In this article, we’re going to be discussing the 6 best phaser pedals that you can purchase in 2023.
For most of today’s guitarists, phaser is a highly important effect, so it’s no wonder that the number of these pedals on the market is huge. Therefore, we’ve picked some of the best units you can find on the market these days, to make your choice easier.
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What Is A Phaser Pedal?
A phaser is definitely one of the most essential modulation effects around. It appeared decades ago and still is an integral part of most pedalboards. The fact is that, even if you don’t know what phaser actually is, you’ve probably heard it so many times.
I will skip the physics of sounds and all that theory stuff and stick to the practice. A good way to describe this effect is to say that it gives you the impression that the sound is constantly moving away and coming back to you. Many experts like to describe a phaser as a swirling effect that sounds like you are rotating the speaker around the listener .
One of its main characteristics is that it makes natural sounds “synthesized”, or robotic if you want. After all, a phaser was used to create the voice of C-3PO, the legendary droid from Star Wars. In music, this effect is used not only for guitars but for many other instruments as well. In the world of guitars, it has been around for decades and among legendary names that used and still use this effect, you can find guitar icons like Hendrix, David Gilmour, Eddie Van Halen and many others.
Best Phaser Pedals
Boss PH-3 Phase Shifter
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The Boss PH-3 is an excellent choice for those who are looking for a versatile phaser pedal. Despite it comes in a typical Boss housing, which is quite compact, this unit packs a lot of things into it. You may count on some kind of synthesis of vintage and modern. With this pedal, you can do pretty much anything, when it comes to phaser-related tones.
This pedal delivers a pretty organic sound, which is miles ahead of most pedals of this type, which tend to be as versatile as possible but which sound generic. However, it’s not exactly a boutique pedal, so don’t expect hi-end warmth either. Simply, this pedal is somewhere in the middle, something that older generations like to call “golden standard”. The sound is good enough for most of us and the pedal’s strongest point is actually a large amount of these decent-sounding tones. From a vintage side, there are typical selectable stages, while additional Fall and Rise modes are where this pedal becomes pretty modern. All modes sound equally good.
If you’re familiar with Boss pedals, you will find a typical pedal design, with a recognizable housing design and just four knobs, which makes this unit pretty simple and easy to use. The rest of the knobs are reserved for Rate, Depth and Resonance, which are pretty typical controls for a phaser pedal. Another thing we really love about this pedal is a tap tempo function, which allows you to easily match the tempo of the song you’re playing. Moreover, you can also couple this unit with an expression pedal and get a real-time control. Definitely, one of the most versatile phaser pedals around.
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
Beginners will find it easy to use, professionals will appreciate its versatility.  This is a great all-around pedal that is strong in all fields. Some players will like its wide range of tones, others will love the ability to use Tap Tempo function or to combine it with an expression pedal. You can’t go wrong with this one.
MXR Phase 90
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Despite this pedal has been around for decades, it is still one of the most popular phaser pedals on the market. The main reason probably lays in the fact that a big number of guitar players still prefer simplicity and easiness of use over versatility. With just one knob, everyone can get great phaser tones from this unit. The thing we particularly like about this pedal is that, despite it is produced by Dunlop these days, it keeps the MXR’s original design. Therefore, you will find just one, Speed knob, which allows you to dial the desired phase speed. The speed goes from very subtle to very fast. It’s not wrong if we say that this wide speed range is actually the thing that makes other knobs completely unnecessary.
At the end of the day, it’s all about the sound quality, and this is where the MXR Phase 90 really shines. It delivers genuine vintage phaser tones, while the sound of the pedal is very organic and full of dynamics. That is something that only an analog stompbox can deliver. This pedal may lack functionality by modern standards but on the other side, it has such a big character you won’t find in most modern, “versatile” phaser pedals.
That character is the main reason for the pedal’s popularity, along with the pretty attractive price. The pedal is affordable. It sounds great, it’s easy to use and it’s solid as a rock. That’s everything one pedal needs to be called an amazing unit. The pedal runs on batteries, while the optional adapter is sold separately.
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
Anyone who is looking for an authentic vintage phaser pedal. Also a great choice for beginners, due to a pretty affordable price. It’s not the most versatile pedal around, but the sound quality is impressive.
Walrus Audio Lilian
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While the aforementioned pedals have been around for a very long time, the Walrus Audio Lilian is a new kid on the block. However, it has already established itself as one of the best phaser pedals around. The reason probably lays in the fact that this pedal is both great sounding and versatile. This is a fully analog pedal, which delivers pretty impressive sound quality, full of character.
Besides the gorgeous design, the first thing you will notice that there is a pretty big number of knobs and switches. The upper column consists of pretty typical knobs like Rate, Width and Feedback. More interesting things can be found in the second row. On the left side, there is a small switch that allows you to choose between 4- and 6-stage phasing. On the right, you will find a D-P-V knob, which lets you select either Dry, Phase or Vibrato modes, and that’s the most important knob of the pedal in terms of versatility, which can completely change the character of the sound.
The Walrus Audio Lilian is an excellent choice for those who are looking for a pedal that can cover pretty much anything in terms of phasing, from warm vintage tones to modern filtered sound. Moreover, this pedal does it in such an impressive way. Besides numerous modes and amazing sound quality, the pedal also features a true relay-based bypass, which is another convenient feature. The price may look a little bit high but it’s definitely worth it.
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
An excellent choice for professionals or anyone who wants a hi-end phaser pedal. Spectacular sound quality comes in a combination with the impressive number of controls and features. Practically, this pedal covers pretty much everything that has something to do with a phaser effect and it does it in a fantastic way.
Fender Lost Highway Phaser
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The household manufacturer is relatively new in the world of pedals, but it already came with numerous interesting products, including this one. The Fender Lost Highway Phaser is a perfect stage unit, which offers an impressive level of functionality and versatility, something you will hardly get from any other phaser pedal on the market.
The first thing that should be mentioned is that this analog pedal features an original circuit. The sound quality is very good and seems a little bit overshadowed, considering that everybody is talking about the pedal’s impressive functionality.
Speaking of the functionality, the first thing you’ll notice that there are two foot switches. Besides a typical bypass switch, there is also Slow/Fast footswitch, which allows you to change between phasing speeds without touching a knob. Another great convenience that each of them comes with independent Rate and Depth knobs.
Furthermore, there are two toggle switches. With one of them, you can easily choose between 4- and 8-stage phasing, depending on how much resonance you want. The other one lets you switch between a triangle and sine waveforms. There are also Blend, Feedback and Sens knobs. The last one is particularly interesting, as it increases the dynamics of your playing. Simply said, the harder you pick, the more phasing rate you get.
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
The Lost Highway Phaser is an excellent choice for a guitar player who looks for on-stage functionality and appreciates quick switching between completely different phaser tones. The level of convenience this pedal brings is something you will hardly find on other places.
TC Electronic Helix Phaser
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When analog meets digital, you get TC Electronic Helix. This is definitely one of the most versatile pedals around and the thing that makes it special is that everything is so simple and easy to use. Just four knobs and a couple of switches are enough to control the enormous amount of phaser tones you get from this pedal. The sound quality is pretty good and the pedal definitely doesn’t sound generic, which is the case with most digital units. This one is on par with many analog phaser pedals.
The TC Electronic Helix is a digital compilation of various phaser sounds. With a small toggle switch, you can easily choose between warm old-school tones and a modern, well-rounded sound that is perfect for lead tones. Four knobs (Speed, Feedback, Mix and Depth) allow you all kinds of extremeness, whether we are talking about speed, character or any other aspect of this modulation effect.
The TC Electronic Helix also features a so-called TonePrint model, where you can connect the pedal with your Mac or PC Windows device and load all kinds of custom artist presets. This is a great way to get instant tones if you don’t want to spend too much time on tweaking.
Besides a huge tone library, this pedal is also pretty functional for live performances, as if offers mono and stereo inputs and outputs, as well as a true bypass. Moreover, there is an internal switch that lets you choose between true or buffered bypass.
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
If you’re looking for your first phaser pedal, this could be a great choice, due to the impressive range of tonal characteristics and available custom artists patches. More experienced players will like the balance between the price and the amount of tones they get in return.
Electro Harmonix Small Stone
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The Small Stone is a quintessential phaser pedal, which has been around for decades. The first thing you’ll notice about it is its minimalistic design. There are just one switch and one knob but that doesn’t mean that the Electro Harmonix Small Stone is not a versatile pedal. Moreover, decades of use have proved that this pedal can work for literally any music genre – from blues and country, through classic rock, to industrial and metal guitar sounds.
One one side, there is a pretty simple layout. The pedal is compact and comes with just one, Rate knob. It lets you dial the speed of phasing swept and the range this pedal offers is really impressive. On the left, there is a small three-position switch. The upper position is great if you want to get that hollow sound, with loads of harmonic and impressive shifting effect. On the other side, if you switch to the down, you may count on a frequency that delivers rich sound, perfect for lead tones. Finally, the middle position is somewhere between two worlds and this is where the Rate knob really shines, especially if you prefer some slower phasing speeds.
The small size and lack of controls don’t affect the pedal’s functionality at all. On the other side, such a design makes the pedal extremely easy to use. You won’t find too many pedals on the market that are characterized by such instant delivery of great tones. The pedal is compact and would fit any pedalboard. Add to this a bypass switch and you get a perfect piece of gear for live performances.
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
Everyone. This is a quintessential vintage pedal, which is affordable, easy to use and pretty versatile. No matter the music style you play, this pedal does the job in a fantastic way, while its legacy makes you wonder why the price is so attractive.
Our Number One Choice
When it comes to the balance between price and quality, this would be our pick. Of course, several pedals on the list sound better, but if we consider the price and what we get in the whole package, the Boss PH-3 Phase Shifter is an obvious winner. The sound quality is more than decent, while the range of phaser tones is impressive. Like any other Boss pedal, this unit is very easy to use, while the housing is solid as a rock and will last for ages.Â
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In our humble opinion, this is the best phaser pedal around, which will impress every professional. Therefore, if you’re not on a tight budget, this should be your choice. The Walrus Audio Lilian sounds as it looks – gorgeous. Besides impressive sound quality, it also offers an impressive range of tones and impressive functionality. Also, there are some new, very interesting controls, never seen on a phaser pedal before. Without any doubt, this is our premium choice!
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Best Value For Money
As we already mentioned, the Electro Harmonic Small Stone has so many strong points. We are talking about the legendary pedal, which has been used by so many famous guitarists of different styles and genres. No matter if you play Hendrix or modern metal genres, or you’re more about clean blues and country tones, this pedal will do an excellent job. On one side, you get an impressive range of tones. On the other, controls are super simple. That’s why this is such a great pedal.
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That concludes this full buyers guide on the best synth pedals for guitarists. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions regarding the products you have seen in this article. Check out our other buyers guide for reverb pedals and overdrive pedals. Here at Guitar Effects Pedalz we also provide full reviews of the best online guitar services so you can learn guitar online
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Last update on 2023-01-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
