New Pedal Day (NPD) - MXR Phase 90

[MrAB4003]

Today is a special day for me because it's new pedal day! I ordered an MXR Phase 90 (regular block version) from Sweetwater! I just tested it out for a half hour with my other 2 Aguilar pedals and I'm impressed! My new Phase 90 is only my third ever pedal and my first from MXR.

Initially I wanted to get the Aguilar Grape Phaser. But since Korg bought Aguilar, they changed their pedal lineup and I don't like the V2 Aguilar pedals. The V1s were discontinued years ago and they're getting harder to find. So I tried the Phase 90 at Guitar Center a few different times because that's was the only phaser there. After playing it and loving it, I decided to order one for myself.

In my initial test, I found that the Phase 90 responds best to roundwound strings, mids and treble, and lots of distortion. I understand why some stoner/doom metal bassists (e.g. Al Cisneros) love a good phaser. I'm excited to try it out with my new piccolo bass, but it's not supposed to come until June because it's on back order. I ordered the Phase 90 and the piccolo bass in the same order.

 

[eddybuzzard]

Today is a special day for me because it's new pedal day! I ordered an MXR Phase 90 (regular block version) from Sweetwater! I just tested it out for a half hour with my other 2 Aguilar pedals and I'm impressed! My new Phase 90 is only my third ever pedal and my first from MXR.

Initially I wanted to get the Aguilar Grape Phaser. But since Korg bought Aguilar, they changed their pedal lineup and I don't like the V2 Aguilar pedals. The V1s were discontinued years ago and they're getting harder to find. So I tried the Phase 90 at Guitar Center a few different times because that's was the only phaser there. After playing it and loving it, I decided to order one for myself.

In my initial test, I found that the Phase 90 responds best to roundwound strings, mids and treble, and lots of distortion. I understand why some stoner/doom metal bassists (e.g. Al Cisneros) love a good phaser. I'm excited to try it out with my new piccolo bass, but it's not supposed to come until June because it's on back order. I ordered the Phase 90 and the piccolo bass in the same order.

Congrats!
I got one in 1980, just sold it last year.
May yours serve you well

 

[henryjurstin13]

Congrats, I've been using my EVH Phase 90 for the last 20 +/- years... Loads & loads of phasers out there, but I'm not sure any are actually better (maybe the Empress).

 

[bass-shy]

Congrats! The Phase 90 is a classic and for good reason.

 

[mgmadian]

Very cool trio! Hits the top three types of bass pedals IMO besides a tuner, and great versions of each.
Q: aside from the different graphics, are the V2 Aguilar pedals different from V1s (esp for the Grape Phaser)? Was never sure about this, curious about your experience with both

 

[MrAB4003]

Very cool trio! Hits the top three types of bass pedals IMO besides a tuner, and great versions of each.
Q: aside from the different graphics, are the V2 Aguilar pedals different from V1s (esp for the Grape Phaser)? Was never sure about this, curious about your experience with both

Thank you so much! They’re all I own.

The V1s are analog and can be used with a 9V battery. The V2s are digital and there’s no battery. Sorry for the delayed response. I’ve been forgetting to check my own thread here!

 

[MrAB4003]

Congrats, I've been using my EVH Phase 90 for the last 20 +/- years... Loads & loads of phasers out there, but I'm not sure any are actually better (maybe the Empress).

Congrats! The Phase 90 is a classic and for good reason.

Thank you so much! My second choice was the Aguilar Grape Phaser. But they no longer make the V1 (better IMHO) version of them. So I thought I’d try the Phase 90 because it’s such a classic.

 

[MrAB4003]

Congrats!
I got one in 1980, just sold it last year.
May yours serve you well

View attachment 7194123

Thank you so much! What made you sell yours after all those years?

 

[eddybuzzard]

I get in these decluttering trips, and it's number was up
Plus, I've kinda grown weary of all modulation effects*, for some unknown reason.

I had bought and sold about a hundred pedals during the time I had it, but everything must pass.
When I was young, and it was close to new, somebody tripped on my pedalboard at a kegger party, and dounced it with beer,
and after that, it was making very strange noises, for a couple months.
I had a roasted Big Muff, (tried it with a 12V adapter, once... POOF!), so on a whim, I transplanted it's footswitch to the Phase 90,
(they were the exact same switch), and suddenly, the Phase 90 was like new again!

That Phase 90 era (mine was '79) had waterslide decals on them, because their demand was just kicking in.
I taped it to my pedal board when I first got it, and the first time I had to replace the battery,
the dang tape stripped it clean, naked as an orange jay, LOL!
It was actually bare naked it's whole life.

Originally, I got it because Edward had one, and I also had an MXR Flanger (Edward again),
but they're both with someone else now, and the world keeps turning



*Except for the Digitech Luxe

 

[mgmadian]

Thank you so much! They’re all I own.

The V1s are analog and can be used with a 9V battery. The V2s are digital and there’s no battery. Sorry for the delayed response. I’ve been forgetting to check my own thread here!

No worries! Hmmm... just caught another TB post on this topic from earlier this year, which seems to indicate the V2s are also analog, consistent with their low power draw (6mA). That said my Octanizer is V1 and I'll prob look for a V1 Grape to complement it

 

[MrAB4003]

No worries! Hmmm... just caught another TB post on this topic from earlier this year, which seems to indicate the V2s are also analog, consistent with their low power draw (6mA). That said my Octanizer is V1 and I'll prob look for a V1 Grape to complement it

I had a V2 Filter Twin that I ended up returning because I couldn’t use it with a battery. The build quality was great, but it wasn’t as great as my V1 pedals. There was only a motherboard on the inside of the V2 Filter Twin, which made me believe it was digital. But I can be wrong.