APQ (another phaser question): BOSS PH2 VS PH3

Golden_Sonic · Post by **Golden_Sonic** » Sun Jan 04, 2015 5:57 pm

Ok, I cannot definitely decide what phaser I should buy (just like for the fuzz, but this is another story); I listened to some demo of the Boss PH2 and PH3 (IMHO better than the Phase 90) and like both. Here are the differences:
-)PH2 is analog with two modes (10 and 12 stages) and a slightly organic sound, discontinued in 2000 (first produced in Japan, then in Taiwan);
-)PH3 is digital with seven modes (4, 8, 10, 12 stages, "Fall", "Raise" and "Step" modes, this last one intrigues me), has an expression pedal input and a tap tempo function but has a less organic and warm sound, currently produced (in China? I had a bad experience with a Boss OS2 of the actual production).
Have you ever tried these two phaser? Why should I choose one rather than the other according to you?

James · Post by **James** » Sun Jan 04, 2015 6:05 pm

If you're going to use it once, you don't need to create an acronym. TIM (This isn't mumsnet).

dezb1 · Post by **dezb1** » Sun Jan 04, 2015 6:14 pm

James wrote:If you're going to use it once, you don't need to create an acronym. TIM (This isn't mumsnet).

Nice...

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Sun Jan 04, 2015 8:13 pm

James wrote:If you're going to use it once, you don't need to create an acronym. TIM (This isn't mumsnet).

Love the gag/disapprove of the acronym.

BearBoy · Post by **BearBoy** » Sun Jan 04, 2015 8:15 pm

I don't think any Boss pedals are made in China are they? Thought they were all made in Taiwan these days.

Rox · Post by **Rox** » Mon Jan 05, 2015 12:22 am

I'm not really into phasers but I know the PH3 is better . Mostly because many try to copy/clone it. Boss makes a great pedal.

Golden_Sonic · Post by **Golden_Sonic** » Mon Jan 05, 2015 10:42 am

James wrote:If you're going to use it once, you don't need to create an acronym. TIM (This isn't mumsnet).

There's another my post in which I ask for the differences between the Digitech and Hardwire phaser, so this is the reason of the "Another Phaser Question". Besides, I didn't know what Mumsnet was until now.

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Mon Jan 05, 2015 11:17 am

I had a PH2 years ago, I grew to not like it due to its obvious phase sound. I prefer modulation to be more subtle, but if you like it obvious it may be for you - it would be great for reggae/dub. If I was to buy another phaser i'd look at a Boss PH1r.

singlepup · Post by **singlepup** » Mon Jan 05, 2015 11:59 am

Why not consider the Small Stone? Great sound... Ranges from quite subtle to very extreme phasing. More transparent than a Boss pedal IMO.

NickS · Post by **NickS** » Mon Jan 05, 2015 12:48 pm

I would suggest there should be a dedicated FAQ thread for Phasers, but I'm reluctant to suggest "FAPQ" and "Sticky" in the same sentence.

Used to have a Roland Phase-II back in the day, but I cloned it and sold it. Unfortunately the clone also needs 2x 9v batteries so hasn't had an outing for a while. I think I have enough components for another three... I still like it but haven't compared it to anything else.
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Fakir Mustache · Post by **Fakir Mustache** » Mon Jan 05, 2015 1:28 pm

johnnyseven wrote:I had a PH2 years ago, I grew to not like it due to its obvious phase sound. I prefer modulation to be more subtle

You can get it to be more subtle, just use the first setting and turn the knobs to lower settings, except the speed knob, which you can turn to whatever speed you want. Although in the end I got sick of the sound (there are better sounding phasers), and the bypass sound is even worse. It's also not that great sounding at faster settings, you can't get a nice leslie type sound.

One good thing I will say about the Boss PH2 is that it seems really close to unity gain, most phasers I've tried seem to boost. Depends on what you want, I guess.

71Smallbox · Post by **71Smallbox** » Mon Jan 05, 2015 8:10 pm

I like the PH-2 better vs the PH-3. I found the PH-3 to be too "clean" sounding, even though it had all of those other features, the step mode was cool but I would have no use for it ever. The PH-2 is way more mid-rangey than a Small Stone, but that will make you pop out in a band setting. I had no problem with the bypass.

Fakir Mustache · Post by **Fakir Mustache** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 2:38 pm

I was watching a Youtube demo and someone had a PH-2 boosting a lot. I got curious and compared the two pedals.

I plugged my PH-2 in, and you can indeed get it to boost a lot if you turn up the resonance and depth, but I didn't really like it with the rez higher than 9 o'clock and the depth 10 or 11 o'clock. In fact, I tried the PH-3, and I also didn't like the rez or depth in other positions. The 4-stage setting had a volume drop with the settings I like. With 8 or 10 stages it was close to unity like the PH-2, but sounded like a muffled version of it. I don't like the 12-stage setting on either, but what do I know? Someone may find it the perfect setting for funk or electronic music. So I would say the PH-2 is better in the normal modes, but there are many better sounding phasers.

The step, rise and fall settings on the PH-3 are pretty cool though.