MXR: Phase 90 vs Phase 45

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A comparison of the legendary 1974 Script Logo, Bud Box MXR Phase 90 and its little brother - the Phase 45. The P90 is a 4-stage phaser; the P45 a 2-stage.

The P90 is very thick in the low mids and a much more obvious 'effect'; the P45 is all about subtlety and clarity. The P90 also has slightly less headroom and is marginally more crunchy when you dig in - some may say more 'vibey'. Both are fantastic though, albeit slightly better suited for different applications. Both have the very pronounced mid-range that make them so perfect for guitars.

As with most vintage MXR pedals, the early Script logo versions are more desirable than the later Block logos, mainly because MXR changed the circuits as time went on, generally using cheaper components and changing the sound of the pedals for the worse. With the Phase 45 however, MXR continued to use the original Script circuit until 1980. Being a 1977, this Phase 45 has an identical board (both in terms of layout & components) to the earliest Script boards - this is one of the earliest Block P45s ever made. It even has a Script back plate where MXR were using up bits of old Script casing as they transitioned to the Block logos.

The videos were shot separately and then spliced together so that the buffers in each pedal weren't affecting the other (seeing as neither is true bypass). The guitar, strings, amp, amp volume and mic placement were all identical.

Guitar is a Fender Strat through a Hughes & Kettner Puretone, recorded with a simple SM57 and an sE Electronics RNR1 Ribbon.


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