Achieve that Sound of the Past with the Best Vintage Guitar Pedals

Most notably used by Eddie Van Halen on some of his band’s most beloved albums, MXR’s Phase 90 phase shifter pedal continues to find favor amongst guitarists today who seek to harness the powerful modulation effect; Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, and Nancy Wilson are all staunch proponents of this little orange pedal. Using the pedal is simple, with a single knob which allows you to dial in the phase effect of your choice. By changing its position, you can adjust the speed of the effect from slow and subtle to a full-on, fast and watery tone. Though the Phase 90 is widely popular with guitarists, it can also be used with other instruments and sounds, including vocals, bass, and keyboards. The Phase 90 can be powered by battery or an optional AC adapter.

The MXR Custom Shop CSP105 Vintage ’75 Phase 45 phase shifter pedal was built to perfectly replicate the sound of the original model, which was praised for its subtle phasing effect. Like the original, the reissue has two stages of phasing and hand-wired circuitry that emulates the psychedelic sounds of the 1960s and ’70s. Powered by just a single 9V battery, the pedal’s compact size makes it a welcome addition to the guitarist with an already-crowded pedalboard. Other vintage enhancements on the Phase 45 include hand-stuffed supporting foam, and a lack of an LED indicator light which really gives this pedal a truly classic feel. What’s particularly notable about this phase shifter effect is that even when it is cranked to its utmost power, your guitar’s notes will never become overwrought with the watery, atmospheric effect that can sometimes cloud the original idea that you’re trying to push forward.

The Mu-Tron Phasor II phase shifter pedal is a blast from the past, offering an aesthetic in both its sound and appearance that immediately recalls the 1970s. This pedal provides a grittier, dirty vibe in its modulation that provides a certain lo-fi character that may be just what you’re looking for, particularly if you’re seeking to emulate the sounds of yesterday. The Phasor II incorporates the same photo-mod circuit as Mu-Tron’s Bi-Phase pedal, which allows players to control the sweep or the rate of the phase shifter effects. Lastly, this pedal is built like a tank, and certainly looks the part as this pick could easily get lost in a sea of rugged power tools to the untrained eye.

Electro-Harmonix’s Bad Stone phase shifter pedal provides six stages of phase shifting, giving guitarists quite a few options in directing how they want their guitar’s tone to be modulated. A manual feedback setting allows you to reign in the effect, or let it loose for full-on, watery chaos. Unlike the original, the reissue of the Bad Stone has a lower frequency range, which allows you to affect the signal to bass notes and deeper chords. Additionally, the Bad Stone is a true bypass pedal, so it will never suck out the character of your chain’s tone when it’s not being used in your rig. This pedal isn’t just built link a tank in its die-cast package, but it’s also easy to power. It comes with the single 9V battery that the pedal requires to be powered, but also can take juice from an optional power supply working in conjunction with the Bad Stone’s built-in AC jack.

Artec’s SE-VPH Vintage Phase Shifter pedal is built simply but offers guitarists a sound that can run through a range of playing styles. Three knobs make it easy to dial in the exact sounds that you want. Speed, Depth, and Resonance are all relatively self-explanatory, and assist in producing a variety of tones, including a watery sharpness and a tremolo-like setting that sounds as though the signal is being run through a rotary speaker. The pedal is small and easily powered via a single 9V battery. The SE-VPH is also a true bypass pedal, which means that the signal in your rig will never be drained by this pedal’s occupancy in the effects chain when the pedal is switched off.

Jimi Hendrix ran his guitar through the Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face on classic albums like Electric Ladyland, and in the process he changed the way guitarists viewed the fuzz effect. Despite the powerful sounds that this pedal is capable of producing, the controls are pretty simple; a Volume knob controls the output of the signal, while a Fuzz knob affects the amount of effect that is made in the unit. If you’re looking to emulate the tone of one of the greatest guitarists of all-time, this pedal is a great place to start. Its rugged construction also ensures this pick won’t break easily, even in your most passionate, Hendrix-channeling performances. However, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to light the pedal on fire so be sure to clear some space between your effects and your guitar when you decide to go full-on Jimi.

Rock icons like Carlos Santana and Jimi Hendrix were smog the first to use the Electro-Harmonix Bigg Muff Pi fuzz pedal to turn their guitar’s tone into an unwieldy beast, so is it any wonder that that type of tone has been sought after ever since? Three knobs give players a fairly straightforward way to shape their tone; Volume, Tone, and Sustain are all relatively self-explanatory controls. The Big Muff Pi, which also doubles as a distortion pedal, can go anywhere from a slightly gritty buzz to a full-blown singing sustain. The pedal is also True Bypass so it will never undesirably color your tone when plugged into your effects chain but not activated.

Primarily powered by its dual germanium transistors, the Fulltone ’69 mkII fuzz guitar pedal pumps out a thick, powerful sound. Its internal bias trimmer gives players a more nuanced approach at sculpting their sound. A contour control also gives you the option to smooth out the effect, or give it that extra bite to make it slice right through the mix. Turning down the volume of your guitar can result in some great cleans and slight overdrives in the pedal’s tone. Your tone will remain unaffected when the Fulltone ’69 isn’t in use, thanks to the pedal’s true-bypass design.

Over the years, the BOSS OC-2 octave pedal has been used by guitarists and bassists alike to provide a tone-enhancing thickness to their sound. And though the pedal has been upgraded and is definitely not the only horse in the octave pedal race, the OC-2 definitely still maintains its superiority, thanks to its intuitive control and relatively simple design. Two separate controls allow players to shape the sound of the effect one and two octaves below the original signal, while a Direct Level knob adds further dynamic controllability to the mix. Like most BOSS pedals, this unit is built to take a beating with a durable chassis which allows owners to take this pick on the road without having to fret over the device’s safety.

Fuzz and octave are two unruly effects that one might assume wouldn’t be able to play nicely together; they're not unlike two crazy party animals you enjoy hanging out with but wouldn’t necessarily want to invite to the same event at the same time. MXR has somehow found a way to provide peace, unity, and above all, some seriously powerful tone in combining the two effects with their Sub Machine Octave Fuzz pedal.

Imagine being able to summon the classic-sounding fuzzed-out sounds of the past, and then being able to drop them into the depths of your guitar’s tonal range in true octave fashion. The pedal can also kick the effected signal an octave above the original signal which widens the span of frequency in comparison to other octave pedals which strictly stick to the lower end. Because MXR is all about giving the user as much control over their sound as possible, this pedal also comes with a Series switch that lets you run the sub octave either through the fuzz effect, or in a parallel route that will keep said signal clean and untouched by its aggressive roommate.

The Dr. No Octofuzz guitar pedal is of boutique lineage for sure, but that shouldn’t be held against it for those who are looking to get great tone at an affordable price. As its name implies, this unit combines a fuzz effect with an octave effect for some seriously tone-pleasing results. And while the effects can be used in conjunction with one another, the pedal also has a toggle switch so that the Octaver can be used solely as a fuzz effect. Three simple knobs is all it takes to get this thing cooking; Gain cranks up the fuzz, while Intensity functions as sort of a tone/octave level knob, and Volume controls the signal output. Whether you’re looking to channel your inner Hendrix, emulate modern rock sounds like Queens of the Stone Age, or looking for an all-inclusive fuzz/octave experience, you’d do well to pay a visit to Dr. No.

In the right hands (and of course, on the right pedal) the combination of octave and fuzz effects can be a deadly force to reckon with. Guitarists like Jimi Hendrix were able to understand just how much can be done when combining these two effects, and since the 1960's, the world has never been the same. TC Electronic created their Vintage Octa Screamer with that marriage of effects in mind, and guitarists looking to dial in that sustained, thick-sounding tone will not be disappointed with what this pedal has to offer. The pedal’s mix knob blends the octave effect in with your signal. A built-in 30dB treble boost helps to push the octave effect to prominent extremes. The pedal can easily be powered by either a 9V battery or supplied external power adapter.

Ibanez’s TS808 Original Tube Screamer is the overdrive pedal responsible for shaping the tone of legendary blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. Providing a preamp-like tone, the TS808’s sound sits somewhat adjacent to fuzz and distortion with a character that is all its own. Its simplistic three knob design provides players with a quick and easy way to dial in the sound that best fits the song with Overdrive, Tone, and Level being the three parameters at play here. The pedal’s features an all-metal casing which helps ensure that the TS808 is actually built as tough as it's namesake sounds. Beyond its iconic green shell, the pedal is also remarkable for its square toggle switch, which makes turning the effect on and off much easier for guitarists.

Though often overlooked when recalling the history of overdrive pedals, the BOSS OD-1 actually stands as one of the first to hit the market way back in 1977. The pedal’s use of asymmetrical clipping provides more edge in the overdrive effect. Like most BOSS pedals, the design of the OD-1 is pretty simple as you’re only working with just two knobs. One controls the actual amount of Overdrive, while the Level is used to control the volume of the pedal’s output. Warm-sounding and tough, this pedal has passed some of its technical genes on to other BOSS pedal with the company’s SD-1 probably being the closest in sound and design. Nonetheless, the tone that the OD-1 brought to the table still stands as a staple of overdriven sound, and is still avidly sought after by players today.

Whether you’re emulating the classic midrange tones of the 1970's or aiming to capture the grit and punch of the 1990's, the Darkglass Vintage Microtubes overdrive pedal is consistent in its warm, analog-like sound. Designed to provide a natural dynamic response similar to the compression of old tube amps and reel-to-reel tape machines, this pedal instantly brings a classic sheen to your guitar’s sound. Its design is relatively straightforward – the Level knob controls the volume of the processed signal while the Drive parameter determines how much saturation is delivered. The Blend knob gives players the ability to mix the clean original signal with the overdriven tone. The unique Era knob works in tandem with the Drive to affect the tone of the pedal itself.

The TC Electronic MojoMojo emulates the classic drive of tube amplifiers. Like the tube amps that the pedal is designed to emulate, the MojoMojo responds accurately to the volume of the guitar signal running through it. Riding the volume knob can have a surprisingly detailed effect on the actual tone coming out of the unit. The pedal’s analog dry-through circuitry and Bass/Treble knobs give this unit a truly classic dynamic. The pedal is also True Bypass, so you never have to worry about the pedal sucking up your tone when it’s in your effects rig but not in use.