Vintage Pedals

[EVOL!]

I am having a dilemma and wanted to see what you cats think.

 

I have an original Maestro Phase Shifter pedal (see photo below. this one is not mine, it's a stock photo I found on the internets). This pedal sounds great when on, but off it is a huge tone suck. This coupled with the fact that it is built to be a counter top effect and not on your pedal board and you can see why it does not get a lot of action. I use a pre-Dunlop Phase 90 for this affect.

 

My dilemma is whether to sell the pedal (I have seen them go for $250-$300 US on ebay) and use the cash to get a Deluxe Memory Man or spend the cash to

 

- Have this pedal wired for true bypass

- Have a foot switch built. They originally came with one and my locale pedal guy said he could build me one.

 

I am not a gear collector so if something does not get regular use from me I get antsy to sell it and use the cash for new gear.

 

[Blackie]

I'd sell it.......old electronic stuff is bound to keep needing maintenance and most sounds can be had with newer devices.

[RichCI]

If you have something else - like your Phase 90 - that does the job just as well, I'd sell it.

 

I wouldn't go drilling it to add a switch; it's a rare old box and it'd be a shame to carve it up. If you want to use it on a pedal board, you could go with a loop pedal; Analogman builds custom switches like that:

 

http://www.analogman.com/switchbox/index.htm

 

I have the MXR Paperweight set up as a loop box.

[deepblue]

If you love it have it rewired true bypass...If its a tone sucker then its useless.

[bubba_leon]

If your amp has a true bypass fx loop that can solve the prob. If not you can spend the bread on installing one in your amp.

[EVOL!]

If your amp has a true bypass fx loop that can solve the prob. If not you can spend the bread on installing one in your amp.

 

My amp is a mid sixties Silvertone 1484. I don't see that happening.

[Californiaman]

Give it to your local pedal guy.

Ask him to see what he can come up with.

Just looking at it I would say if at all possible take the circuit out, put it in a new, functional stomp box that is true bipass.

Create a new pedal based on the original one. That's what I'd do.

[EVOL!]

I did research the pedal and the mod people do is to make it true bypass. That isn't too hard, but if I do it I am keeping the pedal since that mod will decrease it's value exponentially. For the foot switch, that is easy. My pedal guy has the schematics for one. There is a plug in the back of the unit for the foot switch so no mod needed there. The problem is that my funds are limited to do these upgrades.

 

What spurred this on is a recent itch to thin the herd by selling off gear I don't use so I can use the cash to knock some items off of my wish list: Fuzz Factory, Deluxe Memory Man, and an MXL microphone.

[Californiaman]

Simple.

Sell it.

Get the gear you want.

[deepblue]

If your amp has a true bypass fx loop

 

You mean there is such a thing?

[GIANTRobOT420]

Go with the Memory Man. You can get more out of it

[bubba_leon]

You mean there is such a thing?

A lot of newer amps have them onboard, but you can also use this thing

 

http://www.tonebone.com/re-bigshot-efx.htm

[deepblue]

A lot of newer amps have them onboard' date=' but you can also use this thing

 

http://www.tonebone.com/re-bigshot-efx.htm[/quote']

 

Good to know, I didnt these gizmos existed. Thank you.

[The Mick]

[EVOL!]

I did it. I posted four pedals on Craig's List: Yardbox, Maestro Phase Shifter, Blues Driver, and Cool Cat Chorus. Send me a private note if are in the Chicago area and want the links to the listings.