EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

HighGain

HighGain

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I've had the Stone for years and I like it, but I've never used a Phase 90. Never had a reason to. But now I'm wondering if I chose the right one in my effort to be different (I think most people probably go for the MXR).

Any of you guys A/B'd the 2? Are they a lot different?

Here's what got me to thinking about it...I was listening to Thin Lizzy's "Live and Dangerous", and on the song Still In Love With You, Scott Gorham has an awesome thing going on with his cleans. I can't tell if it's a phaser or some kind of warbly chorus, but it's killer. It's almost the same as the modulated tone on the front end of the solo break on April Wine's Sign of the Gypsy Queen.

Or...is there a better one out there than those? Thanks in advance. :14:
 
Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

Scott Gorham has been in all three of the guitar mags I get within the last month. He's not very specific about his modulation - in one article he talked about an MXR flanger, in another, he mentioned Colorsound and something else, but I think he generall used a flanger of some kind.
 
Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

Yeah, Thin Lizzy has been getting a lot of love lately because of this new live album they discovered in a vault somewhere. It's about time. The guitar parts Gorham wrote with Brian Robertson (and later on Gary Moore and Snowy White) were a thing of beauty. The most underrated band ever, imo.

I saw the interview with Gorham in Guitar World and on VH1, and I saw another in Premier Guitar or someplace, but I didn't get to read the whole thing. I wish they'd ask him more specific questions about his gear. I know he was using a LP Deluxe and Marshall JMPs, and I'm pretty sure Celestion greenbacks, but I'd be interested in knowing what all they were coloring things with.
 
Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

I've owned both and prefer the Small Stone...The SS has a more intense phase effect...The Phase 90 is really nice but is more subtle....The SS cuts your volume back a bit when engaged.Can't remember if the Phase 90 does or not? Both nice phase shifters..The SS almost does a kind of cool Univibe type of phase...Howard Davis tweaked my vintage Small Stone(Mine isn't stock)...He worked for EH during the 70s...I built my own Phase 90..
 
Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

Being a EHX fanboy, I can recommend the SS, but keep in mind I have a bias, lol. I really like it because, as stated, it can be subtle and smooth, but get really intense if required. I have the nano version, with a switch for two ''types'' of phase length. One works well for cleans, the other I prefer for distortion.

With all that said, the MXR will give you that standard ''generic'' phaser sound. I say generic not in a bad way, just saying it's exactly what you would expect from a phaser. If you want classic, it might be the way to go. If you want something different a little more out there, check the EHX.
 
Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

Here are two vids That compare the two directly. I own a Phase 90, block. It's important to understand how different the Block and the Script 90 sound. I got the block because it was cheaper, and I still love it. I'd much rather have the Script, but I can deal with the block.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svVz84Vx1i8
From this Vid, I think the Script seems to have the best overall sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1893YjZn10&feature=related
Here's a direct comparison to the two. The Stone seems to have a bit more dimension and the 90 seems to sound a bit more basic and leslie-ish.
 
Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

Completely different. You should own both. I personally have a vintage Phase 90 and a modern Small Stone.
 
Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

I have a modern Phase 90 and a modified vintage Small Stone. I vastly prefer the SS for its more ethereal vibe.
 
Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

dunno anything about the small stone, but you can take a few resistors out of the new block phase 90 and it's alot smoother that way, with that bubbly, grabby kinda sound. it's also got a depth pot in the back when you open it up.
 
Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

Yeah, I think I'll take Darkside's advice and have both if they're that different and that good.

'Preciate all the response so far, fellas. Phase is one my favorite flavors.
 
Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

man I love me some Thin Lizzy, this thread made me spend well over an hour on UtOOb watchin TL vids, I have Live and Dangerous on VCR(video cassette recorder ,for the kids on the boards) now Im workin on learnin Holy War on guitar.. I almost forgot how freakin awsome those guys were.
 
Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

That "Live and Dangerous" video is one of the most awesome concert DVDs ever, and I understand the VHS version is even better because they cut some things on the DVD.

I like the Snowy White/Scott Gorham version of TL, too. "Chinatown" was the first TL album I had, and it rocks.
 
Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

Personally I like the Phase 90, I never noticed a volume drop in the Phase 90 but a volume increase if anything. I noticed a volume drop with the SS but I am sure it is something you can fix. I think if you are going for that Thin Lizzy stuff (I never noticed the subtle phaser on the boys are back in town) then I would get the SS.
 
Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

The Phase 90 is good, but it only does one thing. It does that one thing REALLY well, though.

I had a Phase 100 about thirty-five years ago and didn't really like it. The Phase 100 was very versatile--but it didn't have that Phase 90 TONE.

I wound up buying a Mutron Phasor. They are huge, but that one sounded really good. After that one died, I bought the Boss PH-1r and that pedal is still on my pedalboard. It's probably the most versatile of the bunch, with the most depth. Doesn't rotate very fast--my only nit to pick.

Good luck.

Bill
 
Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

If you like the Small Stone you might also like the Phase 45. More subtle than the 90 with the cool chewy quality of the SS. The Tonefactor Nebula is a clone of it, check it out on Youtube or Tonefactor's site.
 
Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

Texas Swamp said:
Personally I like the Phase 90, I never noticed a volume drop in the Phase 90 but a volume increase if anything. I noticed a volume drop with the SS but I am sure it is something you can fix. I think if you are going for that Thin Lizzy stuff (I never noticed the subtle phaser on the boys are back in town) then I would get the SS.
Click to expand...

Increasing the Small Stone's volume to unity gain normally causes oscillation in these pedals...You can increase it some(I did on mine) but you still risk squeeling,oscillation issues! I compensate by bringing my volume up a bit...My SS is an early vintage one.Maybe they've fixed the volume drop on newer units and the nano series?
 
Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

SlowGroove said:
Ever thought about the Phase 100 . . . i really like that one !



James
Click to expand...

I never liked the Phase 100....The Phase 90 was the better pedal....Sometimes you just shouldn't mess with a good thing!

The Phase 45 is very subtle.
 
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