Product Review: DOD FX20 Phasor

The two classic 1970s phasers are the Electro Harmonix Small Stone and the MXR Phase 90. While I like both of those units, they have a very distinctive and not particularly subtle sound. I wanted something a little different and less intense. I was so impressed with the dirt cheap DOD FX65 Chorus I have that when I saw this phaser at Daddy’s Junky Music in Boston – DOD calls it a “Phasor” – I decided to add it to my pedal collection.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. This is one boring, ugly looking pedal. Obviously not one extra cent or brain cell was expended on making it look attractive to potential buyers. But once you get past the dull gray appearance, the sound is full of life and color.

Produced between 1980 and 1984, this is a simple four-stage phaser . . . sorry phasor . . . like the MXR Phase 90. However that’s where the similarity ends. This has a very subtle, watery and shimmery sound that adds no distortion to your signal like some phasers. There are only two controls, speed and regeneration, but with a fairly wide range you have enough of a soundscape to get a lot of different tones. My favorite setting is with Speed at 10 o’clock and Regen at 11 o’clock. This delivers a wonderfully warm and rich phasing sound with both clean and distorted channels – just enough to know you have the effect on, but not enough to completely smother your tone. Perfect.

There are some basic design flaws with this pedal that are common to this style of DOD pedals. The battery compartment has a removable plastic cover and probably 90% of pedals from this era come without the cover (including mine). The on/off footswitch is also not up to Boss standards, although I haven’t had any issues with this aspect.

If you are looking for a subtle phaser full of analog warmth, you could do a lot worse than the DOD FX20 Phasor. Like the FX65 Chorus, it’s another overlooked bargain from DOD that can be had for between $20 - $50.