This is my Orange phaser pedal review.
Orange recently re-released its Distorion, Sustain and Phaser. They are originals from the 1970s, in a modern twist just like that. Let’s take a closer look at the retro cool phaser pedal!
Overview
You probably know Orange mostly from their orange amps. You might also remember their modern effect pedals, such as the Fur Coat and the Two Stroke. But did you know that Orange also marketed Distortion, Phaser and Sustain pedals in the 1970s? Because they were produced in small quantities, it is now difficult to find those originals. Following photos of these pedals on social media, Orange was asked if the company could remanufacture these effect pedals.
The pedals were so rare that Orange only had the original drawings left, nothing more. So Orange asked for help from the guitar-loving public on the Internet. They shared their experiences with the original effects with Orange designer Ade Emsley. It led to the reissue of the pedals, with the same names, colors and typography of the time.
But note that these pedals are upgrades to the vintage examples, they have the same functions but feature modern components such as LEDs and the ability to be powered via a 9-volt power supply. So don’t let their appearance fool you into thinking you’re dealing with reissues.
The UK-made pedals are very solid. The footswitches are attached directly to the chassis and not to the circuit board. This allows them to be easily replaced in the future, should the need arise.
Orange Phaser Guitar Pedal
- Price indication: $ 250
- Type: New edition of the vintage ’70s Orange ‘Phazer’ pedal
- Power: 9 V DC power supply
- Size (W*H*D): 187 mm x 112 mm x 141 mm
- Weight: 0.4 kg
- Circuit: Very close to the original circuitry
- Controls: Speed
- Other: True bypass
For
- Simple and user-friendly 1-knob design
- Low noise due to JFET input buffer, liquid modulations are more complex and elastic.
Against
- Some guitarists may find the pedal a bit too large.
Check price:
Who needs more than one knob when your sound is perfect by itself? Nice and simple anyway, that speed knob. It is reminiscent of the classic Phase 90 by MXR.
The phaser consists of four stages. Orange has set them up perfectly. The sound immediately takes you back to the 70s, this is vintage at its best! The pedal is quiet and has a wide range. When you turn the knob up, you go from subtle to Leslie-like. It just does what an authentic ’70s should do. That actually makes it unnecessary to look any further.
Verdict
A single glance at the gadget will take you back 50 years thanks to its similar form shape, minimalist artwork, tank-strength aluminum chassis, block color scheme, and art nouveau typeface. When you press the footswitch, the time travel will be finished with the cleanest pedal contact you’ve ever experienced. This is the Orange Phaser, after all, and it only really has one use.
The simple controls for the Phaser Pedal are fine. These are pedals with the looks of the originals, equipped with the modern features of our time. A large group of guitarists will be very charmed by the retro look. But perhaps the box is a little too big for some, now that we have become desirable to the small units of today. That’s mostly a matter of personal taste and preference. Let’s welcome these almost forgotten pedals from the 70s into the modern era!
You may also like to check out my reviews of the other pedals in this series:
