Vintage styled pedals usually have a few issues; some copy a circuit, and in the process of updating it for modern manufacturing, lose the nuances. Some get so accurate, that the prices just skyrocket up! Warm Audio figured out how to bring the classic phaser to modern standards with the new Jet Phaser, without sacrificing the coolness, and keeping the price reasonable.
The original had a sandcast enclosure, but Warm went full on ’70s with a steel chassis and groovy wooden side panels. There are 6 modes; Jet 1 is a shallow phase with bright fuzz, Jet 2 is a deeper Phase, again with bright fuzz. Jets 3 & 4 follow the same phasing pattern, but this time the fuzz is darker. Then there are two un-fuzzed modes; Phase 1’s Shallow, and Phase 2’s deeper version. The Jet Level controls the fuzz’ed output, while the resonance covers the phase effect’s strength. Speed of the phase is covered by the fast/slow footswitch, and the slower level is adjustable via its own control knob. If you’re playing, and then hit the fast/slow switch, you can hear the modulation ramp up and down, like a switch on an old school Leslie speaker — very analog trippy, indeed. It can be run via the included power supply or two 9v batteries, and the player can select if they want to use batteries or the power supply. To keep things in the 21st Century, the effect on/off footswitch is true bypass.
First impressions are key — it feels so ’70s plugging in, kicking it on and tweaking a couple of knobs. It put us right into the era of unleaded gasoline and polyester pants. Steely Dan tribute acts and Rhodes players, please pay attention. This is the phaser you want, especially in Phase 2 mode! The cascading pulse of the modulation just begs for that chicka-chicka, hitting the chord, mute, upstroke approach that is signature ’70s pop guitar. Phase 1 is a bit more subdued, but it does sit very nicely in the mix, with its shallower phase. The Jet modes are glorious. We found Jet 1 & 2 worked great with a flat EQ, if you have an amp with a bright switch, and usually leave it on, Jet 3&4 modes translate nicely. There’s something for everyone in here, EQ-wise.
It’s not just some throwback either; first off it’s a lot quieter than the vintage ones, and since it’s an effect pedal that hasn’t been recreated over and over, it still feels fresh. Yes it will do classic stuff, but in the hands of modern players, it’ll take you to new places sonically.
A few things to note; there’s no LED to let you know the status of the effect or speed, but the originals didn’t have them either. The input and output jacks are “backwards” from typical effects pedals, and size-wise, it’s a bit large. It might not be super pedalboard friendly, but it’s so cool sounding. If there’s a smaller modern version that sounds this good, we haven’t heard of it.
PROS:
Fantastic ’70s style phaser, excellent fuzz options, super clean audio
CONS:
Slightly large footprint
Street Price:
$199