MXR Phase 90 or BOSS PH-3?

[bobulibobium]

i havent tried either, but ive been searching around that price range and those two seem to be the best for my buck.

from what i hear, BOSS has much more variety, but the MXR has a much better sound.

i've heard little to nothing about the small stone, whats its story?

what do you guys reckon? anyone have any sample clips of these being played with a bass?

it would be real awesome if you compared the qualities of the two, rather than telling me which you prefer. ie: sound quality, reliability, variety, etc.

[JimmyM]

I'd take a Phase 90 any day of the week.

[bobulibobium]

any reason to support that? any sound clips?

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by bobulibobium

any reason to support that? any sound clips?

No clips, but I've heard them both and I like the Phase 90 better. Actually, I like the Small Stone better, but the Phase 90's a close second.

[250GBsOfAwesome]

The script phase 90 is amazing, it's leagues above all other phasers I've heard.

[bobulibobium]

id prefer a comparision of the two, rather than a recommendation of which to buy. pros and cons would be awesome.

from what ive heard the BOSS has much more variety but the MXR has has just one knob, how can that give me such an awesome tone?

sound clips, or links to clips would be really awesome

[K-T]

i like the PH-3 better than the phase 90. with the PH-3 you just get a lot more control over your sound, and you can tap tempo, and even use an expression pedal with it to control the sweep, rate, and filter. and it sounds better IMO. plus it looks great too! i have heard the phase 90 on both guitar and bass, it sound very similar to the small stone though, although i do like the small stone better than the phase 90. im going to be buying a PH-3 sometime soon.









EDIT:here is a sound clip from boss's website: http://media.rolandus.com/uploads/CM...nedemobass.mp3

[Vic Winters]

I own the PH-3, and I've used an expression pedal with it. Unless I missed something, it only controls the rate.

[JanusZarate]

Originally Posted by bobulibobium

from what ive heard the BOSS has much more variety but the MXR has has just one knob, how can that give me such an awesome tone?

You have much to learn, young grasshopper.

If you spend enough time in this forum, you'll learn that knobs do not equal tone.

You could have a dozen controls on a pedal, and it STILL may not sound as good as a pedal with one or two knobs. There are two reasons for this:

A) The simpler pedal is easier to use. Even if the more complicated pedal can sound better, you need to learn and master those controls to get what you're looking for.

B) The simpler pedal may simply have the sound you're looking for, and the more complicated pedal may not. Phasers, like other pedals, are not the "same" across the board.

An example: One of my favorite chorus pedals is the EHX Small Clone. It has only a Depth switch and a Rate knob, but it sounds very good - better than the four-knob Boss chorus pedals I've used. Of course, it has to do with my preference for a chorus sound, but my general point still stands.

The advantage of more knobs is to sound different - not necessarily "good." But if you like to experiment with new and possibly unusual sounds, more knobs is always a plus.

[Jared Lash]

Here's my basic comparison between the two:

MXR - Classic, "watery" sounding phaser. It is a no-muss, no fuss good sounding phaser. Yes, it has one knob, but that's hardly a drawback. Honestly, for bass there are only two that I've ever used where a depth knob was needed. On bass it stays cranked. I've said it before, but I still have a Pigtronix EP-1 and for what amounts to a four knob phaser, the only one I ever seem to adjust much is rate. Simple, inexpensive and it sounds good. Hard to complain.

Boss - Incredibly versatile and great for experimental stuff. The actual phase tone has a very "plastic" or overly digital sound to it. It covers your natural tone to an extent. It also cuts lows significantly. I ran mine in the loop of a blender for that reason.

Personally I agree with Jimmy that at that price point I like the Nano Small Stone more than both of them. A darker, richer phase tone on bass IMO.

[TOOL460002]

i had a ph-3 that i got rid of because i think it sounds like garbage on a bass. sounds fine on guitar.

[KromaatiKlauun]

I use a Phase-90 because it's foolproof (only 1 knob!!!), and I'm a big fool

[bass-shy]

I owned both for a while and liked the PH-3 better. IMO, it is one of the best sounding phasers out there........especially without getting into the boutique market. I didn't have any issues with volume or clipping like I did with the Phase 90 and it was really versatile. The Phase 90 is great if you want a "natural sounding" phaser and the PH-3 is more "in your face". The Nano Small Stone sounds great for the price, too.

[danomite64]

Phase 90 or Small Stone for me. I had a Boss PH-1r or PH-2 once, and didn't like it at all.

[selfblessed]

Phase 90

[bobulibobium]

hey thanks, id like to know more about that small stone you guys are raving about

[RCCollins]

Only the pahse 90 is available with a van halen frankenstrat paint job so I think it's the coolest.

also, I know you didn't ask, but if you like lots of control knobs and a phaser that sounds great on bass, see if you can find an ehx Stereo Polyphase at a good price. The sound is somewhere between a Small Stone and a Phase 90, and the seperate start and stop controls for the sweep allow you to "sculpt" your own phase sound with A LOT of variety.

[bobulibobium]

hmmm, i must try before i buy

[bobulibobium]

does anyone have sample clips?

[Thunderscreech]

Check the talkbass Wiki, Effects Clip database.


I'll even post a link for you