Phaser Pedals
Modulation effects make your guitar parts sound far more intriguing. Phaser pedals are a part of this family, and can really help to expand your sonic palette with chewy, spiralling & warped swirls!
Phaser Pedals
The sound of a phaser pedal is instantly-recognisable. It’s an effect synonymous with psychedelia, with a shimmering and spacey vibe that bubbles on the surface of your tone! Popularised by the likes of Eddie Van Halen and David Gilmour in the ‘70s and ‘80s, there were also plenty of ‘90s alternative rock bands that made use of phaser pedals and their trippy, spinning sounds.
A phaser works by splitting your guitar signal into two, with one being sent through an all-pass filter. This filtered signal is then manipulated via an LFO and mixed with the dry unaffected signal. Phaser pedals are therefore not too dissimilar from chorus or flanger pedals in terms of how they work and how their sound is attained. If you want to find out more about phaser pedals and what they sound like compared to their counterparts in the modulation family, check out our Ultimate Guide to Phaser Pedals!
MXR’s original Phase 90 pedal is arguably the most renowned phaser stompbox out there, first introduced in 1974. However, plenty of alternative brands have formulated their own crazy concoctions! Tone City, Landlord FX and TC Electronic make fantastic affordable phaser pedals, while the likes of KMA Audio Machines, EarthQuaker Devices and Walrus Audio build premium phasers featuring more ‘stages’ and versatile tone-tweaking controls.
