Product Review - Ibanez Bi-Stage Phaser

Originally released in 1985 this phaser is from Ibanez’s often overlooked Master Series, which falls between the much more collectible 9 and 10 Series. It is somewhat unique in that you can select (using a toggle switch) between 6 or 10 phasing stages. When I saw this Made in Japan unit on eBay for only $30 my inner fx junky said “Buy it!”

In addition to the Stage toggle switch (which you can only move with your fingers) the pedal has controls for Speed, Width and Feedback. In theory the Feedback control enables you to change the phasing intensity, but in reality its affect is minimal while Width and Speed allow you to adjust how broad and fast the sweep is. The unit is Boss sized and comes in a very rugged metal casing.

The Bi-Stage Phaser delivers a good variety of sounds. The 6 stage setting adds a lot of treble and midrange to your tone making it sound rather “lo-fi”; the 10 stage setting is thicker, richer and more chewy, but it still gives your tone a significant treble boost. With so many options and controls you can get all of the standard phase sounds as well as some very nice Leslie rotary simulation with the Speed control at its higher settings. In fact, I think this is where it really shines. However, despite the many tonal options available, the overall sound of the unit is cold and sterile – a stark contrast to the warmth of the Electro-Harmonix Small Stone for example.

There are also two other issues that are big detractors for me. First, the pedal is quite noisy, in part because it is not true bypass. When engaged, and especially when you are not playing, you can clearly hear it sweeping and at louder amp volumes with high gain channels this is not welcome. It also provides a strong volume boost when engaged and I prefer effects to be at unity gain. What Ibanez should have done is added a volume control and moved the Stage toggle switch to the side of the unit so you could switch between the 6 and 10 stages using your foot on the fly.

My favorite setting is with the Speed control cranked and both Feedback and Width at about noon. This gives a nice rotating Leslie sound with a subtle phase.

Overall, this unit didn’t do it for me so back on eBay it goes. In the bargain basement category, I don’t think it is anywhere near as good as the DOD FX20 Phasor, which I reviewed here http://tonewarrior.blogspot.com/2009/10/product-review-dod-fx20-phasor.html

If you are interested in listening to a wide range of phasers, including this one, be sure to check out the Pedal Area site at: http://www.pedalarea.com/phasers.htm