In the world of guitar pedals, BOSS is very well known. This is for good reason, since they make a huge variety of very high-quality pedals.
If you go to pretty much any guitar supply store, they usually have a line-up of pedals for testing your gear out, and there really is nothing better than a line-up of BOSS pedals to find the perfect tone to match your guitar. Here we review the BOSS PH-3 Phase Shifter.
BOSS PH-3 Phase Shifter – The Basics
At first glance the BOSS PH-3 looks very, very plain. This is unfortunate and awesome at the same time, since I’ve always been a fan of incognito products. The bad side is, these pedals don’t really make any statement, besides “I like mint.” Yes, mint green. After you get past the plain looks, you really should dive straight into the versatility of this pedal.
There are four main knobs on the top of the pedal, and each has its own distinct job, and each can make a huge difference in your sound. There are the normal knobs like Rate, Depth and Resonance, but there is a special Stage knob that has a few cool features for a very cool sound.
Old Stuff – Done Well
When it comes down to the basics, the BOSS PH-3 Phase Shifter delivers exactly what you would expect. The sound combines a lot of modern and vintage techniques, and allows you to adjust to any range of sound and type you can imagine. The control of this pedal is amazing, and it has a very organic sound, no matter what. That’s right, no computer-robotics in this pedal, just pure, distinct, raw tone. You really can just play with the first 3 knobs and find a tone that will suit any tastes.
New Stuff
Then, there is the Stage knob. This knob controls huge factors in the pedal’s sound, including the “Rise” and “Fall” types, which create a completely-upward or completely-downward sound. In addition, there are 4-, 8-, 10-, and 12-stage phaser effects, and also a “Step” effect. You sync these phase effects by simply tapping on the pedal, which sets the timing of the phase effects, or, you can combine the pedal with an Expression Pedal to control both the filter and the rate of your effect in real-time. I find this to be an awesome feature, since it isn’t often that you can adjust your effects while you’re actually playing.
A Little More…
Last, but definitely not least, is the warranty that comes with these pedals. They include a 5-year warranty, which (from my experience) actually surpasses the warranty on most of my equipment, making this a great investment. Oh, did I mention that the pedal is just $95USD stock price? Yeah, that’s right. I’m always someone looking for a good deal for a good sound, and the BOSS PH-3 definitely pleases me in that area.
Conclusion
It isn’t often I can say this, but, with my experience, this is the best phaser pedal that I have ever played with. The variance in tone is fantastic, and no matter what you do, you just can’t make this pedal sound bad. The BOSS PH-3 Phase Shifter pedal is both simple and complex, and will be a great addition to your pedal line, no matter how you look at it.
Scotty Smith
Guitarist Rock ©2008-2010
