MXR® Script Phase 90 - LED

Classic sound, just what I expected

I prefer this "Script" version of the MXR Phase 90 over the many other versions.It is more subtle than the standard block letter MXR Phase 90. The hand wired "Script" version would have been my preferred version, except it does not come with the 9 vdc power connector. It will only operate with a 9 vdc battery. And it does not have a power LED. I didn't want the only pedal on my board to not run on my power supplies, so I went with "non handwired" Script version.I know it only has one knob, but honestly, that's all it does need.Sounds great. And if you pair it with a chorus pedal, you get pretty close to a UniVibe sound.The pedal is built well. Sounds good, and very inexpensive.

I have owned the 70s reissue script series (handwired) and this one gives you the LED and external power the Script Original lacks. A big minus is that fact it is a EVH MXR phasor board switched to be in classic mode (no switch on mine). And it is surface mount components on the PCB. So its NOT a 70s reissue handwired pedal with power & LED.But...What it is: a nice vintage sounding working musician pedal for someone who wants the sound of the classic script MXR phase and needs the LED and external power. This is more of a working musicians version of what a corksniffer might collect for postarity rather than being a working tool.I have owned the 70s RI script, and this one is the more practical version of the SAME sound. I deduct lots of mojo points from it for being a rebranded EVH pedal with surface mount components on its PCB, but it more than makes up for it when it is sitting on my live rig pedalboard playing live and sounding great and allowing me to see if it is on or off (and not having to bring a brick of 9 volt batteries with me).The Phase 90 purists may not like it, but the working musician who wants the script sound (and not the sterile block MXR logo phase 90 sound), then this pedal is for you. Its not likely to ever be an heirloom, but is a great working tool.Sound: creamy phase 90, not harsh like the block letter MXR phase 90s. Subtle enough that it is not annoying, but definitly cuts thru a band mix. This does NOT sound anything like a block letter Phase 90! It sounds nearly identical to the Script RI.You might consider buying a EVH MXR pedal and using the switch to go from modern to classic mode. Then you got two of them for the price of one. You can sound like the sterile block letter and dreamy script at the flip of a button.

I've played the guitar close to 40 years now. In that time I've used a variety of pedals & accessories. I remember using the MXR Distortion plus in the late 80's. I still have a Cry Baby Wah Wah I use in my set up. I'm no stranger to MXR products; never had any issues with their products. After taking a break from electric guitars for a while I've found myself getting back into it over the last several months. I play mostly classic rock these days, mainly using backing tracks for my "band". A little background on myself & what I do musically: I play gigs with my guitar students regularly; gives them a chance to be rock stars at times LOL & apply what they have learned. My current rig consists of a Marshall 150 AVTH head & 4X12 cabinet (at smaller gigs I run the Marshall head straight through the PA system). My electric guitars I use are a 1956 Buddy Holly reissue Fender Stratocaster & a 2007 Epiphone Les Paul (antique white circa Randy Rhoads). I also have a 1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom; but I rarely play it on gigs. It is far too valuable & weighs a ton! As I get older I appreciate the lighter guitars more & more LOL. I have a Dimarzzio Super distortion in the bridge of the Epiphone; that guitar suits my needs perfectly for the really rocking stuff we play (Van Halen, pat Benetar, etc.). the Strat serves me well on the other side of the coin (Blondie, Steve Miller, etc.). For what it's worth I probably use the Stratocaster about 70% of the time. the Les Paul is nice; but does not have the tone variations like the Stratocaster. My pedal board is quite simple really: a Boss TU2 tuner, a Cry Baby wah, Boss C-2 compressor & a Marshall Super Vibe chorus. I get a very good sound & tone with my set up; but something was missing. Well, the MXR Phaser was that something. I run it last in my pedal chain; I use it very little with my Les Paul but mainly use it to enhance guitar solos for my Stratocaster. I set the knob at about 11:00 & kick it in when taking a solo. I rarely use it for an entire song ("Heart of Glass" by Blondie & Ain't Talkin' bout Love by Van Halen being exceptions). I've always found phasers to be annoying after a while; I remember "Bark at the moon" & how that entire guitar tone was phaser oriented. After a song or 2 it got on my nerves. I simply didn't care for it in excess. Even Van Halen pushed it to the edge on excess in my opinion. personally I've found this little gadget to be quite handy on solos etc. to enhance the mood. A perfect example of my using this is during the sax solo for billy Joel's "It's still Rock & roll to me". I simply turn on the phase when I begin the solo & take it off afterwards. The sound during the solo is very sweet & catches one's attention; but it is not overbearing. It enhances the solo perfectly. I also found using it during slide guitar solos to be very intriguing. Once again it enhances the solo just the right amount. I love the LED (since I don't use it every song) & I also like the power input. However; I do feel the plug in for the power adapter to be very impractically positioned at the side of the unit. On top of the unit (12:00) like the Boss & Marshall pedals would have been much better & easier to work with. I believe the unit to be well constructed & do not foresee many issues with it in that regard. The tone is very nice & there is a variety of sounds available with tweaking. I can get the old Pink Floyd (have a cigar) & Van Halen types of sounds if that is what I'm after. I deducted 1 star for the poor placement of the adapter input; but in reality it should be 1/2 star. (if it were possible). I give this unit 4-1/2 stars.

This is the fabled MXR Phase 90 Script, but with a few modern features, an LED, true bypass and a/c adapter outlet. It goes from subtle phase at anything below 10 o'clock to swirling when over 1 o'clock. It looks good and sounds good. And for the price it is a good buy. The great thing about this Phaser is that it does not distort your signal, which is something I like about it. It blends well with your signal. I usually run it before distortions and overdrives which works out well for me.

After doing much research, I settled on the MXR Script Phase 90 (versus the Block Logo Phase 90 or Vintage Phase 90). I wanted this effect specifically for the bass part on Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold". Well, let me just say that this little box nailed it! The quality of the resulting effect is excellent; there is little to no added noise, and the tone and timbre of each note is preserved.I am very impressed with the device's construction. Out of the box w/o a battery, it has significant weight for its small size. The paint job is flawless, and the silk-screened lettering is crisp and without nicks. The control knob has that solid feel to it with just the right amount of tactile resistance, and the foot switch reacts better than expected. Finally, I find that I appreciate the convenience of having an LED indicator more than I thought I would.Pro piece of gear and pro results: well worth the price!