DOD Phasor 201 review

A laid-back phaser pedal

  • £85
  • €98
  • $149
You can't accuse the Phasor 201 of having over-complicated controls

MusicRadar Verdict

A welcome return for a mellow-voiced phaser.

Pros

  • +

    Musical phasing. Simple operation.

Cons

  • -

    Not the widest array of tones, but that's not the point...

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A single-knob configuration, as on MXR's Phase 90, may well be the classic design for a guitarist's phaser: if the phasing's core sound works for you, the only thing you need to tweak is its speed.

"The 201 delivers musical phasing with a mellow character"

The Phasor 201, DOD's first 70s-era phaser design, follows that as-simple-as-it-comes format, although as a two-stage phaser the 201 has more in common with the Phase 45 than the four-stage Phase 90.

While two-stage phasers are generally perceived to have milder, less pronounced phasing than designs with more stages, it is a sound that suits some players and sits well with various playing styles.

The 201 delivers musical phasing with a mellow character that starts from an otherworldly watery haze and goes through to a fast warble that emulates a fast rotary speaker sound.

Whether you're recreating classic rock sounds or creating something new, a phaser can cover a host of possibilities, and the 201 will do just that.

Trevor Curwen has played guitar for several decades – he's also mimed it on the UK's Top of the Pops. Much of his working life, though, has been spent behind the mixing desk, during which time he has built up a solid collection of the guitars, amps and pedals needed to cover just about any studio session. He writes pedal reviews for Guitarist and has contributed to Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Future Music among others.