A leaner, meaner homage to Roland's radical Jet Phaser. The PG MSL Pedals Night Witch review.
Well glued-together fuzz 'n' phase sounds. Enhanced control compared to original Jet Phaser. Independent phase and fuzz operation. Fantastic graphics!
Maybe a touch too much evidence of handcraft for a $300 pedal.
$300
MSL Night Witch
mslpedals.com
The original Roland Jet Phaser, which combined the 8-stage phaser from their AP-2 with a menacing fuzz/distortion (the circuit from the awesome Roland Bee Baa is a good bet) made a seriously mighty roar. But it wasn't the most flexible pedal in the world. For starters, you could not operate the brawny fuzz independent of the phaser. And while the combined sounds were fantastic, there weren't a ton of ways to fine-tune them apart from a few preset voices, the resonance control, and the jet level, which regulated the gain intensity.
MSL's The Night Witch eschews perfect authenticity to address the shortcomings in the original Jet Phaser design. It makes the fuzz and phaser independently operable. MSL also opts for a switchable 4- and 8-stage phaser, and adds a tone control and master output for the fuzz circuit. It's a much more practical manifestation of the Jet Phaser concept. But MSL adds plenty of its own personality to this pedal, too. You could make the case that this is a much nastier take on the Jet Phaser than the original.
Gather ’Round at the Blue Mass
The Night Witch shares just three controls with the original Jet Phaser: the resonance knob, which is effective at taming fuzzy peaks and shaping the pedal's most extreme sounds; the phase rate knob; and the ramp switch, which accelerates or decelerates the rate between the rate knob setting and the circuit's fastest phase rate. The remainder of the controls make The Night Witch a more flexible pedal than its inspiration. The fuzz section has a proper 3-knob control array for gain, output, and tone—the last of which adds many tone possibilities that the original Jet Phaser cannot deliver. The depth toggle, meanwhile, takes the place of the preset voice switch on the Jet Phaser. Originalists may lament this change. But I found the 4-stage phaser option invaluable for sculpting more aqueous and subtle variations on the pedal's basically intense phase sounds.
The circuit board itself reveals traces of the pedal's homebrew origins: These aren't solders executed by robots in a turnkey assembly operation. But the pedal is arguably more robust for its handbuilt approach. Any one of the individual components looks like it could be readily replaced for repair, and the footswitches and jacks are all mounted independent of the circuit board itself.
Whirling Wail of the Witch
Even though MSL separated the phase and fuzz into independently operable circuits, the phaser is still very much the heart and soul of The Night Witch's idiosyncratic appeal. Its basic tonality is very much in keeping with the whooshing, rushing flavor of Roland's original Jet Phaser. Even the mellowest, low-resonance sounds from the 4-stage phaser are still pretty intense, but they can be really pretty in the proper context. The phase voice is distinct, too—neither squarely in the vintage Small Stone or Phase 90 camp (though I sometimes wish it had some of the former's dimensionality). The ramp switch is a sweet means of enhancing the phaser's flexibility, and switching between slow and fast speeds can add cool punctuation or melty transitions to solos and song segments.
Switching between slow and fast speeds can add cool punctuation or melty transitions to solos and song segments.
For many folks, The Night Witch's fuzz section will mark an improvement on the original Jet Phaser. This is not a remark I make flippantly. The original Jet Phaser's fuzz/distortion is bitchin' and super powerful. But The Night Witch's fuzz section is certainly more versatile. It preserves the essence of the Jet Phaser's very Bee Baa/Ram's Head Big Muff-like essence, but adds a bit more thickness across the whole frequency spectrum, yielding a basic voice that favors the Muff side, perhaps, but which is probably more adaptable and familiar for most players.
The useful tone control expands this utility. High treble settings make it possible for the fuzz signal to simultaneously cut through and enhance the most intense resonance settings. At the other extreme, low fuzz, gain, and tone settings combined with a neck single-coil, a little guitar-volume attenuation, and lower rate and resonance create a nice low-gain environment for soulful chord melodies and Jimi-style lysergic balladry.
The Verdict
The Night Witch most certainly projects menace. And wicked and wildly psychedelic voices exist here in abundance. But The Night Witch is also capable of sweetness and complexity if you get crafty and explore the possibilities of the flexible control set and the adaptive way the pedal relates to various guitar tone, volume, and pickup combinations. The Night Witch is not inexpensive, at 300 bucks. But its deep vintage-flavored tones, enhanced utility, and the cohesiveness with which the phase and fuzz interact make the whole more than the sum of its parts.
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John Bohlinger plugs his slick singlecut into a rechargeable, highly-portable amp-PA system that allows him to jam in downtown Music City with a visiting Aussie guitarist and a hard-hittin' street performer, proving he will gig anywhere, with anyone.
John Bohlinger's Electric Busking Rig Giveaway
You could WIN a Reverend Guitars Cross Cut and Positive Grid Spark LIVE as featured in John Bohlinger's Electric Busking Rig video seen below! Enter by September 3, 2024 for your chance to win!
Reverend Crosscut Solidbody Electric Guitar with Maple Fingerboard - Natural
Crosscut, NaturalPositive Grid Spark LIVE 150-watt 4-channel Combo Amp and PA System
150W 5.25" Compact Active PA Spkr (ea)A Godzilla-sized bass octave fuzz that is capable of doomy devastation—or more nuanced sounds that fit in mellow, organic musical settings.
Surprising selection of hazy, subtle bass-drive tones that transcend doom and desert rock.
Interactive controls can make some tones elusive when fine-tuning on the fly.
$129
Electro-Harmonix Lizard King Bass Octave Fuzz
ehx.com
Bass octave-fuzz effects aren’t typically for the timid. And as its name suggests, theEHX Lizard King largely trades in Godzilla-huge, cityscape-leveling sounds that lift bassists above Bonham-aping drummers and desert-rock guitar players that don’t have to answer to the neighbors. But there are shades of low end beyond simply menacing in the Lizard King.
Electro-Harmonix Lizard King Review by premierguitar
A big part of that flexibility starts with the sun/shadow switch. Sun mode features a mid-boosted fuzz bookended by enhanced treble and bass in the clean side of the blend. The shadow mode features flat bass and treble response and a much tighter fuzz. Each mode can be radically reshaped by the octave, blend, and tone controls, which, in various configurations, span warm overdrive with a little fuzz and fizz, glowing at the edges and thuggish realms. Many of the tones in the latter range are predictably chaotic, belching strange, colliding overtones that can sound quite tattered at more aggressive blend, tone, and octave settings—especially when you play down low on the neck. The same tones can be tightened up by playing in higher positions and especially at the 12th fret and above. The most cohesive of these tones can sound devastating while doubling, say, an SG and a Big Muff. But using subtler, hazier, and more modest octave fuzz textures can provide hip juxtaposition to mellower sounds from acoustic guitar to electric piano and synth string ensembles.
Electro-Harmonix Lizard King Octave Fuzz Pedal
Lizard King Octave Fuzz PedalMade in the U.S. with high-strength steel and a silicone cradle, it safely holds up to 25 pounds.
Strumland, a boutique brand focused on designing and building premium guitar accessories, has launched their debut product, the Studio Collection Guitar Wall Mount.
Designed to work universally with all acoustic, electric, and classical guitars, it’s a modern, rock-solid solution to showcase and protect your guitar. The sleek powder-coated steel body includes a simple yet hidden swiveling function to accommodate all guitar styles and headstock shapes. A custom cradle, molded from pure silicone, strongly supports and protects guitar necks and finishes. High-strength mounting hardware along with a user-friendly installation guide are included. The product can be safely mounted to vertical studs, wooden beams, or to standard drywall surfaces. It features an advertised maximum weight rating of 25 pounds (and can safely hold even more), well in excess of even the heaviest solid-body electric guitars.
The new hanger is precision built with a USA-made steel body and hand-assembled in Asheville, NC.” Ryan Klinger, founder and owner of Strumland, noted that “after significant R&D, we’re confident our guitar wall mount is safe to use with all properly cared for guitar finishes -including vintage instruments and those finished with nitrocellulose lacquer. It’s made to compliment the craftsmanship of your instrument. We take the responsibility of protecting and showcasing your guitar seriously.”
Strumland products are built to last and backed by the brand’s trademark Lifetime Sustain Guarantee. Available in both Pitch Black and Pure White finishes, the Strumland Studio Collection Guitar Wall Mount (MSRP: $39) is sold online only with free shipping fromStrumland.com and Amazon.com.
For more information, please visit strumland.com.
Hot lipstick pickups, a hotter red finish, and f-hole distinguish a Longhorn fit for the Sunset Strip.
Danelectro Red Hot Longhorn Semi-hollowbody Bass Guitar - Red
First introduced in 1958, Danelectro’s classic Longhorn body shape and short-scale neck is revered for its distinctive sound, heard on countless recordings. The newest Longhorn carries on this proud tradition but adds some modern touches.
Red Hot Longhorn features include:
- Red Hot top and black back & sides
- F hole and top body binding.
- Two Danelectro 50’s pickups, CRL pickup selector
- 29.75″ short-scale neck with Rosewood fretboard and 24 frets
- Traditional bridge with single adjustable rosewood saddle
- Black die-cast master volume and tone knobs