Author Topic: What would you do? - Vintage Pedal Question (Read 4773 times)

Brow · « **on:** March 09, 2006, 02:07:16 PM »

Hey guys.

I have a vintage Maxon Phase Tone Phaser pedal that sounds great, but I don't really use it all that much as it's too 'subtle' for the sound I want. It also doesn't have an LED and because it's such a subtle effect, I sometimes have difficulty even telling if it's switched on or not!

My options are:

1) Sell the maxon and get something that's more 'tweakable' and able to get more of the sound I want.

2) Mod the maxon with an LED, maybe a new switch and tweak the circuit board controls to see if I can get more 'effect' out of the pedal.

What would you guys do in my position?

Dakine · « **Reply #1 on:** March 09, 2006, 02:23:44 PM »

I have been reducing my personal stuff of late due to my coming move.
But this has brought up a good point with me as what I really "need" and "use".
I figure, why keep somthing you don't use. If it need's modifying or dos'nt suit, I have gotten rid and replaced it.
Sure you can modify it yourself at times, but I prefer somthing that is designed for what I need/want to start.
Being "vintage" it may indeed be sought after/command a good sale price and then you can replace it with somthing you WILL use/want straight off the bat.
Just my .02cents :)

Brow · « **Reply #2 on:** March 09, 2006, 02:26:00 PM »

Thanx for the post Dakine.

I bought the pedal in the 1st place mainly because I got a good price on it, and I was a little naive and didn't really know what i wanted!

I've listed it on Ebay several times, and have never had much interest in it. Hence I was considering modding it to get what I want out of it.

Dakine · « **Reply #3 on:** March 09, 2006, 02:30:29 PM »

Ahh,
well if you are not getting good "bites" on selling it and it is the basic effect you want then by all means, mod it.
Cannot help you electronically (am electrician but prefer bigger wires lol) but basic parts should be cheap to get.
If you are the kind that likes "tinkering" then this could also be seen as a "fun" factor.
I know in general when I get somthing (not electronics too much) first thing I do is take it apart to see how it works (not look at manual LOL) as am engineering minded and just darn nosey lol.

Could be fun to do a "Brew Custom" job on it :)

Brow · « **Reply #4 on:** March 09, 2006, 02:35:45 PM »

I could try Ebay again, but to be honest, I got tired of re-listing it!

I'd have to track a schematic or something down for it, but a mate of mine is handy witha soldering iron. So anything I can't handle myself, he does it for me :D

Kilby · « **Reply #5 on:** March 09, 2006, 03:15:54 PM »

Personally (and I'm the worst person in the world to listen to) if you like the pedal post a question here theyre helpful

http://www.diystompboxes.com/

Personally I think that a good sounding phaser is probably the hardest effect to find, there's loads of great overdrive, fuzz, distortion & echo. Even good flangers and chorus (though I don't much like chorus) are fairly easy to find.

But the only phasers I seem to like are really old analogue units that people don't want to sell.

If you have one that you like stick with it.

Rob...

Brow · « **Reply #6 on:** March 09, 2006, 03:28:22 PM »

Quote from: Kilby

Personally (and I'm the worst person in the world to listen to) if you like the pedal post a question here theyre helpful

http://www.diystompboxes.com/

Personally I think that a good sounding phaser is probably the hardest effect to find, there's loads of great overdrive, fuzz, distortion & echo. Even good flangers and chorus (though I don't much like chorus) are fairly easy to find.

But the only phasers I seem to like are really old analogue units that people don't want to sell.

If you have one that you like stick with it.

Rob...

Thanx for the suggestions :)

Phase isn't an effect I'll use all that much to be honest, so I'm not overly picky about what pedal I end up with :)

The main things I need are tweakability and an on/off LED If the Maxon had an LED, I'd be more inclined to stick with it and use it more!

Jonesy · « **Reply #7 on:** March 09, 2006, 03:39:58 PM »

Maxon pedals sound awsome...ive got a cs-9 pro and a OD-9. These are froom the 9 series which seem to be more modern sounding and more noticeable...id just try and mod it mate to give you an increased effect...shud be worth it

Brow · « **Reply #8 on:** March 09, 2006, 04:02:06 PM »

Quote from: Jonesy

Maxon pedals sound awsome...ive got a cs-9 pro and a OD-9. These are froom the 9 series which seem to be more modern sounding and more noticeable...id just try and mod it mate to give you an increased effect...shud be worth it

Yeah, it is a great sounding pedal.

Apparently, the model Phaser I have has trim pots on the circuit board. So maybe I could play with those and see if it improves things for me :)

big steve · « **Reply #9 on:** March 09, 2006, 09:44:11 PM »

i would guess a phaser type pedal would be (much) harder to mod than a dist/overdrive/fuzz type pedal. maybe not though, just my opinion, the circuits for modulation type effects seem to be a lot more complicated in general

Jonesy · « **Reply #10 on:** March 10, 2006, 04:44:45 PM »

ye, any ideas what those trim pots control...with phasers they often do rate and depth...so if u could adjust the depth youd probly gte a more noticeable effect 8)

Brow · « **Reply #11 on:** March 10, 2006, 07:29:17 PM »

According to HC reviews, the trim pots control Compression and Effect Strength.

The problem is, I can't actually work out how to get to the circuit board! I've taken the bottom of the epdal off and the circuit board is in a little plastic box that I can't figure out how to get into!

I'll keep trying though, because, apparently, the trimpots allow quite a lot of 'tweak' to be done to the tone of the pedal :)

Jonesy · « **Reply #12 on:** March 10, 2006, 10:12:05 PM »

get in there!...

(literally 8) 8) 8) )

lol :?