MXR Phase 90

One control, Speed. If you can't figure it out you are probably not a human.

Nice sound, works GREAT with keyboards or anything with a little more trebly sound. The effect can sometimes be buried in a mix, but this may be desireable. Note my review is of the ORIGINAL not the re-issue. I hear the original MXRs are all better than the re-issues. The effect does not color the sound too much (well it IS a phase shifter) and the level is balaced when it kicks in, can't even tell you turned it on, really. I use it sparingly on guitar because it takes over the sound, but it does do a great pseudo-Leslie-type effect a la Pink Floyd "Echoes" or track One of Beck's "Mutations" (though I think that's a wah, but you'll get the idea). The Phase 100 had more control I think but too bad there is no way to control the amount of phase. Again I really think this thing is MADE for keys; absolutely fabulous with my Rhodes (killer! - Don Fagen uses one live with his Wurlitzer - listen to Steely Dan "Royal Scam" or "Katy Lied" or see "Two Against Nature" live DVD), amazing with my Clavinet, and just phenomenal with any synthesizer, especially strings; makes any synth sound like an ARP. The slowest speed is like a slow whooosshhhh and the fast like a tremelo on the older Fender amps. Try varying the effect in real time for expressive vibrato effects on a solo (first add some white noise to your patch). Also works well with drum machines (remember to take the bass drum out of the mix). Not so good with vocals IMO as the effect is a little too wide I think. On the down side, when there is no signal and it is left on it will generate swish-swish noise, also the switch has a slight pop when activated, but nothing serious. Minus one for that.

MXRs pedals always kick ass for reliability. Does tend to eat batteries if you use it a lot.

no idea

Very useable and musical sounding pedal. I think for a better pedal you should try the Boss PH-2 Super Phaser (green). I hope to get one soon. I think I paid around $40 CDN originally, but I don't recall. Anyway it was in the early 80's.

Easy, one knob, well said below,

Running carvin guitars, morley bad horsey wah, digitech whammy2, phase 90, boss ph2, boss od3, into a fender deville, with a boomerang and digitech delay in the loop. I use this pedal for the vibe type phasing.

Looks good enough

I saw a local guitarist who had one of these, and he had turned the internal trim pot down so the crest of the phase was only barely above the bottom, and he had it going very slow, just enough to add a subtle vibe to his sound. I bought one the next day, and I think it's the key to that early fusion tone. I love it!

One knob. Pedal placement is everything--put it pre-distortion if you want a tone swirl, post distortion if you want a more or less typical phaser sound.

This is *THE* phaser that all other phasers sought to copy. It is more organic than anything else out there, although if you want really deep phasing go with the EH Small Stone.

I am running the following setup: guitar (Brian Moore i2) > Whirlwind Selector > Lab Series L5; channel A thru the selector is to a Small Clone Chorus, channel B runs to the Phase 90 and then to a DS-1. Simple setup, but good tone.

Solid chassis, but the on/off button is directly on the circuit board. Not too smart, but I'm sure a great cost cutting move.

A total classic. I love soloing thru this box, it makes everything just chaotic. Best phaser ever--period.

Very simple to use, no manual needed, many, many good sounds in it, despite only 1 knob!!

Using it with a Fender Strat, and Yamaha AES800, along with a Fender Silverface Fender Reverb, a Fender Champ, and an Epiphone Electar 10 (tube). It is not noisy at all, the effects are tremendous, warm, compelling, and usable. Very smooth phasing, I'm in love with this orange thing.

Seems very solidly built, thick metal casting, strong switch, solid knob, from reading about it, these things last for years, even with heavy usage.

Have no idea, haven't dealt with them.

Great pedal. I love this thing. Solidly built. Great, great tone. Really helps me be more creative in my playing. I have played on and off for about 5 years at this point. It made me wanna pick up my electrics again, after acoustic only for about a year. I thought of getting an Electro-Harmonix Small Stone, but this seems more solidly built; reviews of it were better than other phase pedals. I tried the Danelectro mini-phaser, and wasn't impressed. I highly, highly recommend this pedal. I don't remember thinking a pedal was this cool since I got my Big Muff, which also is tremendous.

1 knob, how hard could it be? Mine is the original late '70s Block logo, still in mint condition with box and stickers.

My set-up consist of the ffg-
PRS McCarty Rosewood>Teese RMC3 wah> Whirlwind A/B>Boss TU-12H(1)>Fulltone FD2 TR100/Klon Centaur>Crowther Hotcake/MXR Distortion+('70s>Phase 90/P.E. Vibe unit>Boss DD-5>Boss CE-5> Matchless Chieftain. Not noisy at all in all settings. The Phasing is the best
I've heard. Compared to the Dunlop Reissues, it's lush and thick sounding, without being harsh and thin. Similar to the original Script logo without the exorbitant price. Running it with the Distortion +, conjures up images of Eddie Van Halen. All settings are
very useable. Very easy to tweak.

It's from the '70s and it's now 2002, so I think it'll hold up for a few more years. The foam inside is still in good shape but it's getting there. My only worry is that the input/output jacks might get
static over the years just as in my Distortion +, but that is easily
fixed.

If you run into trouble with this thing, you better have some know-how
in Electronics, 'coz MXR, the company , is no longer in business.

I play anything from SRV-based blues to Classic '60s-'80s Rock. Been
doing so since I was 15. This pedal seems to complement some of my
early heroes like Hendrix, SRV, and most notably, EVH. I included the
first two artist, 'coz the effect you get with this pedal is similar
to a Univibe. In fact it is. I tried comparing it with my Vibeunit, which in itself is a great univibe clone, it reminds me of Hendrix
playing the Star-Spangled Banner at Woodstock. The sound is that close. And coupled with the Distortion+, you can get a sound reminiscent of Robin Trower. Did you say, Bridge of Sighs? At least,
that's what I hear when I play it through my Mesa Boogie or Matchless.
If this was lost or stolen, I'd be pretty bumbed out, 'coz I know I'll
have to shell out a couple of dollars to replace it. I love this pedal for what's it is intended for, classic 4-stage phasing. Compared
to its' two other brothers, the Phase 45 and the Phase 100, this is
what Phasing should sound like without going overboard.

Nothing to it - one knob twist it till it sounds good.

Very cool. It is very warm and chunky sounding. I run a Jackson Soloist through a boss compressor into a Line 6 Flextone head. The Phase 90 adds a little high end when you turn it on, but it sounds so damn cool you can't argue with it. The effect seems to be stronger when played on lower strings, while subtle on higher registers.

I wouldn't worry about it. It is a little brick house.

Never dealt with them

I play rock and metal with a bit of jazz. This pedal sounds good with a dirty sound playing jazz chords (reminds me of Steely Dan) and also for solos (think Dave Murray from Iron Maiden). Very warm sounding, simple to use, and versatile. Go get one. It is a great investment for any style.

Take a look at the picture-- one knob. And it's ALL YOU NEED. You don't need a manual.

Les Paul Standard/ Fender Telecaster/ Fender Mustang/ Fender Reissue Jaguar->MXR Dyna Comp->Thomas Organ Wah->Phase 90->Ibanez Tube Screamer->ProCo Rat->Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi->Danelectro DanEcho->Reissue Fender Twin Reverb. It is somewhat noisy when on(makes swishing noise constantly), but if you don't like the noise, switch it off. Doesn't take away a lot of clarity at all. Sounds great with all the effects I'm using. Allows you to get a really cool psychadelic sound a la Hendrix (Machine Gun) and Page (Dazed and Confused). The warmest phaser out there-- sounds like there's a tube inside it. I was paranoid about what I thought would be a lack of flexibility, but you can actually get a lot of sounds out of it. If you want less intensity, you can just turn the volume on your guitar down and the amp volume up, or re-locate it in your effects chain.

Built like a tank. MXR pedals can take a beating and keep rocking.

I play blues and rock and hard indie and stuff. Been playing for five years now. Own a lot of pedals, this is one of my favorites. I'd definitely buy this pedal again if I lost it or it was stolen. I love the warmth. I tried my friend's boss phaser, and this is SO much better. Boss pedals just sound so cold and digital. Their phaser is really hard to get a good sound out of, and it doesn't even sound as good as this pedal. Go out and buy one.

oh my god i cant believe im anwsering this question

i am going thru a strat to : boss cromatic tuner -> morley a/b switch -> (channel A) boss noise supressor(send) ->j.everman fuzz drive -> tech 21 sansamp classic -> vintage ibanez eq (return) -> dunlop univibe -> phase 90 -> 2nd morley a/b....(channel b) boss turbo distortion -> boss eq -> 2nd morley a/b and out to a marshall vs100 head rocking a crate 4x12

this is a sweet pedal ,a must have

totally

never had to deal with the company

Piece of cake!

This was a Reissue which boosts the signal and distorts the sound. Therefore i sent it back for a Small Stone USA Reissue so we will see which is better. Its got to be better than this thing. It has a nice phase sound but the problems with it i cant overlook. I also have a Pt-999 Maxon Phase Tone Reissue and it kicks this pedals butt! I am going to buy a vintage Script Phase 90 soon and i sure i wont be disapointed and wont have these distortion and level boost problems. I would say BUY A VINTAGE ONE!!!!!!!!

Just look at the sound quality review. I tell no lie!!!

Simple as can be, a one-knob stomp box.

As has been noted, this is a very retro-sounding effect that has a lot of use in the experimentations of the blues-based so-called psychedelic guitar players from Britain and the US in the 1970s. Consequently, it has a bit of a period-based sound. Since the effect is mostly there to generate that sort of feel anyway, I give it a 9 since it does its job very well. Overall, it's quiet and cool. I use older Ibanez guitars or a Cort hollow-body and a Crate amplification setup (other effects vary greatly). Sound is pleasing.

I must be really hard on my stomp boxes; either that, or I got a bum model. After two months' use, the switch stopped working inexplicably. Being an engineer, I preferred taking it apart myself and fixing it to attempting to wrangle with customer support/warranty hassles. The switch was easy enough to fix, and might have just been a bad one. However, no less than a week later, the knob breaks off. I'm really starting to wonder about how "tough" these things are, though to be honest there was an accident involving stumbling around in the dark after a power outage which involved trampling the pedal in a slightly unusual manner (apparently, I stepped right on the knob part and broke it). Since a stomp box is intended to be, well, STOMPED, this annoyed me. Determining that the pot was broken, I obtained a new pot and put it in. Nothing. Zip, zilch, nada. In fact, the pedal sits, broken and lifeless, in my "spare parts" box. Maybe some day I'll attempt to fix it again, though for the life of me I can't imagine what happened. It was completely re-assembled in the precise way it was, but to no avail.

They tried to help me, but ultimately were unable to do so. It takes a while to filter through the multiple layers of sales people they use for customer support to get to a knowledgeable person, but once you get one they try hard to help. Given that they still couldn't fix it (their suggestion was to buy a new one, since I hadn't registered a warranty or anything and, in fact, had opened it once before, I must have broken it myself). I might eventually buy a new one, but I'm still bitter about losing this one after less than two months' performance.

Loved the effect and sound, hated its ultra-short lifetime. Might replace it and use the warranty card this time. Stomp boxes ain't really stomp-able like they used to be.

CONTINUATION OF PREVIOUS POST:

As stated below, this thing has an internal trim pot. I do not recommend that you mess with it. It took me a long time to find it's original setting, and I had to A/B it with another one to get it perfect.

Also, I looked into a newsgroup to find possible mods to make the effect mellower. I found three mods in the newsgroup. I contacted Dunlop to confirm the mods and was told by them that they were accurate. Here are the mods:


To: customerservice@jimdunlop.com
Subject: Reissue Phase 90

Hi I was wondering if you could help me with a small problem I'm having with
my Phase 90. It seems to slightly boost my volume when switched on and also
seems to distort slightly at certain frequencies of it's phase cycle. Namely
the midrange tones. What can I do to "turn it down"?


There are few things you could try. First off, I do not know you technical
skills, therefore I hope the following maybe be helpful to you.

1) Removing the Pre and De-emphasis will result in a slightly higher noise
floor while raising the headroom at 1.3Khz +3dB and 7.2Khz +12dB. Procedure:
Remove C11 (.01MF) and C12 (680PF).
2) Removing the feedback around the Phaser circuit will diminish
regeneration. This will result in a mellower effect, reduce the midrange
frequency response, and sound more like the earlier SCRIPT MXR Phase 90s.
Procedure: Remove R28 (24K).
3) For lowering the overall effect output change R7 from 150K to a 100K
or -3dB reduction, R7 150K to a for -2dB reduction. This modification
should only be done in conjunction with modification #1.

Modifications #1 and #2 can be done separately or together.



I was only interested in the second mod, and could not find the resistor since it was so closely soldered to the board, and here was Dunlop's response:

Hello,

The resistor (R28) is the bottom resistor on top of the output jack to the left of
the stacked capacitors. This is if you're looking down at the board (top
view).

Contact Dunlop if you have any questions. Hope this helps.

One knob, but also a trim pot internal, so if you want to mess with that, it's a bit tricky.

Classic phase sound. Far better than the boss, which is metallic sounding, and doesn't work right with leads. Not noisy in my chain Strat >5 stompboxes >Super Reverb.

Originally bought a MXR Phase 100, but I didn't like the way it sounded. Not very natural and warm to my ears. This one is 10 times better.

No problems

Here's the scoop:

1. There is a trimpot internal to this effect. It's located at the top of the board covered in epoxy. I took the board out and was able to get to the pot from the other side. I was then able to remove the epoxy, reassemble and adjust to see what it did. Basically it kind of acts as a bias adjustment. If you turn it all the way to the left or right, there is no phase. Within the middle is where the phase is, and it's a very small portion of that middle, so any mild adjustment will have extreme results. The results are not one of effect level like some people think. What the pot does is make the phase wave inconsistent in its peak. Example, low peak, low peak, high peak, etc. Until you reach that sweet spot where the phase is consistent. Not having it set right also makes the effect sound rather thin and metallic, so after all of this fiddling, in my opinion, it's best to LEAVE IT ALONE (Hence, the epoxy, duh...). If you must tinker, be sure to mark where it was to begin with, because it will be very difficult to find since you don't have much room to play with.

2. Part of the reason why I messed with the pot was to determine if it had to do with level. EVH's phase always sounds subtle to me, and that's what I was going for -- one that I can use for leads that doesn't make people annoyed everytime I kick it on. After fiddling and that not working, I started searching the net on his setup to see if he had it modded in any way. I found a diagram of his setup, and noticed that he used it BEFORE his dummy load (back in the old VH), which was essentially providing his distortion. So, I put it before my overdrive pedal in the effects chain, and there you have it! A subtle sounding phase that works great for leads! Plus, it doesn't boost the overall volume in the chain either with it in front of overdrive. Having it after the overdrive allows for an overall boost, and the effect is much more dramatic and noticable, even at the lowest setting, so for whatever sound you are after, it is very important where you put this in the chain.

Its pretty confusing with all the knobs!!

I use les pauls and marshalls and some various old fuzz boxes and such. This pedal is perfect, Mine is a 1978 model right after the script logos. Kicks the shitty dunlop reissues right in the ass. Dunlop sucks eversince my crybaby stoped working, but thats another review. Anyway its real nice warm swooshy phasing and can sound good with any of the settings. To hear what it sounds like take a good listen to my god Jimmy Page's work on Physical Graffiti and Presence.
Especially "Nobodys fault but mine" and "In my time of dying". I think Dave Gilmour from Floyd uses one. I guess if I had to think of something bad to say it would be that it could maybe use a level knob.

This thing fells like a brick and I dont think it could break if you wanted it to!

I think MXR went belly up in the 80's so no comment but I will give a review for Dunlops shitty service. No one at that company gives a shit or knows a shit, which I experienced when I bought a crybaby.

Probably one of the best and most useful effect boxes ever. I play classic rock like Led zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Rush(by the way very useful in 2112)and its awesome. I would buy a new one in a matter of days. You should buy one!

Two words: ONE KNOB. Yup, my dog has been able to work this pedal with his paw.

one word: BEAUTIFUL. Gorgeous phasing, makes me want to spin in circles like a little girl.

Looks like it could take some hardcore stomps on it and still be okay.

I've actually dealt with Dunlop's Customer Support. SUCKS! They are quite quick on responding e-mails, but they tend to not answer much, and just send you a number to call. When you call, there is an infinite hold time, only to get a receptionist to answer, and LIE to you. I asked for a manual for my PHASE 90, just to have it, and the girl tells me "Suuuuure, what is your address so we can send you one". I give her my address and think, great, that was easy. I wait a month, I e-mail them, and they tell me there IS NO SUCH THING. They have NO manuals, they won't get done until SUMMER, they NEVER HAD manuals. Great huh? It's not a big deal, I just wanted a Manual, I have this thing where I need the Manual for everything just because it makes the product feel more complete. I just don't think it was good to lie to a customer like that, and for that, they get a 1.

This is a MUST have pedal for any guitarist, it just sounds pretty. Only two things suck, CUSTOMER SUPPORT, and the fact that it uses a 3.5mm ac adapter, which makes it pretty much impossible to add it on to a daisy chain for all your effects. If anybody knows of a way to save myself 15 bucks for ANOTHER AC adapter, please email me at Mvnkykee@hotmail.com. Other than that, sound is great. And you don't have to pay hundreds of dollars on it. Only getting a 9 because of Cust. Support.

This may be the wrong place for me to be writing this but, when I first got my Phase 90 I was using it with a strat type Pacifica with Seymour Duncan single coils and the sound was excellent.

Since then I have bought a Yamaha SG 700 with Seymour humbuckers and have had a real bad problem with distortion when the Phase 90 is on. So much so that I have to change guitar whenever I want to use the effect.

I have tried to rectifiy this by using coil taps on the pickups and even placing a compressor in front of the Phase 90. These solutions didn't work, the comp helped a bit but the Boss CS-3 I used seemed to suck too much tone from the guitar for me to use it.

Anyone else had this prob or know how to resolve it? i noticed another reviewer (tinebiter ) had experienced a distorion problem and maybe if he tried a different guitar it may solve his problem.

besides from this, with a strat type guitar I found the tone of the pedal to be very pleasing and it is so simple a child could use it.

DERRRR! One Knob come on!

Perfect! this pedal gives a slight increase in output so it adds a little distortion which works for this pedal. I feel the best way to use this pedal is with the speed knob at about 10 to 11 o'clock, here is where you will fin the sweet spot where it gives nice swooshing sound. the only song i can really imagine you would use this knob all the way up or almost all the way up is the beginning of "Nobody's Fault But Mine" by led zeppelin. Heres my setup.
Gibson Les Paul-->Phase 90---->Boss Chorus ensemble--->Maestro Echoplex--->Modified Mesa/Boogie Triple rectifier with Mesa cab loaded with Celestion vintage 30's.

There shouldnt be any problems with this pedal at all. I would trust it through a gig. It is very heavy for a little pedal so if it is dropped or something it should be pretty resilient.

never needed

If you play classics why would you buy any other pedal if this is the one they used? This should be the only pedal for phase it is perfect.

1 knob, couldn't be easier ... anual is useless (ahaha and in a box there was a Crybaby manual !).
Here's my setup: Fender American Tele std. -> Boss dd3 -> ProCo Turbo Rat -> Marshall Guv'Nor (MKI) -> Phase 90 -> Fender HRD.

Very nice sound, classic phase ... very low noise when turned on.
It's the sound i was searching: Sonic Youth, Smashing Pumpkins, Incubus ... they all use this pedal.
I can get very interessant sounds when i use it with my delay.
BUT this reissue boosts the volume when you use it ... so when i use it with a Rat it's ok, but with the Guv' there is a big volume boost which is very annoying.
Without this boost i would give it a 10 ...

Mine is only 3 months old ... but seems very reliable.

no idea.

I mainly play rock/alternatif/experimental music and this pedal feets me well.
I really like the sound, the ease of use and the true bipass.
If it were stolen, i think i would buy it again, but not necassary brand new.
I only give it a 8 beacause of the price: here in France those things are really expensive ... without this and the slight volume boost i would have give it a 9.

Bonehead simple. Come on people, ONE KNOB?!? I think the real test is where to put it in your signal chain. Mine goes first, because if I put it after anything else, I get a very non-musical phase sound, which hurts my ears. My signal chain goes like this: Parker Nitefly-M > Phase 90 > Akai Shred-O-Matic > Guyatone HD-2 Harmonic Distortion > Prescription Electronics Yardbox > Line 6 DL-4 Delay Modeler > Reverend Hellhound.

Okay, there is the good and there is the bad. First of all, I'll start with the good. This pedal provides THE classic phase sound. It is also ultra quiet. I am not sure if it is true bypass, but it doesn't seem to degrade signal quality to any noticable extent. Now, as far as the sound quality goes, it is very good. Phase is a unique effect, and the Phase 90 is no exception. This is not a jet-type phaser, it's a more of a musical, tremolo-type phase that blends in very well with most guitar sounds. It is almost like a traditional tremolo pedal being run through a wah-wah, but not too dramatic sounding. Sprinkle on a little bit of swoosh and wobble, and there you go. Interestingly, I find myself keeping the Phase 90 on about 75% of the time at the very lowest setting. This setting gives me the phase effect without the noticable tremolo dip. The volume swell and loss of the tremolo part of the phase can be a little bit distracting, and at extreme settings the Phase 90 sounds a lot more like a traditional tremolo pedal. Now for the bad....not so much when at the lowest setting, but anything with the speed dial at 50% or more, whenever I play heavy strumming, I tend to get a muddy gain sound out of my Phase 90. I've posted this on some other boards and have been told that this is not typical of all Phase 90 pedals. But it can be very distracting, not to mention a bit disappointing. It seems most apparent when I have the gain on my Hellhound anywhere above 3. Other than that, I'm pretty pleased. I don't have any qualms about the lack of an output or depth knobs, I take effects for what the are, not what I think they should be. It's not terribly versatile, but what it does it does well. It's got the market on that clean, musical phase thing cornered. Again, I really love this thing with a clean guitar tone with the speed knob at the very lowest setting. Reminiscent of Siamese Dream Pumpkins, a la Rocket. Used sparingly and tastefully, this pedal would make a valuable addition to any setup.

Like all MXR pedals, this baby is built to last. I love the 'grainy' orange paint texture and the rubber knob that came with the Phase 90, to put on the knob for foot use. I'm currently using a battery, which is a small hassle to change out, but not unlike a ton of other pedals out there. Granted, it's actually better to have the battery secured in the actual box itself, keeps it nice and safe.

no idea.

As you could guess, I'm a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan. I also dig Weezer, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, the whole early 90's alt.rock scene. I also have a flair for psychadelic surf music, a la The Mermen. Check them out if you love good surf guitar with a melodic twist. I've been playing for 11 years, and I'm very happy with my setup as it is, but I've still got a lot to go. I had to pawn my old set up, which showcased a Fender Custom Shop Vibro-King amp with A Stratocaster Plus with Lace Sensor pickups. Now I play a Parker Nitefly-M thru a Reverend Hellhound. The Phase 90 is a good pedal. Not spectacular, not life-changing, just a good pedal. It is the epitome of a single-effect pedal, it does one effect superbly, not a dozen variation of one effect adequately. It has its time and its place in any genre of music, and that is tits purpose. Not as a panacea, all-purpose device. If that is what you expect out of all your pedals, good luck. But the Phase 90 is one flavor of one effect. Nothing more, nothing less. And it does that flavor quietly, musically, with much tone and quality. Cool.

This is my second review for this pedal, and i must say that I get to love it more and more the longer I use it.

It's funny, I remember the first night I used it, I felt kinda 'seasick' just listening to the sound with the speed knob at the higher settings (i.e. 3 oclock and beyond).

But as the months went on, I dunno, I guess I've sort of gotten accustomed to that 'swirl,' which I've realized is that sort of quality that you can't find in other phasers or 'vibey' effects.

I have a friend who has a Voodoo Labs Microvibe and wasn't too impressed with its sound quality. As most of the reviewers on this site mentioned, the 'tone' quality varies from pedal to pedal. And my friend's vibe was not an exception. It kinda lacked treble.

Anyways, my fondness for the Phase 90 stems from that 'throbby,' pulsating swirl. When you develop tolerance to that 'seasicky' effect,you'll soon start hearing that effect in most of today's songs. Listening to most of the Motown and 70s records also made me more sensitive to that 'sound,' which I think this Phase 90 nails pretty well.

Now that I've heard Boss's VB-2 Vibrato pedal, I realized that the phase 90 actually has quite a variety of vibrato speeds crammed into that '3 o clock' to its maximum setting, so much so that the slightest turn of the knob makes a big difference in the speed!

Amazing! Really amazing! With a really good reverb unit, the phase 90 can stand alone as your sole 'modulation' pedal, and the different speed settings make it a gem!

This pedal i svery easy to use, i didint get a manual with mine but amonkey could wor it, i usually set it at 11 o clock to get a good swirl that wont make people dizzy

My main weapons are a gibson epiphone Les Paul and a Standard Telecaster >Vox Wah Wah >BOSS Chorus ensamble>MXR Phase 90> BOSS DD-% Delay> Marshall Amp. My favorite Bands are Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who, The Stones,Guns n Roses,Bad Company, Hendrix etc etc.
I can get a perfect Jimmy Page sound with the mxr....well page sound circa physical graffiti and after, this little pedal was all over those albums.

There are 3 things i can depend on in my life...Taxes,Death,AC/DC never selling out, and this pedal not braking, its great

i get the pedal right away...never had to deal with the company so they get a 7

I play mainly classic rock or blues based hard rock, but i can play anything from folk to reggea to eastern influenced stuff.If this was lost id buy a new one... if it was stolen id hunt whoever stole and beat the crap out of them and make them buy me a new one because they use my old one, heh

Terrifically easy to use. One knob that affects the speed, but I think it also affects the depth as to always give a pleasing tone. I guess rather than to say it affects "speed" alone, I would say it should be called the "character" knob.

I play bass in an "alternative-metal" band. I'm using a Warwick Thumb 5 Neck - Through with an Ampeg SVT-III Pro head into a Genz - Benz 4x10 cab. One of my guitarists left and I needed to help thicken up the sound, since I wasn't using pedals before. My effects consist of Ibanez PD7-->Boss Bass Synth--->MXR Phase 90--->Boss DD3 Delay. The sound from this box is very good. I use a lot of boost from the preamp on the bass itself, so the high end is a bit overbearing at times. So I play pretty light, and focus on making the lows stand out.

Very dependable. Gigging without a backup is not a concern for me. Although, if you use batteries in it be cautios. It's not like a Boss pedal where it's easy to get the the battery area. That's right, it's screwdriver time...

Never dealt with them

The phase sounds are just what I was looking for. I like not having to tweak knobs to get the right tone. It's already there. Just match up the rate of the sweep with the song, or just make it close or whatever.

Yes, it's easy to use.

Okay, I'm using an American Tele into a Twin Reverb. I use this pedal with a Boss DD-5 and an Ernie Ball Volume. Well, this pedal sounds exactly as I thought it would...it's a very lo-fi phaser, but that's the basis of its appeal. When switched on, this pedal boosts the volume and has a tendency to distort your signal, and I think that's wonderful. It's not high tech, but at least there's no background noise when it's switched off. I think that the effect is kind of subtle when its set to slower speeds...it's kind of mellow when it's set that low. When you put the knob at 11 o'clock, you start to get that uni-vibe sound. At 3 o'clock, you get the underwater sound. These are all sounds that you've heard before, but people are always finding new ways to use this thing.

I have a Dunlop reissue, and I've had no problems at all.

You can use this pedal with pretty much any style of music imaginable. I play alternative/indie rock, jazz, and funk, among others, and this pedal is on constantly. It's simply an integral part of any guitarists rig. I do wish that the phase 90 had a depth control, because I would like to have the option to switch from smooth and mellow phasing to ridiculously intense swooshing (is that a word?). Overall, the phase 90 adds some very nice sounds to my setup, and sometimes it adds some unexpected ones (like distortion). You gotta love this quirky bastard!

This nice orange stomp box just has an on/off switch and a control knob for "speed". So, switch it on and turn the speed control up or down. For me the 10 o'clock position gave the best sound, a warm, slow deep phasing effect. If you want to, it can get very extreme, but with the deep control beyond the 3 o'clock position I got sea sick.

The sound quality is very good. I used it with my Carvin MTS3210 combo and a Charvel 475 Lefty. The effect sound is warm and is very clearly present, even with high gain settings on my amp. The only other phaser I used and can compare the Phase 90 with, is the one in my Boss GX700 effects processor. The Boss is no match for this stomp box. I tried to get some early Van Halen sounds with it and I must see I wasn't disappointed.

This thing is very reliable, it simply always works. And though it's small, the Phase 90 is built like a tank. No problem to use this one gig after gig.

I haven't had any problems with my MXR, so I can't tell wether they deliver good customer support or not.

Like some 99% of all guitar players my main styles are rock, blues and pop. Think Van Halen, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gary Moore and a little Satriani. I've been playing for 12 years now. Besides the Phase 90 I use a Boss DD5 delay, a Boss CE5 chorus, a Boss BF2 flanger, a Morley Pro Series II wah, a Boss BD2 overdrive and a Boss GE7 equalizer. My guitar is a lefthanded Charvel 475, my amp a Carvin MTS3210 combo. The MXR is part of a setup with I can use to create every sound I want to, though it's not necessary to get "my sound" (for that, I rely on my hands, guitar and amp mostly). But if it got stolen, I think I'd buy another one.

There's just one knob for speed so it's pretty easy to find the sound you want. Didn't get a manual, but i can't imagine what it would have to say.

I play a fender standard strat with various lace sensors, and i use lots of different effects at different times. My amp right now is an old Peavey 15 watt, so the sound isn't going to be pristine no matter what I play. Still this pedal is pretty cool. You can get anything from slow, swirling phase to rapid machine gun phase and everything in between. I especially like using this on the clean channel. It really sounds warm, my first thought was "fake plastic trees' by radiohead. Especially when you use distortion there's a noticeable volume boost. This is cool for solos and stuff, but overall it's just annoying, and the one thing i really don't like about this pedal. I'm not an expert on true bypass, but i can definately hear a difference in tone when using it. just get a sonic maximizer or a boss enhancer off ebay. though it does boost your signal, the sound you get with distortion is pretty good as well. i'll usually run a big muff or a creamy dreamer through it, and it sounds cool. the tone coming out of it is very dirty sounding in my opinion, but that's just part of its character

these mxr boxes are tough. i wouldn't worry

never dealt with em

I like Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Sonic Youth, Weezer, At the Drive In, Cocteau Twins. This pedal can do great things with the clean signal, especially when combined with a chorus and/or delay. As far as the electric sound, I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a dirtier type phase. if you want machina era pumpkins sound get the small stone instead. It sounds much cleaner and more polished than the phase 90. if you want the sonic youth sound get the phase 90. I know thurston uses one cause i saw it when they played in atlanta, and it makes sense. the sound from the pedal (when distorted) is very scratchy (that's the only word i cand think of to describe it) and it matches their sound to a T. if it were stolen or lost, i'd probably buy a phase 100 just cause those give you a few more options with your sound. for the price i paid i'm happy with it

It has one knob. If you have a problem with this then you need stronger medication.

At last, something to rival the Small Stone. That great 4-stage phase sound is just great for rhythm guitar and electric piano. I've used it on my Rhodes and Wurlitzer pianos, and on my strat too. It doesn't have the background noise thet a smallstone does and sounds every bit as warm and deep. It does seem to threaten to overdrive a bit when the sweep goes right down, there's a definite hint of distortion even with a clean strat. This happens through both a clean tube amp and solid state PA system. It's not really a problem, it just part of the character of the thing.

It's built like a brick shithouse. Dunno wether I'd gig it without an AC adapter though, I don't really trust batteries.

I live in the UK. If it breaks it'd be cheaper to buy a new one than arse about sending it back to the states for repair I should think. I ordered the thing on the net from the US anyway and it saved me about #30 on the UK price I would have paid here.

It's a great little pedal, easily used and quite versatile. It's great for that '70s warbling noise that's popular again. A good substitute for people who can't afford a univibe. It would be more versatile if it had a depth knob but I get by just fine with it as it is. Anyone who wants to use effects just HAS to have a phase 90 anyway, don't they?

It just cant be simpler! No rocket science needed here.

I currently use a mesa boogie solo 50 head, and musicman axis guitar.
I plug this straight in and thats it! Just leave it around 10 o clock.
Unlike modern pedals, these things have a real depth and warmth, excellent performer live and in the studio.

Since I spilled beer on it, the switch is a little sticky(hey it's rock 'n roll) but besides my human error this thing is bombproof!!
Who carries back-up pedals anyway?

Hopefully no need.

When I got this thing about a year ago, I used it sparingly, and now I cant stop stamping on the thing, I use it way too much!!
A little noisy when recording, but it's one small concession. This little box rocks. A real talent booster.

simplest pedal to use. Step on it and turn the one and only knob to get what sound you want.

I am using a Ampeg Big Stud BASS and Cort Five String Fretless Bass into a Gallien Krueger 800 into a Bag End 4x10 and it sounds excellent. It does give off some background noise but all modulation effects give that sweep. Its nothing to noticable and if anything gives a pretty cool spacey background effect. This is the best phaser ive heard and handles most notes on bass just fine. Its great down to a low E but loses the phase sound below that, but I still think this has to be the best phaser out there for bass. I use a lot of effects on bass and though i dont like to mix it with many of my other effects (most are modulations or overdrives) i think it would work well with the right effects (light chorus).

I have never had a problem with it. Seems like a small metal brick and dont think i could possible break it. I would give without it.

I play in a rock/metal/funk band and i think it works great with the other weird effects i use on bass. I would buy another if it was stolen. This is the best phaser ive heard for bass and also for guitar and would recommend it for anyone.

Very easy. Just plug in and tweak the speed knob.

Amazing!!! I've finally nailed that 70s jazz fusion sound popularized by the studio guys like Lee Ritenour, Larry Carlton, Steve Khan. At the 11 0 clock setting, it gives you that lush sound found in most of the late 70s jazz fusion albums.

Had it for only a month now. Seems sturdy.

Thanks to the rave reviews here, I've decided to give it a try.

Unlike most of the guys who seem to like this for its rock applications (and I definitely agree with most of them), I loved it for its jazz potential.

I've long been a fan of Grant Geissman, and loved his solo in Chuck Mangione's late 70s album, 'Feels So Good.' Well, the phase 90, with the speed set to 10:30-11 o clock nails that Geissman sound!!! As I said, it's a very deep, lush, swirly effect that makes it perfect also for funk. At times, it could even simulate a wah-wah effect.

Speed set to 3 o clock gives you that univibe effect, which so far I haven't really exploited yet. Tried the Van Halen thingie too on the Eruption solo, and this does it pretty well.

I can't say this is better than the other brands, since I haven't really heard all of 'em. But for its 'vintage' vibe, I just felt that it's a welcome addition to my bag of tricks. This one and the MXR Dynacomp make a good addition to anyone's arsenal.

Excellent pedal, very easy to use, one knob for speed.

I use this with a fender deluxe strat > mxr phase 90 > fulltone fulldrive > crybaby wah > into a fender hot rod deville 4 10". There is no noise at all besides the actual effect. I read about a distortion at certain frequencies and I have found out it works best before a dist./ overdrive pedal. You can get the sounds from Dark Side of the Moon from Pink Floyd, Silverchair's "Abuse Me", SRV's "Cold Shot", and more. It sounds good with my fulldrive and sounds cool with a wah on.

It is built like a tank. I would gig without a backup. Works best in my opinion with a ac adapter.

never dealt with them

I play blues, classic rock, alternative, funk, and pretty much anything with a guitar. This pedal is really benificial. I wouldn't have to buy it again.

One knob for speed. It can't get easier. Replacing the battery however is kind of a pain.

I bought my Phase 90 used in 1985. It is the best pedal deal I have ever made. The sound is perfect. If you want to replicate the rhythm guitar on Rolling Stone's 'Shattered', the Phase 90 and a little distortion is all you need.

Never had a problem.

Never needed customer support.

If you want THE phase pedal, do not look any further.

very easy to get alot of intermodulation disTrortion-YUCK! WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT GREAT PHASE 90 SOUND I ASK?

MY BUD BOX,BLOCK,AND 93 RE ISSUE DONT DISTORT LIKE THIS WHATS UP?

THEY ARE GETTING WORSE! NOT BETTER! COME ON JIMMY!(I LOVE PHASE 90'S)

JASON JASON JASON!

tHEY NEED TO GET RID OF THAT DISTORTION IN THE PHASE SWEEP! TOO MUCH FOR A rhodes piano. Its a classic Jim, dont let go down hill!!!!!!I mean it dam it!

Very easy to use, one knob

Excellent sound, by far the best of all the phasers I tested. I use a Strat through vibrato/chorus, wah, phaser, delay, TS-9. I can recreate the phase sounds of evrything from Pink Floyd, to Eddie Van Halen, to Mike McCready. allround great quality of sound just find the setting you prefer and go!

very sturdy, very depenable, battery or adapter

Never had to call Dunlop

Overall great pedal, I play rock just about everything from SRV to STP anything really, Great effect, would definitely get another if anything ever happened to it, Easy to use and great sound. Would recommend to anyone looking for a phaser!

I think you can figure it out.

I have a newer model and like everyone else says, it puts out some distortion in the middle of the sweep. I only use it when I'm playing distorted, so it doesn't matter to me. Besides that, it's the best phaser I've heard. Their reputation is well deserved.

Haven't had it long enough to know.

I dunno

I play blues, rock, metal, whatever. This is a great pedal, I like to use it when I'm playing leads sometimes. I just love the dynamics it adds. I have compared it to the boss, and the phase 100. Tthe boss pedal sucked and is worthless. As for the phase100, its not bad but I really could't tell much of a difference in the different wave patterns. And honestly, anyone who is not a musician won't know either.

This pedal is very easy to use as it has one knob! Speed.

This pedal sounds good from a slow phase to a fast tremolo like warble.
However the original versions of this pedal sound better.
This new Dunlop reissue seems to boost your signal and adds some distortion at certain frequencies.

Never had a problem with dependability.

Never dealt with the company

This is good effect however as stated before the original ones sound better

1 nob...ok, everyone else said it. Easy, but could use some other features...but that shouldn't bring down the rating.

I play experimental (Sonic Youth-ish) tunes...sounds great. I play: guitars - Arion Stage Tuner - ElectroHarmonix Bad Stone (2 nob version) phaser (also some psuedo-ring modulation sounds) - DOD FX51 Juice Box (booster)- 3MS aToner (custom built for me, wacky pedal) - MXR Phase90 - ElectroHarmonix Big Muff (reissue) - Digitech PDS 20/20 MultiPlay - Ampeg 12R Reverberocket amp. Fits in great, Thurston Moore (and possibly other memebers) of Sonic Youth use this pedal...can get their sounds and more, so it works great!

Seems fine, I have the other phaser if necessary...but I doubt the MXR will fail me.

Never needed to contact them.

Good phaser, I had many phasers, and this one is a great workhorse! Nicde an small as well, since this pedal sounds similar to a Small Stone, the size actually was a factor (I used to own a Small Stone, great pedal as well, I just got a trade offer for this pedal first).

this is an update to my previous post in which i believe i unfairly slammed the phase 90. i said i returned it because i found that it changed my tone too radically. my experience, however, stemmed from placing the 90 after the distortion. subsequent experiments have taught me that, while the phasing effect is more pronounced when placed after distortion (i'm using a real tube overdrive and a fulltone soulbender), you get a transistory thinning of the sound which i found unacceptable. i've since purchased a reissue phase 100 and am using it before the distortion and am pretty pleased with it. some have described the sound as "watery" - that works for me. i like the 100 because there's more control over the level of effect. while i complained that the 90's effect was too strong, i have sinced discovered that - when actually playing in a band - the more subtle settings on the 100 get lost, and i end up going for a more extreme sound. so maybe the 90 was right in the pocket after all. anyway, i'm digging phasing now, and actually bought an old small stone too. the mxr has a somewhat clearer, more hi-fi tone to it, and i think that if i had to chose one i'd stick with the mxr. still, i think the small stone, with its color switch, is probably more versatile than the phase 90, as with that switch on you get a fairly extreme, chewy almost synthy sound. try stringing two phasers together - it's great! i'll set one with a slow sweep, the other with a faster univibey sound, and the sound is unbelievable. the down side, of course, is that you're going through two primitive 70's circuits at once (even when they're off!). thanks to SH for his help and advice

One knob, one on/off switch. If you can't figure this out, you had better check your pulse, you may be dead.

This pedal offers a very classic phasing sound. It's a bit harder in tone than the Electro Harmonix Small Stone (I prefer the Stone about 7 out of 10 times) but it's still a very cool pedal. I have never heard a vintage Phase 90 in person, so I can't make that comparison. In my opinion it's better than the Boss and DOD phasers, and different than a Small Stone. The Phase 90 doesn't have true bypass so unless you are using this in an MIDI loop switcher and/or a buffered signal (like me) you will lose some tone. Not as much as you will with say a Big Muff, but enough to notice. This isn't a Hi-Fi, transparent effect. If you want to hear every ounce of your original tone try another phaser or give up on phasing all together. It's a good, not great sounding pedal.

If I didn't use a MIDI loop switcher, I would not even dream of using this pedal without a backup. I have had my Phase 90 for a couple of months and before putting in my system. Twice when I went to turn it on with it's footswitch, it wouldn't go on without hitting it again. The switches on these things are complete crap. To make matters worse, the switch is mounted directly to the circuit board making replacement with a good switch like the Fulltone 3PDT impossible.

Never had to deal with Dunlop. Nice Crybaby Wah manual that came with my pedal though. How about a Phase 90 manual instead of the wah manual guys. I got the same damn wah manual with a Fuzz Face I bought a while back. By the way, if you're thinking of buying a Fuzz Face, save your pennies and get a Fulltone '69 pedal. It's a way better pedal even though Fulltone's customer service bites the big one.

I play mostly noise pop and vintage rock and roll. If it were stolen or damaged, I would probably replace it unless I could find something that sounds similar but better. Between the Phase 90 and the Small Stone, I've got all my phasing bases covered. I've replaced a Crybaby and a Fuzz Face with a RMC3 and a Fulltone 69 pedal. In my opinion, this is the only effect that Dunlop makes that can't be replaced with a better unit (I didn't even bother getting a Univibe reissue. Fulltone, Prescription Electronics and Roger Mayer already make better units). If there's anyone out there who knows of a killer phaser with a sound that's similar to the Phase 90 that's on par with Fulltone, Roger Mayer, etc. please e-mail me with the info/website that I can find it at and why you think it's better.

with one knob, its certainly easy to use. i guess i'm wishing that i could turn the effect down. i guess that's what phase 100's are for ...

i'm a traditionalist when it comes to tone, and favor vintage or reissue type gear. i'm playing a reissue strat or tele, a travis bean artist, and a les paul classic into a vibroverb reissue or mesa blue angel. my only (other) effects are a chandler tube driver and a DOD analog delay. i was looking for something to add a trippy effect, wihtout killing my tone. this phase 90 reissue has the major drawback of significantly brightening and thinning the tone. the only pickup setting i can use on my 57 reissue strat is the neck, and even that sounds thin. forget the brighter settings - no body at all. so this pedal fails the acid test by degrading a great guitar sound. i'm thinking of trying the phase 100 to see whether turning down the intensity of the effect will give back some of that expensive tone i've been working on all these years!

seems solid enuff, though as i think i'll be returning it i can't really speak as to its reliability.

agains, the effect is a little pronounced for my taste. i'd rather be able to leave the thing on and have it be barely noticeable. i play blues and classic rock, but i also have a psychedelic bent ingrained from listening to the dead for many years. jerry supposedly used the 100 - i know i never heard him getting an effect as in your face as this. i probably would have loved this when i was seventeen.

One knob for speed - EASY! This pedal is surely foolproof. As a bonus to the singular knob though, There's also a little trim pot in the circuitboard and if you turn it with a dinky little screwdriver it changes the intensity - phase 45 tones are acheivable with this. Cool. I have no manual but it doesn't really matter due to the amount of knobs onboard.

What can I say about the phase 90 without repeating the words of so many others? This pedal does it all - subtle warmimg up of your tone,leslie simulation,vocal swooshes - divine. If you like Radiohead,Floyd,Van Halen's 1st LP (or you want to get that riff to Bill Wither's 'Lovely Day' spot on!) then the phase 90 is your pedal. No noise either. I use this pedal with a Telecaster through tons of pedals (BigMuff,whammy/wah,RAT,MoogerFooger Ring Mod,BuzzBox to name a couple) and I can get some seriously wierd stuff happening. At the moment I'm into At the drive-in, Radiohead,Sebadoh,Blur,Salaryman, Dinosaur Jr,and Sonic Youth amongst others and the MXR phase 90 can create the sounds of these bands. I love the speed knob up full for wobblyness and also the slow phases it does - invaluable for picking out chord arpeggios.

MXR are built like brick out houses. The switch is good from what I can gather and the LED always comes on bright as you like. The knob is rock solid and you also get a little rubber tyre to put on the knob so you can change settings with your foot on the fly - neat idea. I have a SmallStone so if the MXR conks out I have backup but as I say the phase 90 is a tough cookie.

Don't know - I've never contacted them.

I bought the phase 90 of Yahoo auctions for #45 including a free lead and battery. The pedal had only ever seen home studio use and is in MINT condition - It truely was a steal. Ofcourse its sound that ultimately decides if a pedal stands or falls and this MXR reissue stands head and shoulders above modern day phasers at this price.
An intensity knob would be interesting but then again the simplicity of the phase 90 is one of the keys to its popularity and cult status. If you need a phaser thats not complex,won't break down after two weeks,fits onto nearly any pedalboard and that sounds top notch then this pedal is well worthy of your attention ...and your cash too.

the only thing that i think would be kewl with every swirly modulation type effect, would be to have the LED blink at how fast the rate is.

I'm using this with a custom mod strat with humbuckers, a duncan in the bridge and a dimarzio in the neck. It is very nice sounding. Very rolly sounding on slower settings, but always really silky sounding. I love how when the rates all the way up, the effect isn't all garbled like on my small stone. Sounds reminiscent of Blind Melon, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Pink Floyd. The Phase 90 is definitly a dirty sounding phaser, when I strum hard on clean tones it actually distorts. The small stone does not. However unlike the small stone, the volume does not dropped whben engaged, i actually think it might slighty boost it.

I'm sort of worried about it. When I switch it on and off, it clicks very loudly, and sometimes the signal cuts out for like a millisecond. I hate this style switchs. I hate the one on my big muff, i hate it on my small stone, and I really hate it on this. But I will hope for the best.

Thanks for the wah manual...

I would not get rid of it. It has such a beautiful sound, and is so simple to use. Definitely check this one out!

Dude this thing is the bomb, I love this thing, one knob, thats it and it sounds tight all over.

Man this thing sounds so tight! Its not noisy at all its so lush and full, I'm using it through a Laney VH100-R halfstack. wiht a strat it gets that jimi feel, with a lp it sounds tight and HUGE.

Ok i bought this thing in a pawnshop for 35$ and its in pretty ok condition but it looked like it had been used, but it works Great soudns great!

IDUNNO

I play Christian music funk/fusion/rock I love this pedal soo much, if it was stolen or lost, i'de be really really mad cause i got it at such a great price! I love the way it doesn't over power my sound with phase, like the super phaser i had before, the rate knob is prety much all you need. This pedal just flat out rocks, I paid 125$ for a super phaser, my friend bought this one and i traded him with no regrets whatsoever DA BOMB pedal. LOVE IT!

Absolutely easy. One large speed knob, and an on/off switch. I dont need a whole bunch of pedals each with their own volume and eq knobs to screw up my tone, I just like something simple. I suppose it would be nice to adjust the depth of the phasing as well, but its set just right for me. And I think theres a trim pot inside that lets you do it anyway.

I use this pedal mainly with my Rickenbacker bass (I use a Rotovibe for my electric guitars). It imparts a rich warm tonality to it, as long as you keep it rather slow (speed knob). When it gets going faster it becomes more of a distraction, at least with a bass. Amongst other effects, I run a Fulltone BassDrive overdrive pedal before this in the chain. They sound very cool combined...works very well to fill in space in my progressive 3 piece band. If the speed is up with the distortion on, then things get a bit too crazy. The phaser sounds wonderful. It doesnt sound sterile and cold like a chorus or a flanger, but warm and natural. It pulses, reminding me of a leslie. One of these days Im going to try my bass through a Leslie (or leslie effect) just to see what it sounds like. One complaint though...it does distort occasionally. Strat pickups and my rickenbacker pickups dont drive it that hard, but my stock Gibson les paul pickups do. Nasty sort of distortion, not nice when you want clean phaser sound. Thats why i use the more tame Rotovibe for a guitar phaser. But overall great.

?

?

I play quirky prog rock, and this is a great addition to my weird bass stylings. Perhaps Im just a frustrated guitarist who wants as many toys as his six string wielding compadre, or perhaps I just like the tone. Either way, this is a great little pedal, better than the EH Small Stone I ran it up against. Great sound, very usable.

the easiest phaser on the planet!

this is the best sound effect you can put on a rhodes piano.Using it in only one channel on the suitcase amp is best.The reissues sound great.The bud box script logos are better.They dont get in the way of your attack as much.

I have had a reissue go south on me after only two days.They sent me a new unit-free, no questions asked!

Jason at dunlop is your man-awsome customer service!

11 this unit makes a fender rhodes piano sound awsome!

In my post below I mentioned I knew how to adjust the depth of phase...Due to many emails, I have decided to post the instructions here.

Open up the bottom by removing the 4 screws. At the top center of the Printed Circuit board there is a little hole with a control in it. Use a small hex wrench to carefully turn this control. This control may be plugged with clear or white wax on some models. Just pick away at the wax with a paper clip until you see the hex hole. Play thru it as you adjust the control...You can hear the difference as you turn it.
Thats It!

n/a

n/a

Ok here is the deal. I have been playing guitar for 7 years...I have many many pedals and have had some of them for years..I take immaculate care of them. I LOVE the MXR Phase 90. The sad part is..the last 2 I have bought..have crapped out within a month..and sadly..not from user misuse. I tried batteries..the adaptor..they just dont phase and they distort after awhile. I am done dealing with MXR for good. It is really sad...I really love this pedal..when it works. It is an integral part of my tone...but I just cant rely on them anymore. I would actually like to talk to someone there and find out whats going on..my email is at the bottom. Please play your Phase 90's before you purchase them because a few of my friends have also complained about this phenomana...which scares me even more.

I cant even find any way to contact them.

Great sounds, when they work...shoddy workmanship. If you can find an old one (script)..Id say go for it because obviously they dont care about how these are built now.

Just wanna say this: the switch has done some weird stuff, but overall good for the money. Great tone: not extreme, just good sounding. Oh yeah, if you want the best way to use it, place it after a distortion unit but in front of the amp. I put it after a Metal zone and before a short delay: perfect tapping, EVH brown sound.

come on now

ok.....if it goes in front of the amp on the clean channel....its absolutley beautiful and magical.....in front of the amp on the overdrive channel....wow where did all that horrible mud come from? but in the effects loop on overdrive channel....ahhh how lovely.......in the effects loop on clean channel.....damnit to hell not quite as magical but not too bad .....overall very nice...and so tragic....also use a battery it just doesnt sound as nice with an adapter....battery life is long though

nothing is reliable....however this thing is nice and solid should last a long time if not a lifetime....

???

overall this thing is a lovely,magical,inexpensive,solid little bastard....not true bypass but is forgiving on your tone....really cant beat it for the price

very easy to use. Has 1 speed knob. That's it.

I use it with a strat into a Peavey Classic 50 amp.
It's not noisey. The effect is perfect. Not too much like most phasers. You can get those classic 70s sounds and the early Van Halen eruption/really got me solo sounds with the speed all the way off.

It's built like a tank with a big metal switch

I play blues and classic rock. Been doing it for 20 years. This pedal is a great addition to get those warbly Robin Trower tones and classic 70s phase. Think of the beginning to Heart's Baracuda or Led Zepelin's Ten Years Gone.

1 knob for speed. The depth is just right for me.

I use a Lonestar Strat --> dyna comp --> phase 90 --> teese rmc-1 wah --> metal zone --> line-6 DL-4. This is a very sweet phaser. I have previosly owned the boss ph-2, and the mxr phase 100. The boss phaser sounded cheesy and over the top, and with the phase 100 I could never find the right depth (however the phase 100 still had a good sound). This is the first one I am happy with.

rock solid. but obviosly this kind of switch could break.

I play different kinds of rock mostly. this is great for a pink floyd sound, and for a uni vibe sound.

I knob, speed, it isnt easier than that.

I use this with a boss ce-1, ibanez wh-10, and a ts-9 and it works great. It is a bit noisy when the speed it up and the distortion is cranked, espically when i using my jcm 800. This is the standard in phase pedals, and the best around

Jim Dunlop usually make the most un-reliable pieces of crap, for example the crybabbies they will die on you in a year. But this pedal seems to be differant i have never heard one complaint

never dealt

This definitly adds a great depth to my sound. It is great for funk or those van halen tap solos. If i lost it i would buy one is a minute, it is great and it is so easy.

So easy, if you can't figure it out, then you really are a total fuckwit. The further right you turn it, the phase is faster and whooshier...and wibblier, very technical aren't I!!

Lovely sound, don't own but have borrowed for some time from a friend, but do own a Boss GT3 (top unit, good phaser fx on there!!)
sound is nice and subtle when playing clean, sounds great with distortion, YOU CAN MAKE A F***ING POLICE SIREN SOUND, ISN'T THAT EXCITING. Korn fans will love using this when they play their ripped off three note widdly licks (like Korn), you know what I mean, listen to their albums, the widdly bits are so easy to play. Overall a top vintage sounding box.

You could probably crush it like an ant just from looking at it, but it is pretty sturdy. Stomp switch goes on and off and on and off and on and off etc etc without breaking.

It was borrowed (cough..ahem!)

I play heavy metal and use basically my Encore Custom Model into a Boss GT3 and into a Fender Squier 15 Watt Practise amp at home and a Marshall V100H and 4x8 Cab at band practise and onstage. This thing just happened to be around at my old friend's house and just borrowed it for personal shits and giggles, making wacky noises while sitting at home practising guitar, (yes I said practising). This thing is cool, you'll love it, it's the sort of box that will be seen as the secret weapon in a guitarist's set-up.

There's only one knob here, for speed of phase. Too Easy.

I have a 70's version of this pedal, without the LED light and with an older logo, and it still sounds great after all these years. In my opinion the best phasing unit of all time.

It's been in my family for over 20 years, and it's still in tip-top shape. Definately reliable.

N/A

Classic phasing with a great build. I haven't played the newer version, but my 70's vintage is awesome.

One knob for speed, and one On/off switch.

I have an old Script logo from '74-'75. Really brings out highs for leads. Adds a really lush texture. Just great.

It's 25 years old. Seems solid as hell.

GREAT into an '82 JCM800 50 watt. I have an old Boss PH-1r and have compared the two. Even though the PH-1r has an infinite amount of settings and textures, the Phase 90 only needs one knob. This thing's just set for perfection.

dude....one knob...figure it out....

this thing rules. i can get the really warbly one note stabs in my rythm (i tune CGCFAD low to high so thats important) or the really slow rage swells. my fav thing to do is hook 2 together and set one all the way down and the other all the way up. its the wierdest sound on earth. oh yeah...my rig is a gibson gothic SG with EMG-85's run (in order) to crybaby original wah, 2 phase 90's, electric mistriss, boss metal zone, arbiter fuzzface (original), then that goes right into a marshall JCM-800, a 4x12 and a 2x15 randall.

hell yeah...this thing is like a big orange tank.

yes i would...

yeah this thing is definetly worth it. go buy one now....

Easy to get any sound on this one. Only 1 knob for rate of phase. I HAVE FOUND A WAY TO CONTROL DEPTH ON THE PHASE 90!
Email me and I will tell you how! Its SIMPLE!

Play it right into a 72 Silverface Deluxe Reverb and its perfect! No noise at all until you play. Gives a small but noticable volume push when engaged...great for clean solos. Adds just a hint of nice overdrive when played hard. I had an old script logo Phase 100 and I think the 90 sounds better. Like the LED too,and the rubber cover that fits over the knob so you can grip it with your foot.

Gonna try it on a gig this weekend, but played at gig volume at home it seems great. No need for a backup-if it goes south, just unplug it.

Play blues & rock. The effect seems a little too much when maxed-out to me, but I was able to adjust the depth so now I can get 99% of SRV's cold shot warble instead of space garble. It also mellows the effect down all the way across the board. Gives the guitar more color instead of heavy phase. If you want, email me and I'll tell you how!

Are you kidding? It has ONE KNOB! This is completely idiotproof. You just plug in, switch on, and rotate the knob to the point where you like the sound. It features mono ins and outs, a 9v jack, an LED status light, a speed knob, a bypass switch, and a really cool orange paint job. Doesnt get much simpler than this.

I am a bass player (albeit an eccentric one). I recently bought this pedal to add a bit of psychedelic swirliness to my tone. Choruses seemed to sterile to me, and flangers seemed metallic and artificial. So I went with the warm groovy vibe of an analog phaser. It adds so much. The bottom is still there, but this pedal definately lends an authoritative PRESENCE to my sound. Instead of just booming around beneath the music, the phaser makes it interesting enough to the ear of the listener to stand out in the mix and showcase intricate bass parts that would otherwise go unnoticed. Has a very rich organic warmth, I love this pedal. I have not tried it with my bass overdrive (Fulltone BassDrive 2), but I have tried it with my Marshall combo and my 6 string guitar. The phasing adds quite a bit of character to the overdrive channel, as well as clean. A very very good sound, I'm going to have to fight to use this thing tastefully (last week I had it on the entire time through a praise service at my church...sound man was not amused...)

Looks much more reliable than the Small Stone I compared it with. Solid metal casing, and the guts looked nice and clean when I opened it up to remove the battery (I only use AC). Anyway, I would depend on this, but I have heard there are occasionally problems with them...

???
Informative website, but I dont know otherwise

For quirky prog rock, this makes a wonderful addition to my effects rig. I run a Rickenbacker 4003 into a Sansamp BassDriver to tube-icize the tone a bit, then into a Fulltone Bass Drive for 2 stages of smooth overdrive, and then into a Marshall Vibratrem for tremolo (on bass!), and finally into the Phase 90. This is all run into a 300 watt solidstate Fender combo amp. Thanks to the Sansamp and Fulltone, I have managed to keep my tone from being transistorized into bad tone. The Phase 90 is a welcome addition to my tonal palette.

tis easy to use unless thick.....took me 8 days to work it out,guess Im thick then.....NOT!!!!

However -poor manual i.e. not even for ths pedal!!!!!!

amazing sound but overdrives on clean and is a bit up front distorted otherwise ace .only other option is an akai intelliphase
good with distortion/delay/flange/wah
its not noisy at all.i have gibson les paul std96 +Sg Special ed. W/ a jcm900 .i also use (in order) Crybaby,Boss SD-1,Rat 2,Boss OS-2,George dennis Wah,Boss super shifter PS-5,EH polychorus,phase 90,DOD vibro thang,Line 6 Delay modeller.strong fx w/ all pedals .

its well built but the switch might brake .no back up- too expensive

never dealt w./ dont need too (fingers xed)

i like radiohead+mansun=good
I use many fx in my band so it offers good new sounds
Would buy small stone cos its cheaper if it got stolen
better if it had a level knob
better than boss- boss=crappy sound
equal to intelliphase/eh Sstone

Only One Knob if you can't operate this go back to pre-school

My rig consists of an american standered tele running through a JH-1 hendrix wah, MXR Phase 90, SD-1 super overdrive, an AC-2 acoustic simulator, and finally a DS-1 distortion. I use my effects loop only for my danelectro cool cat. I am currently using a peavey express 112 and a fender champ(I think it has an 8 inch speaker). I use the cool cat to split my signal from the peavey to the fender. I found the Phase 90 to be totaly quiet when not in operation, but there is a spiney sound when it is on but I am not playing (duh!). I usually run it at 11 o'clock but if you are looking for more of a flange soung try it at 9 or 10 o'clock. The sound from this pedal was amazing! It can easily emulate Van Halen to a tee, it's perfect for the solo on "you really got me" it also works excellent for the chord work on lynyrd skynyrd's "free bird". Also rotating speaker sounds are not far from reach. Even with one knob it has a lot of versitility!

I would say it is pretty dependable but it eats batteries real fast and the adapter is a 3.5mm positive plug which are hard to find. I would gig without a back up but it's a good idea to bring some extra batteries.

I am lucky I found this MXR pedal without having to order it, and where I live it takes 3 months to order one!

I have been playing for 5 years and I have tryed the boss, dod, and small stone phasers and this beats them all. I would recomend this pedal to everyone because it can really spice up a solo or a rthym section. If it were lost or stolen I would definaty get it replaced even if I had to order one. I am giving it a 8 only because of the time it takes to order one, other than that if your on ed head you need this pedal if your not you'll want it.

Extremely simple to use--only one knob! Even with one knob it has quite a wide range of sounds that are useful and sound good. If your looking for a more wild, extreme sounding phaser in this price range then try the Boss pedal. I liked this pedal because it fits my style and it sounds a lot "warmer" than the Boss or DOD pedal which both sound synthetic and trebley. Some people might complain that there is not a LED light to tell you whether its on or not--well duh!! If you cant tell that a distortion or phaser pedal is on you need help!

I just purchased this pedal recently so I am experimenting with different setups but my rig basically goes Fender Am std strat thru wah-wah(hendrix model)-->Boss MT-2-->Ibanez TS-9 turbo-->Boss DD-5--> to a 40W Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I usually put the 90 after the distortions. Very little signal degradation to my ears, as tested with just the guitar->cable->90->cable->amp compared to guitar->cable->amp, but when switched on there is a slight boost in the signal-my only complaint. Very easy to get early Van Halen brown sound, some Floydesque solos are within reach, it emulates the phased rhythm sound over the verse of Vai's "Little Alligator" very well, and reggae/ska style rhythms sound fantastic ala Marley/Bosstones with this box. When used tastefully-not obnoxiously-this pedal also adds a nice touch to an otherwise bland solo or rhythm part. The phase can be set to a slow sweep or a nice gurgley underwatery kind of sound when cranked all the way clockwise. The extreme counterclockwise position gives a nice subtle phase that doesnt overpower in the mix. Around the midway positions, give or take to your liking, you are entering the Van Halen "brown sound" area. Doesnt take much tweeking to get it down cold. As you start to enter the faster rates the sound gets a little wierder, almost flange like. Although there is no level control, it doesnt need one. The effect always seems to be mixed just right no matter where the rate knob is turned.

Seems very reliable. Metal box with a solid metal on/off switch. The only plastic on this thing is well attatched and doesnt seem like it would break off but strange things can happen anytime and anywhere! I would gig without a backup but go and purchase one as soon as I could scrape together enough money to buy it again.

N/A

I have been playing for about 6 years and have gone thru many phases(no pun intended) of playing styles. Punk to metal to blues to classical with dabbling in jazz. Basically all types of music are interesting. I still enjoy playing all types of music, not limiting myself to "just blues" or "just metal", because I always find applications for techniques in one style usefull in other styles as well. This pedal works well for all styles that I play. I compared this to the Boss and DOD models and this won hands down. If you are using this as an effect to compliment your sound, not hide it, it is a great pedal. If you are looking for tweeking parameters to come up with bizarre guitar sounds, try the Boss or DOD models. For simple phasing that just sounds great and adds to your sound, definitely give this pedal a try.

1 knob, speed,EASY!!!! I've heard theres an internal time pot, but it sounds great, im not going to goof with it. Hit the big chrome button, it goes on, hit it again it goes off.

Great sounding. Thick phasing that really out does Boss. Boss' are too digital and fake sounding. THis and the small stone are at the top of the phaser list. And both around $80. The great part about it is that you can get subtle phasing when using it before a dist. pedal (i use a distortion+). If you want a little signal boost and more defined phasing, put it after the dist. in your chain. Gets great Van Halen "brown sound" and if you've heard "Know Your Enemy" by Rage Against the Machine, it gets that fat shwooshing. Really adds a new dimention to your sound, it makes it more complex and full, even if used very lightly. When speed knob is all the way up it gets some crazy warbling sound, when all the way down, it gets this smooth, slow, up and down motion in your sound. 9 because nothings perfect.

All metal, rather small. Definately road worthy.

Never dealt with them

Great phaser, simple, totally funtional, i keep it on almost all the time. Definately the best out there, check out the EH Small stone, that color switch does some cool stuff. Fills up your sound, makes anything from super high pitch solos, to detuned E5ths full, complex tones.

One knob, one switch. A simpler pedal does not exist.
No manual, but you do not need it.

I use a strat w/ duncan pickups and a floyd rose through a cheap
Fender amp. It is good sounding and better than most phasers i have heard.

Sturdy and gigproof

nope

I play a range of music from Limp Bizkit to Pink Floyd and it works for most phase sounds. I use it in a chain of effects including:
Crybaby 535 Wah, DigiTech XP-100 Whammy/Wah, Boss Metal Zone, MXR Phase 90, Boss Flanger, and a DigiTech PDS 1002 Digital Delay. It sounds great with those pedals and on its own. For EVH, Korn, Limp, Tome Morello, David Gilmour, etc. this pedal does the trick. I wish it had more controls but I would still buy it again.

Easy is not the word here, this thing has one knob and one foot switch. It couldn't be easier to use, even if you didn't know what a phase pedal was you could work this thing. That said, the knob it does have (speed) allows for lots of variations, and the effect itself sounds radically different depending on what else you have working, so getting "the sound" you want is not always easy as just turning the knob. The manual was crappy though, in fact it was non-existant. All I got was publicity for other Jim Dunlop products and the usual warranty stuff...but who the hell needs a manual for this pedal anyway?!?

This is my set-up: Ibanez RG or Gibson SG into Digitech XP-100, Boss TR-2, EHX Small Stone, MXR Phase 90, Ibanez Tube Screamer, Ibanez Rotary Chorus RC99 all into a Marshall JCM900. The Phase 90 is my latest acquisition, and it makes a nice addition to my set up. The Small Stone is a great pedal but the Phase 90 is much deeper and a little less "anemic". It is still not as overpowering as a Boss PH-2 or an Ibanez phaser; but I never liked those pedals much anyway (they are too digital sounding and toy like). Basically if you like the sound of early Van Halen albums this is the pedal for you. EVH's light phase sounds for leads is a cinch with this thing. But it's got more sounds than just that...if you set the speed knob towards the slower speeds (counterclockwise) you get this sloth like almost flangey quality that can lull you into a deep slumber or work great as a "blanket of sound". Fast speeds give you that watery chorus, if you're into playing eerie melodies on your high strings you gotta use this pedal. Wes Boreland from Limp Bizkit gets some great sounds out of this (not that I like LB's songs). It's impossible to describe how good this pedal is, I'll just say that's it's worth a lot more than what I paid for it (approximately $115). I use it with a battery and that makes it less noisey, but even with an adaptor it never gets really noisey or anything.

I'm no expert, but this looks pretty dependable. It's built like a tank, basically traditional MXR metal box painted orange. The solitary speed knob comes with a plastic grip cover and the metal footswitch looks solid. The input jacks are very well placed and look solid too. I would gig without a backup

Haven't dealt with them.

I play mostly rock music. My band's music is influenced by NIN, Ministry, Monster Magnet, Kyuss, Van Halen, Deftones, Queen, Bowie and Jane's Addiction. Like I said before, this pedal complemented my set up nicely, and was made it easier for me to get "the sound in my head". I'd been looking for it for about two years and I finally stumbled upon a fresh unit in my local store. If anything happened to this pedal I would look for another one the next day. The only thing that compaes to it slightly is the Small Stone (which I own....the reissue though) and the copies (Maxon) which are pretty similar but not the same thing. So in a way I didn't really compare before buying...I just tried it and fell in love. Maybe this pedal could be a bit more "present" in the lower speeds, and have more of a flangey sound there (it shouldn't be too hard, flanging is a type of phasing. I'm really happy with this pedal, and I look forward to keep on using it.

It doesn't get any easier, just one knob to control the rate, and a foot switch to turn the effect on and off.

Wonderful range and tone. On the slow rate, it'll pull you out of the deepest hole and rocket you skyward before bringing you crashing back down to earth. On the high settings it sounds like a UFO landing. Think I'm kidding? Try it out and see for yourself.

I haven't had any problems with it. It seems sturdy.

I don't have any idea.

Hands down, best phaser on the market today. If you want to spend way more money on a vintage Small Stone then be my guest, but don't cry when it gets stolen. You can get just as good if not better phase with this product.

ok. this is not very hard. if you can't work this pedal,the elevator isnt reachin the top floor.theres a speed knob. theres a footswitch.if you cant figure it out, go back to pre-school.my dog figured out how it works.

WOW! one knob wonder! this thing sounds soooooooo smooth! i get an almost chorus like sound from the fastest speed, around the middle i get those warbles that everyone loves,and i get a flanging sort of slow phase in the low settings. the set depth is perfect. i use it for all of my phasing needs, and it suits them VERY well. Funny how the depth seems to always be JUSTTTT right.i love this pedal. god i love this pedal. it livens up my sound incredibly. no noise. when i first bought it there was some noise, but i switched the battery, and havent heard a peep since.

ok. if you tried, i dont think you would be able to break this. i would gig without a backup any day.its cased in a hunk of orange metal that is probably like a half inch think or something. its crazy. the footswith is solid metal and i dont think i will ever have a problem with it. besides, im nice to my pedals.

never dealt with em, doubt i'll ever have to with the way this tank is built.

i play lots of stuff but mostly metal. korn limp bizkit most, but really anything from hendrix to pantera.this thing covers it all. right now my setup is weak. i use an ibanez RG7 >> boss digital delay/reverb RV-3>>phase 90>>mu-tron phasor II>> a crappy crate amp that is gettin burned as soon as i get either a line 6 or a mesa/boogie.i use it alot. it can double as a flanger, but it doesnt do stuff that a flanger does. the phasing is incredible. im suprised that this little orange tank sounds so greatwith only one knob!

Dead simple - just a speed knob. The phase can go from very slow to very fast and on no setting does it not sound good.

I have the script version (whether that makes any difference to the sound I don't know) but IMO the phase 90 is THE phase sound. Quite a delicate, soft phase but by no means weak - it is great for cheesy 70s jazz/funk/reggae (think EWF, Bob Marley Live) comping, sounds cool with overdrive or fuzz (overdrive from my Laney LC30 amp, fuzz from my Voodoo Lab Bosstone) for those Gilmour, Hendrix, Steely Dan, early Police sounds and can even sound like SRV's 'Cold Shot' with maximum speed. What I like is that it doesn't suck away all your guitar tone like the other phasers I've tried (Boss PH-2, Small Stone, Ibanez and DOD models). I am not bothered by the fact that there is only a spped knob as the 'depth' is spot-on.

Very sturdy. No worries here

Would never need it. It's lasted 20 odd years so far...

I also tried the Phase 100 which I thought was a bit pointless (the extra 'sweeps' were virtually indistuinguishable from each other and it couldn't quite get the Phase 90 sound) and the Phase 45 which is just a more subtle version of the 90. As I alluded to above, I'm into late 60s-late 70s music primarily so this thing fits in perfectly - it really is an essential piece of kit this era's style of playing.

One stomp button... One knob. If you cant figure this out you either a) need rehab, or b) wouldn't be able to process a single coherent thought so you aren't reading this anyway.

I use it towards the end of my effects chain which has a bunch of differnt effects. It is very quiet and has that amazing swooshing sound you expect from a phaser.
I also play through a Fender Stratocaster with a pearly gates humbucker and a Zion Classic Maple with Dimarzio DP405's.
The volume of the effect is set so you cant adjust how much "phase" is mixed with your sound which is a drawback but it sounds great. sometimes when I'm really feeling frisky I engage the phaser and use a Crybaby Wah at the same time.
Try this.. it sounds really freaky.

havent dropped it. Looks solid. Havent had any problems. I've seen some in stores pretty banged up and I fired em' up and they worked like new to me.

wouldn't know.

My style is hard rock. This sound is great for acsending rhthmms to an octave OR for power chords where you can get the full effect.

Has one knob for speed. Enough said.

Great sound quality. I bought it to get that 1st album Van Halen light phase sound for leads. Well, I certainly got it. It also works good for heavy phase sounds like "Have a Cigar" by Pink Floyd.
Adds a little bit more treble to your sound.

No problems.

I sent away an MXR Dynacomp that was under the measily 14 day warranty period. The thing wrong was that it needed a new input jack. After 2 months, I still have not received it back.

If you want that Van Halen phase sounds for leads, this pedal will give you exactly that. I really don't use phasers for any other reason. If I lost it, I would buy another one. Anybody considering this pedal should buy it. It may look like it can't do much, considering it only has 1 knob, but this pedal is very versatile, and for the money, you can't beat it.

As previosly mentioned...one knob...you plug it in..turn the knob...if you cant figure that out...well lets just say i tought my 5 year old cousin how it works.

I have not noticed the noise that people are saying gets thru to the amp. When i turn mine off...it stayes off...i have the reissue version of this and maybe thats the deal...i can get alot of sounds out of it...in fact...with my distortion and the knob turned up to an approx. 9...i get a police siren sound...pretty cool no?

10 all the way...its solid...and i left it plugged in one time...came back expecting battery to be dead...LED still shows bright red...maybe it only drains the battery when the phaser is active

never dealt with MXR

I picked this up from a pawnshop in their electronic section. Then got them to drop 10 bucks off of it. This is a great piece. Not very flexible because all you can control is the speed. BUt still...for a one knobbed wonder...its great...buy it...if you see it used for what i paid for it...buy it and sell it on ebay if you dont like it...im sure you can at least get 30 or 40 bucks...

Mine is very easy to use. Although I got a Wah mannual with mine I was able to figure it out without. Lets face it, If you can't figure out how to use the one knob on your phase 90 you should probably give up the guitar and pick up an instrument more your pace like the kazoo. Stuff just doesn't get any easier to use than a Phase 90.

First of all lets get this straight. My Phase 90 is one of the Jim Dunlop reissues and supposidly the orignals sound a bit different. I've never got a chance to play one of the old ones so I can't compare. My reissue sounds great. I'm a huge Van Halen fan and to me a good phaser should sound like Edward's. I play an EMG equipped Les Paul into the Phase 90, then into a Tech21 XXL then into a 73 100 watt Marshall Superlead. Set the Phaser's knob at about 10 or 11 o'clock and start playing "Ain't Talking 'bout Love". These phasers aren't true bipass and do effect the sound of the amp even when the phaser is off. I actually like having the phaser plugged in even when I'm not using it. I think it makes the amp sound a little more agressive. I really love the sound of it but I'm sure there are other phasers that sound better (probably original Phase 90's, EVH's in particular). I've also ran it into a Dual Recto. Guess what? It still kicked butt!

Bulletproof! I'm sure I could use it to pound nails if I had to and it would probably still sound great. I just don't see how something could be built any better. As far as components lasting a long time I just can't see much going wrong.

I'm gonna give it a nine. To my ear it sounds great. It'll be around longer than I will. If it was lost or stolen I may splurge for a vintage orignal or watch out for a nice used reissue for cheap. I may go for a phase 100 but probably not. Bang for your buck a used Phase 90 is hard to beat.

One control "speed", changes the speed of the sweep. Very easy pedal to use, almost too easy, that's the problem. There's not a bad sound out of this thing, that's why it's not a 10, cuz I can't decide what sounds I like the best. Anyway, there's another pot inside the thing, but you have to rip it apart to get to it. I haven't touched it yet, so I don't know what it does.

I love this pedal. I've had it for just a couple of days, and it's already one of my fave's. I won't give it up. Like I mentioned above, I've yet to get a bad sound out of this thing. I use it w/ a distortion box, and I love that sound (a Pearl distortion box, which is really good), sometimes w/ my Blue Box for something a little different. Anyway, I tried and have heard a couple of other phasors (Ibanez Soundtank, I think) and a DOD one, can't remember which, and this one kicks the tar out of those two. When I saw it in the store, I bought it w/ out actually playing it because of all the reviews I've heard, and a friend of mine had it, and I heard him play it.

Okay, I have a small problem with mine. I also just purchased a Blue Box, and voiced my concern about the durability of the switch, well the Phase 90 confirmed this fear. Sometimes, about a third or fourth of the time, when I switch it on, it doesn't work, basically, it acts like my guitar is disconnected from the amp. w/ a little jiggling it comes back on. So, I can't give this thing anything higher than a 6 for reliablity. I'll have to get this thing checked out if it doesn't fix itself.

Haven't dealt w/ them yet, but may have to now.

Love the sound, and its ease of use. Only reason it's not a 10 is the switch. But you'll have to pry this thing out of my dead hands if you want mine. It's definitely a great pedal for the value, so buy it, don't try to pry it from my hands.

One knob(speed) and a footswitch

This phaser is outstanding. You can do a lot with it, and it sounds incredibly organic. I know someone who has an Ibanez phase 7, and that sounds like a spaceship being launched compared to the MXR. The sound of the MXR is VERY smooth and natural, and it just fills you up with joy!

This is an old model- I know it's from at least the eighties, very possibily the seventies. It has no LED display, and it's a block logo- but it's hard to believe that the new ones are worse or better or that different. This thing has held up very well. Some of the paint is scratched off, but it works like a charm and appears like it will hold up for awhile longer.

Great pedal. I'd buy another one in a second because of the reasonable price and the great sound. Buy one!

The Phase 90 is perhaps the most easiest to use pedal I have ever had. It has just one knob (speed of the phasing). I was kind of dissapointed that I didn't get a manual with it but there would be know need for one. Turn the speed down to about 9 or 10 o-clock and you get those Van Halen sounds (ala solo for Ain't Talkin' Bout Love). Turn the speed up to about 2:30 and you get those Hendrix style rotating speaker effects (ala Star Spangled Banner). Finally, turn the speed all the way up and you get those Pink Floyd underwater sounds. Another good example of the Phase 90 is on the live version of Dazed and Confused by Led Zepplin. Jimmy does a violin bow solo with his guitar and he has the phase 90 turned on.

I am using this pedal with an Epiphone SG custom. I have a Peavey Transtube Bandit 112 amp. As for other effects, I have a Crybaby, a Danelectro Fab Tone, a Boss DD-3 delay, a Boss CE-5 chorus, a Boss TU-3 chromatic stage tuner, and a Dunlop High Gaine volime pedal. The Phase 90 gives the best sound when it is distorted. There is a slight volume boost that occures but I find that very usefull for solos. As for playing it clean, I don't like it. It distortes the signal just like my Crybaby wah. Some people can find this very musical in a way bit I can't. If I want a clen sound, I WANT A CLEAN SOUND! But as I mentioned before, it's perfect for getting those Van Halen and Hendrix tones. You can get a lot of variety out of this pedal.

The darn just won't break. And the freaky thing is that my batteries hardly ever where down in this thing.

Don't know.

I play a lot of classic rock and modern blues styles. I like this pedal better than the rotating speaker simulators because the effect in this is much more pronounced. I recomend that every musician own this pedal. You will always fing a place for it in your'e music.

This thing has one knob, not very hard to use. But the sound that comes out of this bad boy is incredible! All you have is the Speed knob and the activation switch. Very easy, but great!

The sound produced is amazing. I never was real big on the Phase 90, but I tried it at the store and knew I had to buy it! I thought the one knob wasn't capable of producing a lot of sounds, but just move it and you'll get everything from a fast, fluttery phaser to a slow, thick phaser. Just great!

It's built out of cast iron and is heavier than looks. I would definitely depend on this. As far as gigging, you won't need a back-up.

I don't know

Overall, this pedal is the best phaser out there. Now, I am comparing that to the phasers I have heard: Boss and Ibanez. I've never heard the Small Stone, but I hear that it sound's similiar to the Phase 90. The only thing I have heard that I can't figure out, is that there's a trim pot somewhere in the pedal. I don't know how to access it or even where it's at. If anyone knows about it and how to adjust it, please e-mail me. I would appreciate it!

It is easy to use. There is one knob and a footswitch. You would have to be retarded, if you cant use this thing.

Currently my setup is, Fender strat or Epiphone SG into Boss oc-2 octave, TS-5 tubescreamer, RAT, Phase 90, Boss dimension C, into both channels of my Ampeg gemini 22 amp. when played clean, sounds range fom a slow sweep, that sounds good for playing reggae, ska, funk; to a fast warbly underwater sound. When distorted the unit sounds amazing when set to a slow to medium sweep, and wacky space age effects are achieved when set to a fast sweep. Note; make sure you place this unit after your distortion source it will make all the difference. The effect works well with my amp tremelo, octave box, and chorus pedal. It does not work well with a wah. Both effects seem to almost cancel each other out resulting in a weak crappy sound. It doesnt seem noisy to me. the unit will distort while clean, when strummed hard on the top three strings, but in a cool musical way. Also seems to boost the signal and the highs a bit, which makes it great for use as a unique sounding booster for leads. Heres an awsome sound I stumbled upon a couple of weeks ago; Phase 90 (set to about 10-11 oclock), dimension c on setting 4, Rat on, octave pedal on. This results in a thick engaging signle note tone, that will sustain for days.

I've had it for 3.5 years, no problems yet

Ive been playing for 7 years, have been in local punk/ska bands, and involved in experimental projects with my friends. I would defineltely buy this thing again if i had the money to do so. My favoite thing about this is the slow sweep you get, when playing through heavy distortion, it is such a pleasing sound to the ears that I never want to turn it off, I cant think of anything I dislike about this except that its hard to stomp on with bare feet. It makes me want to play so in that respect it helps me make music.

This phaser is extremely simple to use. It's very easy to get a good sound out of it, there's just one knob(speed). You don't need a manual for it, at least Dunlop thinks so(they sent me a generic dunlop brochure telling me how to use a crybaby).

My setup is: Squier Strat into crybaby->boss od/dist.->phase 90->Fender Blues Jr. amp. From this pedal I can't really detect any noise at all and the actual phasing this pedal does is awesome. For $70, this is the best bang for your buck when it comes to phasers. You can get Rush, Pink Floyd, and Van Halen sounds out of this pedal. It's very versatile and has wonderful tone characteristics.

The Phase 90 is VERY reliable. The casing is a big chunk of metal. I don't know if it eats batteries because I use AC power supplies with all my pedals, but I would gig with it without a backup(If I gigged).

I don't know about Dunlop customer support. My Crybaby and Phase 90 are fairly new pedals, hopefully I'll never need Dunlop's help on anything.

I like to play classic rock and hard rock music and this pedal is very useful for both. YOu can get a great "underwater sound" with the speed turned up(think Pink Floyd's "Echoes"), or with the knob turned lower you can imitats Rush and Van Halen all day long(like I said before). Overall, this pedal suits my needs and it was the cheapest phaser I saw when I was looking for one. But don't let the price fool you, the tone and phase that comes out of this pedal are awesome.

Too easy! This thing has one speed control and that's it! It does have a trim pot on the circuit board but I haven't touched that yet.

This thing sounds really nice. I like it with the speed up half way. I just bought it a couple days ago so I haven't had a lot of time to mess with it. but it's so simple that you can check out all the sounds in a couple hours of playing. When you get sick of the sound or if you don't find what you are looking for then open it up and mess with the trim pot. I like this pedal. It has a cool sound. I haven't tried any other phase pedals so I cant rate it against the competition but for me this pedal is great!

This thing is very solid. I'm sure it will be around for years.Just look at all the old school beat up phase 90s and 45s that still work! I opened it up and they pack a lot of stuff into that little orange case. And it's pretty neat work inside too.

I have never contacted them.

I play hardcore and punk music. I play a tele into my pedals and then into a crate VC5212. My pedals go like this. crybaby wah-Boss DS1-Big Muff-Dod grunge-Phase 90-Danelectro cool cat-Dano Dan Echo. This pedal is a nice addition to my board. I am playing with it tuned to D and I wonder how it would sound if I down tuned to B! That would be something! I like this pedal. I like the simplicity of it. One Knob to mess with. I'm the kind of guy that sets it and forgets it. I hate messing with knobs. I rather play music. This is a high qualitly pedal and I'm very glad I got it.

How hard can one knob be to operate? I have an original script phase 90 from the first batch. I bought it on 48th St. in NYC when it first came out. Last year I found another one in mint condition. Dueling script phase 90's. It's simple to use......plug in and play. Eddie Van Halen loves these things too.
The original Phase 90's had the word BUD embossed on the inside of the bottom plate. Bud was the supplier of the actual fx casings.
*********ALERT!!!!!! SOME GREEDY DEALERS JACK UP THE PRICE ON THE ORIGINAL BUD UNITS....look around, I bought my 2nd Bud Script Phase 90 for $40.00 from a music store ( if I bought a block MXR Distortion + at $40.00 too......COOLIO!!!!)

I'm using this with a white 35th anniversary Marshall 1987 halfstack,white and regular re-issue Bluesbreakers, Marshall TSL 100 halfstack, JTM 30 Combo with JTM extention cabinet, Groove Tubes Soul O 75, Legend Super Lead 50 with Marshall 1936 cabinet, various Les Pauls, 335's, Strats and Tele's.
The sound is warm and analog. It seems to favor tube amps. It does distort but in a musical way. According to Keith Barr and Terry Sherwood," the phase 90 achieved its notch position variation through the use of FETs, which is a typre of transistor that has the ability to act like a resistor whose value can be controlled by a voltage. They didtort, and the second-harmonic distortion that pours out of a Phase 90 has a hell of a lot to do with how it sounds" ( from page 108 of STOMPBOX by Art Thompson.
It has that warm swishy/warbly sound and it is a pronounced strong sound. It also adds a bit of treble bite when used with a cranked amp. Very tasty with a plexi ( tasty, the lost word in todays music ). Listen to Van Halen ( he used one ) in the Roth days, Eddie was less commercial then and more firery.
Not the quietest pedal, just very musical.

I have my original since the first batch came out in the 70's.....no problems. Until I bought my 2nd one, I always gigged without a net with the phase 90. With decent batteries, fx life is long.

Keith and Terry are no longer in the picture with MXR. Never needed to contact MXR for any operational problems. 25+ years and still ticking.

As far as I know, this is the best phase shifter stomp box out there. It's simple one knob operation is incredibly expressive. It's a nice tone coloration toy.

this is an extremely easy pedal to use it only has one knob that sets the speed of the phasing. Mine was modified with a switch that turns power from the battery off so that you don't kill so many batteries. Other than that just plug it in and go

I use this pedal with a marshall 100 watt superlead made sometime in the 70's, a sovteck reissue big muff and two les paul standards one 93(with seymour duncan seth lover pick ups) and one 96 (stock pick ups) this pedal makes just about the best swooshing psechedelic phased sound I've heard(the guy at the music store said it was the best phase 90 he had ever heard I believe him, even though he could have been putting me on. slow settings thicken up the sound, fast setting are almost like a tremolo. with distortion If you don't set the speed fast(for tremolo sounds) or slow enough(for thick swirly phasor sounds) you could possibly get dizzy listening to it. One thing you have to be aware of If you are considering buying this pedal is it is not true bypass so If you are using with certain pedals (mostley fuzz boxes) then you will have to have it true bypassed(I plan on having mine true bypassed soon, so I can use it with my fulltone soulbender) because it will make your fuzz sound horrible.

I'm sure it is reliable, Mine is a script logo version Kinda vintage so I wouldn't gig with it. Just because of the possibility of getting ripped off.

I've never tried to get a hold of the company I'm not sure If the Dunlop reissues are made by the same people.

I play spacey music in the vein of space needle and Pink floyd. It is great for that, but I wish it had just one more knob maybe a mix knob. I have been playing for 9 years. If it were stolen I would scour the earth looking for another script logo version that sounds as good.I used to use a rp-10 and the phasor sounds out of this pedal are far more complex than the rp-10's and the rp's were decent. I write mostly on acoustic guitar then usually record on electric that's when I start playing with effect's and this pedal is always fun to pull out and plug in.

Well, it looks simple enough... that is until you realize that there is an internal trim pot and you have to completely dismantle the pedal to get to it. Playing with that pot really helped me get the sound I wanted, but it sure would be nice to be able to adjust it from the OUTSIDE.

Well, I gotta say... I had no intention of buying this thing when I went to the store. My heart was set on an Ibanez PH99 Classic Phase, that is, until I played one... It was too powerful- the phase would be at what I thought was the bottom of its cycle, but it would just keep on going... really un-natural sounding. So the quest continued... I tried a Boss Ph-2 which sounded even more unnatural and computerish, and a Small Stone which I thought was too weak, and had kind of a nauseous-sounding phase. I had previously owned a Rocktek phaser that sounded better than any of these. Then I tried the Phase 100 and the Phase 90. The only sound from the 100 that I really liked sounded pretty much like the 90, so I decided to save $50 and go for the 90. I never considered the pedal before because it seemed so un-versatile, and I didn't think there was a jack for an AC adapter. Well, it does have an AC adpter and it doesn't matter that it only gets one sound because that one sound is absolutely amazing! It's such a nice, rich, organic sounding phase. The others all sounded really thin at the top of the cycle and almost overdriven at the bottom, but not this one- it sounds full and thick all the way. I love it! It's gotta be the warmest sounding pedal I've ever owned! Instead of making weird new features and super versatility, MXR just took the basic idea and perfected it. If you want a point of reference, listen to Hendrix's version of "Mannish Boy" on his Blues compilation CD, it sounds like he's using one of these things with the rate set at 12 o'clock.

Here's where I'm expected to say something cleverish like "You could drop a nuclear bomb on it and this thing would keep on rockin'!" or some BS like that... well I won't do it!

Warm, warm, warm! It just makes me feel good when I turn this thing on. It works especially well complimenting my EH Microsynth, just making it sound that much weirder. Or not! It also sounds great clean, or after (never before) a nice distortion pedal. I think this is one of the best purchases I've made.

Yeah, I know, 1 knob, 1 switch and 1 TRIM POT inside buried in silicon. EASY. I give it a five for not putting the trim pot on the outside.

I have a reissue. This thing is the best...NOW! This thing never really impressed me until I adjusted the trim pot. Now it roars!! The pot controls the range of the phase and the smallest movement in it, changes the sound a lot. So, for all those unhappy with this little gem or wishing to explore the unknown, crank up the distortion on your amp(mine being an Acoustic 100 watt tube amp) until you can hear the phasing and adjust the pot to please. Just remember where it was when you started.
Thanks to the person here who mentioned that this thing had trim pot!

No problems! Should put one in a super collider and produce some new phonons(sound particles). Should withstand a nuclear explosion and hopefully your foot as well.

Bought used and could probably fix it(if simple) myself.

It's great NOW. I love it. For $30 its a great value!

One knob, one stomp/bypass-switch. Without that knob it would be boring and almost worthless, and without that bypass switch it would be a complete disaster. Just in case you wanna know... So yes, it's easy to use :-) To access the battery connection, you'll have to remove the whole bottom plate by screwing up four screws and the battery barely fits in that little box... it's not difficult, just a bit annoying. But it's designs from the 70's, it just means that the reissue is more faithful to the original.

This is the Jim Dunlop reissue with block logo and LED. Currently I use it with my Swedish Levin amp and dad's Fuzz Face. I haven't been able to try any other phasers, but I definitely like this one. The sound quality is great -- no noise or anything like that. It boosts the volume up a little bit, but thats no big deal. On the fastest speed it's a bit icky, though. Maybe that's good for a few psychadelic passages in the middle of a 15-minute song or somethin'...

It's heavy metal (the casing, not the sound). Very good quality. The robust design is as classic as the sound. I don't know if the circuits can funk up someday, though, but they haven't so far... I don't have a backup, but I wouldn't use one anyway.

I definitely don't wanna deal with Jim Dunlop, but if it breaks down, I'll go to the store where I bought it. They're very helpful, skilled and friendly, so they'll fix it if I can't do it by myself. Also, the warranty is taken care of by them, so there's no problem here...

I love the sounds, the design and everything. It would be nice with some kind of "depth" control or something (if that's possible on phasers), because sometimes I find it too intense, but 90% of the time it's perfect. Listen to early Van Halen, Led Zep's "Nobody's Fault But Mine" and "Achille's Last Stand" (on Presence, 1976), and Rolling Stones' "Imagination" and "Some Girls" (on Some Girls, 1978) and of course Mick Jagger's voice on one occasion on "Rocks Off" for some phasing examples. If it were stolen, I'd buy this if I'd buy a phaser again. However, I have no other phaser to compare it with.

Very Easy to use, only one knob (SPEED) on it so it is very easy to coax a good sound out of it.

The sound is very lush, with a nice sweep, similar to the phaser on Curmudgeon by Nirvana. My Phase 90 is really old, it has script writing on it an the paint is coming off. The switch is noisy turning on or off, but I don't know what a new reissue would be like. Sounds best after my Big Muff and before my cry baby, and it has a more pronounced effect than my old DOD phaser from the 60's.

Reliable, eats batteries though, gig without a backup but take spare batteries.

Nah, its from the 60's

The pedal is very good, I haven't a close what the reissues are like, but this one is really good. I can get "Angel" by Jimi Hendrix right down, that is what it sounds like. My only quarrel is that it is noisy when you turn it on. Otherwise it is a good phaser, better than a BOSS anyway, no harm to BOSS. Its on equal terms with a Small Stone.

One knob: 1. Phase
Turn it to the right and you get faster phase

The phase is very smooth. It doesn't go too deep, and it doesn't go too high.

Thick metal = Reliability

don't deal with it

I can't believe I made that much, but it was my first pedal. It's not worth over $70, seeing as you could find it used for $15. Nice sound for distorted and clean leads.

Jim Dunlop reissue MXR phase 90. It's incredibly easy to use- unless one knob confuses you (and I know people with this problem). Turn the knob for a faster rate.

The MXR has a nice sound; it's quite lush. I rean into a problem with mine though- it would distort slightly. I'm using a Gibson LP Standard through a rocket 10w 1x12 tube amp. Even when this phaser was the only box in between the guitar and amp, i could hear a slight distortion under the phasing. Not a lot, but it was noticible. I really need that dead quiet phase (for Radiohead, don't ya know), and this wasn't quite it. I'll bet the distorting could be used well in other places though.

It worked every time I turned it on- 'tis a good thing Jim Dunlop put a LED in there.

I play that stuff that was popular 6-7 years ago (Nirvana, Soundgarden) and even further back (Pixies); i'm also into trippy 6 minute soundscapes (Praxis, Radiohead, Remy Zero {check out Remy Zero if you like Radiohead, esp. the album Villa Elaine}). A phaser is a must have for that type of music. This is a good phaser, I just wasn't able to get the "phase only" sound I wanted. I traded this in on a BOSS PH-2 super phaser, and got the sound I wanted.

One knob, one switch, couldn't be easier. Behind a crybaby wah I'd say this is brobably one of the easiest pedals to use.

This pedal is awesome ! You can nail Van Halen's first record with this pedal. I've heard rumors that this pedal is noisy, but this pedal isn't noisy at all. I tried putting it in front of the distortion but it sounded weak and it poped everytime I switched it on. But then I put it behind the distortion and this thing wails ! When it's behind the distortion it clicks on silently and every sweep is detectable. The sweep varies from about 10 seconds to warp speed. Thing that sets this appart form the Boss phaser is that when you speed up the phase on the MXR, it loses the backround sweep and sounds almost like a rotary speaker or a chorus effect. When I tried speeding up the vibrato on the Boss phaser, the backround sweep kept going at the same speed and it got very cluttered and very noisy. THe MXR has a much more subtle sound. It was exactly what I was looking for, and it was relatively cheap too.

Haven't had any problems with it so far.

This pedal is a must have. Sounds great clean and w/distortion. If this were stolen I'd by another emediately. I prefer this to the Boss phaser and the phase 100. THe phase 100 sounds good, but the addition of the depth control makes it harder to find "that sound." The phase 90 sounds great at any speed. I have found a way to use this thing in almost every song I play ( rock, metal, & Blues ). Killer for leads, great for clean slow songs. A very versitile, great sounding pedal. Every EVH fan and everyone that's looking for a great sounding phaser should have one of these.

This is the ideal analogue phaser. Easy to use, great quality.I love MXR vintage stuff.

great, wet phasing quality for all applications..... Love it with a Fender Rhodes too !!!!

So reliable that two have been stolen...(Better bring a back-up...perhaps cross out MXR and put DOD on it...noone will take it)

eh ?

Hang on to your vintage MXR stuff....or sell it to me :) Naturally in todays "exploited market" they sell for top dollar. THe reissues can be "had" for as little as $68.00, or as much as $140.00. LOOK and COMPARE

Guitar pedals dont get much easier than this, just one knob and the bypass stompswitch. Just about any setting sounds good. used before or after distortion will give different sounds. The only reason I give it a 9 for ease of use is because it has a very wide range of speeds. one thing I like using phasers for is setting it to the tempo of the song, so it is in time. this can be somewhat difficult with the phase 90 because it has such wide range, but for anything else this wide range of speeds is an advantave. this is the dunlop reissue, and it came with the manual for the dunlop crybaby. Not that one would be needed anyway though.

This is the best sounding phaser that I have ever heard, and that includes the original MXR phase 90s, and also the phase 100 and 45. this beats them all, dunlop really got it right with this one. I have even tried that $500 Mutron Biphase, and though it sounds very cool I still prefer the phase 90. I am using this with a fender US Lone Star Strat and a Fender Jazzmaster into a Marshall JCM 800 2553 head with a unicord 412 cab. Also using it with many other pedals, usually a univox superfuzz, Electro harmonix memory man, electric mistress, boss ce-2 chorus, proco rat, big muff, and others. The effect is very strong, for a softer univibe type phase sound you should try the phase 45. I do not care about getting the sounds of my favorite artist, all though my favorite band sonic youth does use it, I found that out after buying the pedal. It is also used by van halen. This is the only phaser I've tried that can actually thicken the sound somewhat. It does sound similar to the Electro Harmonix small stone phaser, but in my opinion its a little better. my favorite settings are rate all the way down in front of a fuzz, to thicken it out for leads, rate at about 12 o clock position for classic phasing sounds, or rate at about 3o clock position set to the tempo of some of my faster songs. there is a soft click at the top of the sweep when you are not playing. the small stone does this also.

try this pedal out before buying if you are getting the reissue model. Mine sounds great but from what I hear they vary quite a bit between units due to bad quality control. But like all MXR pedals, original or reissue, they are about twice as reliable as any other effect pedal, even the boss pedals.

I've e-mailed them once about the MXR blue box reissue and they responded very quickly, within a few days. can't really say for sure though.

I just about any type of rock music, and write my own songs. it works really good for what I play. I have been playing for 5 years, and own about 15 other pedals. if It were stolen or lost I would consider getting an original instead, or if not then I'd just buy another reissue. The only other phaser I would consider getting would be the electro harmonix small stone. I compared it to the small stone, biphase, and boss super phaser, as well as the other MXR phaers. the boss was just very thin and sounded really bad. the biphase was 5x the price, and was not as strong of an effect. it also did not work as well with distortion. the small stone is very close, plus has an extra switch for color. but the small stone is not as reliable, is noisier, and does not work well when placed after a distortion, it cuts the gain level. The phase 100 had more sounds possible with the second control, but did not have as good of a sound. may be better on bass though. the phase 45 was very good but it was more of a light phase sound like a univibe. It helps me make music. of all my pedals it is probably my second most used one, after my univox superfuzz and electro harmonix electric mistress flanger. Also there is an internal trim pot inside the unit, which is set at the factory. I wouldnt suggest messing with it though, it makes it sound really bad if not set right. this could explain the variations between the reissues, they may not all be set right. when trying it out keep in mind that there is not much control over the sound, so if you dont like it then this is probably not the phaser for you.

Besides the bypass switch, there's only a Rate knob. So it doesn't have control over all the parameters, but they picked the right fixed values for the ones you can't adjust. I do wish Fulltone, Voodoo Labs or one of the other boutique makers would do a reissue that also had a wet/dry blend knob, as well as being *really* faithful to the original sound (see Sound Quality below).
The reissue has an active light and an AC adapter jack, which the original didn't have.

It does the classic, warm, swirly analog phasing that seems to envelop the listener. THE phase sound, IMHO. But it also emphasizes the brittle frequencies, accentuating finger squeak. I don't remember the original Phase 90s that I played years ago doing that. I wish the reissue didn't, though it does add some additional clarity to combat the bit of lost clarity caused by the phasing. But still it's hard on the ears.

Looks solidly built; most of the originals from the 1970s are still working, I think, so the reissues probably will last a long time too.

The original Phase 90 is the classic phasing sound, one of the best phasers ever made without question. If I could find an original, I'd get it. The reissue sounds almost as good, except for the added brittleness that I don't remember the originals having.

You need no brain to use this classic stomp box, just one dial (speed) and one knob (bypass)

I use the Phase 90 with my 60's Fender Jazz Bass and an Ampeg B1 Amp. To get a nice phasing sound with the bass, you have to kick the highs at the amp. Then it's ok, even with the low E. One thing that's great on the MXR is the low noise level (at least with a bass amp). The sound is greatest when the speed is pretty slow, full speed sounds like a SciFi movie, but that's pretty nice for some scary noises, too. The only problem I see with the sound is that the Ph90 sounded better with my friends guitar (TeleCustom through MusicMan) than with my bass.

I don't have this long and played only one gig with it yet.

Didn't deal with them.

The band I play in plays "Retro Noise", that means classic 70's rock mixed with a lot of noise. We use lot of effects (delay, phaser,falnger..) and the MXR is a good match to our sound. I love the simple design and the ease of use and the classic sound. I compared it to a Nobels Phaser (cheap shit with too much dial) and Fulltone deja vibe (too expensive for me, but great). If I loose it, I will buy an Phase 100, I think.

Every sound thru this phaser is nice. Easy to use with only one knob.

I use a US strat plus thru a HOT ROD Deville, and the sound quality is wonderful. I have used dod and boss phasers, they seem to simply send your signal thru a phase sounding loop whereas the phase 90 phases your tone, its hard to explain but the bottom line is: This phaser kicks ass. I get absolutly no noise from this pedal alone, sometimes with my BIG MUFF i can hear the phaser only if I am not playing. I imensely enjoy the muff and the phase 90 together. I saw Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) using one of these at a recent concert.

I have NEVER had a footpedal fail me, and if so I wouldn't be too worried. Im sure I can depend on this unit.

My music is very innovative. Creating new tunnings is often a part of it. I feel that the Phase 90 is perfect for me. I knew the Phase 100 would probably be cooler with some options, but Guitar Center only had the 90 and I really wanted it. My co-guitarist in my band will most likely get a phase 100 so I don't really feel a loss.

One konob and a footswitch.

Sound quality is excellent when being played. Minus two for the clicks when taking a pause between bursts of sound.

This is a metal unit with sufficient protection around the electrical bits. However, I subtract 1 point because the speed knob fell off. This is an original, so I guess it is between 20-30 years old, and still sounds great, though I worry because one knob could foreshadow other disasters.

Hear they are defunct, but I am not about to call over a plastic knob that is more ornamental than necassary.

My goal with music is to put people in a trance. I could care less about textbook and/or scholarly playing. For what I do, the Phase 90 works well, one depth, various speeds. If your goal is to recreate sounds or rehash tried and stale styles buy a digital phaser, otherwise find one of these and get to work. I paid 30 bucks to my roomate who had trouble making rent, so it was a bargain for me, I do believe that they usually sell for in excess of $100.

There is no way in hell you couldn't figure out how to work this box. There is a on/off switch and a speed knob. The only thing you might have a problem with is unscrewing the back to put the battery in, but if you can't do that......

I use a Epiphone Les Paul and a Fender Solid State amp. This thing sounds wonderful with anything. I've played it on a couple of other guitars and amps, and whatever the hell you play, the Phase 90 will do it for you. It's not noisy. It always sounds great. Van Halen uses it, Radiohead, Hum, etc...
The only gripe I have is that the Phase 100 is better. If you can spend the 40 more bucks to get the P100, do it.

This thing is strong. Metal. Throw it at the bassist and the only problem you'll get is that he will yell at you. And if worse comes to worse, you can always knock him out with the thing. The only bad thing is that this thing eats batteries like a bitch.

MXR is a out of buisness company bought out by the jerks at Dunlop. I would just buy a used one if mine broke

This is a good buy, but the P100 is better.

One knob, Speed, and a light. No fancy names or gimmicks, you would be hard pressed to find anything else this easy to use. I hate having the tweak controls to get a good sound so I love the simplicity of this thing. The rubber stopper on the knob is useful if you want to change settings during a song.

I use the Phase 90 with a Distortion + and an old MXR noise gate thats been beaten to crap from a pawn shop. I run them serially into a Fender Princeton 112 from either my Epiphone Sheraton or my no name strat copy i've got tuned F#F#GGAA. Despite the apparent lack of control you have over the pedal you can create an amazing array of effects from it from a slow meandering to an intense warble. With a bit of distortion this thing just inspires creativity. My only gripes are the lack of control over intensity and that when left on and your not playing I've noticed that it thumps in time to the wave which is more noticable on the higher speeds.

It is a re-issue and know how crappy the buttons on Dunlop wahs get after awhile but the thing is built like a brick shithouse and if it stuffed up i'd seriously look out the window for the four horsemen of the apocalypse. I was actually looking for a chorus when I bought it second hand at $80 off the new price and the damn thing don't even have a scratch!

I've never dealt with them and I hope I never do cause dealing with american companys from australia is a nightmare.

I've always wanted to own one of these things and couldn't be happier now that I do. It does the riff to the Diamond Sea beautifully and is great for distortion soaked punk outings. I'm probably killing my amp doing this but combining the amps distortion with the gain around 4 (which is wonderful with some reverb) and the distortion + maxed out with the phaser at half mast gives this incredible oscillating horn like bellow that is completely useless but is delightfully frightening.

This is a no-brainer, one knob, no tweaking to do here. Honestly though, it can't be any easier, left for slow, right for fast.

Personally, with my setup (70's Les Paul Custom, Marshall Combo), this pedal gives the richest, thickest sounding phasing I've ever cared to hear. Always a prominent effect when switched on, I don't understand why people whined for so many years about no LED, you KNOW when this thing is on... The best part is that it sounds just as amazing clean as it does with distortion. (I use it with a Big Muff reissue, these two together are heavenly!)

If you've got a fresh battery in this thing, I wouldn't worry about a backup, and as far as durability, it's a tough little orange box.

Never had to deal with them, I don't think I will. Even if I do, I have a reissue Phase 90, so I can talk to the people at Dunlop.

I would definatly buy this again (even though I don't think I'll have to), all things about this pedal are great (read above babbling). I tried a Boss Super Phaser before buying the Phase 90, and it doesn't even compare! (Again, the tweaking factor) I have to warn you, you will get addicted to this pedal, so BUY IT SOON!

It only has one knob but there's so much you an do with it.. When I first saw it I figured one knob? What can you do with it.. I have a Boss rack phaser with many more features and the Phase 90 blows it away!

It is noisy.. on Distorted type stuff anyway.. Who wants a clean Phaser?? Great for getting that Van Halen 1 phase tone wih the speed down.. Instant disco with the control at 12 o clock!!My only complaint is that the LED won't fade the unit will just put out a weaker signal..

I've never had any reliability problems and I've toured Europe and the States!! Yes I would use it on a gig without a bakup

Never dealt with them..never had to

10 Never heard phasing this fine.. It's impossibly easy to dial in great sounds.his is the coolest stomp box I've ever had!!

Only one knob to use--- it doesn't get easier than this.

I've never owned an original MXR phase, so I can't compare it to the original. However, I have owned different brands of modern phase units. In my experience, this pedal sounds a lot thicker and warmer than any BOSS or IBANEZ phase pedal I've stomped on. Great for funk guitar! If you set it at high noon, and play the intro to Pink Floyd's "Have a Cigar," your neighbors will think David Gilmour dropped by to have tea with you. This pedal also sounds absolutely gorgeous when hooked up to a Fender Rhodes piano!

"Takes a licking, keeps on ticking..." I've dropped it many times, and it still sounds great.

none, yet

The only other brand of phase that sounds as good as this, in my opinion, is a 2-knob model by ROSS (not Boss). A friend of mine owns one, and he tells me they are quite hard to come by. Considering most users of this are not high-paid rock stars who can dish out mega-bucks on stomp boxes, I give the phase-90 highest marks due to great sound, accessibility, and decent price.

Speed control. That's all it has and that's all you need. Slow swoosh all the way to mach one. I own an original block logo and have the box, manual, and warrenty card.

The truth is the Phase 90 is a one trick pony. Without depth or regeneration control, phase is all you get. New DOD and Boss pedals have so much control they can all sound alike if you tweak the knobs correctly. But hey, do you want phasing or what? Sound is top notch. Classic 70's rock and British gothic and pop tones. Slight noise when on. Make sure to use a fresh Duracell at all times. This pedal will lose it's definition when the battery starts to wear out.

I own a late 70's block logo. Never a problem in it's twenty year life. The reissues are known to have problems, but they are made by Dunlop, so that should explain everything.

MXR went out of business. Now that's shitty service. All kidding aside, call Dunlop since they own they rights to the reissue. They rate low for service and they think their reissues don't sound different than originals. They are wrong.

I love mine. I recommend to all interested parties to search out an original block logo. They average $100 and that's $30 bucks cheaper than the reissue. The Script logo have a weaker regeneration rate and therefore sound weaker. Block logos also handle loud volumes better than script, which have a tendency to get lost in the mix. Reissues do sound close(80%), but no cigar. There are sound variations in each unit. If you can demo two or more, check them all.

The reissue Phase 90 is VERY easy to get a good sound. Since it only has one knob, there are many different speeds to choose from without any problems.

The unit is not too noisy. It works well with both clean and dirty sounds. If you turn the speed knob completely off (to the left) you can get Edward Van Halen's early sound! I have always played along to the first Van Halen album and have always been dissapointed with my sound until I got this pedal! It sounds just like the record. If you turn the knob straight up (12 o'clock setting) you get a cool, clean funk guitar sound. At about 3 quarters up you can get a decent Univibe sound!!! Try playing along with Robin Trower's "Too Rolling Stoned" to see what I mean! The sound quality of this pedal and my MXR Flanger are some of the finest pedal sounds I have ever heard. The Phase 90 is easily one of the best sounding and most versatile stompboxes I have experienced.

The Phase 90 is quite reliable but the footswitch itself is weird sometimes. Meaning, if you don't press down hard enough the effect makes a slight noise through an amp. I've only owned this pedal for 1 year and haven't had any problems with it. I use the Dunlop adapter.

I have never dealt with Dunlop personally so I can't say.

Absolutely. I do not like turning the Phase 90 off! It sounds too good! If you want a part of the early Van Halen sound then you have to get one!

Much easyer to use than the first version of the same box cause they've added the indicator light so you know if it's on and they've also added the 9v jack. One switch on / off one dial for speed

they've added the silent switching feature which is good but they've changed the level of the effect so the new version is too much of a boost in my opinion, so you can't really just slip intoit any more, but the effect still sounds good.

my first version broke only cause I put it through hell by trying to hard wire a power supply to it.

N/A

I would love to have the skematics for the older version that I still have. Then I would replace burnt resistor of the old version and install the guts into the newer shell.

The phase 90 has one single knob and the bypass switch, so it's a stripped-down, easy-to-use pedal. The control (speed) is very reactive and responsive and has a good feel.

Like I said, the speed control is very responsive and the pedal sounds great overall. Swooshie Sweepie!!

Well, I just bought it new, so I don't know. But I can tell you that is it is solidly built and hard as a rock, so I don't expect any problems.

It's relatively cheap and sounds great. Even with only one control you can get a wide range of sounds, all great. I would buy it again in a minute!! You should have heard me at the store. When the tone inspires you to play better, that's when you know you've got a deal. That's what it's all about, right? Inspiration!!!