed, Korn, Echo Orbiter, Charlatans, Spineshank, Bethany Curve, The Cure, Godsmack, Limp Bizkit, and Tahiti 80.

I am a big fan of Boss' compact pedal construction. Hey, if those vintage effects fans still drop $175+ on those overrated DM-2's and DM-3's that look like dogs chewed them up, the construction must be good.

I would confidently gig without a backup. Take care of your pedals!

I have never dealt with Roland/Boss customer service or support. I have no need to get this unit upgraded or repaired.

I play a good mix of styles, predominantly ska/reggae (e.g. Reel Big Fish, RX Bandits), to modern rock (Our Lady Peace, Incubus), and even some more experimental stuff (Radiohead, MUSE). While the PH-2 can achieve a decent reggae-appropriate vibrato in Mode I's higher Rate settings, I use this pedal for more modern/experimental rock.

I've been playing for about 3 years, but have had experience with quite a few phaser units. No one cares what gear I use, but I will say that the PH-2 is a nice, aggressive complement to my very mellow, smooth Digitech XHP Hyper Phase pedal (the shining gem of the X-Series).

If it were stolen or lost, and I had the means, I would buy another as soon as I could.

I love that this is the most satisfied I've been out of my, well-it's-discontinued-and-I-heard-it's-pretty-good-and-I-might-not-see-another-one-so-I-might-as-well-buy-it ventures. This is actually the most satisfied I've been with any pedal, it's a great buy if you're looking to add add a more outstanding phase to your sound.

There's only one feature I wish it had: a footswitch! The two modes are so different yet so useable. And since I'm not going to by two (which some people have -- you're not Incubus!), I hope to be able to get it modified so I could switch modes hands-free. Other than that, I was very satisfied.

It doesn't help me make music, but it doesn't get in the way. It spices things up when you need it. It does exactly what I hoped it would...I was very satisfied!

Very easy. No manual needed. Just tweak it!

I either use it with very soft phasing or very harsh. I occasionally use it on very harsh phase when I make noise through my guitar during certain parts of a song. I use phase when I just need some color in chord work. I also like using it for a few seconds during some parts of certain songs, then turn it off right away. It's not too transparent, it is knida noisy.

Epiphone ES-335 >> CS-3 >> SD-1 >> PH-2 >> Digitech Time Machine Rack >> Line 6 AX2.

It can serve as a great bomb shelter for my pet roach.

nevert dealt w/em

I was fortunate enough to acquire this at such a good price. So using it occasionally is justified by the price I paid. You can't use this pedal too much in your set. Otherwise it'll be too noticeable, overkill. But when it is used, it sounds pretty cool.

You know the features.

This is in regard to the modification tip. If you look under the main board, there is a whit trim pot. Now here's the thing, if you want more bass in your phaser, turn it to the right. If you want more treble, turn it to the left. Easy.

simple to use. very easy to get a great phaser sound with a few twists of the knobs.

I love to run the PH2 along with my DD5 delay. Not noisey at all. The pedal sounds rich and full. By far one of the best phasers on the market. I know that Mike from Incubus uses 2 of these in his rig.

Its a BOSS!!! These things are tanks.

Never had to make the call!! But I know they have a 5 year warranty.

I play modern rock/alt metal in the band 8 Om. This peadl is great for what I do. I use alot of BOSS pedals and love them. The PH-2 has been discontinued and I actually called up BOSS and got the last one in the warehouse. If you can find one of these on ebay or something, I would highly recommend picking it up.

Simple enough, resonance, rate, depth, mode (1 & 2). There isn't a manual, but one of the other reviewers gave a tip to mod the pedal a little so there is a manual type function.

The sound on this is tops. I use a '92 Gibson Les Paul Studio and an mid-90s Mexican Fender Strat, and play through a variety of amps, including Marshalls and Fenders. With both guitars it creates a lush sweeping sounds great for all types of music.

I've owned this pedal for about five years, and just today I discovered a previous reviewer who talked about looking under the main board and turning the white trim pot. I tinkered with that a little bit and found that, as that guy said, it gives a much fuller bodied sound. I would recommend doing this to your pedal if you find that when activated, the pedal sounds too trebley -- That's why I did it. (If I rated this before, I probably would have only given the pedal an 8 or 9).

Caution: Just make sure not to bend any wires inside or bump anything around too much. There's one wide set of wires that connects the board to the pedal frame that you may worry about bending, but it was perfectly sturdy enough to bend up so you can turn the white plastic knob.

Like a rock, without the weight. It's been gigged, dropped, messed with and still works fine.

Never dealt with Boss.

I've been playing for about 8 years now and have been playing rock, jazz, funk, fusion, techno (not with a guitar), alternative rock, etc. and this pedal works well for everything. It thickens the tone when it might normally be thin. Regarding the techno, I've run drum loops and some of my synthesizers throught this green box, and it can definately make some awesome sounds. There aren't any features I hate, but I never use mode '2' that much. It seems to make the center frequency (that the sweep is concentrated around) a little too high pitched and even biting at times, but I do just great using mode '1', which delivers a nice frequency sweep for lower frequency playing, like rhythm parts.

When I was buying, I was considering other Boss effects like the BF-2 flanger, and one of the Boss chorus pedals. After trying all of them out, I decided that this phaser had the thickest tone and the most versatility, as it can create chorus-ish sounds, sounds good for chord work, cutoff frequency type effects, etc. If it were stolen I would replace it for sure (given that I have the cash).

here's a tip!!!
open up the box, underneath the board you'll find a white trim pot that works like a 'manual' knob.. use a screwdriver and turn it a bit to the right.. you'll get a thicker, deeper phaser sound.

just try it guys!!!

before the mod it wasn't all too great
now it's ok.

This pedal was very easy to use. It had four knobs for rate, depth, resonance and two modes. Each mode had its own great sound too. No need for a manual.

My guitar setup is as follows: a Samick strat copy, a DOD Grunge Distortion,the Boss Super Phaser and a Dunlop Cry Baby wah. It isn't noisy at all unless I have the Grunge on (which produces a lot of white noise to bgin with). All of this lugs into my Vox Series 90 amp.

I have'nt had a problem with it since I got it on Ebay. No backup needed.

No applicable

I've been playing in a rock bandfor about a year and a hal now. THis pedal is extremely versatile and is a MUST BUY for anyone who's considering it. Since mine was stolen, I'm already getting another one. Thts ho much I love it.