MXR Phase 90

real easy. i got it used on ebay for 50 bucks without the manual and was able to get a good sound out of it just by adjusting the knob. since there's only one, you dont have to worry about combination and permutation. ;)

i have an epiphone SG-400 go into an MXR dyna comp, Maxon SD-9, this Phase 90 and then into a Vox Pathfinder (bedroom practice amp) and it sounds great. i usually have it on with distortion since the SD-9 is so cool i play almost everything with it on and i dont notice any extra "noise"

i think its sounds great. only complaint is that i wish it had a "level" knob to control the amount of phase effect comes out of it. In other words, I wish I could add a more subtle phaser sound (perfect for bridges in a song!). This was mentioned in another review when the person said it seems to "take over" the sound a bit.

otherwise, its awesome!

it feels solid...but i dont really do gigs. i jam with friends and so i'm not really in a position to rate this category.

never dealth.

if you can get a good deal on it, get it! even at 69.99 from music123.com (free shipping!) its a great deal.

I Don't think any pedal is easier to use. Plug in, turn the knob to adjust the speed. One knob that's it. Really there isn't much to say other than it's idiot proof.

I use this with bass. I Run Ibanez 5 string(Sxr505 and EDA905)>Tech 21 sansamp>a variety of pedals>Peavey T-Max head>Ampeg 8x10. Sounds great...nothing to adjust in way of tone or level controls, which sometimes could be a headache but with this pedal it's not an issue as it sounds great out of the box. One of my favourite pedals, however....

....The thing stopped working for no reason whatsoever. I used it one day it was fine, came back the next day plugged in and...nothing. I didnt drop it or do anything to it. I haven't taken it in to see what the problem is yet, but irregardless it's quite frustrating.

I'll tell ya when i get this thing repaired

When it was working it was one of my favourite pedals. And im sure when i get it repaired it will be back near the top. It's possible that mine just has a defect as i've seen alot of reviews saying these things are very reliable.

It's great for either a nice slow warm phase sound to fill out your sound or a fast "trippy" phase. I play Prog Rock so i need pedals that can work with a wide range of musical styles and this definately is one of those pedals.

No comment !

for clean stuff it can work but in mild overdrive or distrtion forget it the hights get to sharp, it boost6 your signal and compress the tone, very dissapoinnted with this..

I test it with my Strats, Paulas and Accustics, Marshall, Engl Amps,
2x12 and 4x12 caps.

!! I try the mod, play with the trim pot inside and nothing helps.
You want buy it ?? call me I sell it.

fat metal.

????

I play since 20 years, the last ten as Studio, session and pro player. Jazz, Blues,Country, Funk, Reagge, Rock, Metal, Alternative, Ethno....anything.

And I m not lucky with this one, maybe a volume knop can help but use it only in studio if i must.

Easiest pedal ever. This one didn't even have the intimidating AC jack or one of those creepy and power-draining Status LEDs. If you hear a swoosh it's on, if not step on the pedal; turn knob to adjust speed; play the hottest licks ever!

I'm writing this just months after modding my own 1992 model with the R28 pull. I'm reviewing my friend's script logo model that his dad bought and used for his band in the seventies. Sounds about a million light years from my Dunlop. Sound is "glassier" and more "liquid" whereas the reissue sounds "spacey" and "raygun-like". I attribute this to the ceramic caps in the original vs. the polyester-looking ones in mine, as well as those wonderful 741 opamps. Also much slower speed than mine. At it's highest setting it sounds like mine at about 2/3 up; the slowest setting yields nearly subliminal phasing, more like a vintage wah sitting in the sweet spot and moving so slow you don't notice, but sure as hell would if it was missing. Not any noticably noisier through the solid-state Fender amp I was testing through. Phasing effect was less deep but noticably sweeter, and would probably cause pants-wetness through the right tube amp.

This one has been in use since the seventies, first by it's orignal owner, second by his son. It's been kicked around onstage, is missing three screws, and has only three very small scuffs on the face to show for it. I don't know if it's been repaired but all the flying leads looked like they had their original (or professionally repaired) solder joints. My dunlop has had the switch and output jack replaced, and the cheaper and lighter paint is scraped consistantly around the edges. Bud box is lighter but seems as durable as the heavier MXR Innovations box.

That MXR has been out of business since '79 right? Customer support = own a soldering gun. Not my pedal though, don't know what company was like back then.

I try to play my guitar like a keyboard. Mainly fingerstyle, almost always rock. This pedal would suit my style if my wife would let me buy it. Alas, my friend would like to sell it now that he knows what it's worth. I shouldn't have told him! He likes it to get that "Lightning Crashes" sound, but would be just as happy with a newer or just plain other phaser. I will have dreams about this sound, and will probably try to build a 741-equipped clone into a homebrew multi-effects someday, but will settle for my dual-opamps for now. Any inquiries or requests of pictures can be directed to my email!

This is the simplest pedal in the world.
Just turn the knob as desired

:)


easy

See my Big Muff USA reissue review for full gear setup.

Basically i use a Strat plus(EMG DG20 pickups)into my effects chain, this sits after my Electric Mistress.

I use it for a number of different effects - on cleaner tones to get that uni-vibe effect (think "Breathe" from Dark side of the moon, or Have a cigar from Wish you were here).
I also use it with the Big Muff or overdrive, with no delay, to get a nice, warm pahse tone to my lead sounds.

I wouldnt say it was noisy, but it is loud, the effect overtakes a little, so you have to roll back the volume a little and control it. Otherwise you could experiment with it's placing in your effects chain.

The overall sound of this is great though, it's warm and squelchy and sticky and melty (!) and just sounds soooooo good.

seems to be pretty solid.

dont know

This is a great addition to my collection of Pink Floyd-a-like pedals. It has a really enjoyable sound and is unlike any other phaser i've used.

My only negative is that it is pretty dominant, and i sometimes wish i could lower the level of it a little. However, if you take time to place it correctly, set up your levels overall and use it effectively then this will become one of the best pedals you've ever used.
I havent done the mod thing, i think i like the slightly distorted effect, if you listen to a leslie rotating speaker in use, then that sounds a little distorted too (due to the volume fluctuations). Also, most of the time i use this i feel the added distortion (however slight) is what gives this it's unique tone, and makes it so much fun to mess with......... my only thought is that modding it may fix my volume concern.

Anyway....... i love it :)

oh.... and this doesn't sound particularly different from the original script versions, the old ones are a little bit mellower but that could be an effect of ageing on those old components, and if you EQ this a little i think they sound pretty much identical.

This pedal is very straight foward, just plug it in then power it up with either a 9V battery or a 9V AC adapter. The knob adjusts the rate of the Phase sweep, it does not however adjust the amount of coloration of the effect. This particular pedal that I bought from a local Guitar Center did not come with any instruction manual, just a warranty card and a booklet that advertises a variety of MXR pedals (also the plastic knob jacket was missing too, but who cares, I never needed to use one).

My current setup is a MIM Standard Strat (w/ Seymour Duncan SSL 1's 50's style sound with a slightly hotter brigde p/u) into a 535Q Dunlop wah pedal(with the 16db boost always ON) into a vintage ProCo Rat distortion into the MXR Phase 90 reissue into an Ibanez DE7 delay into either a Marshall mini (1/2 watt SS amp) or a Fender Blues Jr (15watt tube amp).
My decision to buy this pedal was mainly 2 reasons, one being that I got into Van Halen stuff within the last year, and two i wanted some kind of filtering effect in my setup for a larger variety of sounds. Something extra that I did with this pedal after purchasing it (thus voiding its warranty) was removing the R28 resister from the Phase 90's circuitry. This did make a noticable difference to the sound of the effect when used with my RAT and 16db boost from my Crybaby. What it seems to me from listening closely was that the strange mid range 'tubby' sound was diminished quite significantly. Although alot of owners of this pedal (or so I've read of in this review on Harmony Central) seemed to be content with just removing R28, I still thought that there was too much of that midrange tubbyness going on when being used with my RAT and 16db before that coming from the 535Q. So what I went ahead and did was remove the two capacitors C11 and C12. In turn I got closer to what I was looking for 'sound-wise'. It became more closer to the tones that I associate with early VH 1 passages in which EVH uses the phase shift effect. From what I hear on Eddies early stuff is that his Phase shift when turned ON, was arguably subtle in that it didnt sound too swishy or shooshy (with the exception when the rate was turned up), and more arguably didnt have such a pronounced mid range tubbyness. Although I have a very different setup from EVH's early days of Plexis and self wound humbuckers and the like from those days, I can argue that the MXR Phase 90 especially when used with any half decent overdrive or distortion can get closer to emulating the early EVH vibe because of the basic tone coloration that you get when using a phase shift effect.
So all in all, for the results that I got with this pedal after taking some components out from its circuitry I think that the pedal is more usable with distortion effects, well thats with my setup, everyone's is different. I think that if anyone is looking to buy either the EVH MXR phase 90 or the reissue MXR phase 90, to buy both and take them for a listening test, and see which one suits all your preferences then take the other back for a return. I actually prefered the reissue Phase 90 (after removing r28, c11, c12 ) over the EVH P90 because I thought this pedal sounded more 'univibe-like in the 12-2'oclock settings. Simply because I wanted to have Hendrix's Univibe woodstock type stuff on hand without having to buy an expensive Vibe unit. So that's that. This unit gets an 9 for doing nice phase sounds with and without distortion or overdrive (after the mods of course).

The orange box is all metal and solid, the only gripe is the orange peel paint job that seems to chip quite easily. The internal guts and circuitry is ALL done within one solid circuit board, even the jacks. The only thing about that is some ppl want to use true bypass DPDT mods but thats not going to be easily feasible with its current construction compared to the older (pre 82'?) MXR Phase 90's. This gets an 8 for the sake of repair purposes that the internal jacks and stomp switch are incorporated into the actual circuit board (not easy to service).

I havent turned in the warranty card that came with this unit because I voided it by changing some of the internal circuitry so I probably wont be dealing with the company in the future for any repairs or service.

Most of my overall view of this pedal is in the previous sections of my review. It has a nice phase shift effect for applications that I sought it for such as early day EVH type stuff and even Hendrix Univibe type stuff (with the strats neck PU). My advice is to buy the units that you are interested in (permitting they're not out of your ballpark cash-wise, and can be returned without fees) and try them out side by side to figure out which you prefer, then return the other.
This pedal gets a 9 because it does do nice phase shift's that sound appealing to me.

I am just updating my review. I found the Phase 90 schematic on DiscoFreq's site and I looked for something that connected like that. Blammo! A 20k resistor that looked like the culprit. Desoldered her out, and immediately ran to the next room for my amplifier. Results below!

WOW!!!!! What a vocal sound. Much less swooshy, more like a sweeping wah. The only boost or cut in volume I had was due to the non-feedback version's wider volume range from top of sweep to bottom. I didn't pull any capacitors out, and when I really bang the strings on the neck pickup of my Les Paul Spec., there's still a bit of breakup. But the breakup sounds more hi-fi. I sure do love playing with this thing clean. I know I'll miss the swoosh-fart of the block sound eventually, but would keep the capacitor *out* of the circuit if I had to choose. And until Radio Shack opens, I guess I'll have to.

no change

no change

When that thing gets put on a toggle, it'll be like I got TWO classic pedals for ten bucks at a garage sale. So GREAT VALUE!

This unit is very simple to use. Just plug it in and adjust the knob. The farther to the right, the faster the "swirling" tone. With the a Boss DD-3 Digital Delay, the tone is awesome. If you can chew gum and change your Tampax at the same time, you can figure out this pedal.

I use this pedal with a 2002 Peavey Wolfgang guitar and a 120 Watt Crate Amp. This peadal also works well with a DD-3 Digital Delay and the SD-1 Super Overdrive. This pedal has a warm and clean sound, no noise or buzz. Set it at 9 to 10 O'clock and you can nail the Van Halen Brown Sound.

This Phase 90 is built as solid as a German tank. I have had this pedal for 3 years and have stomped the hell out of it more times than anyone could ever count with no problems with the unit or the switch. I have 100% faith in this pedal.

I have never had to use any kind of customer suppport. This Phase 90 has worked perfectly from the day I took it out of the box.

The only thing I can tell others about this pedal is you do not have to spend twice as much for the new special red/black/white striped EVH Phase 90 pedal. All your doing is spending a lot more money for a fancy paint job and the EVH name. The original Phase 90 ( solid orange pedal) has the same tone and sound. I highly recommend this pedal. There is nothing really to dislike about it at all. I did not compare this to any other kind of phasers out there, because this one is the only one to have.

1 knob increases speed. In that respect easy, but you gotta watch your pickup volume so 8.

I use it with a 1993 double cut Les Paul Special (P90s) and 1967 Melody Maker (SG cut with wierd little single-coils); Ibanez TS5 and DD5, DOD FX50, Dunlop Crybaby, Sovtek Small Stone 2 different kinds of green Big Muffs, Ebow; and I run these into my Roland JC-50 or I record direct with either a Behringer V-Amp2, Zoom 505 (rarely), or the modelling in my bandmate's Korg D1200.

If you want to sound like Rod Stewart's "Tonight's The Night" you need that block logo sound. I, however, use it to make strange space warbles and also like it clean with the speed real high like a fast leslie.

It's very easy to get a good sound if you are using distortion after, or if you watch your volume on the clean stuff.

Which is why so many people do the r28 mod.

Basically you cut out the feedback resistor or stick it on a switch which is what I want to do, but my 1994 block logo reissue that has a different circuit board than the current reissue. The jacks and pot are connected by wires, not mounted on the pc board. All the opamps are in a vertical column down the center of the board which is labelled "MXR" and "101-3001-105". It does have an LED and AC in. I can't seem to find this layout anywhere on the net. I'd love to mod it myself. Maybe someone's seen this before? I have pictures and will happily email them.

I seem to remember fixing the switch and the output jack back in high school. Had to the switch in my crybaby a few times too, though. I wouldn't use the dunlop switch again. Wierd voodoo. I would probably gig without a backup as phasers are not a necessary part of my sound. If it didn't turn on, I'd just turn it back off again.

I haven't dealt with Dunlop. However I would love to talk to anyone who can help me mod this thing. I just need to figure out which resister it is, since mine ain't labeled like the new ones.

Please help me find my feedback resistor!

I just dug this out of the box again a few weeks ago. This pedal sounds like it's supposed to but doesn't get recorded as much as the Small Stone. Maybe with the mod? Hasn't seen much live use since high school when I was pedal crazy. I think I'm more inclined to use just distortion tone live these days. My bassist had one, and it worked much better than the Small Stone for his purposes.

Anyone who can help me mod my pedal, please let me know.

1 knob? Even a drummer could figure this out ;^)

My Phase 90 is a reissue block logo with the R28 resister desoldered. Before I pulled the R28 resister out of the circuit, this was a fairly nice phaser pedal which would drive the overall sound into slight overdrive. This made it tough to use for clean work so I pulled the resister and viola! -- a transformed pedal. Now this thing just sings and is an enhancement to my signal as oppossed to a hostile takeover of it. My rating is for the mod version I now enjoy so much. Knock off two points for the unmodded version.

Well, I've had it over 18 months and with daily use plus a disassemby, modification and reassemby and it works like a charm.

Never dealt with them, but I did get a wah pedal user manual when I bought the thing and I know others who got the same thing.

A wah pedal? This doesn't give me warm fuzzies if I ever do need them...

As modded it is an outstanding addition to my sound. Before that it was just "OK". What I have now is the sound I remember from the days of bell bottom jeans and tye-dye shirts. At $69 plus a set of wire cutters you just can't go wrong if your looking for a good sounding phase pedal.

One knob, one switch, easy as pie. While the classic Phase 90 pedal apparently uses a four-stage circuit to generate its phase shifting effect (see the Harmony Central article on phase shifting at harmony-central.com/Effects/Articles/Phase_Shifting/), it is as simple as an effects pedal can be: Input and Output jacks, an on-off footswitch, and a single Speed (i.e. rate) knob, which controls how fast the phase-shift notches sweep up and down over the sound frequency range.

The Speed knob has a removable grippy rubber cover. Since it was a garage sale find, I got no manual, but there is a one-pager (with a couple of rather helpful playing tips) on the jimdunlop.com website. And you don't really need it anyway. The previous owner had glued a cut-to-size Boss rubber pad on the bottom of my pedal, but I removed it and replaced it with Velcro patches for a pedalboard. Inside, he seems to have added a bit of extra foam to keep the battery from rattling around, but otherwise it looks stock.

The particular model I have is a transitional one, with the "block" MXR logo, not the "script" one, but also no M-101 model number, no status LED, and no AC adapter jack. (Imagine the photo from the Harmony Central review page, but without a light -- yes, even simpler than that.) You have to use a 9V battery, which means you must unscrew the bottom plate whenever you need fresh power, which is about the only usability complaint I have. And I shouldn't complain -- I got it in June 2005 for $2 Cdn (yes, two dollars) at a garage sale! The money I saved over a $100-200 newer or vintage model will buy a lot of batteries.

In a pinch, you can even leave it plugged in if the battery dies, since the footswitch appears to bypass the effect completely -- I was able to get un-effected signal through even without a battery inside. I assume, however, that like most footpedals, the battery will drain whenever the Input is plugged in, even if you're not using it, so you should probably leave that unplugged when you're away from your rig.

Unlike for more complex phase shifter effects (or even the two-knob MXR hase 100), the depth, sweep depth, and regeneration are fixed in the Phase 90's circuit design. If you like the sound it makes, as many do, that's quite flexible enough. Kick it in with the Speed knob far left, and you get subtle washy sounds that work well with clean or overdriven tones. Push it to 10 or 12 o'clock for a cascading Van Halen-y crunch or lead tones a la David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. Crank it all the way to play Led Zeppelin's "No Quarter" or for weird spacy gleeble-gleeble effects.

It's cool for bass, keyboards, or vocals too. I play it as the first effect in the chain on my pedalboard (so I can unplug it when not in use). The rest of my effects -- a Fender pedal tuner, a Danelectro Daddy-O overdrive, a Tech 21 SansAmp GT2 amp/overdrive simulator, and a Boss Bass Limiter/Enhancer (for when I play bass) -- run off AC power, and so can stay plugged in later in the line. They run into a mid-'70s silverface Fender Princeton Reverb (all of 12 watts, I think) with a Strat guitar, or a Yorkville Bassmaster XM100 bass amp (100 watts) with a Precision bass.

The phaser will, of course, phase any hum or buzz too, so it's best to keep it clicked off when your amp is open but you're not playing. As the Dunlop website suggests, the Phase 90 works best either as a subtle wash when playing clean or crunchy chords, or punched in for solos when used more aggressively. It can be a nice addition to your palette for a song's bridge or the latter part of a solo, to bring in a different sound from a previous, drier tone. If phase shifting is what you want, the Phase 90 is probably what you're thinking of.

It has the orange colour, heft, and solidity of a brick, and mine seems to have taken many years of punishment without flinching. The case and components are all metal and easy to tighten, adjust, or replace if you need to -- even the Speed dial is a standard black knurled knob, with a set screw, that you could replace from an electronics shop. The footswitch is very solid and clicks hard, and is apparently better than the newer models. (It's a bare switch with no pedal surface, so I advise shoes rather than bare feet.)

It's also not critical to my sound, so I'd use it without a backup. Of course, the most likely problem is a dead battery, since you can't use AC, so I'd bring spares.

No idea. Check the other reviews here.

I've spent my 16-year professional musical career as a drummer, but I started with guitar 11 years before that, when I was 8. I also dabble with bass. I play mostly oldies and British Invasion classic rock, or stuff in similar styles, although I listen to and play a number of other styles of music as a hobby. While I haven't used the Phase 90 at a gig, if I could find a way to use it with my drums, maybe I would. :)

I'd probably replace the Phase 90 if I lost it, but I'd hunt for a deal, even though it's unlikely another $2 garage sale find would come my way. A chorus or flanger, multi-effects unit, or a phaser with more controls might be more flexible, but the Phase 90's simplicity and obvious ruggednes appeal to me, and I don't have to worry about it. Even the orange colour is cute, and I'd go for that rather than the red-black-white stripey Eddie Van Halen model.

Its only flaws are the lack of an AC jack (available on current models) and indicator light (same, although whether it's on is obvious to the ear), and the awkwardness of having to remove four screws to replace the battery. Sound- and usage-wise, it's near-perfect for what it is, and it doesn't try to be anything it isn't.

The Phase 90 inspires me to play more guitar, so I guess it does its job.

One knob, the more you twist it, the faster it goes. Devestatingly simple.

Woooosh, Sounds great on every setting. Does a good leslie speaker, a nice fast wobly Scofield thing and of course the Van Halen stuff. It also does a 'dark side of the moon' impression an all! With distortion and a strat it sounds like Hendrix. Also good for retro Albert King/Buddy Guy style intros.

This is an old one, 20 years and still throbing

N/A

I play Jazz, blues and classic rock styles and this pedal will be in my case nine times out of ten. It's to be used on one or two tunes in the set just like most modulation effects otherwise it'll loose it's touch.

This review is for the MXR Phase 90 script logo.

I use this pedal on a vintage effects board, using vintage amps. I compared the vintage script logo Phase 90 with the Dunlop reissue. The Dunlop reissue is terrible. It is too distorted and not warm sounding at all.

The pedal is 30 years and still sounds great.

Called Dunlop looking for some parts for a 60's crybaby. We got in another discussion about the old MXR pedals. They gave me the name of a guy who specializes in MXR pedal repairs. Very helpful

I lucked out and got this vintage script logo Phase 90 in beautiful condition. It didn't cost much more, (maybe 10 dollars), than the Dunlop EVH pedal (which I'll bet doesn't sound as nice as the original script).

One Knob for speed ,easy to use with out three other knobs to distract you.

Telecaster,LP Spec>...Dunlop Crybaby>Bad Monkey OD> Phase 90>...Marshall JMC 800 50 watt combo.
No noise ,small amount of wave whoosh,but thats how the signal works.I don't understand reveiws for this or any pedal that complain about noise?That is From the sum amp!and it will boost your sig,but I do enjoy reading about the R28 mod ,Iam really enjoying this pedal as it sounds now.
Phase 90's I think have the best rotry sound ,I had a Boss PH-2 for years ,and it really sounded digital,this sounds like anolog ,7-12 o clock mild phase for rythm or solo.12-3 for a more rotry sound,and 5o clock for an almost leslie.
The sounds of Hendrix,Page,Gilmore ,Andy Summers,and Eddie Van Halen can all be had.

I have a Dyna Comp and owned other MXR pedals,but the foot swithch on this one is alittle cheaper than My Dyna Comp,and the knob can't be tighted by a screw on the side,so I guess Dunlop is cutting costs,
Would I gig with out backup ,yeah if it broke it's not my tone its a flavor,besides I don't have a guiat tech with 4 Phase 90 on the side of the stage.
If it breaks I will get it fixed ,if stolen I will have to get another.

OK ,Dunlop should really invest the time and money into updating their web sight,and put a 1800-support number for issues dealing with damage or repairs.The card to send in for the limited warranty ,(which they never tell you how long it will last)on the same manual I got my crybaby,please update that as well while your at it.
I,am on the East there in the West,
If it breaks I will get fixed ,but proably not wit Dunlop.

I have want a phase 90 for the last three years ,but on limited budget and owning a Boss PH-2 I never could justify buying it.So went to GC and just bought one the other day,the PH-2 is a great phaser,and I,m not going to knock it,but I really enjoy the sound of the 90 better.10 years ago I was in this band playing bass,our guitar player had Phase 90,and let me use it.The drummer and I just jamed Drums and bass w/ phaser we recorded it and it really sounded cool.I have always been looking for that sound ever since,so I got the Orange box that started it all (at least for MXR)
I have been reading about both the R28 mod,on this page and the new EVH Phase 90 w/ script mode,I'm going to check out upgrading my pedal like that some day,but for right now I enjoy its sound now

So easy to use apparently, they don't even come with a manual.

I bought this new at Guitar Center and it's broken right out of the box. Plugged it into my effects chain it made a huge popping sound when I turned the effect on. The popping stopped, but then there is no discernable phase effect at any setting. All I hear is a very pronounced leap in volume.

I play an '80s US telecaster through a Boss tuner>Boss super overdrive>Boss vibrato>Boss SuperPhaser into a Traynor YCV40 combo amp.

I was hoping to replace the super phaser with something more "organic"

These things happen, but I'm soured on ever relying on this pedal. I don't gig with back up gear except an extra guitar, so I'm not keen on sketchy gear.

Haven't dealt with dunlop. I'm assuming I'll get a replacement at Guitar Center or exchange it for a Small Stone without much hassle.

I play rock with a somewhat '60s, somewhat rootsy slant as well as more modern "indie rock" stuff. Thought this would be a perfect pedal to bridge that gap. I've been gigging regularly for about 8 years. Basically I wish the pedal worked. I don't know if I'll replace it or look for another phaser. I was pretty cavalier about not testing it in the store, but I figured if I didn't like it I could return it for a refund or replacement. Never thought it'd be DOA.

I'm rating this because I think it's fair to balance all the praise this pedal gets with a story about when it disappoints and doesn't live up to it.

How difficult can it be? One knob to control the amount of phase. There is no manual included, but to be fair, there is no need for one. Just plug it in, turn the knob to your desired setting and go. I first got into MXR when I bought a Micro Amp as a lead boost in the effects chain. The phase 90 follows the same principle with a neat rubber cover over the dial so you can adjust the phase as you play, just fantastic. You can ease the control back or forward with your big toe while playing to select your intensity. Truly versatile, whilst simple at the same time.

I first tried the pedal in the effects loop of my Cornford Hurricane and was a little disappionted. The pedal seemed to mush up and get lost in the drive of the amps high gain setting. The added distortion of the pedal contributed alot to the degrading of the sound. Instead of sending the pedal back, I did 2 crucial things. 1, - I did the R28 mod, to clean up the sound and 2,-I put the pedal out front of the amp, instead of through the effects loop - WOW! A monumental change for the better. The pedal reacts to the dynamics of your playing and interacts with the volume control of your guitar. Guitar flat out, gives a sweet phase sound, with an attack not too dissimilar to a compressor picking out every note you play. Back off the guitar volume and the subtleness of the pedal adds nuance to your clean chords. I work the pedal from around 8 o'clock for subtle chorus-like clean work, through 9-11 o'clock for chunky/funky rhythm chords up to 12-1 o'clock for Hendrix like phased distortion. All done through the roll of the dial with the foot. The pedal is a little noisy when engaged but I am running my amp at high gain with the volume rolled back for cleaner tones. I have tried the pedal with the amp running full clean and it is almost noiseless. There is a click when you engage the pedal at high gain, but in the midst of a stage environment it will nerver be heard.

The unit looks very robust. Having taken it apart to do the R28 mod, the circuit board is housed snugly within the metal casing without any chance of coming loose. The on switch is connected directly to the circuit board, but I don't see this as being a problem due to the tank like design. Haven't had it long enough to test the durability, but it is the same as the Micro Amp and that has lasted no probs.

Had no need to get in touch

I am not an effects freak with mountains of boxes on my board. I recently chucked my flanger & chorus pedal in favour of this one. The phaser sounds much better than both of these and I can go from subtle to intense without having to stop playing. I read various reviews and pondered on whether to do the R28* mod (Taking out the R28 resistor to give a less distorted sound) and I must admit the pedal works better for me that way. I have seen the various comments flying back and forth on who thinks which option is best, but I think whatever works for your sound is what you go for. For me the R28 mod gives fantastic clarity, and played out front of the amp takes on new dimension depending on how much signal you put through it.

For those who want to try the R28 mod, it is very easy to do. Access the main circuit board by removing it from the metal casing. Cut the horizontal resistor directly above the jack output. It is best to just cut one side and leave the resistor attached but with the signal broken. This way you can easily solder the point back if you don't like the result.

One knob? However, new, in the box, it comes with a rubber protector over the Pot that is a pain to get off.

Hmmm... Set-up?

Guitars:

Gibson Les Paul LE; Fender American Series Telecaster; PRS Custom 24 Brazilian LE; Rickenbacker 360 20/12; and Gibson Chet Atkins SST

Effects:

Guitar -> Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner -> Budda Bud-Wah -> Big Muff Pi -> MXR Phase 90 -> Dunlop Rotovibe -> Amp

Amps:

Marshall JCM-2000 DSL (w/1960A Cab); Marshall AVT-20; and Marshall AS-50R

I've been playing for 11 years and always try to buy quality instruments and accessories. The (Dunlop) MXR Phase 90 is no exception. It's very versatile and seems to add a little something to most of the music I play, but use it sparingly. I don't see why anyone would need to turn the dial completely, the effect starts to sound silly past the 1 o'clock position. I keep it at around 9 o'clock and its great for playing all kinds of alternative music, as well as some heavier blues and classic rock. Spend a few hours with it, and you'll begin to recognize it in a lot of your favorite music. I must say, however, when you've got the gain way-up and you're playing on a humbuckered guitar, the distortion becomes to sharp and it's easy to end on a bad note if you lose tempo. I understand that some people modify the effect by cutting loose a transitor to correct this issue. I won't bother, every effect has its limits. Besides, if you have the gain up that high, you might want to reconsider before adding another level of distortion to your sound. It sounds interesting with an acoustic as well--very liquid--but I don't go there.

Built solid!

Makes me think I should consider other MXR pedals.

Easy to use 1 knob !

Strat with EMG's + mid boost (Gilmore set)/ Teles - pedals - Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 Reissue (with Hot Plate). The amp set to 5 across the board......

A tip for new Phase 90 purchases...... Snip the R28 resistor, its true what the reviewers below are saying. Once this simple mod is completed you will hear the classic smooth, full sounding phase tone - think Gilmore / Police / Van Halen.....I cannot understand why Dunlop do not make them with this mod as standard. A fantastically fat dimensional tone that works great with my strat & Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue / Hot Plat combination....

MXR - solid

A wonderful phase tone - best I have heard (after R28 mod), better than my old Jap Boss PH1 phaser (which was pretty speacial !), my chain as follows:

Jeckyll & Hyde - Hot Cake Dist - Phase 90 - TU2 Tuner - Jap Boss BF2 Flanger - Boss DD20 delay (with ext tempo pedal) - 1965 Reissue Fender Deluxe Reverb / THD Hot Plate.

Cheers

MXR Phase 90 effect pedal:

1. very easy to use - only one knob to control speed

Phase 90 is very classic sounding phase effect, very similar to the small stone by electro harmonix. However, this doesn't sound like the phase from Ibanez that is very linear and up and down...the phase 90 sound a little more up and down and side to side

I'm using this with either my rock rig: 2 Fender twin reverbs , stereo, or with 2 roland cube 30's stereo

I use the phase 90 with alot of other modulation effects , plus a original TS-808 tubescreamer from Ibanez

Of course this is the effect on Van Halen 1 and 2...I don't really care for the effect with distortion, I prefer using the effect clean...this is the same effect as the mid 70's Nazereth tune "love hurts"

MXR , metal housing , nice solid switch

I've got a artist in residence with dunlop co. They have been very good to me and I'm grateful to have relationship with Dunlop/MXR

I'm contemplating get the R28 modification which was invented by Jayson Ocampo at Dunlop co.

Great classic effect, nice size, great reliability, I would replace this effect if stolen. MXR are some of the best effects on the market.

Everyone else has said it all, really. With just the one knob you can just let your ears be the guide as to how you want it to sound. Less definitely is more when it comes to the layout of this pedal because the design and the circuit is so good.

I play a Gordon Smith through a Fender Princeton 65. Effects vary as the mood takes me, but I normally have Boss CS3 then Danelectro Cool Cat Chorus and Danelectro Dan Echo. If I use a drive pedal it'd be a Marshall Bluesbreaker 2 or a Boss Hm 2. Most often I just end up leaving these at home and using the amp's overdrive. Now I've got the MXR I'm putting it after the compressor. It might take over from the Cool Cat, but think of the sounds I'd get with both on! It's already added so much more tonal variety and quality to my set up.
One of my favourite tones is the Jimmy Page phased sound (like Achilles' Last Stand). This pedal has that sound in it, but playing clean it's got some lovely funky sounds too. The pedal's also encouraging me to slow down more and to hold onto single notes and chords more. This definitely lets the pedal's tone just snake right out.
I've seen some manufacturers claim that their phaser pedals will get close to a Leslie sound. It's not too big a leap of the imagination with the Phase 90 to hear what they mean by that.

Haven't had it for long, but seems robust enough to me. Jim Dunlop's reputation is high anyway, and the design is superb.

I play all sorts of music. I'm happiest just acting the sideman, moving and pushing songs along. It's nice to take the lead once in while, though, and to really let rip. This really is a fantastic pedal which'll add a new dimension to rhythm parts and solos alike. I'd been thinking about getting a phaser for ages and there was only ever one choice. This thing hasn't got such a high reputation for nothing. If you're thinking of getting a phaser but think it's a bit of a luxury on the pedal board, try the Phase 90 for a while and then imagine living without it! It's not the chepest option but you really do get what you've paid for.

One knob. One switch.

First: Do the R28 Mod. Despite what others say, do the Mod. This gives you a much cleaner, non intrusive phase effect. Without the mod, there is a sharp edge or slight distortion to the sound. In other words, the box becomes a phase/distortion. If you need a phase distortion, use a separate distortion and let the phase just give you that vintage phase tone. The tone is a beautiful, full phase that does not take over your sound. The box is not noisy at all. Easy on batteries if you want to avoid the wall warts.

I'm primarily playing one of 2 setups:
American Strat > Ibanez WD7 Wah > Phase 90 > Digitech Bad Monkey > Amp

or

Strat > WD7 > Magicstomp > Amp

Amps are either Tech21 Trademark 60, Fender HotRod Deluxe, or 68Super Reverb.

I use a Digital Delay in the effects loop.

I have used it for years on the gig. No backup. Built very solid. However, I take good care of my stuff. If it goes out, I just don't phase until I hook up the MagicStomp at the next gig.

No idea.

This box does exactly what I need it to do and that is a full, beautiful sweeping phase. Do the mod. It's easy to do.

I have gigged regularly since seeing the Beatles live in 1966. Looked like a pretty good job to have. Playing rock, blues, classic rock, and jazz (solo and ensemble) ever since.

Response to Chris

The reason people are modding their reissue Phase 90 is due to the fact that the Reissue distorts your sound when we don't want it to. I buy a Phaser for a phasing effect, not for distortion. Try it. Set your amp to clean and play with and without the Phase 90. It boosts the mids and causes overdrive.

Chris

Sounds great for old-school phaser effects like Jimi would've used. You don't need anything fancy when it comes to a phaser - just a great sound, right? I play it through a tube amp and it breaks up nicely, makes me feel all crazy inside. Then I do bad things. Use it early in your effects chain for maximum satisfaction.

Made a little cheap. I don't know how you would break it, but I can tell the footswitch is directly connected to the circuit board like others have said. Don't let the nut unscrew from that baby!

For rock and roll this is just a must-have. Specifically I would like to comment on the modification that everyone makes on this pedal. Do not just cut the resistor, because you can just heat up the soldering point and pull the baby out, then resolder later when you realize that all these techies are full of shit and can't play guitar in the first place - and that's why they modded it. I did the mod out of curiosity and was not impressed by the difference. The reality is that when you play live (which most of the people on here don't do more than once a month) a lot of high-end is lost in the crowd and sound doesn't cut the same way. The harshness of the pedal cuts througb the crowd, and I know this because I have listened to recordings of my performances and can tell my sound sits fine in the mix. With the mod you have a weaker phaser (although not discernable to the drunk groupies that you should have by now), and I don't see why people are doing this other than the fact that it sounds more like the script logo pedal. Why do you think MXR would just add a resistor to their design, even though it was already popular? It wasn't to cut costs or ruin their reputation. It was to make the pedal sound better, you idiots! Stop messing with your pedals and learn to play better. 'Nuf said.

Give me a break--there's only one knob.

I use this effect mostly with a maple-neck vintage-style Fender Tele w/switch modifications to make it an Esquire (vintage single coil in bridge) and also use it with a 1940's Astatic microphone to play harp. The signal then goes into a '63RI Fender Vibroverb. Always a great sound--no matter what the speed setting. When set to a high speed (turn the knob up all the way and then back off about an eighth of an inch) you have a reasonable Leslie cabinet effect--with a lot less strain on the back and wallet! At those high speeds with some overdrive, it assumes an "airy" quality that really adds to the faux Leslie quality. At slower settings, you get a sweet atmospheric texture for rhythm playing. Only noisy when too much overdrive or distortion is cranked at the same time.

I've never had any problem with this unit. I bought it used for $25 at a pawn shop in 1996 (it is a late 70's/early 80's block logo unit without an indicator LED) and it had the original box and user's manual! I always use it without a backup.

Never dealt with the company on this unit, but I've had to contact them for other effects pedals (Jim Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Classic Fuzz and Original Crybaby) and they were good.

I play Texas Roadhouse music (combine blues/rock/outlaw country in varying amounts) and this unit is great for everything. I use the high-speed Leslie feature for blues and slow the sweep down for a Waylon Jennings-style phase ("Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?") sound. If I had to replace this unit, another Phase 90 would be the only one I would consider-period.

very easy to use because there are only 2 buttons!

Excellent. Great if you have a guitar w/ a single coil pickup. Don't use humbuckers though. You can nail the Gilmore parts on "breathe" and anything else you want. This pedal couldn't sound any better in my opinion. I'v got a marshall jcm 2000 tsl head and a 1960 av cab, a '57 reissue, a '62 reissue strat, a gobson '67 Flying V Reissue, and a Martin D28

I bought this pedal 3 years ago brand new from Musicians Friend (2001), it NEVER left the house and after 3 years it broke! Only 3 years! I took great care of it just like all my effects. What a POS! They really don't make things like they used to.

i'm getting this pedal fixed locally