@Juicefani11 you can do the r28 mod. You just snip one of the resistors and it takes a little bit of the volume/boost away. Theres a great step by step video on youtube just type in 'How to R28 mod your phase 90'. It really is easy, I did it and if I can do it.... or failing that, do what I did and get a USA Small Stone from ebay, not the nano!
I prefer the block over the script. The block has a slightly fuller/bolder sound. I usually keep it set between 11 and 12 o'clock. (almost straight up)
i use an MXR 90 that is actually a blend of parts from a script (little blue dial came out of that plus the board) but the body of a new one, you do not need a light to know if this thing is on....sometimes will use a volume pedal solely b/c of the 90, i have the Russian smallstone and i am about to Ebay it...i play rock and blues and its too much, whenever you distort it it goes whacky. and the color switch is good if you are playin stuff like phish, maybe reggae, maybe ska, but not hard rock.
Check out mxr script phase 90. World of difference, and I think it's the sound you're looking for. The LED version is sonically identical to the non-LED handwired. good luck.
Both are different beasts! It is easy to spot the difference but it will be difficult for me to pick one over the other. Thanks for the video though man!
i had both and I kept the MXR. Sound is more organic + it's a lot better for overdriven tones. You can hear the difference in character very well in this demo.
i first tried the small stone playing my best friends Animus guitar while his girl tied my balls off and choked me as i performed Europa through a pignosis on a barge trip down to the Andes while we smoked salvia and ate seaweed bisquits offered by the tribesmen in trade for a pair of the girls soiled panties. We drank out of human skulls. The small stone wins.
I have an original MXR Phaser and its great :) I'll be honest here! The Small Stone is very nice but its build quailty inside is CRAP!! how many times have I had to re-wire stuff inside that came off!!!! and I take care of my stuff!! the MXR on the otherhand is a tank!! never had problems
The MXR has a more transparent phase, a little tinny and the swirling phase is not as deep. The EH has a deeper swirling phase effect, much more lush and warmer.
I'm a huge EHX junkie, but I'm kind of indifferent. Both are excellent pedals, but they each serve different purposes. The Small Stone has more of a dramatic phase. This can be good for some things, but rather annoying during others.
@spleenarcana Thanks Man. I have the re-issue Phase 90 but it broke, so I was either going to have it repaired or buy a new Small Stone, but I actually like the gain/treble boost of the new 90 so I'll prob just have it repaired.
@theShowStopper321 Block logo has a little boost, small stone very warmer, i have both but for my needs i prefer phase 90 block logo, has more presence IMO. But it depends what kind of music you play.
Did you do the R28 mod on the MXR? If you didn't, just do it, it'll sounds too much better without this resistance, less agressive and much smoother and musical!!wanderfull to clean sounds, I did it to my Phase90 and now sounds so fucking GREAT!!! I recommend it!!
I have the MXR and its great, but it give's u a light distortion and its a problem when u play on a clean and quiet track. so i need to reduce the guitar volume a bit when i use it...
small stone much richer and creamier, but for distortion its the phase 90 hands down........its no wonder the o'jays used the small stone on "money money money" for it was a clean tone.....with evh a phase 90 is best for "eruption" and his sound....im getting both
The small stone sounds thicker and creamier, while the phase 90 sounds much tighter with the distorted tones, I can see why it is popular with guitarists. I own both of these pedals, but I use them on a Rhodes. The small stone sounds MUCH better on the Rhodes than the phase 90 does.
Both the Russian and the USA small stone are great, you can really hear the sweep where as the MXR you can't really hear the well, you sometimes have to crank it up to hear it.
Thanks for the comparison. I like the MXR better. The Small Stone sounds too muffled like some of the high end gets lost. The MXR seems to retain the original tone better. Plus it is not so big and ugly!!
I used the originals of both of these in the '70s. MXR was near me in Rochester, NY and was a godsend to working musicians. Everyone wanted the EVH sound, but couldn't deal with the noise and unreliability of the pedals. MXR fixed all of that - bulletproof and quiet. Dunno about all the re-issues today.
@spleenarcana Not all tube amps are fragile, especially vintage ones. My 1971 Earth Sound Research head has fallen off my cab down a flight of cement stairs and worked perfectly fine 5 minutes afterwards.
i think the phase 90 is a little better, but not this phase 90 the 74' script reissue. I'm an electro harmonix guy for sure and the reason i'm straying from that is the box the small stone's in, it doesn't look very sturdy, sure it looks cooler than the phase 90 in that it's more retro looking but, it doesn't look like it could take a beating that it might get from being on the road. in the end, i'd probably just get both lol they're both under 100 american lol screw it, why choose?
you should look into the small stone nano. smaller die cast box(way stonger) and they fixed the volume drop from the original its under 80 bucks if you prefer the ehx...i love ehx too
the problem I have with the nano is that is uses SMD parts. There are some cool part tweaks that the Small Stone can benefit from that are impossible to do on SMD parts.
I agree w/ eddiemaniac, i think the small stone is abit mid-freq scooped, but the again it is more versatile in that it has the color switch. That being said, whichever setting you use on the color switch it's still gonna sound like it's EQ'd (mid-freq sccop). So I guess it really is very subjective as to what your preferred tone sounds like. I personally vote for the Phase 90.
I think this is a "fair" battle, seeing as how most people are going to buy the most commonly available pedal and not a true vintage one. Seems like most ppl here agree that the MXR is a bit clearer while the EHX is a bit more versatile. They both sound pretty close in the shoot-out and I'd say this is TRULY a matter of taste.
Hi, nice vid. Well, for me they are very different and very similar at the same time. Similar because the two sound awesome and different because, for my ears, they have different mid responses, that's why one sound smoother than the other. For me Small Stone sounds a bit Mid-frequency scooped.
Technical clarification about the MXR "buffered bypass": The MXR uses a peculiar kind of bypass (since 1990). Yes, there is a buffer involved... at the input of the effect, but not in the bypass loop: the bypass itself is a hard, wired bypass that travels through no buffers whatsoever. Your guitar isn't loaded down by the input of the MXR any more than it would be loaded down by the high impedance input of your amp or the volume control in your guitar... (Ever think of ditching that?)
Hmmm Can't really decide which one is best sounding.
Since I own a EHX Small Stone (and I love it), I could say "Small Stone sounds better and is best", but the Phase 90 sounds very similar to the Small Stone, just a bit brighter.
I actually like the way the phase 90 distorts sometimes. Gives my soloing a bit of character and imperfection.
Also, placing the phaser before or after distortion really makes a difference. It sounds more subtle before distortion. It sounds whoosh-ier after distortion.
They both sound fine, but (IMHO) I think the MXR has a nicer, 'splashier' sound. It also has a nice, smooth up/down sweep. (And I'm not crazy about feedback/regeneration with any phaser.)
hi i have a phase 90 too one question this pedal have some distorion? i think its not mery clean i am thinking change the phase 90 for the small stone
I prefer the Small Stone. It has a more subtle, useable flavor. The Phase 90 seems to overpower the guitar's natural tone too much so all you hear is phase. Both are great pedals though.
The main difference is how the harmonics are accentuated. The phase 90, with it's use of transistors to create phase, tends to be heavier on 2nd harmonics. The small stone, which uses CA3094 ICs, tends to be heavier on the 3rd and 4th harmonics. The Small Stone sounds a bit more transparent and therefore, is a bit more usable in combination with other effects like distortion. I've always preferred the Small Stone... That is, until I built a Phaseur Fleur. :)
Salut! Tout d'abord je tiens à te remercier pour ce test, mais tu écris sur ton site que la baisse de volume est notable, cela dit sur la vidéo ça ne semble pas si évident...
Cela dit, il est conseillé sur les Phase90 Reissue de leur virer la résistance R28 pour rendre l'effet un peu moins présent, ce qui me gène dans ta vidéo..
La différence de volume est en effet moins flagrante sur la video, j'ignore pourquoi et ça induit en erreur d'ailleurs car elle est bien réelle! Mais la modification d'Analog Man corrige très bien ça!
the phase 90 you have doesn't sound great. IMHO....I have a 74 phase 90 reissue and it's sounds warm, organic and lush....just want to point that out to those thinking about the phase 90 :)
lol i have a boss ph-2, a evh mxr p90, and a small stone and i love the variaty but if i were to choose just 1 the small stone hands down its more effect than the mxr, i like the mxr hold that i LOVE the mxr but its good for water-e phase but when i have a effect pedal i excpect to get more effect than guitar and thats why i choose small stone :)
I've got a Small Stone Nano. It's like two pedals in one -with the toggle switch. I like it because it does 'subtle' VERY well (like at 3:16,5:17, but with an even slower rate) I like the way it sounds with a fuzz box.
Hi! The Nano is great but I compared it with the Small Stone in the same way and the sound is a bit different. A bit more trebble and saturated. Less warm as well. The Nano doesn't sound like the Small Stone but it's smaller ;)
The Small is darker the MXR is a little brighter. If you play a humbucking guitar the Small Stone is a little too dark, But for single coils its awsome it warms up your tone a little.
Easily small stone. MXR doesn't pick up as much of the tone spectrum as the small stone, and at only about 10 bucks more, you get better tone and not to mention much better variety.
I prefer the MXR because it's better with single coils and humbuckers and also high gain, the script 74' phase 90 is even more like the EVH small stone, but the vintage small stone is not much like the new one's, they are mellower and more 3D. Basically you get what you pay for.
I would go with the mxr even though I have a small stone lol. But I think the best phaser is a moog 6/12 because it gives you so many sounds but is really expensive.
so i have money for either of these pedals out of personal preference what do you choose im in to kind of a deeper analogue smoothness but Thick-ish and i play Radiohead/incubus kind of music which do you think is better for this? (i already have a boss PH-2 discontenued super phaser)
SmallStone I'd say...
wastemick 2 weeks ago
mxr has less muddy sounding. I'll stick with my phase 90
azwel 5 months ago
the EH sounds more "liquid". The MXR sound more useable for standard applications - EH is great for experimentation.
corganb 5 months ago
I have the MXR but it is a mid-booster and i quite much hate it.
Juicefani11 5 months ago
@Juicefani11 you can do the r28 mod. You just snip one of the resistors and it takes a little bit of the volume/boost away. Theres a great step by step video on youtube just type in 'How to R28 mod your phase 90'. It really is easy, I did it and if I can do it.... or failing that, do what I did and get a USA Small Stone from ebay, not the nano!
blueleadguitar 3 months ago
the small stone is way more sonic, textural, and smooth. of you want a noticeable, hard, almost funky wah, go with mxr
DimebagsLeftToe 6 months ago
Small stone or Boss PS-3?
Sundaywave 6 months ago
I prefer the block over the script. The block has a slightly fuller/bolder sound. I usually keep it set between 11 and 12 o'clock. (almost straight up)
TrapDaddy65 7 months ago
i reckon the the mxr 90 has a better depth and clarity when used then the small stone
sosulivan123 8 months ago
In the small tone, the rate can be faster...
chrisbelato 8 months ago
i use an MXR 90 that is actually a blend of parts from a script (little blue dial came out of that plus the board) but the body of a new one, you do not need a light to know if this thing is on....sometimes will use a volume pedal solely b/c of the 90, i have the Russian smallstone and i am about to Ebay it...i play rock and blues and its too much, whenever you distort it it goes whacky. and the color switch is good if you are playin stuff like phish, maybe reggae, maybe ska, but not hard rock.
yogawithalex 9 months ago
the phase 90 isn't even in the same class as the small stone, I say
fruitbatrepublic 11 months ago
Don't buy a modern MXR!!! Very BAD quality!!!!
ZVEROBASS 11 months ago
Check out mxr script phase 90. World of difference, and I think it's the sound you're looking for. The LED version is sonically identical to the non-LED handwired. good luck.
jasoncreek 1 year ago
Both are different beasts! It is easy to spot the difference but it will be difficult for me to pick one over the other. Thanks for the video though man!
LEOJATT 1 year ago
The small stone holds more drugs in the case. I can't see any advantage to using a phase 90.
melindagreenjeans 1 year ago
@melindagreenjeans lmfao..
youknowyourrite1 7 months ago
i think mxr sounds alot wider
robdelabassist 1 year ago
i had both and I kept the MXR. Sound is more organic + it's a lot better for overdriven tones. You can hear the difference in character very well in this demo.
Wilq59r 1 year ago
@Wilq59r So i decided to buy a MXR pedal... From Germany... Should come before Christmas.
Juicefani11 1 year ago
is your small stone modded? just can't notice the volume drop
Chuck13 1 year ago
@Chuck13 You're right! There's actually no volume drop as it's an Analog Man modded Small Stone ;)
No I have a modded Phase 90 as well... Maybe it's time for a video revenge... :)
spleenarcana 1 year ago
i first tried the small stone playing my best friends Animus guitar while his girl tied my balls off and choked me as i performed Europa through a pignosis on a barge trip down to the Andes while we smoked salvia and ate seaweed bisquits offered by the tribesmen in trade for a pair of the girls soiled panties. We drank out of human skulls. The small stone wins.
ballrigors1 1 year ago 2
i cannot help it, the small stone sounds lusher, nobler -- i can hear it whisper "you gotta be crazy, gotta have a real need...."
MoveOverCasanova 1 year ago
did you mod your phase 90?
ivaneu 1 year ago
small stone wins...it's warm..but without the color switch engaged
tomakiakls 1 year ago
I have an original MXR Phaser and its great :) I'll be honest here! The Small Stone is very nice but its build quailty inside is CRAP!! how many times have I had to re-wire stuff inside that came off!!!! and I take care of my stuff!! the MXR on the otherhand is a tank!! never had problems
Fender1976uk 1 year ago
The MXR has a more transparent phase, a little tinny and the swirling phase is not as deep. The EH has a deeper swirling phase effect, much more lush and warmer.
gmlasam 1 year ago
I like the phase 90 but im gonna get the EVH model because it's both a script andf block label model!
hiian123 1 year ago
I'm a huge EHX junkie, but I'm kind of indifferent. Both are excellent pedals, but they each serve different purposes. The Small Stone has more of a dramatic phase. This can be good for some things, but rather annoying during others.
itscodyxx 1 year ago
I like the small stone the best. It is probably the smoothest sound phaser around. I still have the one I purchased new back in 1978.
gmlasam 1 year ago
the smallstone is fatter and warmer
aituaitz 1 year ago 2
small stone wins ;D
l1nkz3lda 1 year ago 2
I'm a big Electro Harmonix fan but i like the Phase 90 way better.
dsaldsal 1 year ago
Does the Small Stone give a gain/treble boost like the phase 90? Also, would u prefer the block logo or script phase 90?
theShowStopper321 1 year ago
@theShowStopper321 no treble boost on the Small Stone, it remains soft and warm. I just tried the normal reissue Phase 90 sorry.
spleenarcana 1 year ago
@spleenarcana Thanks Man. I have the re-issue Phase 90 but it broke, so I was either going to have it repaired or buy a new Small Stone, but I actually like the gain/treble boost of the new 90 so I'll prob just have it repaired.
theShowStopper321 1 year ago
@theShowStopper321 Block logo has a little boost, small stone very warmer, i have both but for my needs i prefer phase 90 block logo, has more presence IMO. But it depends what kind of music you play.
ivaneu 1 year ago
I have a vintage script logo Phase 90 that slays them all. It will make you cream in your pants.
PCLoadLetter84 1 year ago
Electro Harmonix makes better pedals than MXR, I think.
harleytyler1 1 year ago
@harleytyler1
I think EH are kings of envelope filter pedals,MXR-king of phasers
ViLLZzZz 1 year ago
Small Stone sounds pretty good for me
pearljaime2 1 year ago
Small stone wins clearly for me, but the phase 90 is still good.
simmy403 1 year ago
Did you do the R28 mod on the MXR? If you didn't, just do it, it'll sounds too much better without this resistance, less agressive and much smoother and musical!!wanderfull to clean sounds, I did it to my Phase90 and now sounds so fucking GREAT!!! I recommend it!!
Joeybonnert 1 year ago
Small stone! the tripiest of all!
wer888wer 1 year ago
I have the MXR and its great, but it give's u a light distortion and its a problem when u play on a clean and quiet track. so i need to reduce the guitar volume a bit when i use it...
vroei 1 year ago
phase 90 for me
lance153 1 year ago 9
small stone much richer and creamier, but for distortion its the phase 90 hands down........its no wonder the o'jays used the small stone on "money money money" for it was a clean tone.....with evh a phase 90 is best for "eruption" and his sound....im getting both
CJsoccer4 1 year ago 2
Phase 90 good , good , god!
kouth89 2 years ago 2
small tone. I just ordered one.
back2thefutre 2 years ago
ummmmm....
...can I just have both?
popomczowzow 2 years ago
The small stone sounds thicker and creamier, while the phase 90 sounds much tighter with the distorted tones, I can see why it is popular with guitarists. I own both of these pedals, but I use them on a Rhodes. The small stone sounds MUCH better on the Rhodes than the phase 90 does.
lancerandy 2 years ago
are you mod your mxr? it doesn´t has the terrible boost when is engaged
ivaneu 2 years ago
Phase 90 all the way
philclay87 2 years ago
SMALL STONE!!!!!
drugsinvegas 2 years ago
is there any difference in sound between the regular small stone and the nano version?
FabuLillianous 2 years ago
i like the mxr more
TheSHINGOEV 2 years ago 2
Both the Russian and the USA small stone are great, you can really hear the sweep where as the MXR you can't really hear the well, you sometimes have to crank it up to hear it.
Thedangergirlsship 2 years ago
Just bought the small stone and I LOVE IT!!!
themadmarmoset16 2 years ago
me too! i was lucky to get the really old silver version with the orange letters... greeeeeat sound!
boogiesob 2 years ago
small stone all the way
strabbs1 2 years ago
small stone has an extra colour switch and true bypass, plus i like EH a lot..
heres a fun fact: the Electro harmonix warehouse in NY own 2/3 of the vaccum tubes in the world
youhalfpipe 2 years ago 20
thatz cool dawg
GuernB2 2 years ago
@youhalfpipe
Fun fact? Ted Mosby? Is that you? O.o
sohamorrohit 7 months ago
so mxr is not truebypass?
jesmartin 2 years ago
small stone wins
l1nkz3lda 2 years ago
I like the small stone. It does change the tone more, but imo for the better.
DarkJinx257 2 years ago
Thanks for the comparison. I like the MXR better. The Small Stone sounds too muffled like some of the high end gets lost. The MXR seems to retain the original tone better. Plus it is not so big and ugly!!
chucke1963 2 years ago
I used the originals of both of these in the '70s. MXR was near me in Rochester, NY and was a godsend to working musicians. Everyone wanted the EVH sound, but couldn't deal with the noise and unreliability of the pedals. MXR fixed all of that - bulletproof and quiet. Dunno about all the re-issues today.
moucon 2 years ago
Yeah I like the phase 90 better, not because im an EVH fan, but the sound just seems.... i dunno, better somehow.... i mostly like EHX tho
Taud 2 years ago
how do you like that bassman? I'm also a silverface bassman fan, i've got the bassman 10. basically a 50 watt combo version of yours.
tragictravisty 2 years ago
I like it but... Tube amp are so fragile, even more vintage one so I'll probably sell it soon. But its clean sound is great!
spleenarcana 2 years ago
mine is all original, and dime it/strap it 2-3 times a week.
tragictravisty 2 years ago
fragile? not really. i'll take a broken tube amp over a broken solid state amp ANY DAY.
copilottheband 2 years ago
@spleenarcana Not all tube amps are fragile, especially vintage ones. My 1971 Earth Sound Research head has fallen off my cab down a flight of cement stairs and worked perfectly fine 5 minutes afterwards.
TheGreenSickness 1 year ago
i think the phase 90 is a little better, but not this phase 90 the 74' script reissue. I'm an electro harmonix guy for sure and the reason i'm straying from that is the box the small stone's in, it doesn't look very sturdy, sure it looks cooler than the phase 90 in that it's more retro looking but, it doesn't look like it could take a beating that it might get from being on the road. in the end, i'd probably just get both lol they're both under 100 american lol screw it, why choose?
cward127 2 years ago
you should look into the small stone nano. smaller die cast box(way stonger) and they fixed the volume drop from the original its under 80 bucks if you prefer the ehx...i love ehx too
puffdragon26 2 years ago
so would you say to get the nano??
dokken555 2 years ago
nah.
amarr1 2 years ago
the problem I have with the nano is that is uses SMD parts. There are some cool part tweaks that the Small Stone can benefit from that are impossible to do on SMD parts.
copilottheband 2 years ago
Could anyone gather what sort of fuzz that was? Spleenarcana, what sort of fuzz did you use, man? That sound was nothing short of awesome!
THACONCH 2 years ago
Thanks!! It's not a fuzz pedal but a MI Audio Crunch Box - My favourite distortion pedal! ;)
spleenarcana 2 years ago
I agree w/ eddiemaniac, i think the small stone is abit mid-freq scooped, but the again it is more versatile in that it has the color switch. That being said, whichever setting you use on the color switch it's still gonna sound like it's EQ'd (mid-freq sccop). So I guess it really is very subjective as to what your preferred tone sounds like. I personally vote for the Phase 90.
mahdenny 2 years ago
Small Stone wins!
BethPessoa 2 years ago
Forgot to mention that this wasn't a really fair "battle"... Try this with the MXR Phase 90 '74 reissue, the CSP-026. That would be a review. Thanks.
TheEddieManiac 2 years ago
I think this is a "fair" battle, seeing as how most people are going to buy the most commonly available pedal and not a true vintage one. Seems like most ppl here agree that the MXR is a bit clearer while the EHX is a bit more versatile. They both sound pretty close in the shoot-out and I'd say this is TRULY a matter of taste.
dustyroot 2 years ago
Hi, nice vid. Well, for me they are very different and very similar at the same time. Similar because the two sound awesome and different because, for my ears, they have different mid responses, that's why one sound smoother than the other. For me Small Stone sounds a bit Mid-frequency scooped.
TheEddieManiac 2 years ago
SMALL STONE WINS !!
renatoufo 2 years ago
small stone owns!
Guiogo 2 years ago
Technical clarification about the MXR "buffered bypass": The MXR uses a peculiar kind of bypass (since 1990). Yes, there is a buffer involved... at the input of the effect, but not in the bypass loop: the bypass itself is a hard, wired bypass that travels through no buffers whatsoever. Your guitar isn't loaded down by the input of the MXR any more than it would be loaded down by the high impedance input of your amp or the volume control in your guitar... (Ever think of ditching that?)
kithkinavrien 2 years ago
small stone wins with true bypass, color switch, & warmer tone.
ilovemyfender1 2 years ago 2
I've always wanted to see these two compared. I have an evh phase 90, but the small stone definately has a much smoother sound.
stewie9793 2 years ago
the mxr phase 90 is the best of these two peadels xD
TheGuitarist1995 2 years ago 2
The phase 90 is beautiful, but the small stone is like honey to my ears...
MiLemonPie 2 years ago
phase 90 sounds thick the EHX sounds more spacey
44eelz 2 years ago
Hmmm Can't really decide which one is best sounding.
Since I own a EHX Small Stone (and I love it), I could say "Small Stone sounds better and is best", but the Phase 90 sounds very similar to the Small Stone, just a bit brighter.
For me, it's a tie ! Both sound great and warm.
Decimator7 2 years ago
excellent video, I have a small stone and have been working out if I should get a phase 90, well done!
fenderstringbender 2 years ago
what distortion pedal were you using in this video from 4:10-the end?
lost1230 2 years ago
This is my faithful MI Audio Crunchbox, my main distortion pedal :)
spleenarcana 2 years ago
right! phase 90
I find it more usable and brighter, right.
good demo!
greets from peru
STEREOTONE1988 2 years ago 3
phase 90 best.brighter ,best tone
stankler 2 years ago
Uh, did you hear how much his tone dropped off when he first puts the phase 90 into bypass?
If you absolutely have to have the phase 90, I recommend putting that thing in its own effects loop with any other pedals that suck your tone.
dimebonics6604 2 years ago
Where do you put the phasers? Guitar -Phaser - Distor and amp, OR guitar - Distor - Phaser and amp??
Sound great¡¡¡
ivaneu 2 years ago
Guitar - Distortion - Phaser - Amp. The sustain from the distortion carries through the phaser, not the other way around.
66420192 2 years ago 2
If you run an FX loop throw the phaser in there and put it first.
mcmacanerni 2 years ago
Thanks! this was really helpful =)
ivychivy 2 years ago
i like the phase 90 better but thats just me
thanks for posting this vid it really helps alot of people out
loving7liza 2 years ago 8
I actually like the way the phase 90 distorts sometimes. Gives my soloing a bit of character and imperfection.
Also, placing the phaser before or after distortion really makes a difference. It sounds more subtle before distortion. It sounds whoosh-ier after distortion.
ovneb 2 years ago
no lie this vid helped me. was looking for a Small stone distortion test. even though youtube isnt exactly the best media to judge a pedal over :) TY
ForecastApocalypse 2 years ago
smallstone is warmer, phase 90 is brighter and a little more extreme
lost1230 2 years ago
Do the newer Small Stones lose a significant amount of volume like the older ones?
amarr1 2 years ago
What do you mean bu by "newer small stone"? The Nano serie?
The Nano Small Stone doesn't have this volume drop but the sound is not exactly the same (I did the same kind of test)
spleenarcana 2 years ago
I meant the one you have; i called it new because I've heard that Electro Harmonix updated it and made it true bypass.
amarr1 2 years ago
Hum... Mine is not true bypass and the volume drop is really significant.
Mine is now modified by Analog Man, no volume drop anymore ;)
spleenarcana 2 years ago
thanks so much I think im going with the small stone sounds more abrupt and cutting
bobafettischeckers 3 years ago
They both sound fine, but (IMHO) I think the MXR has a nicer, 'splashier' sound. It also has a nice, smooth up/down sweep. (And I'm not crazy about feedback/regeneration with any phaser.)
mjs28c 3 years ago 10
In any comparison involving MXR and EHX, EHX's will always kick whoop MXR's ass.
d00derson 3 years ago
I think the stone is better on the clean it add a bit of chime. on the distortion channel the MXR sounds better then the stone.
tenaciousjp 3 years ago
MXR sounds more less digital, not that the small stone sounds that digital anyways, but the small stone is brighter.
xzackkynapalmx 3 years ago
the small stone sounds more wobbley, yet its more subtle than the phase 90. very good comparison, 5/5!
bobulibobium 3 years ago
hi i have a phase 90 too one question this pedal have some distorion? i think its not mery clean i am thinking change the phase 90 for the small stone
SUPERFLANKER1982 3 years ago
there isnt supposed to be distortion, but some amps cant handle the pedal, and at higher volumes may distort.
before blaming the pedal, try adjusting your reverb or treble. those two usually create distortion from a pedal.
bobulibobium 3 years ago
It really have something gaining in it. It also have bad bypass, so if your chain have 3-4 pedals after MXR it can sound little distorted.
andrecocos 3 years ago
are your phasers before or after distortion?
aclclarke 3 years ago
what about used in conjunction with each other?
WeirdAndGeeky 3 years ago
What do you mean?
I think it cuold be interesting to have them both on a pedalboard, one for clean sounds and the other one for crunch sounds.
spleenarcana 3 years ago
as in at the same time...
i think it would sound interesting to have them at different speeds, maybe one real slow. of course it could well sound extremely bad
WeirdAndGeeky 3 years ago
Nice comparison. I think I prefer the Small Stone.
coolcustomer31 3 years ago
Thanks ;)
spleenarcana 3 years ago
I prefer the Small Stone. It has a more subtle, useable flavor. The Phase 90 seems to overpower the guitar's natural tone too much so all you hear is phase. Both are great pedals though.
d00derson 3 years ago
i stay with the mxr
Passamani73 3 years ago
The main difference is how the harmonics are accentuated. The phase 90, with it's use of transistors to create phase, tends to be heavier on 2nd harmonics. The small stone, which uses CA3094 ICs, tends to be heavier on the 3rd and 4th harmonics. The Small Stone sounds a bit more transparent and therefore, is a bit more usable in combination with other effects like distortion. I've always preferred the Small Stone... That is, until I built a Phaseur Fleur. :)
thedefog 3 years ago
both!
alexpunk91 3 years ago
Salut! Tout d'abord je tiens à te remercier pour ce test, mais tu écris sur ton site que la baisse de volume est notable, cela dit sur la vidéo ça ne semble pas si évident...
Cela dit, il est conseillé sur les Phase90 Reissue de leur virer la résistance R28 pour rendre l'effet un peu moins présent, ce qui me gène dans ta vidéo..
FrankyFuzzFire 3 years ago
De rien ;)
La différence de volume est en effet moins flagrante sur la video, j'ignore pourquoi et ça induit en erreur d'ailleurs car elle est bien réelle! Mais la modification d'Analog Man corrige très bien ça!
spleenarcana 3 years ago
the phase 90 you have doesn't sound great. IMHO....I have a 74 phase 90 reissue and it's sounds warm, organic and lush....just want to point that out to those thinking about the phase 90 :)
ajs7698 3 years ago
The Phase 90 I have is the Phase 90 that people can buy in most shops. It's a reissue, exactly like the Small Stone.
spleenarcana 3 years ago
lol i have a boss ph-2, a evh mxr p90, and a small stone and i love the variaty but if i were to choose just 1 the small stone hands down its more effect than the mxr, i like the mxr hold that i LOVE the mxr but its good for water-e phase but when i have a effect pedal i excpect to get more effect than guitar and thats why i choose small stone :)
ScapeGoatMusic 3 years ago
MXR is the way to go!
elmo696 3 years ago 2
para que quieres lod dos pedales si suenan igual?
johnnypululando 3 years ago
Hola! Quiero el Small Stone mucho mas!
spleenarcana 3 years ago
it´s difficult
q suerte q tenes los 2
andygrohl08 3 years ago
no es suerte...es nomas q no somos pobre mexican wetbacks like you...
3739523 3 years ago
What do you play at 4:36?
udaz14 3 years ago
I've got a Small Stone Nano. It's like two pedals in one -with the toggle switch. I like it because it does 'subtle' VERY well (like at 3:16,5:17, but with an even slower rate) I like the way it sounds with a fuzz box.
surrealdirector 3 years ago
Hi! The Nano is great but I compared it with the Small Stone in the same way and the sound is a bit different. A bit more trebble and saturated. Less warm as well. The Nano doesn't sound like the Small Stone but it's smaller ;)
spleenarcana 3 years ago
For my tastes, the Nano version is NOT too bright. Maybe I'll make a demo, because it really does not sound like too much treble.
surrealdirector 3 years ago
Have you just compared side by side the Nano with the Small Stone? It's quite subtle but it doesn't sound the same.
spleenarcana 3 years ago
isn't the small stone a chorus pedal? o_O
OlviMasta77 3 years ago
The small clone is a chorus
the small stone is a phaser
randomsgs 3 years ago 2
I like the MXR better, just nice and bright.
zaulkin 3 years ago
The Small is darker the MXR is a little brighter. If you play a humbucking guitar the Small Stone is a little too dark, But for single coils its awsome it warms up your tone a little.
BluesHeavy 3 years ago
Easily small stone. MXR doesn't pick up as much of the tone spectrum as the small stone, and at only about 10 bucks more, you get better tone and not to mention much better variety.
Tanikaze2 3 years ago
I prefer the MXR because it's better with single coils and humbuckers and also high gain, the script 74' phase 90 is even more like the EVH small stone, but the vintage small stone is not much like the new one's, they are mellower and more 3D. Basically you get what you pay for.
mrtyreman 3 years ago
correction, I meant EHX! not EVH
mrtyreman 3 years ago
Small Stone
RadicalNorm 3 years ago
MXR
Nirvagust 3 years ago
The MXR sounds like water. The Small Stone sounds like a dark reservoir.
zerosoma33 3 years ago
it seems like the ehx gives you more variety in the tones with that switch it has
willardo757 3 years ago
is there a volume drop with the small stone if you have a power adapter hooked up to it?
HDL2112 3 years ago
the 90 anyday
utyo 3 years ago
There is a simple modification you can perform on the mxr that makes it sound much better,just google mxr mod.
roetsj 3 years ago
this proved me right, the 4ms phaseur is the best.
ckyvick666 3 years ago
This is kind of pointless, as the vintage versions of both of these pedals are vastly superior to the reissues.
sleepytaco420 3 years ago
i dont think the small stone has enough resonance in this video..not clear enough, sound is almost like clouded up
lost1230 3 years ago
This is really really hard
HammondB200 3 years ago
well its a small STONE! hahahaha! ;)
oppes0815 3 years ago
Ok, I've ordered Small Stone :-D
mazi161 3 years ago
small stone, man. waaaaaaarm.
lexist7 3 years ago
PLease, does anybody know which one of these is better for bass?
mazi161 3 years ago
I like the 90 better but its close. If you got a script 90 it would destroy the stone.
guitarmasterman95 3 years ago
I would go with the mxr even though I have a small stone lol. But I think the best phaser is a moog 6/12 because it gives you so many sounds but is really expensive.
Crazysk8terboi 3 years ago
all moog pedals are great, its just a matter of price
HDL2112 3 years ago
to me the stone sounds more liquid-like than the 90 and more chorusy-flange like. I like the 90 a little better though. less muddy
Ramu911 3 years ago
so i have money for either of these pedals out of personal preference what do you choose im in to kind of a deeper analogue smoothness but Thick-ish and i play Radiohead/incubus kind of music which do you think is better for this? (i already have a boss PH-2 discontenued super phaser)
ScapeGoatMusic 3 years ago
Mmm Jonny Greenwood uses a Small Stone, so maybe it can help you to decide ;)
I just received my new Small Stone, modified by Analog Man, it's now a perfect phaser! :D No volume drop anymore!!
spleenarcana 3 years ago
thanks ;)
ScapeGoatMusic 3 years ago
I used to own mXR pHASE 90 but I sold it. It's not about the name brand it's all about you ear and sound.
arios211 3 years ago
I'd have to say the MXR wins based on clarity. It's also less of a bulky pedal on a board. Thanks for the demo.
turmoil666 3 years ago
I want them all!!!!!!!! great demo :)
ciclosonico 3 years ago
I'd have a hard time picking.
BadCompany98 3 years ago 4