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Hatsubai « The newer revision »
Published on 10/15/11 at 13:48The Phase 90 is easily one of the most popular phasers to ever hit the market. It does one effect, and it does it in spades. There are two main versions of this pedal -- the script and the block. The block is the second revision, and the tone is slightly different than the script. This has caused tons of uproar with certain vintage collectors, and the prices reflect that as well. The pedal doesn't have much going on, to be honest. You have one knob -- a rate knob. There is a simple on/off button, and that's about it.
UTILIZATION
The pedal itself is built like a tank, and these things can survive pretty much anything you can think of. There are pretty much only two problems that might occur. One, the pot may need to be replaced. This is no big deal, and pots have a finite life span. It's just normal maintenance. The other is that the switch might need to be replaced. Again, normal maintenance once you start using a pedal for 20+ years. The housing itself seems to be able to withstand anything you can throw at it, and even the jacks last a long time. Ease of use is stupid easy, and it's impossible to not know how to use this pedal. You simply turn the knob until you get whatever tone you want.
SOUND QUALITY
The sound is where this unit falls in comparison to the original script model. First, let's talk about overall usage. The Phase 90 is great for all kinds of crazy phasey kinds of sounds. You can get a very slow and subtle phase going on with the knob turned all the way off. I believe EVH ran it this way when he'd do leads, but I could be wrong. If you start turning it up, you can get some really cool, warbly effects going on. This is great for clean tones and gain tones alike. When it's maxed, it's a bit too much for me, but some people might like it. Now, the main difference between this and the script? WIthout getting into the electronics aspect of it, the main difference is this is a bit sharper and a little thinner overall. It's not quite as organic sounding, and it seems to be a bit harsher on the top end.
OVERALL OPINION
The pedals do get a bit of a bad rap compared to the script models, but they're still solid phasers. Are the script phasers worth the price they go for used? Considering it's not that versatile, I'd say no. My favorite is actually the custom shop Phase 90 model, but that's just me. It needs to be modded for adapters, and an LED + TB would be nice, but it's not a huge deal. You can get these block logos a lot cheaper on the used market, and it might be worth checking out if you're not a phaser freak.
UTILIZATION
The pedal itself is built like a tank, and these things can survive pretty much anything you can think of. There are pretty much only two problems that might occur. One, the pot may need to be replaced. This is no big deal, and pots have a finite life span. It's just normal maintenance. The other is that the switch might need to be replaced. Again, normal maintenance once you start using a pedal for 20+ years. The housing itself seems to be able to withstand anything you can throw at it, and even the jacks last a long time. Ease of use is stupid easy, and it's impossible to not know how to use this pedal. You simply turn the knob until you get whatever tone you want.
SOUND QUALITY
The sound is where this unit falls in comparison to the original script model. First, let's talk about overall usage. The Phase 90 is great for all kinds of crazy phasey kinds of sounds. You can get a very slow and subtle phase going on with the knob turned all the way off. I believe EVH ran it this way when he'd do leads, but I could be wrong. If you start turning it up, you can get some really cool, warbly effects going on. This is great for clean tones and gain tones alike. When it's maxed, it's a bit too much for me, but some people might like it. Now, the main difference between this and the script? WIthout getting into the electronics aspect of it, the main difference is this is a bit sharper and a little thinner overall. It's not quite as organic sounding, and it seems to be a bit harsher on the top end.
OVERALL OPINION
The pedals do get a bit of a bad rap compared to the script models, but they're still solid phasers. Are the script phasers worth the price they go for used? Considering it's not that versatile, I'd say no. My favorite is actually the custom shop Phase 90 model, but that's just me. It needs to be modded for adapters, and an LED + TB would be nice, but it's not a huge deal. You can get these block logos a lot cheaper on the used market, and it might be worth checking out if you're not a phaser freak.