The Buyer’s Gear Guide – Modulation

Modulation effects are the colouring on your pedalboard. They can be used to add subtle textures and character or to create wild and unique tones. In this guide we’ll look at a handful of chorus, flangers, phasers, Uni-Vibes and rotary effects, with David Gilmour’s tones in mind.

Updated March 2023

Modulating a guitar tone is an old trick. Back in the early days of studio trickery, setting up two tape recorders and slowing one of them down, would create flanging.

When the tape and machinery on the old echo machines would wear down, it would create a subtle modulation. The more the unit was in need of maintenance, the more pronounced the flutter or warble effect would get.

The phaser pedal appeared in the early 70s with Oberheim, Maestro and MXR among others. By the mid and late 70s, companies like Electro Harmonix and Roland/Boss had also created the first flanger and chorus pedals.

David Gilmour and modulation

David Gilmour has been using rotating speaker cabinets since late 1968. Both in the studio for recording and as part of his stage rig. They’re used for texture, always on and ,mixed in lower than the main amps, rather than a specific effect.

The Uni-Vibe and phaser dominated his tones during the 1972-75 Dark Side of the Moon era, while the Electric Mistress flanger was an important ingredient of his Animals, The Wall and Final Cut tones.

Like most guitarists at the time, David was an avid user of chorus in the 80s and 90s. He would use it both as a stand alone mono pedal and for creating a stereo spread with his stage rig.

See the David Gilmour gear guide for a detailed setup for each album and tour.

Modulation on the pedalboard

Modulation effects are typically placed between gain effects and delays. David Gilmour usually has his Uni-Vibes, phasers, flangers and chorus after his overdrives and fuzz pedals, with the rotary cabinets last, along with the main amps.

Personally I find that phasers and Uni-Vibes sound better when they’re placed in front of gain effects. I keep flangers and chorus after. Experiment and find your tone!

I have played and tested each pedal in this guide, with guitars and amps that are typically associated with David Gilmour.

Flanger

David Gilmour used the Electro Harmonix 18V Electric Mistress between 1977-83 and again on the 2015-16 Rattle That Lock tour. The mid 70s Electric Mistress is recognised by its bright and liquidy character that’s perhaps closer to a chorus rather than the typical jet-like flanger.

The original mid to late 70s Electric Mistress is easy to track down but it will cost you. Like those old Big Muffs, the Electric Mistress tend to suffer from bad quality control and the normal wear of old parts. These units also lacked a noise filter, which resulted in a very noisy circuit and they have a nasty volume drop when engaged. Unless you’re really looking for that special unit for your collection, I strongly recommend checking out some of the excellent clones.

The bigger box Deluxe Electric Mistress appeared in the late 70s. This one has a slightly different character that’s somewhere between the chorusy smaller box version and the typical Van Halen MXR jet-like flanger. Mind that newer big box reissues and the XO reissue are much darker sounding and not something I’d recommend.

Past FX Elastic Mattress Flanger
The Elastic Mattress is probably as close as you’ll ever get to the sound and character of an original mid 70s 18V Electric Mistress. It has that liquidy almost chorus-like tone, with a shimmering top and a lovely swirl underneath. Unlike the original though, the Elastic Mattress is quiet and an onboard level control allows you to set the effect level to match your pickups and amp. There’s also trim pots and additional controls for fine tuning the flanging and brightness. See my review of the Elastic Mattress here.

Gilmour tones: Animals – The Final Cut / Rattle That Lock

Retro Sonic Flanger
Retro Sonic’s Flanger is an excellent clone of the mid 70s 18V Electric Mistress. There’s really not a huge difference between this one and the Elastic Mattress. They both provide the unique character of the original, with the much needed upgrades. Including a silent circuit and no volume drop. The Flanger is a tad darker, with a slight roll off in the upper frequencies, which will suit brighter pickups and amps. See my full review of the Retro Sonic Flanger here.

Gilmour tones: Animals – The Final Cut / Rattle That Lock

Mooer E-Lady
The E-Lady was one of the first clones of the Electric Mistress to hit the market and it’s still one of my favourites. Compared to the Elastic Mattress and Flanger, the E-Lady is closer to the late 70s and 80s Deluxe Electric Mistress, with a slightly darker tone and more of that jet-like flanging. An excellent and budget friendly alternative for your David Gilmour tones.

Gilmour tones: Animals – The Final Cut / Rattle That Lock

Chorus

David Gilmour mainly used the Boss CE-2 in the 80s and 90s for chorus tones. The CE-2 has a subtle character compared to some of the more modern chorus pedals.

The Boss CE-5 and also the MXR Analog Chorus, which is based on the CE-5, are good alternatives to the CE-2 and they also produce convincing rotary sounds.

Boss CE-2
The classic CE-2 has a subtle chorus effect typical of the 80s. It’s fairly dark, with a bit of mid range that blends well with most pickups, amps and other pedals. Boss recently re-released the CE-2 as part of their Waza line, which offer both the original CE-2 circuit and the slightly brighter sounding CE-1.

Gilmour tones: About Face – PULSE

Electro Harmonix Small Clone
The Small Clone is very similar to the CE-2, with a slightly darker tone and perhaps a slightly more noticeable chorus character. A classic in its own right that was made famous by many grunge guitarists in the early 90s. The original Small Clone has a nasty volume drop that’s fixed with the Nano version.

Gilmour tones: About Face – PULSE

Jam Pedals Waterfall
The Waterfall is based on the Boss CE-2, with a bit more open tone and less mid range. Additional controls allows you to tweak the chorus from anything between subtle CE-2 to convincing rotary and some pretty wild tones. Well worth checking out for both David Gilmour’s 80s and 90s tones and some more unusual textures.

Gilmour tones: About Face – PULSE

Mooer Ensemble King
Based on the Boss CE-2 the Ensemble King feature the MN3007 chip for warm analog tones. Compared to the CE-2 this one’s got an overall warmer tone but also a bit more mid range. An additional level control allows you to dial in just the right amount of chorus for your tones. An excellent budget alternative.

Gilmour tones: About Face – PULSE

Phaser

David Gilmour used the MXR Phase 90 in 1974-75. Most notably for the recording of Shine on You Crazy Diamond and Have a Cigar. The 4-stage phaser has much of the same qualities as the Uni-Vibe and could be used for songs like Breathe and Time.

MXR Phase 90 script logo
The script logo Phase 90 is a true replica of the mid 70s model, with the same thick creamy character made famous by so many, including Eddie Van Halen and David Gilmour. The script model is available as both a faithful reissue of the 1974 model and one with modern led and power input. Both more or less identical sound wise.

Gilmour tones: Dark Side of the Moon – Wish You Were Here

The MXR block logo Phase has a slightly brighter tone, with more mid range and a slight volume boost. It is not as smooth and vintage sounding as the script logo and not something I’d recommend for David Gilmour’s tones.

Electro Harmonix Small Stone
The Small Stone is just as legendary and classic as the Phase 90. Favoured by keyboard players in particular, the Small Stone has a slightly smoother character and a less pronounced phasing or sweep. The original Small Stone had a nasty volume drop but this is fixed with the Nano version.

Gilmour tones: Dark Side of the Moon – Wish You Were Here

Uni-Vibe

David Gilmour used a UniVox Uni-Vibe between 1972-75 and again from 1994 to present. For the latter period, a custom made rack unit made from an original circuit.

Although essential for that authentic Dark Side of the Moon swirl, the Uni-Vibe is perhaps a lesser important effect for David’s tones that easily can be replicated with a script logo Phase 90.

DryBell Vibe Machine V-3
The Vibe Machine is unique, with its custom 4 mini photo cell circuitry housed in a standard MXR style box. The pedal is packed with features, allowing you to tweak your Uni-Vibe tones to fit any type of pickups and amps. The V-3 has a more open character, with less mids and a bit more top end. Perhaps a slightly more modern sounding unit but it absolutely nails those classic tones. Whether it’s Hendrix, Trower or Gilmour. See my review of the DryBell Vibe Machine V-3 here.

Gilmour tones: Dark Side of the Moon

Electronic Orange Moon Vibe MkII
This classic four photo cell circuitry delivers everything from haunting lo-fi phasing to heavy throbbing rotary. In addition to the more familiar controls, the Moon Vibe also feature a Symmetry control that allows you to finely tune the pedal for different amps and pickups. This is a slightly darker Uni-Vibe, compared to some of the others, but this makes it even easier to blend with high gain fuzz and distortions. High praise! See my review of the Moon Vibe MkII here.

Gilmour tones: Dark Side of the Moon

MXR Uni-Vibe
MXR/Dunlop owns the rights to the original Uni-Vibe and they’ve managed to capture the iconic character and tone in this pedalboard friendly box. The Uni-Vibe deliver creamy texture on slow speed and deep throbbing tremolo at higher speeds. This is a slightly brighter sounding Uni-Vibe, at least compared to the Vibe Machine and Moon Vibe, but definitely worth checking out for those classic tones.

Gilmour tones: Dark Side of the Moon

Rotary

David Gilmour used Leslie rotating speaker cabinets between 1968-75. These are recognised by their dry, woody character and a deep tremolo at higher speed. From 1977 Animals to present, David has used Yamaha RA200 cabinets and his custom designed Doppola speakers.

Compared to the Leslie, the Yamaha has a much more open character. Almost like a chorus. The custom Coppola speakers are somewhere in between, with a dry swirl but a bit of that ethereal chorus as well.

David would split the signal from his pedalboard into both the main amps and the rotary cabinet, with the rotary mixed lower than the amps, creating texture rather than using the rotary as a dominating effect.

Dawner Prince Pulse
The Pulse is a bold take on two rather unusual rotating speakers – The Maestro Rover and David Gilmour’s custom Doppolas. Both featured on Division Bell and Pulse. This isn’t your typical rotary pedal. Unlike the dry tremolo-like Leslie, the Pulse replicates the open and airy sounds of those two unique speakers. It’s kind of a chorus-flanger-rotary in one, with a subtle effect that adds a bit of texture and character to your tones. Truly impressive! See my review of the Dawner prince Pulse here.

Gilmour tones: Division Bell – Pulse

Strymon Lex
The Lex is in my opinion the most authentic sounding Leslie sim on the market. It has that dry, woody character and there are tons of controls and features allowing you to tailor the tone to match your pickups and amp. The recent updated version also feature an effect level control, allowing a bit of the guitar’s dry signal to shine through, which is exactly what you want for your David Gilmour tones. Perhaps not an obvious choice and certainly not fitting for those Animals, Wall and Pulse tones, but an excellent Leslie pedal and dead on those Dark Side of the Moon rotary tones.

Gilmour tones: Ummagumma – WYWH

Neo Instruments Micro Vent 122
The Ventilator, and the now smaller sized Micro Vent, has long been considered as the most authentic sounding rotary sim on the market. It may very well be. Even in mono, this unit has a wide and rich rotary character that captures all the sonics of a real Leslie cabinet. It’s not as dry sounding as the Lex but there’s a distinct deep tremolo on faster speed settings. The Vent also blends well with higher gain and fuzz pedals. See my review of the Neo Instruments Micro Vent 122 here.

Gilmour tones: Suitable for any era

Boss RT-20 Rotary Ensemble
The RT-20 was one of the very first rotary sims on the market and to be very honest it’s not a very good one. It sounds more like a very deep chorus but that’s exactly what you want for David’s Yamaha and Doppola tones of the late 70s and 90s. Two controls for controlling the effect level and amount allows you to dial in just the right amount of rotary that fits cleans and heavy gain equally well. Don’t let this old gem fool you!

Gilmour tones: Animals – Pulse

Did I miss something? Please use the comments field below and share your tips and recommendations!

914 thoughts on “The Buyer’s Gear Guide – Modulation”

    1. You could use any tremolo pedal, like the Boss TR2. Optical tremolo is a bit too smooth, or phaser like, sounding for Money though. David Gilmour used a Kepex rack unit for the recording of Money.

  1. Hey Bjorn, thanks for your amazing work! I want to know which Rotary pedal will be the best for Pulse. The Dawner Pulse or Boss Rt-20?
    Kind regards

    1. The RT20 has always been a favourite and it can definitely nail the Pulse tones but I guess the Pulse is even closer.

  2. Hi, Bjorn!

    I’m thinking about getting my hands on a CE-2W for those Pulse tones, but I’m a little concerned about its similarity to the original CE-2. Do you think it can really replicate that sound or should I look for the original version?

    Best regards, Lucas.

      1. Thank you, Bjorn!

        Regarding modulation again, what would you choose between Electronic Orange Moon Vibe MkII and TruFi Ghost Vibe? Is still the Ghost vibe your favorite for those classic DSOMT tones?

        1. They’re both great sounding I think. The Moon Vibe has a more defined UniVibe character, with a very pronounced throb, while the Ghos Vibe is closer to a phaser perhaps. Smoother and darker sounding.

    1. I had an original CE-2. When it died I bought the CE-2W. I haven’t compared them side-by-side but from my recordings I can’t tell a difference. But overall, if I were to have 1 chorus pedal, I’d rather have the JAM Waterfall which can do a convincing CE-2 impression and is just so much more versatile. If you don’t have a phaser already, there is also a new JAM pedal now, the Ripply Fall which I’ve tried. This combines the waterfall with their phaser and will cover you well for phasing, chorus, and really convincing univibe sounds.

  3. Hi Bjorn.

    Do you own a Digitech Whammy? No mention anywhere. How do you like it?

    Some use a basic PS with an expression pedal while others say it doesn’t come close to the Whammy, latency being the biggest problem.

    Thanks for the tips!

    Nick

  4. Hi Bjorn, I noticed you have mentioned the nano clone in the article, but that is a horrible pedal, let me explain. EHX have made five pedals with the word “clone” in their name, the small clone, the neo clone, the nano clone, the bass clone, and the clone theory. In which, the nano clone is the only one being DIGITAL, and is notoriously known for the noise it makes that in some cases can be louder than the pedal it self, it’s the only pedal among the five clones that I would not recommend for Gilmourish tones, dispite all the noise it makes, it sounds more like a flanger than a chorus, it does not even suit nirvana tones.

  5. Hi Bjorn,
    1. What is the best univibe clone you do recommend?
    2. Any opinion about the Whirlwind Orange Box Phase 90 pedal?
    Cheers.

    1. Either the DryBell Machine Vibe or the Tru-Fi Ghost Vibe. The latter being more vintage sounding.
      The Whirlwind is a very close to the MXR script logo Phase 90.

      1. Thanks Bjorn,
        I’m looking for the most authentical Hendrix original univibe tone so the vintage one should be more appropriate I guess.
        Did you try the Mojo Vibe and the Pedal Pawn Gibsy Vibe as well? Both sound amazing!

        1. I think I’ve played most of the UniVibes over the years. Most of them sound very good but they also tend to respond differently depending on what pickups and amp you have. To my ears, the most vintage and authentic sounding might be the Electronic Orange Moon Vibe or the Tru-Fi Ghost Vibe. The DryBell Machine Vibe is slightly more modern sounding but by far my favourite.

            1. Hi Bjorn, sorry one more question.
              What do you think about the Thorpy FX ER-2 vibe?
              I can’t decide between this one, the Moon Vibe and the Tru-Fi.
              Is the Thorpy much closer to the Vibe Machine or to a vintage vibe like the Shin-Ei?
              Anyway, the Thorpy sounds really nice!

              1. I haven’t tried the Thorpy so I really can’t comment on it. The Ghost Vibe is probably my favourite at the moment. Very smooth, transparent and vintage sounding.

  6. Hi Bjorn, all the best for the festive season! Is the Pastfx Elastic Mattress still your preferred best clone to the original electric mistress?
    Do you think it would be good also for Andy Summers flanged sounds rather than getting the EHX Walking on the moon pedal? I realise you may not have tested this yet but have you seen the video of Andy Summers promoting the pedal? It doesn’t sound great to me nothing like his original sound so that makes me tend towards the Pastfx elastic mistress as a far better bet! Your the thoughts? Cheers

    1. As far as I know the Andy Summer is a rebranded XO Mistress and I didn’t like that at all. Too dark and little in common with the 70s model. The Elastic Mattress is by far the closest match to the original mid 70s Mistress. IMO anyway :)

  7. hey bjorn, i have a crazy question about adt replication. i know there are specific pedals out there for that, but i have heard that a good chorus with a mix knob like the mxr analog chorus can do convincing automatic double tracking tones. even while live. am i crazy, or is this at least somewhat true?

    1. You can definitely do what a chorus. Not exactly the same result but adt pedals mimics the double tracking effect with a delayed signal and chorus is a delay.

  8. Hey Bjorn,

    I want to get that Yamaha rotary sound without breaking the bank – are there any cheaper pedals you could recommend that can get close to that sound? I can’t find the RT-20 anywhere and the Neo is just too expensive for my budgets.

    Thanks

    1. There really aren’t that many rotary pedals that can do the unique character and tone of the Yamaha. The RT20 is very close. It’s no longer in production but it should be easy to track down used. SK Note has a very accurate plugin of the RA200 but obviously that’s for recording. Dawner Prince PULSE is basen on the Yamaha and David’s cusom Doppola speakers but it’s expensive. Pedals like the Vent and Lex are better for Leslie tones. Not the Yamaha.

    1. I’ve never had the chance to try the DC so I can’t tell for sure but it is a chorus so I would say it would cover the 80s and 90s tones in particular.

  9. Can we expect a review of the PastFx Rotary Phaser?
    Do you have any impressions on what it can cover?

    Thanks always.

    1. I haven’t tried it so I can’t really tell. A Phase 90 is a good alternative to a UniVibe. Both slow and fast speed. I’ve been using the Dunlop RotoVibe for years as an alternative to a UniVibe. I assume the Rotary Phaser is close to these.

  10. Hi there Bjorn.

    Do you know how Gilmour gets so much sustain while pitch shifting with the whammy? With a tone so clear, not fading or losing power. Specially on the song The Blue.
    Considering the Digitech Whammy is one of the first pedals in the signal chain, after maybe only the tuner and compressor, how is it possible? The drivers and delays come only after the whammy.
    I do own one, and as soon as I start pitch shifting, the signal kind of dies. It loses power. The end of the shifting is barely listenable. And David’s is loud and clear, with no distinction between the tone before and after the shifting.
    I tried solving this problem maxing on the volume knob on the guitar and putting a compressor in front (CS-3) of the whammy, both to minimum effect.

    Any tips? It would be deeply appreciated.

    Thanks in advance.
    Best,
    Daniel.

    1. Hi Daniel, do you experience lack of sustain when the Whammy isn’t plugged into the chain? It shouldn’t cause any issues but it might amplify issues that are already present due to its technology of pitch shifting. What amp, pickups and other pedals do you use?

      1. Hi Bjorn.
        What pedal do you recommend for getting Gilmour’s tremolo effect on the ringing B minor chord on Money?

        One of my bands is performing the entire Dark Side. I’m looking for that tremolo.

        Thank you very much.
        Cur

    1. That’s hard because David’s use of different modulation is so typical for each era, album and song. A phaser wouldn’t sound right for Division Bell or Pulse, while a chorus sounds very off for songs like Have a Cigar and Breathe.
      1972-74 UniVibe
      1975 Phaser
      1977-81 Electric Mistress
      80s and 90s Chorus

  11. Hi Bjorn,
    Thoughts on the EHX Good Vibes Univibe compared to the MXR Univibe?

    I own a Good Vibes and personally I think the effect is not as pronounced as it should be. Feels like it disappears in the mix, even with the volume knob maxed on the pedal. What I hear the most is the low end of the vibe. Also, overall it brightens the clean tone of my guitar quite a lot, making it almost impossible to combine it with a drive pedal like the BD-2. I don’t know if that’s something particular to this effect in general.

    I never played the MXR version and I would like to know how they compare.

    1. UniVibes in general are a bit scooped in the mid range and the sweep, which is the nature of the phasing effect, makes it hard to blend in a mix. It works better with a Marshall, like Hendrix, and Hiwatt but tend to drown a bit on a more scooped amp like a Fender. The EHX has a bit too much low end for my taste. The MXR is OK and it has a bit more presence but I think there are better models out there like the DryBell Vibe Machine. Do also check out the Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe, which fits Fender amps very well.

    1. Depends on what tones you want. A chorus is perhaps the most versatile between the two but for Animals and Wall tones you definitely need an Electric Mistress.

      1. Looking for tones from DSotM-The Wall, Division Bell, Gda?sk & Pompeii 2016.

        I currently have a Ram’s Head, compressor & Catalinbread Echorec, seriously considering a Keeley Dark Side and a BD-2 to pretty much get all the tones I’m missing in 2 pedals.

        1. OK, so modulation is pretty much just icing on the cake. The Mistress is typical for Animals and Wall but it’s not suitable for Dark Side, Pulse etc. A chorus is typically 80s so it doesn’t fit Dark Side and songs like Breathe, where you want a UniVibe or phaser.
          Dark Side – WYWH: UniVibe or 4-stage phaser
          Animals – Wall – Final Cut: Electric Mistress
          80s and 90s: Chorus

          1. Thanks Bjorn. I thought his usage of chorus spanned more albums.

            Thoughts on the Keeley Dark Side? the review that was linked to your YouTube demo doesn’t work anymore.

  12. Hey Bjorn!

    I’ve always been a huge fan of your online content and again, I love the new website!

    I recently acquired an Elastic Mattress and was wondering how you might set the blend control to match Gilmour’s lead tones from the Live Wall shows? I feel like I get quite close with it, but I was wondering what your recommended presets might be just to get a second opinion. Also, a brief note about Muff pedals: if you haven’t tried the large box Caprid model from Wren and Cuff, it’s the closest Ram’s Head to Gilmour’s tones I’ve ever played and I will be keeping on or around my board forever. Just thought I’d throw that out there!

    Keep making noise my friend! Hope you’re well!

    1. Thanks for your kind words Andy!
      I usually keep the rate at about 1:00 and the range and colour at 11:00. The blend usually between 3-5:00. 3:00 for Big Muffs and 5:00 for cleans. Just sound better to my ears with the blend rolled back a bit for higher gain effects.

  13. The new Andy Summers flanger is the exact same De luxe electric mistress XO pedal. Same circuit, same components. Just change the casing.

    1. Interesting. I didn’t like the XO. Thought it was way too dark and muddy. Was hpoing the Strummer was closer to the older models.

      1. Unfortunately not, and it is the electro harmonix house itself that says that the two flangers are the exact same thing. In fact, now the XO model has gone out of production. This thing in my opinion is really incomprehensible. Among other things, inside the flanger there are modifiable trim pots, where it is possible to make the flanger much brighter and closer to the original mistress, but the electro harmonix technicians have declared that the new model will be calibrated exactly like the XO model . So for those planning to buy the Andy Summers flanger, know that you are buying the XO model. Incredible but, unfortunately, true ..!

    1. I haven’t tried the NUX so I can’t really tell. I know there are several good budget options out there but I have very little experience with them. You sould be able to track down a used Boss RT20 although these tend to be expensive these days.

    1. The new Andy Summers flanger is the exact same De luxe electric mistress XO pedal. Same circuit, same components. Just change the casing.

  14. Hey Bjorn, I have a Dunlop rotovibe. I was wondering which eras this would work for and how you would use it in a David Gilmour setup.

    1. The RotoVibe is kind of a mix between a UniVibe and Phase 90 so I think it works nicely for Dark Side of the Moon and Wish YouWere Here. I usually keep the effect all the way up, that little control on the right side of the pedal, and use the sweep pedal to adjust the rate of the effect.

  15. Hi Bjorn!
    Thanks for your amazing contents.. its been awhile that I’m searching for something between rotary and chorus.. do you think the ibanez cs9 (maybe the new Ibanez csmini) would do it for me? I think its very similar to ce2 but with just a touch of shimmer and more high end that I’m wondering is it good for my purpose?

    1. I haven’t tried that one so I can’t really tell. The CE2 doesn’t do rotary that well. The CE5 is a better option I think.

  16. Hi Bijorn. What do you think of the mxr micro flanger? Judging from the video, it seems that one can safely enter Gilmour territories as well. Definitely it’s a different flanger than the four knob mxr, I feel it anymore
    ” chorus ” . And it also covers univibe/rotary sounds. What’s your thought? Greetings.
    Video :
    https://youtu.be/B9yT1_EEc94

    1. I’m a huge fan of the MXR flangers but they have more of that jet type of flanging, which is more accurate compared to the chorus-like Mistress. You can tweak it for some similar tones but I prefer MXR for Van Halen.

  17. I suggest the phase 95. if the script 90 mode is any different to the original or reissue, then it’s barely noticable, when i use it, it gives the exact sound you expect after listening to songs using the original. At a band meetup, someone thought I was using a rotary sim as it can sound like that

    also I suggest the neo clone rather than the nano. the nano is terrible in comparison, the neo is much closer to the original and sounds great. the low depth mode kinda sounds like an electric mistress and a yamaha ra200

    also, don’t forget the ehx reissue of the electric mistress. the XO green deluxe version is great. the stereo version is terrible, but the green one is great. there might be a trim pot on the inside that controls mix that you may want to turn up to get a more wet effect. (to those who say it’s less lush, this is probably the reason, a lot of them don’t have the mix trim pot screwed all the way up, it just takes a screwdriver) this guy did a post about it. https://www.reddit.com/r/guitarpedals/comments/w93iz7/electric_mistress_versions_and_clones_comparisons/

    also, check out the dawner prince viberator. very good univibe sound

  18. Manuel Pérez Fernández

    Hello Bjorn, congratulations on the website, it’s fantastic, I’ve been following you for a long time and I have some pedals to play always inspired by Gilmour, my question is that I’m looking for a cheap flanger and I would like to know if I should choose a neo mistress or mooer e lady .

    I have a tele squier with suhr pickups and a Mexico strat like seymour Duncan jb pickups, DOD compressor, little Big muff, Boss Os-2, tuve screamer ts-9, Booster xotic RC, chorus ce-2 Japan, phase small stone, delay memory toy, I also have Boss dd-3 and mooer Ana echo, and Fender pro Junior IV and Fender princeton 112 plus amplifiers, transistors, do you recommend any configuration in order of pedals or adjustment of any pedal, I am not a professional I just really enjoy playing and I I really like the Gilmour tone, thank you very much for all your work that you show on your great website Gilmourish, I take this opportunity to congratulate you on A fleeting glimpse that I already enjoy together with two more records that I bought from Spain. Best regards Manuel.

    1. Thanks for your kind words! The E_lady is definitely the way to go. The Neo Mistress is a very different sounding pedal.
      Seems to me that you’re covered pedalwise. Rather than buying more stuff I’d experiment with the amp settings and build the tone based on a powerful amp platform.

      1. Manuel Perez Fernandez

        Thanks for your answer Bjorn, I’m going to get the e lady with a change of material, as for the amplifiers I have to look more for the tone as you tell me, in the Fender pro junior with valves it only has volume and tone control. I need a bit of reverb, maybe with a delay I can get some effect, with the princeton I have no problem, it has a good reverb and also an effects loop and controls to equalize bass, midrange and treble, I’ll try to go deeper looking for a little more tone with them, Another issue I have seen in your videos about the phase that you prefer to place before the fuzz, overdrive and distortion pedals, I have to try the idea, I think it’s great, in fact, one thing that happens to me when I use the small stone is that it goes up and down I don’t know if the volume is the pedal or something I have wrong with the pedal chain, I’ll keep trying and I’ll watch more videos about the effects to get more ideas, once again a million thanks, greetings. Manuel.

    2. the neo mistress doesn’t sound much like the original, the moor elec lady is better. but even better imo is the slightly bigger reissue of the deluxe electric mistress (not the massive one, the XO version released last decade). gets a lot of hate, but it’s honestly great. but it’s not quite as budget friendly

  19. Hi Bjorn, the new site looks great! I was checking out the new gear buyers guide and I couldn’t help but notice that you no longer recommend MJM pedals like de sixties vibe or the london fuzz, is there a reason for it? Thanks for always providing such excellent content and information.

    1. Thanks! No other reason than that I tried to scale it down a bit. I still love the MJM stuff and the Red London Fuzz in particular.

  20. Adi Corrales Magallanes

    Typo: “David has used Yamaha RA200 cabinets and his custom designed Coppola speakers.”. (the Godfather theme sounds in my mind ;) )

  21. Hi Bjorn! If there’s a God called Gilmour, you’re surely are his reincarnation. I have a question, I want to get as close as possible to “The Wall” and “Earl’s Court Live 81” tunes. Apart from all the effects and pedals, you wrote about the double tracking of guitar, with one track slightly delayed. In your opinion, do you think this is achievable via some specific pedals like the Tc Electronic Mimiq, or the Strymon Deco? Or is it something that is needed to be done only in a Daw with those witcheries of tools? Thank you!

    1. On The Wall they did all kinds of things to create unique and big guitars. Some parts are plain mono, while others are either double tracked or they’ve taken the mono track, panned it, with a delay or reverb panned to the other side. The Mimiq and Deco can do this but it won’t sound exactly as the album. David’s live tone for The Wall tour was, as far as I know, split into two mono signals which again was split into a combination of a Hiwatt head and a Yamaha RA200 rotating cabinet. Sort of a dual mono. If you listen to the Is There Anybody Out There live album, his guitars to be in stereo. At least for the solos.

    2. the most realistic would be 2 versy similar amps, and splitting your guitar signal, but just before it hits one of the amps, you have a delay pedal, 1 repeat, mix all the way up, and time just a bit off

      otherwise for 1 amp just get a slapback delay, honestly, it’s just as good. though it won’t have as close of time as you can do with an actual stereo setup (too short and it starts to flange in a bad way), it won’t make much of a difference

      besides, only some songs had double tracking

      a strymon deco will do it just fine, though a digital delay would be a little better, it’s fine to use the deco, you nor anyone will notice a difference

  22. Ville Silventoinen

    Hi Bjorn! Have you tried the Red Witch Empress Deus Chorus? Thank you so much for all the information, it has been very useful, I really appreciate it.

  23. Hey Bjorn, I was wondering which pedal you believe is better for capturing Gilmours Rotary sounds, the Neo Instruments micro vent or the Dawner Prince Pulse?

    Mainly wondering which pedal is more versatile, I know the vent is simulating a leslie and the Pulse is simulating the Yamaha but wanted to know if I can achieve those Yamaha sounds with the Vent and vice versa (if i can get leslie sounds with the Pulse).

    Off topic but when setting up your amp, do pedals ‘work’ better with the dirty channel (made to sound clean) or do you use the clean channel o0f your amp?

    1. I would say that the Neo is more versatile. The Pulse is great and perhaps better for David’s Division Bell and Pulse tones but it has a very characteristic tone, which might not suit everything you want to do. The Neo can cover a lot of ground. My favourite Leslie pedal is the Strymon Lex but that one has a very dry Leslie tone, which might not suit David’s tones.
      Depends on what amp you’re using. Some two channel amps tend to sound better on a clean set dirt channel because that channel often has more mids and compression than the clean channel but again, it depends on the voicing of the amp.

      1. Thank you for the reply, I agree that the Lex sounds a bit dry and not quite a david gilmour sound, I don’t know about the new one but i don’t think the old one had a Blend knob which i feel goes a long way in replicating David’s mix of his normal amp sound and the Leslie. I know the new Lex has a Dry setting but wether that works as a mixer i dont know. Thanks again for the help and I think I shall go for the Neo when I get paid :)

  24. Hey Bjorn! I noticed in the PULSE page that David had his CE2 on pretty much all the time and only in the “left channel”. I was just wondering if you have more information on that. We do hear a “chorusy” type sound on his guitar, which I’m assuming also comes from the doppolas. Can you talk more about that if possible? Thanks!

    1. What I’ve read is that it’s used to create a wider stereo spread. He did something similar during the second half of te Wall tour, with a mono rig but using CE2s to create the impression of stereo. The Doppolas created the modulation you hear on Pulse.

  25. I would love to see some more options for the Rotary!! I have a Digitech Ventura Vibe but I don’t think it’s cutting it..
    Great stuff man. Cheers.

    1. I haven’t tried it so I can’t really tell. Based on the reviews I’ve seen it appears to have some really great modulation tones but perhaps not the flanger and phaser you would associate with Gilmour. More modern perhaps. Again, I haven’t tried it myself.

      1. You’re very welcome, I went ahead a bit the bullet on one. Sounds great. Compared to my Retro-Sonic Flanger V2, it has more bass and less treble, but otherwise very accurate. Sounds less authentic on cleans without the high end sparkle but sounds amazing with gain. I didn’t buy it for the chorus mode, but it sounds pretty cool too. Overall it’s not going to replace the Retro-Sonic, but I will certainly find a use for it.

    1. Hey Bjorn, I was wondering what the difference was between the Phase 90 Script and Phase 90 1974 reissue? My local store has the script but not the 1974 reissue so I was wondering id it was worth buying the script or searching for the 1974?

      1. They’re “identical”. The script reissue has true bypass and a led, while the custom shop has hardwire bypass and no led. The hardwire drains some of the top end so you will notice that the true bypass script is a tad brighter and more open sounding but the difference is minimal soundwise.

  26. I just discovered an amazingly cheap and effective way to emulate the Doppolas and Maestro Rovers used during The Division Bell tour. The Line 6 M5 (which retails for $199 here in Canada) has two rotary speaker options: Rotary Drum and Rotary Drum & Horn. Surprisingly the Rotary Drum can be tweaked to output more mid-range, adjust the intensity and mixed to taste with the original guitar signal. I’ve been using the NUX Roctary to emulate the Yamaha RA-200 (oddly the M5 doesn’t do as good a job as the NUX). Now I have both!

  27. Wonderful article! Are you farmilar with the pastFX elastic mattress? I’m floored by it. It will be noisy if placed after something with an internal boost and runs at 18V but – to me – it sounds as good as any electric mistress I’ve ever heard, has a cmall footprint, and I love how it looks.

    Hope you are doing well! Take care!

          1. Great review, Bjorn! Glad you’re enjoying the pedal! I love hearing your assessment. I’m in complete agreement with your takeaway!

            I feel like I’ve found my permanent flanger – thought I’m inclined to try a PastFX reticon since i was so pleasantly surprised by the elastic mattress.

            Love the backing track at the end of the video! I thought it was rooster by alice in chains for a few seconds.

            You rock! Awesome playing, awesome reviews! Stay well!

          2. Bjorn, hope all is well with you and yours! I have the ELady from a previous recommendation of yours. How would you compare it with the Elastic Mattress? I hope good or better as mine is just leaving Australia today! In listening to your review and others it seems fuller and more of a chorus and flanger blend. What is your take? Thank You in advance…
            Walter H. ???

            1. Hi Walter, long time! Hope all is well :) The ELady is based on the Deluxe Mistress, which has a much more of that jet-type flanging. Closer to the MXR but still that Mistress flavour. The Elastic and Retro Sonic are both based on the mid 70s 18V mistress, which has a more liquidy chorusy kind of flanging. Two different pedals I would say.

              1. Thanks Bjorn & Happy Easter to you and yours! As always, I appreciate your input and all your reviews are spot on! I can hear and understand the difference between the two flangers now. I luckily have an 18 volt input in my Truetone CS7 power supply and I’ll run it with my Catlinbread Echorec @18 as I love the extra depth I get from it that way. I use their two plug splitter and have 11 pedals running out of 7 inputs with Zero noise! I’ve been very happy with the Truetone set up. I’ll let you know my thoughts on the Elastic Mattress when it arrives from Down Under…Keep those reviews coming!
                Walter H. ???

  28. Hi Bjorn,do you have any experience with the DigiTech Ventura? I am wondering how it compares to the Boss RT-20 for Gilmour rotary tones.

    1. I recently bought the Ventura, having a RT-20 on my board. In some of the demo videos the Ventura sounds awesome. But I have to admit that the RT-20 sounds far better in MY constellation (for rotary or univibe effects), having quite some pedals on the board. I think as a single pedal the Ventura might do a good job, but in combination with other effects (or a mulieffect device) the result was not convincing. I use it now on my second board as a chorus pedal. Hope this helps.

      1. Thanks for your help. I did get the Ventura and after a lot of tweaking am liking it for both rotary and vibe, though I must admit to not having much experience with either effect type. I am running a stereo set up where I am splitting the signal after dirt pedals with a Boss CE-3 then adding a Phase 95 and Mooer ELady to the B output on the way to a Flashback II then Twin Reverb. The A output goes to the Flashback II then Ventura then a Super Champ x2. I miss out on the Ventura’s stereo but I like how this keeps the 3 pedals from being too dominant to my ear and pretty good for getting Gilmour tones. I got a deal on the Ventura but at some point I would like to get a RT-20 as that does sound great in Bjorn’s demos.

  29. Hi Bjorn,

    I’m thinking of getting a phase 90 but I can’t really choose between the 74’ Reissue and the Custom Shop/LED.
    Which one are you using and which one do you think nails the Gilmour’s tone better?

    Cheers.

      1. Hey Bjorn,

        Sorry for bothering you again but recently, I stumbled across the Phase 95, which is more board-friendly and I wonder if that one can nail the tone as good as those mentioned above?

        Cheers,
        Eric.

      1. Is this list up to date? I don’t see the Retro-Sonic Flanger here. Have you tried the newer version with better sparkle? Thanks again!

        1. No, these lists needs an update. There really isn’t that big difference between the two. The new version is perhaps a bit brighter but not much.

              1. Thanks! I found a new option last night that seems to be even better. This never ends! ? It’s the Elastic Mattress from PastFX.

  30. Caden Westie-Hammond

    Hey bjorn, have you tried the MXR flanger, not the big rack one, but the pedalboard one? Tryna nail that run like hell tone but mailing into canada from reverb to get an eleclady is very expensive, any ideas on pedals that are sold in stores?

    1. The MXR has much more of that jet tone that Eddie Van Halen used on theor first albums. A very different flanger compared to the Electric Mistress. The Boss CE5 is perhaps the closest non-flanger pedal.

      1. what do you think of the EHX electric mistress xo model (the smaller one)? what similarities does it have to the original and the old deluxe? and how does it compare to the electric lady?

        1. It’s a different pedal. The Mooer ELady is the closest to the old 80s and 90s big box Deluxe, while the Retro Sonic Flanger is dead on the mid 70s Mistress.

  31. Hi Bjorn,
    I have recently acquired Mooer ElecLady and I must say I’m a bit disappointed. I have 2 beefs with it.
    First issue is the volume drop, however, it’s not a real deal-breaker for me.
    The second issue, however, is that when engaged I basically lose pick attack? It’s very noticable for me and due to a gazillion of 5-star reviews for the elec-lady, I’m now asking myself whether I was just unlucky and got a “bad” one or is this just how it is?

    1. The E-Lady is based on the Deluxe Electric Mistress of the 80s and 90s. It’s not the mid 70s Mistress. I’ve been using a 1999 Deluxe since I bought it new in 99 and the ELady is as close as you’ll get. What you’re describing is the nature of that effect. The Electric Mistress has never been perfect. Effect pedals rarely was in the 60s and 70s. The volume drop and loss of attack is due to less high end, more mids and a bit of compression.

    1. The JH is the older version. They did some upgrades on the JD, mainly how the controls operated but there is a slight difference in the tone as well. You will see that people who have the original JH will claim that the JD sound like shit but although there is s a difference, both pedals sound very nice to my ears. I’ve been using the JD for years and it’s become a staple in my board. Love it.

  32. Hi Bjorn,
    Have you ever tried the Danelectro – Big Spender rotary sim? It’s definitely on the less expensive side as far as rotary sims go, which is why it caught my attention. One of these days I’ll probably get the Dawner Prince Pulse but this looked like a possible budget option.
    Thanks!
    -Mark

    1. The Big Spender is a great sounding cheaper alternative to a Leslie simulator. Well worth checking out. The Pulse does not sound like a Leslie as it is modelled after David’s custom made Doppola speakers, which has a much more subtle rotary sound similar to a chorus.

  33. Hey Bjorn! Picked up a CE-2W based on your score and recommendation here. I am a long time Electric Mistress fan and never cared much for chorus, but this is an amazing pedal. Both the CE-2 and CE-1 settings are so natural and fluid. It seems to also add some midrange and clarity to the tone, which is great for lead playing. I’m still in the honeymoon period but I could see this possibly replacing the Electric Mistress as my main modulation. Thanks for all of your hard work on this site. It’s full of great information.

  34. Did you gave a try to things like :
    – Moog MF-103 Phaser
    – Schulte Kompakt Phazor-A or its reissue ModMachines KRP-1 Kraut Rock Phaser (used by R.Blackmore, Tangerine Dream and many German bands of the 70’s)
    – TC SCF Super Chorus-Flanger (Cho/Flg/Vib)
    – Moog MF-108M ClusterFlux (Flg/Cho)
    – EHX Tube Wiggler (vib/trem)
    – Rockman Stereo Chorus

    Well, all these tend to get much further than DG’s use, but even not reproducing the same effect grain, they can do the job and sounds are absolutely gorgeous. OK, the Schulte/KRP-1 is unobtainium, I still bite my fingers not having bought the last KRP-1 on Thomann’s when the late maker stopped the works due to “crab”… I didn’t bought the Rockman as I got the TC and Moog, but this one is also gorgeous

  35. Hey Bjorn! Have you tried the MXR Phase 95? I have a script 90 reissue I love but its acting weird, I need to replace it soon. It seems like the 95 is a combination of the modern and script 45 and 90, it’d be awesome to have the same mxr script 90 sound as well as all the other options in the same box

    1. Hello Keith. I really like the Phase 95 pedal with one exception. It or mine can be noisy in a weird ticking kind of sound…MXR replaced the first one I bought and the second one wasn’t as bad. I run it through the effects loop of my Laney Cub12R and all is good! No noises just Great Tones with a lot of tone options unlike other phasers. Look at Svisound too. Their Phaser also offers the 45-90 type tones! It’s really a Kool looking pedal like all Svisound pedals!

  36. Hi bjorn, Can you help to choose between boss ch-1 blu and pink label, which one is better then others and also choosing between Ce-2waza and Ch-1 blu or pink..what you think, can you give some advise? thank you….

    1. I have no idea which is better comparing the blue and pink although I would imagine that they sound more or less identical. In terms of David Gilmour’s chorus tones I’d go for the CE2.

      1. I used an analogue Boss CH-1 Super Chorus in the early 90’s. Replaced with a first batch (serial number is inked with all zeroes) 1979 CE-2 Chorus in the mid 90’s. I prefer not not having tone controls on modulation pedals.

        What I found after getting the CE-2 was that the CH-1 had less headroom. A wah-wah would clip the CH-1 but not the CE-2, which is how I noticed this. The clipping was not to my tastes.

        I’ve seen in a comparison video that the Taiwanese CE-2’s also seem to have less headroom than the Japanese ones. So some part of their chorus circuits must have changed at that time.

        My CH-1 could go faster in LFO speed than my CE-2. I’ve noticed that the Waza Craft CE-2W can go faster than a CE-2 but not as fast as a CH-1. That’s only an issue of toy wabt to use it from time to time as a faux-Leslie. The Waza version doesn’t go as slow as a vintage CE-2 either. So they seem to be set up to dial in faster LFO speeds but not ones that can go as slow as the originals.

        Also: Contrary to what some online Boss fan sites claim the CE-2 was on the market until at least 1990.

        Like the CE-2W CH-1 can go stereo, The vintage CE-1 doesn’t have this option. CH-1 also has a blend control, unlike the CE-2 & CE-2W. I always set this at full on the CH-1 so that was another redundant control for me. The Ibanez Mini Chorus has a blend control as well, so some might find that to be worth considering, albeit a slightly different – bit still very appealing -tone.

  37. Hi Bjorn, love the site. I was wondering if you, or anyone here, had any experience with the A/DA PBF Flanger? I had a scroll through and couldn’t see any mention.
    Demos seem very promising and it appears very versatile, I’m tempted to get one.
    Thanks,
    Malcolm

    1. It’s a great sounding classic flanger. Perhaps not the best choice for David’s tones, which would be the Electric Mistress, but definitely worth checking out.

  38. Hi Bjorn,

    I have the opportunity to buy a Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress Deluxe Version 5 (1995). What do you think of this version of the pedal ? The old ones sound better ?

    Thanks for your help !

    Greetings.

  39. Hi Bjorn, how good are flangers (such as the Mooer eleclady and the Foxgear Maitresse) at replicating a rotary/leslie sound?

    Regards,

    Caspar.

    1. You can set them up for pretty convicing rotary sounds. It’s obviously not the same but in the ballpark. A 4-stage phaser will do much the same.

  40. Hello Bjorn,

    great content as always.
    I was wondering if it was worth investing in a strymon mobius? given that it has all of the different types of modulation effects. Downside with the strymon seems to be that it can only do 1 modulation at a time.

    Does gilmour often use more than one of these modulations effects at a time on certain songs? (i.e flanger + chorus + tremolo).

    If thats the case, im wondering if it is better to get these pedals seperately as opposed to the mobius.

    thanks again for your insight!

    1. The Mobius sounds fantastic. David rarely combine modulation effects, although back in the day, he would often run a phaser/flanger/chorus pedal with the rotating speaker cabinet.

      1. There’s also the Boss MD-500 which has a Phase 90 emulation – or the Line 6 HX Effects. The latter will give you the widest set of tones & the better emulation of the Electric Mistress flanger.
        If you want to keep it analogue without breaking the bank or taking up too much pedalboard real estate then look at the excellent sounding Ibanez Mini series. For modulation they have Chorus, Flanger, Tremolo & Phaser. The fuzz in the series is based on a Big Muff.

        I bought the Chorus & Flanger for my brother & was so impressed that I decided to get all of the Ibanez Minis for a “grab & go” board (apart from the tuner, might stick with Turbo Tuner) as my other boards all weigh a ton. Also have some Mooers that I can mix & match with the Ibanez Mini. They do the same effects types that all based on the actual pedals that DG used.

  41. If there is a difference, I would suppose it has to do with the power supply switch. I’ve heard they managed to get the MM to run on 24V with the 9.6V adapter, but if the DEM XO doesn’t that would probably be why people may prefer V4/V5.

  42. Francisco Tarantino

    I bought the MXR – M152 flanger today. It is a great pedal, in my opinion, covers very well the Gilmour tones, as David never used a too dominating flanging. Any way, I bought it for the jet sound, that is awesome.

  43. Hi Björn, ever tried the Ibanez FL301 Flanger? I had the opportunity to get one and immediately fell in love with it. Compared to the Mooer E-lady I used to have, the sound is much smoother, less “metallic”, if you know what I mean. No volume drop (rather the opposite), very subtle effect settings, and, as I said, incredibly smooth, especially when played with distortion. I play a Fender amp with a lot of “Gilmourish picks” on my pedalboard, but it also worked well with my Marshall. Greetz Alex

    1. Yes, it’s a great sounding flanger. I do prefer the Mooer and the early Deluxe Mistress, even over the mid 70s one, but that’s just my opinion. There are all kinds of different flangers and I love the true flanging too (as in tape flanging) like the MXR and those Van Halen jet-sounds.

  44. Hi bjorn first I want to thank you for all the intressting stuff you’re sharing here.

    then, I want to ask you a question, I’m in a pink floyd tribute band for the modulation I first used the strymon mobius (Very good to replicate the CE2, and the rotary) but not that acurate to replicate the EHX mistress not enought top end, and the uni Vibe,
    I wanted to know which would be your choice between those to replace the EHX mistress

    1- Hartman flanger
    2- Longamp roxane
    3- Buffalo Riticon flang
    4- mooer elec lady
    5- else ?

    I’m using a wet dry wet mesa boogie mark V clean channel in stereo and a fender princetone reverb for the dry.

    Thanks a lot.

  45. Hello Bjorn, i m looking for a mxr phase 90.
    You said the reissue 1974 sounds very good, but what about the mxr csp101sl ?
    Is the csp101sl good enough for go with it instead of buy the 1974 reissue ?
    Thanks
    Adrien

    1. Sorry for my late reply, Adrien. The 74 is an exact replica of the original. The downside is that it has hardwire bypass, which suck some of the high frequencies off your signal. It sound amazing though. The csp101sl is basically the same model, with modern components, led and true bypass switching, which doesn’t suck the tone. Two different flavours of the same pedal. The 80s block logo model does not sound the same.

  46. Robert W Horton

    Hello bjorn,love your work and assistance.
    I’m running my guitar into the Sovtek deluxe muff into an eleclady into a colordriver (clean boost) into Nova delay into twin reverb into v30 speaker. As you know with the eleclady engaged their is a volume drop. What’s the best pedal placement for my eleclady. Is putting the ekeclady first in the chain best or where I have it now? Thanks.
    Rob h.

    1. Since DG uses the Alembic preamp and all the space effects are chained between it and the HiWatt or Fender amps power sections, just put your space effects into your amp’s loop

  47. Hi there Bjorn!
    I’m planning to add a reasonable number of EHX pedals on my new pedalboard – such as the Small Clone, Worm, Electric Mistress and Memory Boy – but saw on your article that EHX modulation pedals tend to loose volume.
    You’ve mentioned that “..like all EHX modulations, the Nano Clone has a nasty volume drop when engaged”.
    Is this something really serious to consider when purchasing these new pedals, or its something that is possible to overcome (by tweaking my amp, playing around pedals or adding a Boost pedal)?
    Any words of wisdom are (again!)) more than welcome.
    Cheers
    Djodje

    1. In my experience, the classic Small Stone, Small Clone and Electric Mistress all have a volume drop. Some hate this and either mod their pedals or use similar effects from other brands. Still, all three effects are among the most used and famous of all time. It’s never been an issue for me because I’ve learned how to compensate, with boosters and pedals that has a bit of a mids hump. It’s just the way those pedals were designed and the frequency they use. Other similar pedals doesn’t sound the same because they often have too much mids or boost. So, my best tip is to consider whether you can live with that or not.

    2. You may consider modifying the output level. I haven’t entered the details since I never cloned the Small Clone, EHX is enough cheap and I prefer higher end ones like the TC SCF or Moog ClusterFlux
      But here you can get the schematic :
      http://www.tonepad.com/getFile.asp?id=97
      Then :
      EHX Small Clone – Volume Mod
      https://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=17386
      Small Clone Mix knob?
      https://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=26010
      Here are some documentations
      https://beckyjc.wordpress.com/pedal-builds/small-clone-mods/

  48. Still nice to stop by at your place before wasting money and/or time (sounds like PF songs !!) on any “Gilmourish” gear ;-) many thanks and take care, Hervé

  49. Hi Bjorn,
    I`m curious how you power your 1999 Deluxe Mistress…..I didn`t see a cord on it in a couple photos I found…..does it use some kind of adapter for the 220 voltage of your country?

  50. What’s the differenve between the 1974 Script Phase 90 and the Script LED one? Because the one with LED is much cheaper

    1. Tonewise, there no significant difference. The non-led version is an exact replica of the original unit from 74, while the led version has led and, if I’m not mistaken, true bypass switching.

  51. Hi Bjorn,

    Do you have any experience with Boss flangers? If so, would they get anywhere close to David’s tones?

    Thanks,
    Jason

    1. Not really although the Bf2 can do something similar. There are lots of great options though, like the Mooer E-Lady and the TC Electronic Vortex, which has some decent Mistress tone prints.

  52. Hey Bjorn,
    First, off topic, but I’ve picked up some Airbag albums over the last month. Awesome stuff, some of the best music I’ve heard that’s come out in the last decade. My question is album related- did David use the Electric Mistress on “Pulse”? I know it was on his rig, but I don’t see it in the listing for settings. I also have trouble hearing it on the album, but I know it’s a live album that’s been mixed. Every once in a while I chase that “Pulse” tone, and my board is kind of based on that rig, though not nearly as many pedals, and I use cheaper alternatives to the more expensive stuff (ex: Boss pedals to cover the Tube Drivers, and the E-Lady in place of a vintage Mistress. I do have a vintage early black Sovtek, though). Thanks, keep up the great work!
    Chris

    1. Thanks for the kind words Chris! To my knowledge, he didn’t use the Mistress on that tour. Perhaps a night or two but I’ve yet to hear it on any bootleg or live recording.

  53. Hello again Bjorn, here is hoping you are well.
    I am sure you are busy. I had sent a long comment in some time ago but yet to hear back so I’ll shorten to:
    Where do you suggest is the best placement for the Svisound optical Tremelo Mark made me? It is a stunning Steampunk design he customized for me!
    I know it’s a trial and error but I always like and appreciate your input…
    Cheers
    Walter H.

  54. Hello bjorn,
    I just recieved my new moor eleclady and curious if the settings you use on her for all gilmour tones.
    Whats your eleclady settings specifically for animals (dogs), dsotm wywh etc.
    Thank you.
    Rob h

      1. I researched your eleclady settings on your site here and set up mine the same. sounds awesome but do you use the same setting for all songs such as dogs ,breathe, hey you etc. Or do you change the rate or color for different songs?
        Soon I well also purchase a tremelo pedal and also phase 90 script. Until then the eleclady is my goto pedal for everything.
        Also what affordable tremelo pedal would you recommend( if any)? I’m looking into the boss trem?
        your thoughts please and thanks.
        Rob h

        1. I pretty much use the same settings for everything. The Deluxe, which the ELady is based on, is slightly more dominating than the old Mistress, so it doesn’t apply 100% to everything but it’s a matter of taste.
          One of the best sounding affordable tremolos I’ve played is the Mooer Trelicopter. Sounds really great. Of course, if you want to go all the way then it’s hard to beat the Strymon Flint.

  55. Hi Bjorn,

    Not sure if this was asked yet, bit have you tried the MXR EVH Phase 90? Might be able to grab one for a great price and wondered if it was close enough the to Script reissue.

    Thanks!

  56. Bjorn, if you haven’t checked out the Fender Pinwheel you should. It has some subtle overdrive, multiple speeds, and the ability to simulate a brake. I would love to see a review here!

  57. Hello Bjorn and a Happy New Year to you and yours. This will be my first comment of the new year so I’ll keep it short, Yea sure…
    Where do you like to place a Tremelo pedal in the chain? I’ve just gotten a Svisound Optical Germanium Tremelo pedal from Mark, OMG It is a Steampunk Masterpiece, he is so talented! That my third Svisound to go with his Overzoid + and an Echozoid. I owe these all to You…If fact in 2019 beside those I added a Vick Audio Tree of Life and a Buffalo FX Power Booster. Turns out it’s one of only 50 Steve made in Orange. A Jam Pedals Ripple, Moore Elady and a Laney Cub 12R combo & upgraded it with JJ tubes…
    I was busy and now broke…Oh and an Epiphone Les Paul Custom Koa but I did that al by myself LOL.
    I am and will be forever be thankful I found you and your web sites.
    Thank You for All You Do For All of Us
    Walter H.

    1. Bjorn, thanks as always you are the best! And worth waiting for too.
      What about placing the Tremelo pedal in the effects loop? I only use the EXF Loop in my Cub12R for my MXR Phase 95 due too it being noisy. In fact It is very noisy but Putting it there was an experiment that worked.
      Walter H.

      1. I plug all my pedals into the front end of the amp as I run the amp clean but try it. A tremolo is a volume effect so it should be placed after dirt pedals or sounds.

        1. Hello Bjorn, hope you and yours are All doing well and safe in these Crazy times! It is great to have you back and helping us all be the best. Since I seem to have some spare time…
          I played around and found the ideal placement for My Tremelo pedal. It’s the very last pedal in the my pedal line up. It sounds the clearest and as I’ve read “It’s where Leo put it.” Fender amps place the tremelo after the reverb and it worked for me. Isn’t that the beauty and fun of having a pedal board?
          I went with a Source Audio Vertigo Tremelo. Have you demoed or used any Source Audio pedals? Nice build quality and an App that allows a bunch of additional tones or presets like Tc Electronic does with their tone print. Also Stereo out so I added one cable out into my second amp and Viola I have a Stereo Rig…It features three types of Tremolos an Optical, a Harmonic and a Bias. All different and with a Shape knob that goes from Square to Sine to Sawtooth waves! Also a volume knob so No Volume drop either. A beautiful aluminum enclosure and it sounds Fantastic too.
          By The Way, I enjoyed your FAQ video I watched earlier today. Please stay safe and stay well…
          WalterH.

  58. Looking for a rotary pedal. Have you tried the Ventura Vibe ? If so what is your opinion on the pedal and what other pedals would you recommend ?

    1. I’ve only seen the videos and it sounds pretty nice but I haven’t played it myself. It can do both Leslie and UniVibe, which makes it very versatile I guess. My favourite rotary pedal is the Strymon Lex. It’s a bit pricy but it does a Leslie incredibly well. As for UniVibes there are tons of great pedals out there but check out the DryBell Vibe Machine and for a more affordable alternative, the Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe.

  59. Hi Bjorn!
    I have an MXR Phase100 from the late70,s. Do you now if there is any of the four settings of the switch knob that are sounding like a Phase90? I don’t have a Phase90 to compare with.

    Regards Jan

  60. I would like to put one vote for the Ibanez sc10 super stereo chorus. Made between 86 and 93
    100% anolog BBD chips. These guys can be found for 50 dollars on reverb( increasingly more because the secrets out). They can sound very much like a CE2 except they have stereo output and a delay/time knob that can dial in some interesting almost slight rotating speaker sounds. It’s not spot on, but unless we are using David’s exact gear it’s all an approximation. On certain rigs this pedal can almost exactly nail it. Bless.

  61. Hi Bjorn ! Big fan of your website here. Been using it for years as a base for gear choices. It has helped me so much! Thanks.

    I’ve had the Boss RT20 and it’s great because of the mix knob for Animals, Wall and Pulse muff and clean tones but has a strange mid hump… I read about the cheaper Nux Roctary, ordered on with fingers crossed and guess what? Never looked back to the RT20… The Roctary has a cleaner leslie sim, has the mix knob too and if you set the balance a lot more to the bass side the mid hump dissapears like magic ! No more of that horny quacky hammond-like mids in the Numb solo, but the flanging is still there… try one and tell me what you think ! I loved it

    Cheers !

  62. The EHX Stereo Electric Mistress is a bit bigger and a bit more expensive than the E Lady, but you can use it as a flanger or chorus alone, or use them together. Also has filter settings for the flange depth and rate settings. I like using it to get The Cure type sounds, but its pretty versatile and will cover just about any other flanger and chorus needs.

  63. Hi Bjorn,

    I am working on the final pieces to the puzzle that has been achieving a fairly accurate DSOTM tone (I have backing tracks for the album and it’s just a great exercise to play through). I have a multi mod pedal that does a fairly convincing UniVibe tone, but to my ear it just doesn’t sound like DOSTM, no matter how I set it. That said, I’m considering a dedicated phaser (I’m torn between a MXR Phase 95 or the Mooer Orange Ninety (which appears to be a clone of the 95). I’m also considering a lower end rotary simulator pedal. I’m really looking at the Danelectro Big Spender, as it’s board and budget friendly, and has a ramp feature. I was wondering which, if any of these (or others) you would recommend?

    FYI: My set up (for DSOTM) is a Strat (stock pickups from the mid 90s), into a multi mod (set alternately between a phaser and UniVibe) to a Mooer Blue Faze fuzz, to a Boss BD2 (for heavier OD) to an EHX Crayon (mild boost)- an analog delay into a Marshall MG 100FX (I don’t really use the amps onboard effects). Thanks!

    Chris

    1. The Big Spender is a great sounding budget rotary pedal. Well worth checking out! UniVibes can be tricky and simulations rarely come close due to the unique circuitry. I would try something like a Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe or a phaser, like a script Phase 90.

  64. Hi Bjorn,

    I have a Boss Super Chorus from the 90s which just stopped working for me. I thought about replacing it, but I’ve read in a few places that a flanger can cover some of the territory of a chorus and wondered if perhaps getting a flanger instead would be a better option so that it could pull double duty. I would only be using chorus or flanger tones very sparingly so I would rather not have to purchase one of each. Is it true that I could get a convincing chorus sound out of a flanger? If so, is there a particular pedal you’d recommend that would be better suited for this application? I like the footprint and price of the Moore E Lady, but am concerned it’s controls may not allow me enough tweakability to pull it off, as you’ve said they are hard to dial in. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

    Thanks!
    Ernie

    1. A flanger won’t do chorus that well. A chorus is much more subtle so if you’re looking for those 80s and 90s tones, with just a hint of modulation, then a flanger would be too much. The ELady and the new Flanger from Retro Sonic is IMO the best clones of the Electric Mistress David used during the late 70s and early 80s.

      1. Thanks Bjorn! I really do like the E Lady and especially it’s bang for the buck considering how infrequently I’d use it. I just may go that route. I have no more space for a dedicated chorus though so I’ll have to forgo that one. Perhaps the Ensemble King would be the solution in the odd instance I’d need a chorus and I could swap it on and off the board as needed. I’ve seen dual mode chorus / flanger pedals but they are not cost effective have haven’t really seen a demo of one I liked. And I’d rather not go digital if I don’t have to. Thanks again for your help!

        Ernie

          1. Actually Bjorn, I was wondering if you were familiar with TC’s Thunderstorm flanger or their Afterglow chorus. My father actually came across these and shared a few demos with me. They are all analog and are in the same price range as the Mooer pedals. They also have a clone of the Dimension C called the 3rd Dimension. Any knowledge about these? Thanks!

            1. I haven’t tried that line of pedals. Based on the clips I’ve heard they sound pretty good but I can’t really tell. From what I understand, they’re based on the old Behringer pedals.

      2. There are also joint Chorus+Flanger doing the job well.
        The TC SCF or the MF-108M ClusterFlux are beautiful.
        For sure, they won’t sound the same as an Electric Mistress, they’re not low-end…
        Thus, my goal was no to sound just like him, but rather being told that I sounded better than on the record…

  65. Hey Bjorn, Have you tried the Strymon orbit? Would it be good for an electric mistress sound? The sound I’m thinking about is the subtle jet sound heard in another brick on the wall pt 1 and the thin ice.

  66. I have a chorus/vibrato pedal (Walrus Julia) and I was wondering if it would be at all necessary for me to get a flanger (I would go for the eleclady). Thanks, and I love the page and all of the work you’ve done, by the way!

  67. Thanks for answering my question on rotovibe. Enjoying your last album and web page. I have the phase 90 script with led it’s great on overdriven sounds but is it just me but it seems a bit gainy (if that’s a word) on clean sounds tend to use a rotovibe for that am I using it wrong?

    1. Thanks for the kind words!
      I wouldn’t say that it’s gainy, at least not nearly as bad as the block logo, but it might have a slightly higher output compared to the RotoVibe. I tend to use the Roto for all of my phaser and UniVibe tones but I often use the script 90 as well and I’ve no issues with it.

  68. I use the 74 RI phase 90 before the amp and in the loop use an EQD Pyramids. It’s very powerful for getting flange and chorus tones. Has 5 presets so can have a couple of each saved on there. Takes some time to dial in. Should check it out! Thanks for your work on here also.

      1. As I’ve said I do like it more too. I fixed the crackling of the Roxanne btw: I noticed when combining it with gain pedals the volume got pushed a bit so I messaged Tomasz from Longamp (very nice and helpful guy!) and he told me which trimpot to turn to change the output volume of the Roxanne :) Now it’s perfect!

  69. Hi Bjorn, thanks for your work about David !
    I’ got a phaser, but i want to get another tone which is out of the ordinary.
    What do you think about rotary speaker pedals ? I’m looking after one, but it’s very difficult to ear what’s a good rotary sound on pedal. I hesitate between the EHX Lester G, the hammond Leslie G and the neo Vent.

    Thanks from Grenoble !

    Noé

    1. The EHX Leslie pedals sounds too artificial for my taste. Too much of that honky mid range and overdrive. I’d go for either the Neo or the Lex.

  70. Hi bjorn! I would like to hear your opinion on MXR M290 Mini Phase 95. It has a switch between 2 stage and 4 stage phaser and has a “script” switch. Your work here helped me so much.

  71. Hi Bjorn
    I d like To know your opinion about the Whirlwind Orange Phaser. You haven’t made any review…
    It seems to be as good as the Mxr 1974 Ri, with the useful True Bypass circuit.

    As you’ve praised the Whirlwind Red Compressor please would you choose the Whirlwind Phaser over the MXR 74 RI?

    Regards
    UWE

    1. It’s very good. Don’t know if they’re still around but it should be easy to track down. Well worth checking out.

  72. Hi Bjorn,

    I’m looking to buy a phaser pedal of a lower price range. Right now I’m choosing between Mooer Ninety Orange and EHX Small Stone. I’d like to know your opinion on which one you prefer soundwise or if there perhaps is a different option at a similiar price range.

    Thanks,
    Radek

    1. Both sound great and both cover David’s tones nicely. I’ve always been partial to the Small Stone but again, both will do the job.

  73. Hi Bjorn,

    Do you happen to know or guesstimate the effects David uses on Any Colour You Like on Pulse (Live) CD 2, for rhythm and solo parts. The solo effects are just haunting and my favorite by far.

    I definitely like the overall tone and effects of Pulse far better than any other P.F. recordings. The Live In Gdansk’ recording is close second for my taste and ears.

    Thanks,

    —Ara

      1. Hi there, I think the question would be how to simulate the swirry ACYL sound that seems to be very much shaped by the CLS222 with common stomp pedals – you sure he did not use phaser/univibe?

  74. Hi,
    What kind of pedals can be used to simulate the EMS Synthi Hi fly? Small stone? Phase 90? Or what else. Thanks

    1. Well, EHX have just released a multi-effects pedal called MOD11 which features a lot of the effects you’d find on the Hi-Fli such as phaser, vibrato, pitch shift and resonant filter. It’s a digital effects box, so it’s not the highest audio quality, but it does offer a lot of flexibility when it comes to choosing LFO waveforms and speeds, and it’s also quite reasonably priced if you’re on a budget.

  75. Hey Bjorn, I have a question. My Boss RT-20 that I bought used a few years back (it was a great steal) sadly died last week and I was wondering how you felt about the NUX Roctary pedal, if you’ve ever seen or heard it. I’m just looking into buying a replacement and was wondering how you feel about the NUX vs. the RT-20, as they both have a similar sound with a useful blend control. Thanks!

    1. Never tried it. Based on the reviews and videos it sounds more like a Leslie sim like the Lex and Vent, while the RT20 sounds more like a chorus. For David’s tones I’d go for the more chorusy. One alternative could be the Boss CE5, which is a very fat sounding chorus.

  76. Josh Szczepanowski

    Currently using a CE-2, a Deluxe Electric Mistress, and original Electric Mistress, a Maxon Phase-Tone, a Fulltone Univibe, a Dynachord CLS-222, and a Yamaha RA-200 so I think I have modulations covered.

    I agree the Maxon is really great. I would fully recommend it.

  77. Marcus V Leonardz

    Hello again,

    I forgot to ask about your thoughts on the Voodoo Lab Analog Chorus, as is applies to Gilmour tones. It is touted as a CE-1 clone.

    Thanks

  78. Marcus V Leonardz

    Hello Bjorn,

    Really enjoy your videos and posts. Two questions: My block Phase 90 was modded a few years age by a friend who works for Caroline Pedals here in SC. It really improved the tone of it, warming it up and getting rid of the nastier elements of the mids. As I’ve never played a script model, is the mod done to mine close to it? Second, what are your thoughts on the MXR Flanger?

    1. Obviously I wouldn’t know how your block model sound but I know most of the mods out there bring them closer to the script model – warmer, smoother, less mids etc. The MXR Flanger is a classic but more Van Halen than Gilmour :)

  79. Hey Bjorn,

    I was wondering, have you ever tried the Techno Phaser from Svisound? If you have what was your experience like? I am a little hesitant to buy it, don’t know why, maybe because its a mini pedal.

    Cheers!

  80. Hi Bjorn. Could you do a review of the MXR 1974 CS script reissue Phase 90? I love that sound David got when he debuted Shine On You Crazy Diamond Live at Wembley in 1974.

    1. I usually don’t reveiew stuff unless the companies send me whatever they want me to review. It’s free promo for them. I’ve used the pedal on several clips before so check out my youtube channel :)

  81. Hello Bjorn hope all is well and the new year has been good to you so far.
    I like all us tone chasers need and admire your work. Your sites are plesent, informative and Fun, Thank You Bjorn.

    On modulation, I went All In. I have an MXR Analog Chorus, Elady Flanger, MXR Phase 95 (45-90) and as a bonus a Jam Pedals Ripple. I added the Phase 95 to replace a vibe pedal spot as you suggested on the Vibe pedal section of your Blog. I tried two different vibe pedals from two different companies and it didn’t gel for me. In the US some of the Best Picks are hard to obtain.
    I know pedal order is all subjective but what is your Opinion on where to place my compressor regarding the Phase 95? I now have the compressor, phase 95, Tree of Life, VFE Dragon dynamic Overdrive. Then the fun stuff with modulation delays and reverbs. I have the Ripple in the middle of the chain for an after OD Phaser sound.
    Which do you like first, The Compressor or the Phaser?
    Please let me know when time allows.
    Thanks for All You Do For All of Us!
    Walter

    1. Hi Walter! Thanks for the kind words! I would place the compressor first. You want to compress and level the signal from your pikcups into the other pedals and amp. Cheers!

  82. So I got a Free The Tone Arc-3 Routing controller to loop all my effects, and one interesting unintended effect I’ve noticed is that all my post-gain modulations (Small Clone, Electric Mistress, Phase 90), pedals normally associated with a slight volume drop, are actually giving me a noticeable volume increase. The Arc-3 uses buffered loops, similar to the Cornish pedalboard principle, does this seem normal? Anybody else have an Arc-3?

  83. Hey Bjorn,

    Much of your feedback around the Strymon Deco has been centered around its abilities as a boost. I have also seen you cite it as a great take on a “true” flange (not a Mistress) and also as a pedal that cops a decent CE-2.

    Regarding the latter – chorus tones – can you elaborate? I am a very happy owner of a CE-2w (rate set low, depth set high is magical). But I’m curious what the Deco is capable of (both front-of-amp and in effects loop) as a chorus.

  84. Hi Bjorn, great job! In you’re opinion, what’s the best clone pedal of electric mistress in the market?(i have hiwatt t20 and d allen echoes) i would like to use the flanger with the distortion sound..
    Thanks a lot

    Cheers

    Luca

  85. What would be a good flanger and phaser pedal that can be used for both Gilmour and EVH tones? I play both types of songs but cannot afford expensive pedals. Also what would be a good combo modulation FX unit?

    1. I would go for the Mooer Ninety Orange phaser. It’s a great sounding clone of the Phase 90 that both David and Eddie used in the 70s. The flanger is tough because David used the Mistress and Eddie the MXR which sound very different. The Mooer ElecLady is very close to the old Mistress David used and with some tweaking you can get close to Eddies tones as well, although you probably would go for a MXR type of pedal.

      1. Thanks Bjorn! Ok so I am on a budget and limited pedalboard space- for a combination mod pedal what would you recommend and why? I am looking at the Keeley Super Mod workstation since it allows 2 mod effects at same time and I already have a fuzz/OD pedal and delay/reverb pedal. I am also looking at perhaps the Boss MD-500 since it has the feature rich editor plus can run two mod FX. Perhaps the Strymon Moebius and a Keeley Dark Side pedal combo? That would give me fuzz/OD plus options to run all three key FX for mod and fuzz/OD in a compact space under 1k.

        1. Hi Ben, sorry for my very late reply…
          I really don’t have that much experience with modulation workstations or multi effects. Obviously, for David’s tones you’d want something vintage sounding. The Keeley and Strymon stuff are really great and Line 6 also has some really great sounding modulations and delays.

          1. Thanks Bjorn,

            No worries. I was actually able to dial in some decent tones with the MD-500 for flanger and rotary along with tape echo delay from my EHX Canyon pedal. I still may end up getting a dedicated Binson type echo pedal and analog flanger pedal like an EHX Mistress in the future as backup and also to let me run chorus and rotary on the Boss MD-500 while manually dialing in flanger modulation settings which are super tricky to do on the MD-500. The chorus on the MD-500 is incredible since it has all 4 types made from Boss in one small pedal and you can tweak patches and save dozens of presets for future recall.

  86. Bjorn, hope your Christmas was well over there in the cold North. Just wanted to comment on the electric mistress. I have the deluxe mistress XO, but I managed to find a 90s reissue big silver box at my local Guitar Center used in mint condition for 129.00 USD. Idk why it was so cheap but it was an offer I couldnt refuse. Scooped it up, and you were SO right about how transparent it is! It blends perfectly with my BYOC triangle. I do wish it wasn’t so large on the pedal board, and the input and output wasn’t on the top, but that’s the nature of the beast. But man, what a difference. I feel like I found a piece of guitar history for a steal. If anyone has the opportunity to scoop one of these up, dont let it pass by. It blends perfectly into my signal chain into my mid range heavy Orange CR60. Anyway happy new year to you brother!

    1. Awesome! Yes, those 90s Deluxe models are just amazing and actually, the Mooer ElecLady is very close. I’ve retired my old Deluxe to studio use only but the Mooer is so damn close.

  87. Bjorn, hoping that you had a good Thanksgiving and are getting ready for the Holidays.
    I started shopping early with a few additions to my board. The Dawner Prince Viberator is a lush and stereo Vibe pedal I put second after my compressor. I know you haven’t reviewed that one yet, I think you would like it. I have a Jam Pedals Ripple phaser coming and was wondering if you have ever tried that one yet? I looked in the post but it’s a Big post I might have missed it. Also could you please explain the tone or variances between a 2-stage and a 4-stage phaser. What about my Elady that I added thanks to you. And I mean Thanks. Keep the phaser and the flanger on at the same time? Where would you place them? I currently sandwich the Elady between two Overdrives all are after my compressor.
    When you can I’d enjoy your input.
    Thanks for All You Do for All of Us!
    Walter H.

    1. Hi Walter! 2 stage is much more subtle, with a similar character as a UniVibe (although UV is a 4-stage). 4 stage has more depth basically.
      I like to have phasers and UVs before dirt and flanger and chorus after. Sounds more natural to my ears.

  88. Would the boss rt20 be used instead of a chorus pedal, or in addition to? I already have a boss ce2, so for something like the 2nd comfortable numb solo, would the rt20 suffice?

    1. The RT20 is a Leslie simulator so it doesn’t sound like a CE-2. Having said that, I like to use it much like a chorus placing it before the delays.

      1. Sorry Bjorn, I have no idea why I mentioned chorus haha, I meant to ask if he used the electric mistress in addition to the rotating cabinet?

        1. Yes he did :) He used all the pedals, including delays and the signal was split after the pedal board into the Hiwatts and the rotary cab. You could either place it before the delays, like I do, or, after the delays, like David does. The reason I place it before the delays is that I’m using one amp so there’s so stereo spread. The delays gets very messy if you place it after them with just one amp. Try both approaches :)

  89. HI B – About the Electric Mistress you were saying “has a nasty volume drop when engaged and due to the lack of a noise filter, there’s a lot of hissing and weird oscillation going on” Now my question is: This seems to be one of the only constant pedals DG has used throughout his career, so how did he get rid of what you mentioned above as I’m sure he wouldnt settle for weird/crazy sounds popping up. Thanks P

    1. Sorry for my late reply. He did use the Mistress during the 1977-83 era and again on the latest tour. It’s also present on the 1994 tour although I don’t think he used it. David’s pedal was modified with a noise filter and on the last Rattle That Lock tour you can also spot a Lehle mixer next to it compensating for the volume loss.

      1. A BOSS LS-2 also works wonders for the volume drop AND adds the benefit of an LED to indicate whether or not the effect is engaged.

  90. I understand you like mooer modulation for Gilmour tones. What about the mooer mod factory? Should be the same as the dedicated mooer mod pedals and pretty much nail Gilmours tone, right? Im just looking to buy a multi fx pedal. Debating between the TC Dreamscape that I found a deal on or the mod factory pro.
    Thank you.

  91. Hi Bjorn,

    great post! in You’re opinion, the Strymon Deco can replicate the flanger in the wall era?(for example comfortably numb solo). I love Deco!!

    thanks a lot

    Cheers

    Roby

    1. No. You can get some very nice CE-2 type of chorus but the flange is typical tape flanging and not that suited for David’s tones. Much more jet-like. Awesome pedal though and the overdrive is one of my favourites.

  92. Hi Bjorn,
    after many tests I deduced that the BOSS mod. CE-2 is better than BOSS mod. CE-2W.
    The CE-2W it has a cold sound.

  93. What do you think about the Tc Electronic Stereo Chorus and Flanger I just got one and I’m loving it do you have any experience with one if so what are some good David Gilmout Settings on it

  94. Have you tried the Longamp Roxanne? Handmade in Poland, very close recreation of the Electric Mistress. In the short time I’ve had one of my own, it’s become my favorite.

  95. Hey Bjorn,

    I’m trying to recreate David’s Any Colour You Like tone from Pulse and as you know, he employs a rarely used CLS 222 Leslie Emulator in addition to the rotating speakers. I know that the original Dark Side tone was created with a Uni-Vibe but I much prefer the fatter Leslie sound. I use a digital setup so I do have a Leslie cabinet that I use quite often and do have it in this signal chain, but am having difficulty re-creating the Leslie emulator. 1 thing to note, my main axe is a Black Strat with a Fat 50, Custom 69 and Seymour Duncan SSL-5. I do not have a Strat with EMG’s, which I know is part of the equation. Would you have any suggestions? Perhaps a 2nd Leslie cabinet and EQ-ing it or do you think EQ-ing the Uni-Vibe to fatten it up would do the trick?

    As always, thanks for your help!

    Best,
    Jeff

    1. Hi Jeff, not sure I understood your setup… It’s all digital as in you’re using a software or multi processor? What sort? How’s the rest of the chain including the amp?

      1. Hey Bjorn,

        Yes, I am using an all digital setup in a bedroom which is purely my studio now. I do have a Fender Champion solid state amp but for this tone, I am purely digital. I use the Line 6 Pod HD500x that runs directly to 2 monitors for a stereo output. The names are different within the system but they represent the real pedals named below with the signal chain for the song, Any Colour You Like, as follows.

        Black Strat (with a Fat 50 in the neck, Custom 69 in the middle, Seymour Duncan SSL-5 in the bridge) : Noise Gate : Boss CS1 Comp : Chandler Tube Driver : Uni-Vibe : Boss DM2 Analog Delay : TC Electronics 2290 Digital Delay : Hall Reverb : Leslie Rotating Speaker – Hiwatt 100 amp w 4×12 Cab & speakers

        I use the settings that you publish as a starting point and make adjustments from there based on the variables that differ from David’s studio/stage and equipment vs my bedroom studio. Also since I’m using a Black Strat, I make other adjustments when I’m trying to emulate a tone David produced with his Red Strat (EMG pups).

        My question was based on the fact that for this tone he was using the Red Strat and the Leslie CLS 222 Emulator, a pedal I don’t have. In lieu of the Leslie Emulator I’m using the Uni-Vibe, as he did on the original recording. So essentially, my signal chain is a hybrid of vintage and a Pulse type setup.

        However, since I sent my initial message, I played with the tone a bit by tweaking the amp, Tube Driver, Uni-Vibe and delay settings, as well as changing the reverb from Spring to Hall to fatten it up and it sounds pretty darn good now. I’m not sure I can do any better with what I have to work with but your thoughts would be very appreciated.

        Thanks,
        Jeff

        PS. Have you ever done a piece on recording wet vs dry? If so, could you please link me to it. If not, I think that would be a great subject to discuss, I prefer to record wet, with the tone I want already worked out but the engineer I work with is always trying to talk me in to recording dry. I’d love to know what you think and why. Thanks.

        1. Ok, you seem to have figured it out. David’s tone for Any Colour on Pulse is tricky because there’s so much going on, with the different pedals, physical rotary cabs etc. I think the most important thing when you’re using digitial stuff and simulations is to avoid getting too caught up in how David actually does it. His setup is analog, a combination of pedals and tube amps and it’s all set up for a huge stadium. That can’t be replicated in a bedroom. Regardless of what gear you have. My experience with digital stuff – I’ve been using Line 6 and AmpliTube for years – is that they’re always good at something but not everything and besides, they’re not designed with David’s tones in mind… even if they have pedals or amps similar to him. There are so many variables when you use digital gear and it often pays off trying different amps and pedals. I often get closer that way…

  96. Felipe Mac-Auliffe

    Hey Bjorn, hope you’re having a great day…
    Is my MXR Analog Chorus suitable for DG tones? How do you’d compare to the Boss CE-2?

    Thanks you for this great page, as always.

    -Felipe Mac-Auliffe-

    1. Yes, I often use the MXR. It can do the CE2 pretty well and the added controls makes it a bit more versatile. I usually set the rate to around 1:00, depth 11:00 and the hi and lo pretty much at noon. You probably want the level at unity or slightly below.

    1. Personally I find it a bit too modern sounding in regards to chorus. The Waza CE-2 or CE5 is closer to David’s tones I think.

  97. Hi Bjorn
    I was wondering if you had tried the Whirlwind Orange Box which seems to be the real deal as a mxr script logo clone. Would it stand in your tops list like the Red box comoressor ?

    Regards

    Dan

    1. All of the Whirlwind pedals are well worth checking out. Awesome stuff. Not sure if they still make them, I might be mistaken, but they should be easy to track down.

  98. Hey Bjorn it’s me again. I was looking online and found the mxr custom shop CSP-101CL script logo phase 90 with led light. According to the reviews people seem to like it. I was wondering if you’ve ever tried it. Thanks, Brian

    1. I haven’t tried that specific version but from what I understand it’s identical to the ’74 reissue but it has the led and power jack input.

  99. Hey Bjorn I love my mxr phase, I think it was the second pedal I bought when learning how to play back in the 80’s. I’m thinking of buying the reissue one you recommend but two things concern me. The fact that it only runs on a battery and there’s no light to tell if it’s on or so you can tell if it’s dying. Correct me if I’m wrong but if your running the pedal on the board say during a gig and the pedal dies doesn’t that mean no more sound at all. Keep up the great work love this site. Brian

  100. Hi Bjorn,
    What do you think about BOSS mod. DC-2 (DIMENSIONAL C) and BOSS mod. SG-1 (SLOW GEAR) ?

    Bye.

  101. Hi Bjorn. First thank you for the great work of dissemination and information that you make on this website during all these years and encourage you to continue because you are of great help.

    What do you think of these modulation pedals, (always thinking of tones Gilmour Pulse, Gdansk, Pompeii 2016): Keeley Dyno my Roto, Keeley Bubble Tron, TC Electronic Dreamscape, Digitech Nautila … If you have not tried them, would you recommend someone else (other than Dark zone) and that contains these modulations and without OD ?

    Thank you very much, very kind and greetings.

    1. Thanks for the kind words! My recommendations are listed here in this guide. I haven’t tried the Dreamscape and Nautila so I can’t really comment on them. The Keeley Roto is OK but I think there are better rotary simulations out there, like the Lex and Vent. The Bubble Tron is really cool. It’s based on the old MuTron with all kinds of filters are strange sounds but there’s also a very nice vintage sounding phaser and flanger on it.

      1. Hi Bjorn, I asked for advice on the web keeley and I have recommended Super Mod Workstation to have all the modulations. I suppose it will be a great multi effects pedal, but it’s too expensive. So once again, I’ll take your recommendations into account and buy the Mooer for flanger, phaser and chorus. For the price they have, I can take the chance to try, in addition I have read many other guitarists very good opinions of Mooer clones. Thanks !

        1. Don’t think you can go wrong with those. E-Lady/Electric Mistress, Ensemble King/CE2 and the Ninety Orange/Phase 90 are all excellent clones of the originals and you can’t beat the price.

      1. Dave Fox is one of the best in the business in terms of the quality his pedals (sounds, features, versatility). Foxrox pedals are ell worth the money, which is priced competitively for what you get. His service is excellent too.

        I bought his AquaVibe & Octron 2 in 2009. More in that in a moment. Furs though I will mention that this was soon followed by the ZIM dual overdrive. Two of them actually. Dave does about 10 circuit cards that can be swapped out. I actually prefer the Muff card to my old V3 circuit EH Big Muff [black & red; transistor-based, not op amp] – which some say is quite like the V2 [Rams Head] tone. One other user said that his Muff circuit could be dialled in to match the sound of a V1 [Triangle] that the same user had.

        Whatever, it is great. It is also more versatile than any other Muff that I know of – & I would include the Muffeletta. How so? 1: It can sound great with the gain rolled all the way off – just adjust the tone trimmer to optimise it – no other Muff that I know of can do this; 2: It also has more gain if you need or want it; 3: It sounds great without a booster before or after it but also takes well to a BK Butler Tube Driver after it; 4: if you place in the slot that sends its signal through the cleverly designed EQ then you can open up a vast array of tones [Tip: Go easy on the amount of boost/cut – it is powerful, boosting to about 1:30 should be enough, then choose from one of nine different EQ curves].

        I have two Muff cards in the one that is in one of my boards, each set for different tones. The EQ is icing in the cake really. It’s stunning even without it. The only “downside” is that you have to dial in the internal tone trimmer so that it’s set & forger. Having two Muff cards in one ZIM with one dialled in a bit brighter & the other slightly darker for optimising different levels of gain helps.

        The other I set up last for a blues jam “grab & go” pedal. That has the Hot 9 (basically a Tube Screamer modded for more gain & a more open sound) that feeds into a Boost & Buff card for lead boosts. I have most of the cards. I swapped the Fat Fuzz & the T9 (straight up vintage TS-9 circuit) cards for duplicates of some of the others. H9 into H9 was nice.

        Worth mentioning that Dave has an inexpensive ZIM card-swapping service The VT card (Vintage Tube) is possibly the best of them for lower gain crunch, very reminiscent of a Fender Tweed Deluxe kind of overdrive texture. The T+ (Rat-inspired) card actually improves in some ways to my big-box late 70’s ProCo Rat pedal – it maintains clarity in the lower frets of the lower E string. I like to max out the gain on a Rat & that is where they can go mushy & lose definition. VT into H9 is the default setup. That sounds great too. You can choose whichever cards you want from the get-go though.

        Okay back to your question: The Octron 2 is one of my all time faves & I highly recommend it. There are internal switches to optimise the sound. I have set these as IIRC I preferred settings that weren’t the default ones. Worth experimenting with though. I think that Octron 3 has these moved to the top of the pedal though. I wouldn’t mind getting one of those for another board.

        The Octron 2 though has the individual switches for clean octave down, buffered dry signal & octave up fuzz as well as the master bypass switch. It also has a send & return loop. You need a clean power supply with isolated outputs feeding it if you use the send/return loop which allows you to kick in other pedals at the same time. If you have the pedal on all of the time, using the dry buffered signal feeding drive pedals in the loop then you can switch on & off the octave up fuzz & the clean octave down to also feed the other drive pedals. Feeding the ZIM Muff card with either buffered dry plus octave up fuzz, dry with clean octave down, or all three together is amazing. The octave fuzz id different sounding ti the Roger Mayer Octavia. It’s thicker in the mids. It doesn’t replace the latter. I have the RM Octavia & have fed that into a wah then into the Octron 2 then into a ZIM Muff card followed by an overdrive & delay. Mind bending!

        Also most recently got one of a handful of a limited run of the Captain Coconut 2 that combines old-school Octavia, Fuzz (with germanium, silicon & hybrid germanium/silicon cards – the latter two are otherwise available as the Hot Silicon & Hybrid CC pedals) & UniVibe (Dave calls that the ProVibe on this pedal – & on the original Captain Coconut & as an even earlier standalone pedal) which has not only a knob to set the LFO speed/rate & an expression pedal input to add foot control but can be switched to envelope control of the LFO with the knob that is otherwise used for speed used to set sensitivity of the envelope. The octave fuzz on it has an added switch to turn off the octaving, which provides yet another texture of fuzz.

        A couple of years back I got Dave’s Festival dual overdrive (brilliant pedal – just don’t use it to post-boost Muffs as its not as scooped as a BK Butler Tube Driver, with a ZIM Muff you won’t need to post-boost anyway; I actually prefer it’s ability to foot-switch to a different level of gain & volume – & even a different texture if you set an internal switch – to stacking drives, which is the approach that the ZIM has). & a Paradox TZF 2 analogue through-zero flanger. I already had the old bigger Paradox TZF but this one is more compact & thus “pedalboard friendly” & is optimised for live use. It is worth noting that the Paradox TZFs have to be used after any dirt.

        I have lots of musical & guitar tonal influences besides Gilmour (Jimi Hendrix, Ernie Isley, Jeff Beck & many others). Combine aspects of your influences approaches to playing & to tone creation & then just experimenting is the key. It’s useful to have these tonal references though.

  102. Hi Bjorn,
    Is the newer CE-2 Waza much different to the older model. I see you have it as your ‘Gilmourish Pick’. I think I remember in the past you used to favour the Costalab choruslab over the ce-2. Is it the newer version that has changed the ce-2’s rating. I’m currently looking to get either the Costlab or the ce-2 and am wondering which would be best.

    1. The CE2 is the one that David used and now that Boss has reissued it there’s no doubt that it will be the closest match.

    1. Big fan of the RC-99 it is a great pedal for in loops of delays and it really shines using the stereo outputs, in fact a super stereo field IMHO

  103. Hi Bjorn,

    I tried the BEHRINGER pedal mod. VP1 phase shifter. Good value for money.
    What do you think about it ?

    Bye bye….

      1. Clicked on the link. They’ve been selling that for years. I bought a Hartman Flanger instead at the time. Already had a Boss BF-2 & picked up an MXR Flanger & a Foxrox Paradox TZF & Foxrox Paradox TZF 2 later. Also have the Eventide H9 which has a flanger. The Hartman & the Foxrox pedals are my faves although very different from each other. Both made it to a pedalboard & the MXR is on another.

        I know that it’s the sound that matters most but that BYOC pedal’s crazy skewed knob & switch layout has me wondering why they never sorted that out. Hopefully it sounds amazing as its visual aesthetics are face-palm material! :D

      2. well,
        about the your review on the ELECTRIC MISTRESS :
        I tried The DONNER mod. JET CONVOLUTION pedal ……. is very, very ” Interesting “……..

        1. I have both firstly I A/B’d them and I couldn’t tell the difference, so I took them apart! And sure enough the Donner is definitely an elecLady, the circuit boards are identical ( i can post pictures) so grab the Donner they’re insanely cheap!

    1. Got one years ago. Although it’s got something special about it, it doesn’t cut it as a close sub for the Mistress but it is a very good flanger and more suitable than most. Funny thing is it has two modes and one of them has a noticable volume INCREASE.

  104. Hi Bjorn,

    Question:
    What’s you’re opinion on the ELECTRO HARMONIX mod. WIGGLER recently manufactured ?

    Bye.

  105. My friend, this site is the best. On your recommendation I found a tc electronic nova delay. Still trying to get the hang of it. As far as modulation pedals I have the phase 90, 2nd pedal I ever bought when I was a kid the first being a boss overdrive. I also have an old boss bf-2 flanger and still trying to figure that sucker out. Besides getting an electric mistress do you have any advice on to adjust the settings on this thing to get a close approximation of mr Gilmour’s sound. I know it will never be exact considering I’m playing through a boss Waza mini in my condo(which by the way is a fantastic sounding amp for fairly low volume say in an apartment). Keep up all the great work pretty much all my pedals and settings are thanks to you. Respectfully Brian Hester Ma.

    1. Hi Brian! Thanks for the kind words! It’s been too long since I owned a BF-2 but although you can get fairly close to the Mistress it’s really a different sounding flanger, closer to the ADA and MXR. I recommend that you check out the excellent Mooer ElecLady. Cheers!

  106. Hey Bjørn! For a rotary sim what do you think about the strymon lex? I’m stuck between that one and the rt20. By the way I received my Laney lt20 the other day and it did not disappoint! Get back as soon as you can thanks!

    1. Do a quick search on the site for some tips. Basically, the Lex is an awesome Leslie sim but not that suitable for David’s blended tones. The RT20 is a shitty Leslie sim but great for David’s subtle rotary/modulation tones. Depends on what you need and how you set them up.

      1. For an (analogue) alternative to the RT-20 that can cover a lot of ground in terms of DG modulation tones it is worth checking out the Diamond Halo Chorus.

        Basically a very high spec, high headroom CE-2-based sinusoidal-wave sweep (also triangle wave switchable) chorus with wet/dry split stereo out (also can be used mono out with the a wet/dry mix & can choose between mono or stereo in) with volume controls for both the vibrato-ed wet signal and a 2-stage phase-shifted signal (note: all three signals are in parallel). Also has depth & rate controls for the LFO, an expression pedal input for speed, a switch for phase inversion of stereo channels & chorus signal delay time is tweak-able via internal trimmer (so can cop many classic chorus tones). Kill-dry switchable for those who use parallel loops.

        True bypass too, which is an improvement to the (reportedly not so good) buffer of the RT-20. Being able to blend lower separate levels of chorused & 2-stage phased with the unscathed dry signal still in the analogue realm (as is the wet signal) allows for an optimal wet/dry balance for some tones that can evoke some lush PULSE-ations. Loves drive/dirt pedals in front too.

        If DG goes for using some CE-2 style chorusing again on his next tour (fingers crossed he does another album in the not-too-distant!) & wants a hint of that doppler vibe lightly blended without having to drag those rotary speakers around the world then I’d recommend the Halo Chorus for the short list.

        It’d be nice to know if other Gilmourish readers & commenters use this pedal. I have that & the now discontinued Memory Lane 2 from the Diamond range. The Halo Chorus is a relatively undiscovered (or at least unsung) gem of a modulation pedal & is well worth tracking down (I got mine shipped from the US) for those looking to add some complex yet subtle whirling wave washes to their tone palette.

          1. All good. If you do get to check one out in person than feel free to post your findings back here. I have tons of modulation pedals (including a first batch silver screw 1979 Boss CE-2 – serial numbers for those is a stamped series of zeroes in the battery compartment – that’s a great pedal albeit limited) but I must say that the Halo Chorus is quite unique & covers a lot of ground. Also: The 2-stage phase shifting part of the circuit is an optical circuit, so not a Phase 45 knock-off but very high-headroom & lush. There’s two stereo audio clips of the pedal at the Diamond site. It’s worthwhile putting these through your headphones.

            First one starts off dry then pedal is switched on:

            http://www.diamondpedals.com/wp-content/uploads/halo-strat-stereo.mp3

            This one has an expression pedal changing the sweep rate:

            http://www.diamondpedals.com/wp-content/uploads/halo-expression.mp3

            1. I’m sorry to let you down, but Boss pedals’ serial numbers don’t work like that.

              The first batch of CE-2’s (October 1979) has serial number 8700.

              Serial numbers 9700 (Aug/1980), 9800 (Sep/1980) and 9900 (Oct/1980) are older than 0000. Your pedal was actually made in November 1980, not 1979.

              This has been the subject of countless topics in forums, but you can always use this site:

              http://www.stompboxzone.com/decoder/

        1. Not for David’s tones but that’s the nature of the pedal. Keep in mind that David always mixed his rotary cabs lower and in combination with a dry signal from his Hiwatts so if you listened to the rotary cabs alone, you would probably hear something similar to plugging a Muff into a Lex but that’s not what you want. You could though add a signal mixed to the Lex acting as a master volume.

  107. Hey bjorn — no one has asked lately, so have you had the chance to try the Phase 95 yet? Hoping so. Thanks

  108. Hi Bjorn,

    Are you familiar with Baroni Labs based in Italy? The company has a pedal called Miss Flanger and appears to be an EHX Deluxe Mistress clone. If you’re familiar with the pedal I’d love to hear your thoughts with respect to how it compares to a vintage Mistress…

    1. Yes, I tried that one years ago but it didn’t quite sound like a Mistress. Very messy. They might have upgraded it by this point though. They have a compressor and delay that sounds awesome. One of the better compressors I’ve tried.

  109. Hello Bjorn,
    Have ever tried Nux Roctary? Ä°f not I recommend you to try. I got one and it’s really great for rotary sound.

    1. Indeed. I’m using two of them (one for the left amp and one for the right). They’re out of sync and do a wonderful job of the dual RA200 setup used for the Wall tour. It creates a lush but not overpowering stereo effect that is different than a single rotary going back and forth.

  110. Hey bjorn! I recently acquired the new mxr phase 95 mini, which allows you to not only switch between modern and script modes, but also switches the 45 to 90 types, and works great for the wish you were here phase tones, and even for that univibe sound as well. I think you should try it out if you haven’t yet, and I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
    Thanks- Hershel

  111. Hi Bjorn!

    First, congratulations for this website! Amazing Job!

    I’ve a question. I hesitate between a EH electric mistress deluxe of 1974, a EH deluxe of 1980 and a EH deluxe V3 of 1981.

    What is the best of the three for you?

    thank you very much

    All the best

    Gaël

        1. Well, I haven’t done a proper A/B test between the older Deluxe models. From what I understand they sound more or less identical up to 1999. The current big box Deluxe sound considerably darker, with more low end and mid range compared to these. The new XO Deluxe sound very different from all of them.

  112. Hi Bjørn

    Sorry to bother you again, but do you know if the Mooer micro pedals (eleclady, ninety orange etc) can be daisy chained?
    Thanks for all your help :)

    Daniel

        1. I would have to do an A/B test to give you a good answer. You could go either way. Do check out the 74 Custom Shop reissue as well. Spot on those old tones.

  113. Hello Bjorn! Thank you for the website!! Fantastic stuff!!!

    Is there any possibility to have a review of the new AfterGlow Chorus from TC?

    Thanks again!

  114. Hi Bjorn, congratulations. I´ve just bought an Elec Lady since I saw your review. What´s the best configuration for this pedal in your opinion? You said that it´s a good pedal since you reach the “right spot”. I know that there´s a great number of configurations but can you show us the one that you like the most? Thank you and keep on rocking!

      1. Thanks Bjorn! I liked it because it´s very smooth. I´d like to know what you think about the Xotic SP compressor, since I´ve just bought one. And also if you have any comments about the Fulltone Fat Boost, cause I have one and I want a clean boost. Is it better to get a Xotic EP booster or any other? Where should I place it in the signal chain? Thanks again and congratulations!

  115. Hi Björn,

    Do you think that the Deluxe Electric Mistress V5 (2000) is as good as a v4 (199X) ? Or maybe a V1 /V2 or V3 is a better choice ?

    Thanks !

        1. It’s considerably darker with a lot more low end. You can tweak the tone to some extent with the internal trim pots but I’ve never managed to make it sound like my ’99 Deluxe.

          1. Just a heads up relating to EHX’s well-known variances within “older” models. I recently picked up a V5 Electric Mistress thinking that the ONLY difference was with the power supply (wall wart vs internal PS). The reason I purchased the V5 was that I had heard that the V5 was quieter due to having the external wall wart PS. The EM I received has to be the best-sounding EM (and flanger for that matter) that I’ve ever played through (and I’ve been playing for 35 years)! For an EM, it’s dead quiet and the sound is so lush and creamy you can taste it. So I was surprised at Bjorn’s comment that he wasn’t crazy about the V5’s, when the one I have sounds so great (and I trust Bjorn’s opinions implicitly). Out of curiosity, I took the back cover off of my EM to take a look around. When comparing what I have to the photos on

            http://www.metzgerralf.de/elekt/stomp/mistress/deluxe-electric-mistress-v4.shtml

            it’s clear that I have an identical green V4 circuit board in a V5 housing / setup (with external PS)! Also, ALL of the wiring is attached to the back side (side facing you when you remove the back cover) of the circuit board instead of the front side of the circuit board as shown in the pictures in the link above. It would seem that I have a unicorn hybrid V4/V5 Electric Mistress. Although I don’t know the history of my EM, it appears that everything in it is how it originally came out of EHX’s factory.

            It’s possible / probable that the tonal issues between models comes down to the particular components that were used on certain PCB’s. Certainly not all op amps, transistors and capacitors are created equally. Who knows? The moral of the story is to do your research, but in the end, trust your ears.

  116. Hey Bjorn, could you do a review on the Fulltone Whammy pedal? I want it for the really high notes in Marooned, but I’m not sure where to put it on my board.

  117. Hey Bjorn,
    In a pedalboard, do you think a chorus pedal is needed when you have a Boss RT-20? Seeking that “dreamy” tone from early 90’s and PULSE, both pedals work together or once you have the RT-20, you cover this creamy chorus sound already?

    1. David did use both chorus and rotary on the all of the songs on the tour so the appropriate setup would feature both. However, I’ve never been much of a chorus fan and I think the RT20 alone sound better and cleaner than having both. A matter of taste.

  118. For anyone wanting the ’74 Phase 90 to have modern features (TB, DC power outlet, LED), Analongman in the USA will do the mods. I believe its $80-$90 shipped for all three mods here in the states. Not cheap, but if you love the pedal as much as I, its worth it. Especially if you pick one up on the used market.

    Thanks Bjorn!

  119. Hey Bjorn, since David mixed his rotary speakers lower than the Hiwatts, I have it hooked up to my smaller amp. I have a stereo out from my Digitech Polara reverb which goes to a Peavy BY Classic Series on the first output, and my Fender Frontman 10G. I have the Boss RT-20 between the polar and the Femder. It works pretty well, except I want to somehow get both amps going with the RT-20 for Syds’ theme in Shine On You Crazy Diamond, along with my MXR Phase 90 that is earlier on in my rig. How would you say I could do so?

        1. I haven’t really experimented that much with this but I would perhaps hook the pedals up to a switcher allowing you to switch them on/off for the parts you need them and for individual amps. The Gigrig would do this but a cheaper option would be a more basic switcher designed for this purpose. Check out custompedalboards for example. They can provide pretty much anything.

  120. Guilherme Kubaski

    Hi Bjorn

    Have you tried the Nux Mod Core? I found that the chorus sound is really close to the CS-2. I’m just curious about the flanger and phaser!

    Thank you

  121. Regarding the Deluxe Electric Mistress, when you say, “the current stock model sounds considerably darker”, are you referring to the Deluxe Electric Mistress XO (that comes in the smaller white/green/black/ case) as opposed to the V4 or V5?

  122. I guess the MXR Phase 90 Script LED reissue sounds the same as the classic reproduction without the modern features? Kinda wondering why it would be like 35 € cheaper than the classic one…

    1. Don’t know. I haven’t looked at the schematics but it’s either different parts involved or simply marketing. In any case, the led version sound the same. It has true bypass, while the non led has hardwire bypass. The latter can sound a tad darker.

  123. Hi Bjorn.

    Can I get your advice on something? I’ve got, and am very happy with, a Boss RT20 but I’m putting together a new go-to pedalboard and it’s just a little too big! Is there an alternative that has a smaller footprint that you can recommend?

    Cheers,

    Ben.

    1. Not really. You could go for a chorus, like the Boss CE5, which has some of that rotary sound but no, I haven’t really found anything similar. Other rotary pedals that perhaps sound better, doesn’t really do that chorusy thing that the RT20 does.

      1. I’ll check out the Boss! Thanks. But it’s hard when the RT20 does such a good job. Oh well, one thing for it! Build a bigger ‘board!!! ;)

  124. Hi Bjorn,

    Lately I have been starting to doubt my current modulation pedals and my compressor

    – mxr phase 90 (block)
    – boss ce 5

    – mxr dyna comp (block)

    Now I know I hate the mxr phase 90 bock version, I got it before I started following your site and now I want to sell it and get a more “script” like phaser. I’ve been thinking about the mooer orange phaser.

    Unfortunately, you haven’t written anything about the boss ce 5 chorus pedal, I like it very much, have you tried it? Do you think it’s a good pedal for Pink Floyd tones?

    About the compressor… I don’t understand why you gave this pedal 5/10 score… I like it, but then again, this is my first compressor so I am probably wrong.

    So which of these pedals would you get rid of and which ones would you buy at a reasonable price?

    I am not interested in those expensive ones like mxr script ones I think it’s better to save money and get a quality delay pedal instead…

    Thank you :)

    P.S. I’ll be getting a mooer elec lady pedal soon, it sounds great!

    1. Hi Armin, it does’t really matter what I like or what score I give each pedal. It’s only my opinion. My best tip when it comes to new gear is that you should try different pedals to get an idea of how different designs sound and use reviews as a guide. Not a ghospel. Ultimately, trust your ears. The block Phase 90 has a tone of its own and a bit more mid range and gain than the script model. The Mooer Orange is well worth checking out. The Boss CE5 is a nice alternative for David’s tones and it even does a fairly good rotary sound. For compressors, check out the Vick Audio R-Comp and the Mooer Yellow comp.

    1. Yep. Very similar to the Mooer – I suspect that they copy each others circuits – but, yeah well worth checking out.

  125. Francesco Cagnacci

    Hi Bjorn, have you ever tried the Mooer Soul Shiver modulation pedal? It’s a chorus,Vibrato and rotary pedal…

    1. Can’t go wrong. Classic tones that’s been used by some of the biggest names. It’s not a flanger I’d use for David’s tones though. It’s got much more of that metallic jet type of flanging. The Mooer E-Lady is IMO the best replication of the Eectric Mistress that David used.

  126. Hi Bjorn,

    Which Mooer ElecLady settings did you use for The Wall tones like C. Numb, Hey You and Waiting for the Worms?

    Thanks!

  127. Can you comment on the TC Corona vs the Mooer Ensemble King? I’ve been really looking hard at the MXR Analog Chorus, the Corona and the Mooer. You have the Mooer highly rated which is drawing my eye, just curious if you have any experience with it in comparison to those other two.

    1. Both sounds really great and I guess the Corona is more versatile, as it can do different types of chorus sounds. I like the Ensemble King because it’s very close to the old CE-2. Perhaps a tad darker but well worth checking out.

  128. Hi Bjorn,

    What modulation pedal do you think would get closest to the studio tone of A Great Day For Freedom? I know the guitar track was double tracked and delayed to give a phasing effect, but do you think that an MXR Phase 90 would be too dominating for nailing the tone? I was thinking that a rotary pedal of some kind might sound more accurate.

    Kind regards,

    James.

    1. The closest I’ve come is with a script Phase 90 placed in front of the dirt pedal. It blends nicely with the gain and adds that slight creamy modulation. A UniVibe, place first, will also do the job but a phaser is closer I think. Rotary wouldn’t be quite right as it will either sound too chorusy on slow or too much like a tremolo on fast.

  129. Another great article that has served me well over the years. Most recently it led me to the Mooer Ensemble King, which I absolutely love for David’s tones (and and almost everything else for that matter). In fact, I like it better for his Wall and Final Cut stuff better than my EHX DEM (especially when combined with a rotary speaker or sim) to thicken it up. Great recommendation!

    One question for reference: How does the rate position compare to an original CE-2? For example, if David had his rate set at let’s say 11 o’clock (seems to be his preferred setting), would the Ensemble King also be at 11 o’clock? Or is it offset (as in slower or faster at 12 o’clock compared to the CE-2)?

  130. Hey Bjorn,
    great thread… have been following this for years now. So I am building my first board (I am just using guitar rig now) and all I have is one pedal which is the Arc Effects Gamut. The Gurus Optivalve looks like it would be my compressor of choice. Phaser I was thinking the Skreddy Little Miss Sunshine. Chorus not really sure yet maybe you have some suggestions. For fuzz Im pretty set on the Skreddy Pink Flesh. Finally as a delay Iv’e been looking at the Gurus Amps Echosex 2 or two from Catilinbread. What do you think of these pedals? Do you have anything else that you have tried that you may recommend? What do you think about adding a propper OD in the mix to the Treble booster and fuzz?

    Thanks for all the good work and dedication you give to us, we all greatly appreciate you (:

    1. Hi Zach! I always start by saying that it depends on your amp and pickups. Every pedal you’ve chosen sound great but fuzz in particular, needs the right amp. Keep in mind though that the Pink Flesh is based on a Big Muff, which is a slightly different pedal than the conventional fuzz. An overdrive is always a wise choice and again, depending on your amp, you could go for a vintage style transparent overdrive or a more modern model.

  131. Hey Bjorn,
    What are your thoughts on the strymon möbius?
    It truly sounds incredible,but I feel the fact you can only use one effect at a time slightly disappointing.However,a/b’d with the keeley super mod(where you can use two effects simultaneously),the möbius wins hands down.

  132. I notice on the WYWH album web page that you indicate the Phase 90 used for the Shine On studio track, and I’m curious to know your take on whether a rotating speaker mix might sound closer to that track (using the RT20, for example). I’d recently been on a phaser chase to nail the Syd’s theme and nothing did it. However, I now have a Ventilator II with a mix knob and it sounds extremely close.
    The Knebworth 1975 “Shine On” clips I’ve found actually sound close to the album, more so than the Wembley 1974 clips which to me sound completely different than the album tone. But Gilmour must have been using a Phase 90 in 1975, as the Mistress wasn’t available until 1976.
    Anyway, I’d love to hear your take on Syd’s Theme using a Phase 90 vs using a rotating-speaker-with-mix. Thank you!

    1. A rotating speaker simulator would sound different but you would get some of that slight modulation going. The RT20 has a mix control allowing you to dial in just a small amount of modulation needed. Still, I think a script Phase 90 would be the closest.

  133. Antony Aemisegger

    Hello Bjorn,

    This is a great site and thank you for your efforts in compiling this information! Excellent! I did have a question. Have you tried any other Flanger effects that you feel would emulate Dave’s tone outside of those listed above? I have utilized an MXR m-117 and a Boss BF-2 but they seem sterile to my ears.

    Thanks!

    1. Not really. The Mistress, and clones of it, is unique and doesn’t really sound like any of the other classic flangers like MXR, Boss, Ada etc.

  134. Hey Bjorn! Have you seen this yet, the Keeley Dyno My Roto? Normally I’m skeptical of all in one modulation but all of the settings on this sound amazing and very Gilmourish. Might be a good swiss army knife modulation effect pedal for Gilmour tone hounds. Plus this is a great demo. I could watch these guys jam for another 10 minutes.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOropqRJwko

  135. Hi Bjorn, :

    I’m building a large all era Floyd/Gilmour board, and just got a whammy v pedal. Where should I put it in my pedal chain so that I can play songs like marooned, blue, etc. See chain below:

    Guitar>analogman bc108>tuner>buffer>mini wah> dyna comp script> boss cs-2> drybell vibe> phase 90 script> buffalo fx tdx> buffalo fx patriot> pig hoof> rat> colorsound pb> eleclady> boss ce-2w>earnie ball volume pedal>boonar>nova delay>boss rt-20> strymon flint reverb> lehle little dual > buffer> amps

    Also what is the signal chain to play marooned? Thanks as always sir!

  136. Martin Jørgensen

    Hey Bjorn.

    Have you tried the tone city pedals? If not, what do you think of the reviews?

    Kind regards.

    Ps. I love the site and the tons of information on it. It’s my daily read :)

    1. I haven’t tried them but from what I understand, they’re similar to the Mooer pedals and pretty much clones of other pedlas. I know some of them get great reviews, which makes me want to try a few :)

  137. You should try out the phase 95, I own one and love it, it’s great because it gives you block and script 90 and 45 phases. There also coming out with a Dyna Comp mini that’s supposedly a script dyna comp (same size as the 95) with this new attack button that slows down and speeds up the effect.

  138. Hi Bjorn,
    Regarding RT-20 and modulation pedal placement… I’m about to pick up a RT-20 to get those Animals-Pulse tones I’m after. I have read in some of your articles and comments that chorus needs to go *after* the delays, etc. Kind of like how he had it during the Wall tour, with the rotary speakers at the end of the signal chain. So in the effects loop for maximum Gilmourizing (hehe) what would the proper order be of delay, chorus, flanger and RT-20? My instincts tell me flanger – delay – chorus – RT-20.
    Happy New Year and best wishes from the USA. Keep up the great work with your band and this site!

    1. You should experiment and hear how the different placements effects your tone. To replicate David’s setup, although only in mono, your instincts are right. You might also want to have the chorus before the delays.

  139. Fantastic stuff as always, Bjorn! Any chance of a review of the new CE-2w??? I’m dead set on getting one for my own devices but curious how you feel about it for achieving Gilmour’s tones :)

    1. Thanks! Haven’t had the chance to try the CE-2W yet so I can’t really tell. Based on the reviews I’ve seen and heard, they’ve done a great job at replicating both the CE1 and CE2, with authentic tones.

  140. The Phase 99 (now discontinued) is well worth investigating as a creative phasing tool. Truly inspiring compact unit for phase aficianados.

    Also: The above-mentioned forthcoming Mu-FX Phasor 2X is still undergoing pre-release design revisions & holds much promise as a creative 4 (& 6 – my preferred voice) stage phase shifting creative tool.

  141. Hello Bjorn,

    I hope this post finds you well and I am super excited to hear a new album next year. Question. I just saw the new MXR Phase 95 and I wanted to know how this compares to the MXR 1974 CS script reissue Phase 90. I know the small size is a plus for me, but it isn’t everything. Have a great day.

    Carlos Z.

    1. Hi Carlos! Thanks for the support! I haven’t tried the new 95 yet so I can’t tell. If they’ve done an equally good job as the custom shop script 90 and 45 then I know I’m getting one :)

    1. Haven’t tried it but the rveiews and clips sound promising. The 45 is a very underrated pedal I think and it’s cool that they’ve included that :)

  142. Hello Bjorn, Have you tried the Phase 95? Is it a good option as it covers both phase 90 and 45 with or without script?

  143. Hi Bjorn,

    Thanks for your article, very interesting and helpful :)
    May I suggest that you test the EHX Neo Clone ? its definitely closer to the original Small Clone than the Nano one, some great tones come in(the “Come as you are” sound), despite, basic settings.

  144. Hello Bjorn !
    I have a Deluxe Electric Mistress with internal power inside (+/- 18V) : I think It’s a V2 or V3)
    The Serial Number is : 1378038 and the Serial Number of the PCB is EH-5150-D
    But the Pedal is not a V3 Deluxe Electric Mistress Green : the pedal is normal grey with icehocky puck and main power input with internal transformer.
    My question is :
    I want to put a statut led on the pedal but I don’t find any electric scheme for this pedal with internal transformer
    Can someone help me please ?
    Thanking you in advance
    JB (from TOULOUSE / FRANCE)

  145. For bass & its extended headroom demands an optical circuit phaser is the way to go, rather than J-FET based phasers which distort more easily (Maestro PS-1A Phase Shifter, MXR Phase 90).

    If you like the 4-stage Phase 90 sound then perhaps the 4/6/10 stage Maxon PH-350 Rotary Phaser (discontinued, so get used) might be appealing (very versatile too).

    The 10-stage (6 swept, 4 fixed) MXR Phase 100 (Maxon PH-350’s 10-stage mode is very much like this when regeneration is dialled in for positive feedback) would be suitable as well.

    Alternatively Mike Beigel’s forthcoming Mu-FX Phasor 2X (4 & 6 stage) looks very tasty.

    Another optical phaser worth investigating is Mike Both’s MuTron BiPhase clone, the (6-stage) Prophecysound PiPhase.

    Also: OTA circuit phasers like the Electro-Harmonix Small Stone distort less easily than J-FET’s.

  146. hi,

    what’s your opinion of the Danelectro Pepperoni phaser (assuming that you have tried it)? I just bought one, used a couple of days ago (I was borrowing my friend’s block logo Phase 90, and wanted a phaser for myself). So far, it seems to be ok. But, I haven’t put it through a real test quite yet.

    go easy on me, I’m just a bass player. anything with more than four strings scares me ha-ha!!

    1. Hi Paul, I haven’t tried it but based on the reviews I’ve heard, it sounds pretty close to the Phase 90 :) In any case, trust your ears :)

      1. I’ve been watching videos, comparing the block and script logo Phase 90 (as well as doing some comparisons, in person, too). I’m going to say that my Dano Pepperoni sounds closer to a script logo pedal.

        Now, all I have to do is get a Phase 95, and a Uni-Vibe, a Strat (I’ve been using my Les Paul, the past billion years)…oh yeah, and some talent.

  147. Hey Bjorn, what are your thoughts on the Whirlwind Phaser? It’s supposed to be the closest pedal to the old Phase 90 as Whirlwind was founded by the original founder of MXR. I don’t have an old phase 90 to compare mine with but I had a newer phase 90 that it blew away.

  148. Hello Bjorn. As a small guitar player, but a big Gilmour’s fan, I’ve been following your precious information and it has been very usefull to me. So, thank you very much for it! Obrigado, Pedro

          1. Thank you very much for anwsering. Love this page, great job! :)
            But is this type of information listed anywhere for other effects to?

  149. hello , congratulations for this wonderful resource that is your site . have you ever tried the classic chorus of carl martin , what with the additional vibrato function ? It could be an interesting alternative . a greeting from Italy thanks .

  150. Hello Bjorn, I wanted to let you and your readers know about the Moog Minifooger MF Flange. It’s hand built and uses analog bucket bridge circuitry. It has controls for positive and negative feedback so it is very versatile. I actually was able to match it almost exactly to your Mooer Eleclady settings by setting the feedback all the way off and the depth at about 70%. The only noticeable difference is that the Moog colors the EQ less, so you retain more bass and low mids than you will with the Mooer or a vintage Mistress but otherwise near indistinguishable. I’m not affiliated with them at all but I’ve been on the search for a quality Mistress style flanger and have had some reliability issues with the Mooer (had three warranty replacements in a year) and for added versatility the Moog’s Feedback controls allow you to easily dial in more MXR style flanging if that’s your thing.

    1. I don’t have much experience with it really. Couldn’t find any Mistress tones just by tweaking the pedal but I’m sure you can dial in something close with the Tone Print editor or find a patch that’s already available.

  151. Bjorn,

    I just picked up a EH Deluxe Electric Mistress and it appears to be the Reissue V4 (1999) according to Ralf Metzger site. You mention this one as being a better and not as dark as the current reissue? Is the one I have one of the ones that are desirable for DG’s work? Thanks, Sam

    1. I’ve had a couple of the ’99s and they all sound brighter and more “liquidy” compared to the current Deluxe (big box and latest reissue).

  152. Hi Bjorn,

    Question about David’ use of modulation, do you mean he put them in the effect loop when you wrote this?

    “David Gilmour has always kept his amps clean and placed the modulation effects undistorted between the gain effects and the amps.”

    Or do you mean in the chain just after the gain pedals?

    Sorry maybe it’s a stupid question

    1. The amps has always been clean and he gets all his overdrive and distortion from pedals. This means that you can plug modulation and delay straight into the front end of the amp, which is what David does. All his effects are in chain into the front of the amp :)

  153. Thanks for the advice, Bjorn! I got a great price on a used boss RT-20 and it sounds great for his live 74 and WYWH rotary tones, especially for Any Colour you like and Shine on, but also is suited for his yamaha and PULSE doppola tones.
    As for the chorus, flanger and phaser, I am going to try the mooer series pedals, the e-lady, ensemble king and 90 orange to stick to a budget and be more travel-sized pedalboard-friendly, if the need arises, and I was wondering on your opinion on the mooer pedals?

    1. The Mooer stuff is great! I have an Ensemble King, ElecLady and Phase 90 myself and they sound really nice. Not all of the works though. The fuzz, delays and the more complex stuff doesn’t really do it but some of the overdrives and modulations are worth checking out.

  154. deniel pierrick

    hi bjorn- im just chiming in to say i love your site and look at it every day. i will be curious to see what you think of the boss ce2-waza, i hope it gets a review/blurb. cheers!

  155. What would you do, buy Nux Mod Core, or Donner Alchemy, or buy dedicated cheap pedals for modulation like Joyo Analog Chrous, Phaser and Flanger? Which option would oyu recommend for a bedroom player? Thank’s a lot.

    1. I don’t have any experience with the Nux or Donner multi pedals, so I can’t really tell. I stringly recommend that you look into the Mooer and Joyo pedals though. I especially like the Mooer modulations, like the Phase 90, Ensemble King and ElecLady.

  156. Hi

    If I wanted to have a ‘default’ setting for David’s tone on a Deluxe Electric Mistress XO – what would the settings be?

    Thanks

  157. Hi Bjorn,
    Could you help me with something?
    In which order would you put these 3 pedals: RT20, delay and reverb.
    I’m’hesitating between delay > RT20 > reverb or delay > reverb > RT20. In your opinion, what would be the more logical and effective chain signal?
    Thanks in advance,
    Matthias

    1. I prefer the RT20 first, as a regular modulation: RT20 > delay > reverb. But, to fully replicate David’s rotary setup, you would want the RT20 last: delay > reverb > RT20.

      1. Thanks Bjorn,
        Last really? I would have thought his rotary speakers are then reverberated by the room/hall.

        1. Well, yes they are. If you want to use the reverb to replicate a room, then you might want that last but keep in mind that a revern pedal will never fully replicate the natural ambience in a room so what I always recommend, is that you use reverb with great care so that it doesn’t colour the tone too much. Read more about that in this feature. As you might know, David never uses reverb in a live setup but yes, a pedal can be used to compensate for some ambience.

      2. Wasn’t the only reverb used on PULSE guitar tones (& on any other DG tones) added post-production?

        The modulation before delay or delay before modulation dilemma can also often be resolved based on which pedals have mono or stereo inputs & outputs.

        Even if going mono most of the time it is nice to have the stereo capability ready to play with by just adding a few jack plugs rather than having to move & rewire several pedals.

        1. Well, I should have explained myself better. David never use reverb on stage. What you hear, is the ambience in the room and, if you listen to a live recording, probably some post production reverb either from ambience recording or added effects in the mix. I was referring to using pedals, which I consider to be a bit different. I would have placed the RT20 as a modulation, before delays but for David’s setup, you can either have the reverb last or the RT20 last, which is probably better. The most authentic approach would be to split the signal after the delays, use the RT20 for one amp and no reverb.

          1. Hi Bjorn, could you explain how to do a nice stereo setup in detail? At which point should I split the signal? When I use the RT20 (or Stereo Chorus) for one channel only (in a two amp setting) as you described above, the stereo effect is lost, true? Wouldn’t it make more sense to split the signal with the left/right stereo out of the Chorus (or Rotary) device to activate the digital stereo effect?

            1. To make my question more clear: I am not sure if the signal coming out of a stereo output of e.g. a Chorus / Rotary device is identical at both left/right channels (means the stereo effect is created only with the two amp setup) or is the signal itself modulated to create a stereo effect (means the two signals are not identical and the stereo effect is a result of the sound/signal, like the ping pong delay as example).

              1. You’re basically splitting a mono signal so it won’t be a true stereo. I don’t think any of the modulation pedals does that because the outputs would have to have two different delay circuits. It’s mono but the split makes the impression of a stereo signal. How accurate that stereo is also depends on how similar or different your two amps are.

            2. Depends on what sort of tone and effect you want. The point of having the rotary in only one channel or amp is to be able to blend both a wet and dry signal. Try both approaches and hear how that affects the tone, the details and attack.

    1. I haven’t tried the CE2-W yet but it looks promising. I like the fact that they’ve combined the CE1 and CE2. The EVH Phase 90 is a nice alternative for the classic Phase 90 tone. I might be mistaken, but as far as I know, it’s the same pedal as the script reissue with led.

      1. Yes, they say MXR EVH has the same circuit of the script reissue with led…But I didn’t have a chance to compare them, so I can only say it sounds pretty good to me!
        I think the same about the CE2-W, I never got a CE2, because it didn’t feel reliable to buy an old pedal..so I’ll get this one as soon as possible, even though the Ibanez CS9 is doing the job perfectly.
        I’ll let you knoww!

        1. Your post got me typing in Ibanez CS9 in a search engine. Schnobel (the guy who does endless – albeit very sonically revealing – delay comparison videos) has a video on YT comparing the two.

          One commenter pointed out that Ibanez’s most renown guitars were humbucker equipped & that Maxon (who made the Ibanez pedals) were likely aiming to make them work well with those. The CS9 does have a brighter tone than the CE-2. Regardless – the latter does sound nicer with the single coils used in the video.

          Either that or I am so used to the sound of my CE-2 that I got (used) in ’94 (& before that an analogue Boss CH-1 that I had in the early 90’s) that the brighter CS9 (which also sounds like it has a different waveform for the LFO sweep) just sounds less welcoming.

          With the CE-2W you can have the more mids-enhanced CE-2 tones as well as the brighter CE-1 (chorus & vibrato) & CS9 chorus tones.

          1. You’re right. CS9 is brighter. I decided to buy it, because I watched the comparisons by Shnobel: “CS2 vs CS9” and “CS2 vs CS9,Joyo,MXR”.
            Next pedal I need altough is the JHS modded RAT2, so I’ll wait september to get the CE-2W.
            I recently got a Vick Audio Overdriver and a Boss HM-2. I’ll make a review soon.
            Cheers.

  158. Any opinion on the MXR Custom Shop Script Phase 90? That one is supposed to have similar tone. It also has an LED and a 9V power input.

    1. It’s the same sound as the ’74 but with a bit more top end, as it has true bypass and the ’74 only hardwire.

  159. I picked one up over a year ago & have no regrets – especially seeing as it’s now discontinued. If you like experimenting with modulation then the dual-phaser Phase 99 packs a lot of (tasty) phasing possibilities into its compact orange case.

    When activated – even in single phaser mode only – there is a volume boost which may or may not be above what you are comfortable with – which would only matter in a gigging situation but might actually be useful there.

    Have had a few phasers over time:

    Let go of:

    * DeArmond Model 1900 Pedal Phaser (near skateboard-sized 4-stage JFET phaser),
    * Boss PH-2 Super Phaser (10 & 12 stage phaser – not missed),
    * MXR Phase 100 (vintage block 10-stage optical phaser).

    Still have:

    * EH Small Stone (vintage 4-stage OTA phaser – need the Analogman volume drop elimination mod done on this),
    * Maestro PS1-A (awesome 6-stage JFET phase unit, too big for a well-stocked pedalboard though),
    * Carl Martin Two Faze (PS1-A type circuit – phenomenal sound),
    * Heptode Virtuoso (another PS1-A type circuit – with original type speed controls for accelerating & decelerating),
    * Maxon PH-350 Rotary Phaser (4, 6 & 10 stage optical phasing – for many this could be the phasing one-stop shop),
    * Prophecysound PiPhase Mk I (the PiPhase is a more compact clone of the fabled MuTron BiPhase dual/stereo 6-stage optical phaser),
    * Prophecysound PiPhase Mk II (x 2 – BTW: These things with an expression pedal – for foot control of LFO speed or manual phase sweeping – such as one of the Mission range [e.g. SP-2R] are insane, Big Muff fuzz though one of these has to be heard to be believed – maybe more Michael Hampton [Funkadelic] than DG but you can dial in more subtle tones that could sub for those as well).

    Will get an Effectrode Phaseomatic Deluxe when the revamped model comes out.

    If you love phasers (as I clearly do, first effect that I ever bought was the [second hand] DeArmond) then I’d grab the Phase 99 if one turns up at a good price.

    Bjorn has stated before the hand-wired MXR Phase 90 script reissue or the Whirlwind Orange Box Phaser will get you that much closer to original script-era Phase 90’s for Gilmourish tones (among others) then any other current MXR Phase 90 variant. I just like great sounding phasers & this Phase 99 is definitely tasty. If you have two amps (or two amp heads & a splittable left/right speaker cabinet – or two cabinets for that matter) then that is obviously the way to get the best out of stereo output phasers like the 99. I suspect it’s inspiration may have been Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen who apparently feeds his Fender Rhodes into a splitter box & then into two Phase 90’s set to different speeds.

    Please mention it here as a reply if you get one along with your thoughts as there are very few mentions of the Phase 99 by users online & it’s always interesting reading fellow guitarists impressions on gear that one also has (Gilmourish being a stellar case of this).

  160. Hi

    Have you tried the MXR Phase 99 – two Phase 90s in a box? If so, what are your thoughts, in particular on the vintage mode compared to a 74 reissue phase 90.

    Thanks

    1. Yeah… Um, it sounded nice but I honestly didn’t see the point of it. Nothing that I liked anyway. The phaser it self, sounded nice though and close to the classic Phase 90.

  161. Hi again Bjorn! excellent 2016’s updates! the site is getting better and better!
    Have a question, which one do you prefer? Boss CE-2 Chorus (Taiwan) or Mxr Analog Chorus M234??

    1. Two different pedals. The MXR is probably closer to the Boss CE5, which has a slightly brighter tone, less mids and a more noticeable swirl. It also got a few extra controls. The CE2 is more subtle but then again, you can’t tweak it as much.

      1. If you have to choose between:
        -Boss CE-2 Chorus (Japan)
        -Boss CE-2 Chorus (Taiwan)
        -Mxr Analog Chorus M234
        ..which one do you prefer?

        1. One of the CE2s. There’s a lot of talk about the Japanese VS the Taiwan model, but unless you do a A/B test, you can’t hear a difference. Perhaps the Japanese is a tad smoother, with less mids, but it’s down to nuanses.

              1. I have a CE-2 Japan seliver screw first batch (serial number is all zeroes). Love it. Love my Diamond Halo Chorus even more – with mix control, trim pot for delay time, expression/CV control of speed, stereo ins & outs & optional 2-stage phasing. Same BBD chip as CE-2.

  162. Hello Bjorn! I’m looking for a different rotary sound then what I’m currently getting with my RT-20. I find that when I run the RT-20 and other modulation pedals in tandem it gets too muddled. I’m thinking of either adding a Motion Sound Pro 3x which is a rotary head head that you can attach to an existing amp and uses your existing amp as a bass rotary sim while the horn actually spins on top like a real leslie, or running a stereo setup and running the RT-20 out to a Roland JC 120 into the stereo effects return loop so I can ‘bounce’ the rotary effect back and forth between it’s two indenpendant speakers and just setting that amp lower in the mix than my main rig. Have any experience or recommendations on what might get me a better sound? Thanks!

    1. Running a stereo setup would produce the most accurate tone, in terms of recreating David’s setup. That way you can also blend the rotary in a more natural fashion. I haven’t tried the Motion Sound, so I can’t really tell how it sounds. Based on the reviews I’ve heard, it does the Leslie thing pretty well, but David’s old Yamaha and Doppola speakers, sounds a bit different. More chorusy, with less of that tremolo character.

      1. The latter setup (“running the RT-20 out to a Roland JC 120 into the stereo effects return loop”) has one issue that is worth pointing out:

        You would be bypassing the JC120’s tone stack in the preamp by effectively (no pun intended, honest!) plugging the RT-20 straight into the preamp.

        Now if you are setting the RT-20’s mix control to full then that might not be a problem if you are adding the JC-120 as a second amp to one that hasn’t got any signal from the RT-20.

        It could likely get harsh in the top end if mixing in some of the dry signal on the RT-20 & sending it straight to the JC120’s power amp.

  163. Hello Bjorn, I’m looking to buy a phaser to produce those classic WYWH Phase 90 tones. I’m also hoping it will double as a Uni-Vibe for the DSOTM tones. I’ve decided that I don’t want a battery only one, so I’ve got it narrowed down to the Maxon Phase Tone, Mooer Orange Ninety, and the Phase 90 Script with the LED. Which would you recommend?

    1. You could pretty much go with any of these but I think I’d go for the MXR :) Sounds a tad darker and more UniVibe-ish than the other two :)

      1. Thanks! I forgot to say that I play a Blues Junior, but considering that’s a pretty bright amp, I’m sure the dark-ish pedal as you say shall go nicely with it. Also, that Phase 90 Script is the CSP101SL, right? I’ve seen some stores list it as CSP101CL, but I think that may just be a typo. Do you know if those are two different pedals?

        1. I think that’s two different pedals. They did an upgrade on the script not long ago, so maybe that’s it. Do a search and you’ll figure it out :)

  164. Hey Bjorn!

    I was listening to Obscured by Clouds yesterday. On the track Stay, right around the 2:37 minute mark leading into the solo, it sounds like David is using the same modulation from Any Color You Like. Could it be the EMS Hi-Fli? Looks like the dates match up pretty well but I didn’t know if there was any documented evidence that David had the Hi-Fli during the Obscured by Clouds recordings.

    P.S. I saw your suggestion to Steve about the Mega pedal and I think the Gilmourish community really needs to push for that to happen :) Oh and super excited for Disconnected!

    Thanks Bjorn!

    1. Thanks Ben! It could be a wah toggled very fast… he does use one for the solo. But yeah, it could be a filter on the Hi-Fli. He certainly owned it during the sessions.

  165. I know that this isn’t “gilmourish” pedal at all but what about Tremolo? Do you have any experience with that kind of modulation? I’m looking for some nice tremolo and maybe you could help me a little ;-)

    1. I haven’t used tremolo that much really but it’s obviously a classic effect and one you can do some really cool things with. I prefer the opitical tremolos for a slightly warmer and smoother wave. Obviously, it’s hard to beat Strymon’s Flint but check out the Voodoo Lab Tremolo and Wampler Lattitude… among others.

      1. Replying to an old post and this is indeed not the most Gilmourish topic, but in case someone is looking for a tremolo, I wanted to add the Mooer Trelicopter to the list of recommendations. I just got one and really enjoy it. It’s an optical tremolo and it is really cheap. I never thought tremolo would be my thing, but it’s surprisingly satisfying to play.

        The guys from That Pedal Show (who mentioned Gilmourish in a recent episode – they seemed to think it was done by more than one person, which is an understandable mistake!) like it a lot. In the Joey Landreth episode Joey played one paired with a compressor and a delay and it was such an amazing tone! Definitely worth checking out, if nothing else just to see Dan’s and Mick’s reaction. The bit starts at around 51 minutes:
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSreFRxL2go

  166. Patrick Lester

    Hi, Bjorn, I was wondering if you ever tried the Blackstar ht-modulation pedal? And would it provide some Gilmour tones.

  167. Jonathan Thomas

    Hi Bjorn,

    Wondering what your reasoning was behind giving a CE-2 a 9/10 and the Costalab a 10/10? Only thing I can put my finger on is where you say “rising costs” of finding a a CE-2. That may well be true, but the Costalab Chorus is 180 euro, and I’m not sure the CE-2’s are that expensive, at least not in my experience.

    Just wanted your take on it, is it a tone thing?

    Many thanks
    Jonathan

    1. Yes, it’s a tone thing. Price don’t really matter in these guides. The CE2 has more mid range, making it darker, and I don’t like the Boss buffers. The CostaLab is smoother sounding, a flatter EQ and it has an effect level, allowing you to dial in the amount of effect you need. To my ears, and these guides are highly subjective, the CostaLab sounds better :)

      1. Jonathan Thomas

        Thanks Bjorn, that’s great. Second question…in order to nail the tones on PULSE, would you use a chorus or a rotary pedal? I’m guessing you don’t need both?

        I have my eye on the Neo Instruments Ventilator 2, that has a Mix control. But wouldn’t want that if you thought the CE-2 would do a good enough job on its own. What are your thoughts? I’ve noticed that you rarely use chorus and opt to use the RT-20 for most demos. Again, many thank for your time. Jonathan

        1. I’ve never been too fan of chorus. It sounds dated to me but David did use one during the 80s and 90s. The RT20 is very good at replicating David’s Yamaha and Doppola rotary tones. Other rotary units, like the Lex and Ventilator are better at doing a real Leslie tone, but that’s not quite what you want. The tone is more chorusy than that so personally I’d go with the RT20.

  168. Hi Bjorn,
    Thanks, I will skip for the moment the RT20 it takes to room on my tight pedalboards.
    Anyway, based on Gandks tone what I can replace in my pedalboards (In your opionion) to improve my sound or what I can add? I remind you my equipment:

    Stratocaster MIM (Pickups FAT50-CS69-SSL5)

    TC Polytune Mini – Boss CS2 – Skreddy p19 – Wampler Plexidrive – Mooer Black secret – Microvibe Vooodo – Choruslab – ElecLady – TC flashback – Laney Cub 12R Combo.

    I have some money to spend for funny and I’d like to improve my equipments. Can you give me some options.
    Thanks a lot in advance
    Ciao
    Sebastiano

    1. Your setup looks great and you should be able to dial some nice Gdansk tones :) I can’t really see anything that needs to be changed. If you’re really keen on spending some money, then you might want to consider the Buffalo Evolution for those Cornish G2 tones, which David used a lot on the 2006 tour .:)

  169. Hi Bjorn – a question about the rt-20, some/most of your videos featuring this pedal state it is added “in the mix” – exactly how is this accomplished ? Do you record dry/mic-ed into your PC/desk, then afterwards play out through the rt-20 and back to the PC ? Thankyou as ever :) Richard

    1. When it says RT20, it’s always placed in the chain, after the gain pedals. When it says rotary added in mix, I’m using a Leslie sim plug-in, which is sent to a bus track and mixed behind the guitar.

      1. Richard McEntee

        Many thanks for clearing that up Bjorn – I had all sorts of visions about wacky patching going on :)

  170. Thomas Hagemeijer

    hey Bjorn, thanks for the helpful post. Still, I’m wondering which you’d recommend the most. The EHX Deluxe Electric Mistress V5 or the Mooer Eleclady, since I recently found that electric mistress on a dutch variant of ebay for a decent price. Thanks in advance.

      1. I would love a video guide / review with settings on the Moore Eleclady. Such small knobs make it a nightmare to dial in, and it just doesn’t give me that Wall Live solo tone when used with my P19 or Vick 73 Ram’s head. I have it last in my chain after all the Muffs and delays. If you need the full chain, I can type it out.

        1. I’d place it after the gain pedals and before the delays. Try these settings: colour just a hair above 9:00, range off and the rate 2:30.

  171. The one with the LED actually has the EVH model’s circuit board in it without the switchable option for the later 70’s”block” model sound. It’s set to the early-mid 70’s “script” model sound which is not as accurate as the non-LED model. Either getting a true bypass mod done to the non-LED model or getting a Whirlwind Orange Box Phaser (which bizarrely doesn’t come in an orange box!) which is made by one of the MXR founders would be the best bet.

  172. Hi Bjorn, thanks so much for all you work. The site is great.

    But anyway I’d like to ask is there a sound difference between this Dunlop MXR Phase 90 Script without the LED (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B0017002U0/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1458932110&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=mxr+phase+90&dpPl=1&dpID=41MXbA24kwL&ref=plSrch) and this Dunlop MXR Phase 90 Script with the LED? (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B0016BFBO2/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1458932110&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=mxr+phase+90&dpPl=1&dpID=41NMrbA8x7L&ref=plSrch)

    Obviously one has an LED, but what I mean is that are they the same other than that? If not, which one would you recommend for Gilmour’s tones?

    1. The one with the led has, a led, and true bypass switching (the latest version of this does, the first didn’t). The 74 reissue is a true clone of the original, without a led and hardwire bypass, which means that the signal pass through the circuitry and you will experience a tad more noise and high end loss.

      1. Thanks for your reply. Also, if you don’t mind me asking, what’s the difference between that script with the LED and the regular block phase 90?

        1. Tonewise, the block sounds brighter, has a slightly higher output, which can make it distort and it’s less smooth or vintage sounding. Sounds nice but a slightly different pedal compared to the script.

  173. Hi Bjorn,
    I need your advice please, my equipment is as follows (based on Gandks tone):

    Stratocaster MIM (Pickups FAT50-CS69-SSL5)

    TC Polytune Mini – Boss CS2 – Skreddy p19 – Wampler Plexidrive – Mooer Black secret – Microvibe Vooodo – Choruslab – ElecLady – TC flashback – Laney Cub 12R Combo.

    Many as these pedals, as you can easy see have been selected based on your reviews/opinions.
    I am thinking if it is the case or not to buy a Rotary effect. But there is not enough room in my pedalbox for BOSS RT20. Do you think it worth to add a rotary in my my chain and if yes can you also suggest a smaller rotary?

    Thanks a lot
    Ciao
    Sebastiano

    1. I assume you want a rotary to replicate David’s Hiwatt+rotary setup and I really don’t think there are any other pedal out there that quite does that as good as the RT20. What I’ve always said, is that it sounds like a shitty rotary sim but an awesome chorus and that’s really what you want. That thick, fat chorus blended in with your main tone. A conventional chorus can’t do that and a better sounding and more authentic rotary sim, like the Lex or Ventilator, doesn’t sound right for David’s tones.

      1. The updated Ventilator II (which I have) has a dry blend – a feature that one would never suspect from the manufacturer’s low-info website. It also has stereo ins (as well as outs obviously) which is nice for feeding a chorus with its own dry blend to one side & a completely dry signal to the other into it.

        I use a Diamond Halo Chorus for this – same chip as the Japanese Boss CE-2’s (have a silver screw version of that w/ serial number made entirely of all zeros, indicating the first batch) – which is the only chorus that I have ever come across that allows this.

        If you have two heads & a 4×12 cab that allows for a stereo split to the left & right sides then sending a Muff of choice (with optional compressor before it) through a BK Butler Tube Driver then on into a stereo delay like one from the TC Flashback series on a 2290 setting (using the Flashback Triple Delay for this) on to the Halo Chorus then onto the Neo Ventilator II into the heads is pretty tasty way to enter the PULSE tone zone! :D

        1. Yes, I forgot about the new version. Ideally though, as it’s a pretty close Leslie sim, it would be best for David’s 1972-75 tones, when he blended the Hiwatts with Leslies. You’ll get more of that deep tremolo and woody tone. The RT20 is, in my opinion, better for the late 70s Yamaha and Pulse’s Doppolas, which both had a more chorusy tone.

          1. Never tried the RT20, Your comments on its adverse affect on the bypass tone put the quash on it for me, It would be interesting – for any of us – to contrast it with the Neo Ventilator II dialled in with a fair amount of dry blend. Anyone been able to do this? (The NV II is a pricey item, so maybe unlikely), It’s certainly one of the nicest modulations that I’ve played through, when mixed in with dry signal with the pedal’s blend.

            The new Foxrox Paradox TZF2 Through-Zero Flanger can get a ton of modulation tones but does take some getting to know the pedal to be able to dial these in. I’ve got a great variety of flange tones (both positive & negative mixing) out of it, plus vibrato, chorus & rotary tones – among others (it can hint at doing phaser & Univibe tones).

            My Hartman, MXR & Boss BF-2 have some nice sounds between them, but this TZF2 (& its predecessor, which is a bit large for taking out) is really quite special & is certainly not a Through-Zero Flanging “one-trick pony”.

            That could be for many the only analogue modulation pedal that they need. One of those, a Foxrox AquaVibe & a Prophecysound Pi-Phase covers my modulation needs on a semi-portable board that I take out for recording purposes.

  174. When ever I want a complete mental workout i come to my fav web pages after which I feel completely satisfied absorbing all the important info on the blog site.muucho grassias!

  175. Eugene Erdozain

    Very helpful. I have a MXR Phase 90 block model that I have had for some years that needs to be repaired or replaced and there is lots of great info here. I do tend to use mine in front of a driven amp.

  176. Bjorn,

    I’ve been messing with my set up lately practicing coming back to life. Running two hi-tone 50’s in stereo. Currently signal runs from strat>boss CS-2>Buffalo FX TD-X>boss CE-2>TC Nova Delay stereo out into stereo in of Boss RT-20 > stereo out into Lehle mini dual > stereo out to each amp. Is there a better sounding (pedal order etc) to do this using my pedals, seems like there would be a more accurate sound just not sure how to do it. Thanks!

      1. Hi Bjorn, I’m referring to my placement of my boss ce-2 and boss RT-20 in my signal chain. I’ve read your rotating speaker and RT-20 articles. Not sure if my pedal order and stereo set up is as optimal as it could be for creating David’s liquid chorus tone on division bell etc. For example, in coming back to life I’m using both the CE-2 and Boss RT-20 together in my chain as described above with the Boss RT-20 going out in stereo to each amp. Not sure if it would sound better/more accurate if I put either the CE-2 or RT-20 between the lehle and a amp, the CE-2 between the lehle and one amp and the RT-20 between the lehle and one amp, leave it like I have it etc. Not sure if I make sense :)

        1. Ok, if you want do replicate David’s setup as accurately as possible, then you might want to consider using one amp as a leslie sim. It would be like David’s PULSE setup, with one Hiwatt and one Doppola. Nothing wrong with your setup as it is now but you could try running all the pedals into a splitter, an run one into a one of the amps and the other, with the RT20 after the split, into the second amp. You can also try placing the chorus in the “dry” line to the first amp.

  177. Emre Gündüz

    Hello Björn,
    This is a great site you have made. I was wondering if you have had any experience with the Joyo phaser. And if so, what is your opinion?
    Thank you!

  178. Hi again Bjorn.
    Could I pick your brain with a dilemma I have please.
    I have seen a dirt cheap Ross R88 chorus pedal in a shop near to me(virtually identical to a Boss ce-2)and was wondering would it be worth buying as I currently have a 1978 v2 deluxe mistress and was thinking will the Ross add any different tones that the mistress doesn’t have or do you think they are too similar to have both pedals on my board.
    Thanks as always
    Rick.

    1. Hi Rick. The Mistress is a flanger, while the Ross (or Boss) is a chorus. They’re both based on the same principle or circuit but they sound very different from each other. The Mistress, as you know, has that liquidy swirl and a fairly dominating effect. A chorus is much more subtle, with much less of that jet, metallic swirl. Depending on how much you like your modulation, I’d get both :)

  179. Hey Bjorn! Have you checked the new Leslie simulator by electro harmonix? The Lester G… I think that will be some game changer mate… You would be the perfect person to make a review on it!

  180. Hey Bjorn, hope you’re doing great!
    I have a question about Have a Cigar tone.. the rythm guitar sounds with a lot of “quack” does that come from the fact that he’s using the MXR Phase 90 or could it be he was using the middle and bridge pickups together? (I’ve had a telecaster and currently have a Es 335 clone so no much experience with stratocasters at all…)
    Thanks for continuing with this site, it’s really helpful
    Best regards from Chile

    1. He recorded that with a Telecaster into a Hiwatt, probably using the Colorsound Powerboost and a Phase 90. It’s that combo, between the twangy Tele, the mid range oriented and clean Hiwatt, the crisp attack from the Powerboost and the swoshy phase shifting from the Phase 90 that makes up that tone. Hard to tell exactly how you should set it up because it’s all about finding the sweetspot. However, a Tele, clean amp, a bit of overdrive and phaser should get you close.

      1. OMFG I really had no idea that tone could be achieved with a tele, I thought he used the tele just for Animals and early Pink Floyd, you learn something new every day, now I need a phaser ASAP
        Thanks for the fast reply, hope you’re doing great!
        Best Regards

  181. Hi Bjorn. I am curious if you have ever played the A/DA flanger…and if so, how you think it compares to the Electric Mistress.

    Thanks!

  182. I am using Solid State Amp for bedroom setup. I have got RAT distortion, BD-2 overdrive and TC electronics Flashback delay. Which will be next essential and important pedal I should consider among all modulation pedals: Chorus, Phaser, Flanger, Uni-vibe ?
    which will be most versatile?

    1. Depends on what tones you want. I assume you want to cover Gilmours tones but what era? Chorus is the most subtle and perhaps not essential. Flanger is a must for the Animals-Final Cut era, while UniVibe and Phaser is essential for the Dark Side and WYWH era. You can easily use a phaser to replicate a UniVibe, so I guess its down to either a flanger or phaser.

  183. Hi Bjorn! What do you think of the EH Deluxe Electric Mistress XO version? In what it differs from the current Deluxe Electric Mistress big box version? In your opinion, the XO version could nail David’s flanger tones from Animals, The Wall and The Final Cut?
    Thanks :)

    1. I haven’t played it enough to give you a full description but it sounds very close to the current Deluxe – a bit dark, with a lot of mid range. Perhaps a bit more chorusy than the Deluxe. You should be able to nail the tones but I would rather go for the Mooer ElecLady.

  184. Hi Bjorn,

    I really love your tone in the Pink Floyd “SORROW JAMMING” in your website.Your playing is superb and you nailed David Gilmours Sorrow tone.
    You are using the Boss CE-2 Chorus pedal in your pedal chain in this video.
    What are your CE-2 settings?

    Also in your Boss RT-20 Rotary review you mention that it has a mix knob control that allows you to blend in as much dry signal as you need for either smoothening out. I don’t see any mix knob control on the pedal. Which knob do you mean?

    Once again thank you so much for your fantastic website and for sharing all those great experience and knowledge of yours.

    All the best
    Ardavan

    1. Thanks for your kind words! I usually set the depth to 10:00 and the rate to 12:00. It may have been a bit different for this clip but I think that’s pretty accurate. The RT20 has “effect” and “direct” control, which allow you to dial in the amount of effect that you need.

  185. Bjorn! I was thinking of buying a flanger and since Hartman went out of business I was thinking of getting a real 70s mistress. What do you think? are there proper clones like the Hartman?

    1. There are a couple of clones out there, small scale production. I haven’t tried them so I can’t tell. The problem with cloning the Mistress is that the SAD1024 chip is hard to come by and it’s essential for that tone. The Mooer ElecLady, although closer to the Deluxe, is the best alternative out there unless you want to go for a vintage Mistress or a used Hartman.

  186. Hi Bjorn,
    I have Boss CE-2B which i modded to sound like the CE-2. (By changing one cap).
    Two days ago I bought the Mooer Eleclady and it is sound exactly like
    the boss my modded CE-2 (the boss is just a little warmer).

    1. But the CE is a subtle chorus and the ElecLady a fairly dominating flanger… Did you mod it to make it sound like a flanger?

      1. That would be a pretty cool trick! Actually on second thoughts it might make my CE-2 sound like my BF-2 rather than my Harman Flanger … :D

  187. Hi everybody… I’ve a question: I love phasers and flangers, to give dimension to my tone. I use them after the gain stomps, because I mostly use digital modulations (Line 6 M13 and Zoom MS-50G) and in my setup i’ts hard to put them before. Some models have a mix / Blend control, but some others doesn’t, and the analog one that I have (custom one, I think is not a clone) also has not a blend control. I wonder, How do you do to control the mix between dry/wet, to avoid the effect to be so dominant? I have tried by setting different depth or rate, but I’ts pretty hard to me to get the balance on the amount of the effect between my clean and dirty tone. After a lot of tweaking and testing various models, I can get the tone I want, but It’s a mystery to me how can you do that with, say a Phase 90, with only the rate control (no mix, no blend, no tone, no nothing!).

    1. Well, there’s no way to control the mix of the effect. It’s either on or not. I prefer to have phasers in front of gain effects. That way it blends better. Chorus and flangers sound best after the gain effects. There are lots of modulation pedals out there with a mix control. Check out the Mooer Ensemble King (Boss CE2) and the TC Electronics Helix :) Both are great sounding pedals.

  188. Hi Bjorn, I like to save money and buy needed modulations in my setup. I have MIJ Boss CE-2 (silver screw) chorus pedal which I use with my muff sound. I like to invest on Flanger, phaser, and rotary speaker simulator. If you would set a priority list for modulation needed for Gilmour tones, what would it be? What is needed most and something that I can’t achieve with Boss CE-2. It sees DG did a lot of older stuff that he used flanger and phaser with Boss CE-2 in his live performance at some point. I try to buy something if I get a different sound. Thanks a lot.

    1. Sorry for my very late reply. Depends on what tones you want to cover and how authentic you want to sound.
      UniVibe 1972-73
      Phaser 1974-75
      Flanger 1977-83
      Chorus 1981-2002
      I would say that a chorus is the most subtle and therefore perhaps not a must. A UniVibe is limited, as you can’t use it to simulate any of the others. A phaser can easily do a UniVibe, so you got both Dark Side and WYWH covered. A flanger is a must for the Animals-Final Cut era.

  189. Hi Bjorn! I’d really have liked to buy the Hartman Analog Flanger but it’s pretty impossible to find here in Italy…
    So, have you ever tried what the T-Rex Twister 2 Chorus/Flanger? What do you think about it? If it sounds good (I’m going to try one in a few weeks) I’ll certainly buy it, also for the fact it is like 2 pedal in one! For me it would be perfect since I never use flanger and chorus at the same time!

        1. The T-Rex Twister 2 sounds really good if powered at 12 V, and really outstanding if operated in stereo mode at 12 V. Chorus is great but the Flanger is outstanding.

          However, if powered at 9V it feels like a completely different pedal, feels flat and lacks any liveliness.

          So, if you try it, I really recommend powering it at 12 V. It is designed to operate at this voltage.

  190. Sad times: Theo Hartman has quit the pedals business:

    http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/what-happened-to-hartman-pedals.1585788/

    My early model Hartman Flanger with the Reticon SAD 1024 (non-“Deluxe” Electric Mistress flanger clone) is probably my favourite modulation box either for clean or post-distortion tones. These early versions also look as sumptuous as they sound.

    Worth checking the first half dozen clips at Youtube for those interested in hearing it:

    https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hartman+flanger

    Hers’s the December 19 2014 Archive websave of his site showing a dozen of his pedals:

    http://web.archive.org/web/20141219191521/http://www.hartmanpedals.com/

    Best wishes to Theo. It would be nice to see him make a comeback sometime. Unlikely though that might be in the now highly populated & very competitive business of pedal-building.

    This is the first occurrence of this with any of the companies making the pedals that I use (not counting ones who shut shop before I started using them).

  191. I strumbled into the “Boss RT-20” thing…I like your sounds very much..I don’t understand: do you choose the RT-20 over the Boss CE-2? Do you mean to use both them to achieve PULSE tones?

    1. Both yes and know… The RT20 is a rotary simularion, while the CE2 is a chorus. I often use the RT20 as a chorus, which means that I dial in a very subtle modulation. If you want to recreate David’s Pulse tones then you should really use both, as he used chorus and rotary on that tour.

  192. Hey Bjorn! On Sheep David does a cool lick right around the 5:14 mark. Is there any modulation in that tone? It kinda sounds like maybe vibe or the Yamaha’s but my ears are not properly trained to identify such things.

    1. Most of that song was recorded with a Telecaster and a split between the Hiwatts and Yamaha. I’m also assuming he used the Colorsound Powerbooster for overdrive… which was his main overdrive unit for that period.

  193. HI Bjorn,
    having some money I have bought the original Electric Mistress. Mine comes with the volume mod so the sound is perfectly balanced when it is on; however coupled with the Powerbooster I could hear some weird cyclical noise in the background. Then I’ve come across to your recommendations to use it after gains and voilà, now it is dead silent. I feel sooo lucky. Thanks for inspiration (as usual).

  194. Hello Bjorn I recently was offered to trade away a boss oc3 super octave I wasn’t using for a boss bf3 flanger (could actualy be the bf2 but likely the bf3) and I was unsure wether to do the trade, or risk trying to sell it and put the money towards an EHX or Mooer flanger, but possibly having him walk away on it and having to wait another while to get rid of it. I have tried one (boss flanger) before but only briefly and youtube videos aren’t much help. Any ideas on wether its a good deal or if it would be better to get a mooer or ehx flanger? All considering I would use it for a general flange and less as a gilmour style flange.

    1. Well, the OC3 and BF3 are, as you are aware, two very different pedals but if you’re asking about the flanger, then I my fan of that pedal personally. I think the Mooer is a far better Gilmourish flanger… and flanger in general.

      1. Thanks for the information. The bf3 is expensive to get and I could lays get the mooer for a different flange if I want after finding a local dealer. I think il go for the bf3 and maybe later the mooer. Thanks for the help!

  195. I have a Mooer Eleclady but I guess it came with some issues… I just can’t use the colour control at full position: a horrible noise that sounds like a female scream from a Hitchcock movie and it’s impossible to play anything.

  196. Hey Bjorn, Have a great time at the Royal Albert Hall. Something you should look into and I’m surprised to not see it here is the Moog Cluster Flux. I have one on order and I can’t wait for it. Have you ever played through one?

  197. Hi Bjorn. Youve given a pick to the Boss RT20 rotary, and ive noticed you use it a LOT, and it comes up in a lot of videos, but we cant see the settings or how you get it to make its magic. Could you please make a video on the RT20 ? Thanks :)

      1. Thanks for the quick response! Guess I’ll go with either the big box or the mooer/donner. I never buy gear without consulting your website first. ;-)

  198. HI Bjorn,

    Of all the Mistress models and clones, which works best with the Big Muff to nail Wall/Final Cuts tones while preserving all the Muff’s tonal properties in your opinion? I had a Mooer Elec Lady at one point but could not get it to work well with the Muff as it seemed to choke the tone, especially the top end bite. Perhaps I didn’t give it enough of a chance, but I really could not get it work for those Wall/Final Cut studio tones no matter where I set it.

    Thank you,
    Tony

    1. I think the Mooer works well for those tones but for authenticity you might want to check out the Hartman Analog Flanger, which is a clone of the original Mistress.

  199. Hello Bjorn!
    I have a silly question!

    I recent bought a Boss RT-20 and I would like to know if I can power it in a daisy chain?

    Cheers
    Joao Bicudo

    1. Yes you can but those big Boss pedals tend to get noisy when you chain them, so use a separate adapter or line on your power feeder.

  200. Hello Bjorn!

    Where do you think is the better place to use the Ehx Small Stone nano? After or before distortions?

    If it is after, do you recommend a “special” place to be like, before chorous or flanger or after this 2 pedals?

    Thanks for your time!

    Cheers,
    Joao bicudo

    1. I prefer phasers and UniVibes in front of gain pedals and chorus and flanger after. Sounds more natural that way. To me, anyway :)

  201. heya bjorn im about to build up my pedaltrain, i only have a zendrive and dynacomp and im looking to add some new pedals but really looking to score with the first one, im looking into adding a modulation pedal to smooth out the overdive but not be to dominant and to be a little wobbly so which whould you recommend out of the drybell vibe machine or costalab chorus or lex rotary, ill be getting a few but i dont know how far apart in time so i need to get the most usable one first,thanks

    1. Hi Jaden! Sorry for my late reply. Chorus, phaser, univibe, flanger are all very different sounding effects so it depends on what you’re looking for. Chorus is the smoothes of them but also the most subtle. I use a lot of flanger myself and mainly the Electric Mistress. The Phase 90 is also an important ingredient in David Gilmour’s mid 70s tones. The Lex is an excellent Leslie simulator but David mainly used rotary cabs that had a more subtle and chorusy character and he also blended these with his Hiwatt and Fender amps. The Boss RT20 is probably the best choice for David’s rotary tones and one pedal that I often use to smooth out overdrives and distortions.

  202. Have you tried the MXR CSP101sl (script Phase 90 w/ 9v adapter and led)? How does it compare to the handwired reissue?

    1. Very similar to the ’74 reissue. A tad brighter as the ’74 has hardwire bypass, which rolls of some of the high end.

      1. Hey Franklin, I tried the Red Witch moon phaser after reading this post. Thankfuly I rent it from a local store for a monthly fee. I returned it yesturday but it left me wanting to buy it:: is very warm modulation you might want to leave on at all times. What it really loved about it was that it blends excellent with other pedals like the deluxe mistress and the vibe machine. Adds a bit of a boost to your tone. And makes your clean tone even sweeter. Will probably buy it soon. Hey Bjorn I really recommend you try this one.

  203. Curious as to how you feel about the EHX B9 vs the Boss RT-20? The B9 doesn’t have the speed control, but does have a good emulation.

    1. I don’t have that much experience with the B9 (or C9) but I think it’s two different pedals. The RT20 simulates the rotary effect only and works more like a chorus. The B9 simulates organ sounds, with leslie, turning your guitar into an organ. I haven’t managed to make it work for simulating David’s rotary sounds.

    1. I have not, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen gut shots of the Mooer and Donner flangers, and they do not use the same circuit boards or all of the same components.

    1. The Good Vibes is OK but personally I think there are better sounding UniVibes out there in the same price range, like the VoodooLab and MXR. The Bad Stone is a 6-stage phaser I think. It sounds great and I really love that late 60s vintage flavour. It’s not a Gilmour pedal though. You need a 4-stage model like the Phase 90 or Small Stone. Never tried the B9.

  204. It might be a good idea to more clearly differentiate between the EHX Nano Clone and the EHX Small Clone in this article. There actually is no “EXH Small Clone Nano.” There is the Small Clone, the Nano Clone, and now the Neo Clone. The Nano and the Neo are quite different pedals that the Small Clone (and not nearly as nice-sounding). The Neo is marketed kind of like it’s just a smaller Small Clone, but it’s a bit noisy and doesn’t have the same chip. The Nano is very noisy.

    1. I just bought a Nano clone and had to send it back. The noise is really awful, you can not use it in a signal chain. Big disappointment+

      1. I have got it already. It has got a completely different sound, than my older and bigger Deluxe. The recommended setting, from Bjorn(with color: 9-10, range:offl,rate 9-10) gives a dull, and dark sound.. The pedal inside should have been done with completely different components..Far away from a Gilmour tone..OK I have not played a whole day, dialing all of the potential versions yet.
        EHX does not keep what is promised..Dissapointing as the Stereo Mistress was..
        Gábor

        1. OK, thanks for sharing. Sounds like they’ve just used the current Deluxe specs and packed it in a smaller box. Too bad.

          1. Hi bjorn did you try the new electro harmonic flanger the mad professor tiny orange phaser could it be a good phaser for david gilmour tone

            1. I haven’t tried any of them. From what I understand, the new Mistress sound nothing like the original or the late 90s model, which is a shame. The Mooer ElecLady would be Your best choice for David’s tones. For phasing, check out the MXR 74 reissue or the Whirlwind Orange Box.

  205. Hi Bjorn. I hope all is well with you. I was wondering if you have tried any incarnations of the Moog chorus – either the big one or the newer minifoogers. As you know, they make amazing pedals, but I was wondering if you have put any of their choruses through the Gilmourish paces:) Thanks Bjorn.

    1. Hi Matt! No I haven’t. Tried a couple of their pedals but not the chorus. From what I’ve heard though, on reviews, it should be able to cover David’s tones or at least get somewhat close.

    1. I’ve never tried so I can’t really tell. I think you can do pretty much anything with the Tone Print and all.

    2. There is a very nice toneprint by La pédale that’s very similar to the Deluxe. Anyway with the editor you can create your toneprint, especially useful if you can compare it to a Mistress.

  206. Informative as always! I got the Boss RT-20, and while it sounds AMAZING on cleans, it is far too dominant on heavier gain. I am really looking for that PULSE woosh-y thing. I was looking at the CostaLab pedal, but can’t find one. Any other particular suggestions?

  207. Thanks for the response on the RT20, just got it yesterday! So while at work ( I work at Guitar Center :) ) me and my buddy were fooling around with it in stereo with both a carbon copy on one amp and TC flashback..very cool..but my question is which is better, RT20 before delays or after? also what are your common settings for your RT20 ,I know different rig setups require different settings but whats your rule of thumb on setting them up for floyd tones?

    1. Hi Jay! I usually keep mine before the delays. It makes it sound a bit more focused and chorusy. I guess the proper way, in terms of replicating rotary tones, would be to have it last. My main settings are: mode 1, rise time 12:00, effect 8:30, direct 11:00, balance 11:00, overdrive off, slow 2:00, fast 12:00.

  208. Hi Bjorn. I hope all is well by you. I was wondering if you came across the Voodoo Labs Analog Chorus in your travels. They’ve been discontinued for a few years now. It’s supposedly a CE-1 clone. Or if you haven’t, and you are familiar with the CE-1, could you share your thoughts on either of these choruses for Gilmourish sounds? Thanks Bjorn!

    1. Too bad they discontinued it. It was a great sounding chorus and perhaps the best one of the CE1. Very warm and authentic. The CE1 works great for David’s tones. It’s perhaps not as dark and middy as the CE2, which can make it sound a tad too bright with Muffs but I think it sounds better than the CE2 with cleans.

  209. Hi Bjorn,

    I’m excited to report that I just ordered an RT20. Does that take the place of a chorus pedal or should I consider chorus too?

    Thanks,
    Brad

  210. Hey Bjorn, So I now can financially afford to finish my Gilmour board whoot! But anyways I’m so the point where all I need is my mod pedals and the one I’m stumped on is the rotary aspect. I’ve tried the BBE Soul Vibe a while back and remember thinking it wasn’t bad but have heard that it sounds more like a univibe. then I just rented out a Tech 21 Roto Choir to see how it sound on my rig at home, haven’t tried it out yet but at work it sounded okay..but not a lot of control. Do you recommend the boss RT20 pretty much for all Gilmour eras or are there more out there under the $250 range? Any pedal suggestions if you got them would help (doesn’t have to be a rotary pedal just something to get that classic leslie sound). I work at Guitar Center so it’s easy for me to get my hands on things to try them out for my rig.

    1. The RT20 is definitely the way to go to produce similar rotary tones as David’s. The Soul Vibe and other UniVibes shouldn’t be confused with rotary or Leslie sims. They sound very different.

  211. HI Bjorn,

    First, have you tried the Providence Anadime Chorus? If so, I’d love to hear your review of it!

    Thanks,
    Brad

  212. Hi Bjorn!!!
    Thank you very much for this beatiful article, its amazing!
    Few days ago i bought a Boss Rt20 , I like to achieve this Flanging Tone from Animals and wall!
    Can you tell me what settings should i use?
    Also what setting should i use to achieve P.U.L.S.E Tones?

    Thank you very much for your time!

    1. Hi Kostas! The settings depends on your amp and guitar but the ones I’m usually using are: mode 1, effect 9:00, direct 12:00, blend 11:00, overdrive off, slow rotary 2:00.

  213. Bjørn: The ElecLady is absolutely a nice pedal – but it does get pretty thin with a muff in front. Did you manage to work around that? For now I use an eq pedal in between them to get some balls back, but is this how the originals behaved? Have you tried the new Deluxe EM from EHX – in the green cover? I wonder if they’ve fixed this and the volume drop on that one.

    David: If you haven’t gone out and bought a Leslie yet, you could do worse than try out the Neo MiniVent. I have that one on my board and it’s a very nice leslie-sim. Expensive, but not as bad as it’s mother the Ventilator II. The minis come in guitar and organ versions – the difference is what parameters can be tweaked through the almost non-existent controls. I have the guitar version – comes very close to that Fender Vibrolux-thing (when it’s not doing any amp sim). There are amp sim modes, but I haven’t really warmed to them. The default mode is great though – and you get that ramp up/down speed when you hit the speed knob, which is very nice.

    1. I haven’t tried the new Deluxe yet but from what I understand it’s identical to the bigger version. I think the ElecLady works really well with all sorts of pedals. My comment was a first impression when I did the comparison with the Deluxe. After having spent some time with the ElecLady I can get it about 95% identical to my Deluxe… which sounds very different to the one that’s available today. My main settings are the colour at 9:30, range off and the rate at 2:30. Like all of the Mistress models, the ElecLady has a slight volume drop when engaged but it’s very silent.

  214. Bjorn:

    I was reading about the MXR Script Phase 90 with LED (CSP101SL) and according to Jim Dunlop the latest versions are true-bypass. Is this accurate as you use the term? Have you tried this particular iteration of the Phase 90? Any thoughts on differences with the other phasers?

    Thanks for all the hard work and useful information

    David

    1. Yes, I think the current script with led is TB. The ’74 reissue is hardwire as the original. The led version is kinder to your signal, letting it pass through uncoloured. The pedal sounds great and much better than the block logo one. The ’74, with its hardwire bypass will roll off some of your high end but there’s a mojo in that pedal that the led version doesn’t have…

  215. Hey bjorn would you happen to know if the boss ch-1 covers gilmours tones from the division bell, momentary lapse of reason,and pulse?

  216. Hi Bjorn,

    I’m seeing some recommendations for a Boss CE-2B(ass) as an alternative to the CE-2. Looking more at the Mooer myself but have you played with the CE-2B at all, or heard anything about it?

    Jason

    1. I haven’t A/B’d it with the CE2 but they’re more or less identical and the CE2B has a mix control as well.

  217. Hi Bjorn,

    I’m in the market for a Leslie sim (hell, maybe even a Leslie itself!). I haven’t found many out there other than the Strymon and the H&K, and was wondering if you could guide me in the right direction for that 1972-1975 classic Leslie tone Gilmour had. On a side note, would it be worth it to purchase a Leslie 147 itself? I’ve seen a flew floating around on the market for about $1000-$1500, and wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or not.

    Thanks,
    David

    1. Hi David! There’s nothing like standing in front of a amp+Leslie combo. It sounds and feels incredible. However, a Leslie is a real pain in the ass to be carrying around. The Strymon is the closest I’ve come with a pedal. However, it doesn’t have a mix control, which means that you either need to put it in a split between two amps or in a loop with a blender pedal, like the One Control Mosquite. The new Ventilator II is also an option and it has a mix control. I don’t think it sounds as good as the Lex but it’s definitely worth checking out.

  218. The BYOC stereo Flanger and the Phase 90 clone are the two sweetest modulation pedals you could own! They are a little bit on the difficult side to put together but the price can’t be beat and the tones are out of this world!

  219. Hi Bjorn,

    Have you ever had a chance to try the Orange Box Phaser from Whirlwind? If so, how do you think it stacks up against the MXR phase 90 and Maxon Phase Tone?

  220. Bjorn,

    I always had my eye on a Uni-Vibe clone (your review of the Dry Bell did wonders), but after reading how you said that a 4-stage phaser could do all the Dark Side/WYWH tones, I think I’m leaning in that direction. I know you can’t review (or possibly own, haha) every pedal out there, but I was curious if you’ve ever tried the VFE Tractor Beam (formerly Enterprise) phaser?

    [I haven’t tried that one no. Personally I don’t think you can beat the MXR ’74 Phase 90 reissue. It’s just something about that tone. Similar pedals would be the Whirlwind Orange Box, Maxon Phase Tone, EHX Small Stone Nano and the MojoHand Nebula. – Bjorn]

  221. Hey Bjorn, awesome article as ever.
    Have you tried out the new 2015 Electric Mistress, the XO model?
    Is it any way better or worse then the current Deluxe Electric Mistress?

    [Not sure it’s out yet… I haven’t tried it anyway but I’m eager to hear if it’s identical to the large Deluxe or if they’ve changed the circuit. – Bjorn]

  222. Hello – I’m not sure if this type of comment is allowed or not, but a large online vendor is offering the Mooer Ensemble King for $46. They only have three left after I purchased mine today, but this is over $20 less than the lowest price I have seen for this pedal.

    If you want this price, just search. It will probably be one of the first hits you see.

    -Kevin

    [No worries, Kevin :) I see Amazon has them priced very low :) It’s a great unit and definitely worth the price! – Bjorn]

  223. Have you seen that Electro Harmonx just announced the release of the Deluxe Electric Mistress XO for NAMM 2015? Finally a DEM that doesn’t eat up 10 spots on a pedalboard. I can’t wait for this one.

    [Yeah, I know! I’m very excited but I hope they’ve fixed the tone. The current Deluxe sounds too dark and muddy. – Bjorn]

  224. Also, in the Gdansk gear guide you said David uses a Univibe in the Time solo. That’s my favourite tone of Davids, I personally can’t hear the Univibe at all but if you said there’s one it must be true :) I was just wondering if a phaser like the EHX Small Stone Nano could cover that tone? Thanks again!

    [You can get very close with a phaser. Place it in front of the distortion or fuzz. – Bjorn]

  225. Hi Bjorn, great article! My favourite so far :) I’m looking to simulate a leslie with a modulation pedal, and I’m on a bit of a budget. I’m looking at the Mooer pedals for this as they are cheap and sound great. Are phasers no good for simulating Leslie tones? If so it looks like I’m tossing up between the Ensemble King and the ElecLady. Which of these two would be better for simulating a Leslie (the leslie tones on the Wall and Wembley 1974 in particular)? Thankyou!

    [Very sorry for my late reply, Debra. None of them sounds like a Leslie but you can use both to get a somewhat similar effect. I’d actually go with the Orange Ninety from Mooer. It’s an excellent Phase 90 clone and if not a Leslie pedal it’s all over Wembley 74 as David used a Phase 90 on several songs including Shine On and Cigar. – Bjorn]

  226. Have you tried the Whirlwind Orange Box Phaser? It’s like a script Phase 90 with an LED and true bypass. I bought one over the MXR and it’s my second favorite phaser. (The first being an original MuTron Phazer II from the ’70’s, but it’s the size of a brick and pedalboard unfriendly.)

    Just thought I’d give it a mention.

    [Very sorry for my late reply, Paul. Yep, the Whirlwind pedals are great! – Bjorn]

  227. Hey Bjorn,
    Any opinion about the MXR Micro Flanger? I’m also thinking about buying a Script Phase 90, but should I get the one with the LED or not (in Gilmourish tones, obviously).
    Thanks!

    [The Micro Flanger is very nice but perhaps not ideal for Gilmour’s tones. The Mooer ElecLady is hard to beat. I’d get the ’74 reissue Phase 90 and power it with a 9V adapter using a battery pad adapter chord. – Bjorn]

  228. Hi again Bjorn,

    Just a quick question for you. I just bought the MXR 1974 reissue phase 90. I love the sound but am a little concerned due to the battery only function. I kept the cables plugged into this effect and drained the battery rather quickly. Do you need to unplug the cables everytime after using this effect? I was having a hard time finding anything on this on the internet. I’m planning on buying a Vooloo lab power supply (like you suggested) that has a 9 volt battery adaptor option. Is this a good idea? As always, Thank you Tim

    [Keeping it plugged in will drain the battery. I’m running mine on 9V from a TRex Fuel Tank using a batter pad adapter chord. Works great :) – Bjorn]

  229. Hi Bjorn!

    I’ve recently changed my view on buying effects pedals. I’m looking at getting a nice, small pedalboard with cheapish but quality, good sounding pedals. I’m steering away from expensive boutique pedals that are hard to acquire, I’d rather have a nice “bang for the buck” pedal that I could easily find at a local music store if the one I was to own broke, and instead I’m looking to focus more on my playing instead of my gear (the less distractions the better as you say). I’m also saving for Uni so I can’t spend too much money regardless. Anyways I’m in the market for a cheap quality chorus pedal and I’ve narrowed it down to the EHX Small Clone/Neo Clone or the Mooer Ensemble King. Which do you recommend out of the 3? I also would like to be able to achieve some Red Hot Chili Peppers chorus tones (even though their guitarist uses the holy grail of choruses, the Boss CE-1). I really like the size of the Mooer pedals, I’d like to have a small pedalboard but still have a fair amount of different effects on it. I’m also going to buy a Mooer ElecLady and Ninety Orange soon. Also can you recommend a cheap but quality distortion/muff for the comfortably numb tone when playing at bedroom volume levels? Again preferably not a really boutique pedal, just something that will do the job and can easily be replaced if broken. I hope I’m not asking too much of you, anyways have a merry Christmas!

    Thanks in advance
    Angus

    [Hi Angus! I’d go for the Mooer Ensemble King. It sounds very close to the old Boss CE2 and it has a mix control, which is handy. One of the better sounding budget Muffs out there is the EHX Bass Muff. It’s very similar to the early Sovtek Muffs. Very versatile and easy to set up. – Bjorn]

  230. Hey Bjorn,
    This is a great website!! Everything and anything you could ever want to know about David Gilmour and Pink Floyd. I just wanted to give some love to the Strymon Timeline and Strymon Mobius. They are great boutique pedals that can achieve any David Gilmour/Pink Floyd sound you could ever want. Please review these pedals. Keep up the great work. Thank you.

    [Thanks a lot for your kind words, Ryan! Glad you enjoy my site :) – Bjorn]

  231. Hi Bjorn,

    Still working on assembling my gilmour inspired pedal board. Ideally I would like for my board to be able to replicate the Divsion Bell/Pulse era. So far I have a analogman bi comprossor, P19, dover drive, tc electronics flashback 4x delay, and will be purchasing a buffalo fx boost soon. I’m thinking I need a univibe/rotary speaker pedal. I was thinking drybell vibe/Boss RT-20, but wanted to get your opinion. Also do you think I need a chorus pedal to round out my board? Thanks in advance.

    [Although David used a UniVibe for Breathe and Time on PULSE I think the RT20 is a better investment. Or at least a better priority. It can do a pretty good simulation of the rotating speakers David used, which are essential to his 90s tones. A chorus is not a must but he did use them at this point. – Bjorn]

  232. “Any idea, approximately, what BPM setting would match the DEM at 9:00 rate?

    [BPM? – Bjorn]”

    Beats per minute. The mobius measures speed for the effects in BPM and I’m trying to dial as close to a DEM setting as I can.

    [Oh… I wasn’t thinking when I answered that one :) I have no idea really. I usually set the rate at 25-30% but I don’t have an accurate BPM setting. – Bjorn]

  233. I have had a Mobius for a few months and feel it is worth the money. I can’t stack effects like in Bjorn’s newest video (the roto and the mistress), but I can make a damn good mistress\chorus\phaser\vibe\roto and whatever else without a ton of effort.

  234. @Norman,
    I had a Mobius. It has some great sounds in it, but………..
    There are a ton, and I mean a ton, of parameters to tweak. You could spend weeks just adjusting parameters and storing and adjusting and storing. Also, the online manual was not very helpful.
    So while I got some decent sounds out of it, I always felt like I could do better in the adjustments.
    I ended up trading it for a 1968 drip edge 50 watt Fender Bassman head.
    In summary, great sounds to be had with the Mobius. Very versatile. But I got stuck with paralysis by over-analysis with it. (I like my effects a bit simpler to operate.)

  235. Which will be the best chorus pedal for David’s tone in general:
    1. Boss CE-5, 2. Boss CH1, 3. Mooer Ensemble King and 4. EHX small clone nano.
    (considering small bedroom setup)

    [The Mooer I guess. It’s closest to the old Boss CE2. – Bjorn]

  236. What is your opinion of the MXR analog chorus?, You can get with this pedal tones CE2?

    [It’s basically a clone of the Boss CE2, with true bypass. You can dial in similar tones but it has a slightly brighter tone and a bit more noticeable swirl. – Bjorn]

  237. Hi Bjorn,
    Have you had a chance to play with a Strymon Mobius yet. Although very expensive, it seems to cover a lot of pedals including their Lex.

    [I haven’t tried it. I’ve tried most of the stand alone pedals though and based on the reviews of the Mobius, it seems like a safe buy :) – Bjorn]

  238. Hi, Bjorn.. I have an Eleclady pedal, but as you mentioned, it is really hard to get a nice tone with, specially with muffs… for example, what settings on this pedal would you recommend to have the Young Lust solo tone? Thanks a lot for your sugestions, as always…

    [I always use this setting: colour 10:00, rage off, rate 2:30. – Bjorn]

  239. Hey Bjorn, I was just curious. I listened to some videos of the RA-200 rotating speakers and so far it seems like the Strymon Lex can get close. I’m only interested in the sort of Final Cut solo slow rotation sound combined with a Big Muff, so do you think the Lex is the best for that? Or would I be better off getting the Boss Rotary? I love the Dogs verse solo chunky sound you can get from the Rotary but I think I would rather have the better slow modulation capability than that, but of course if the Boss can do both that’s fine. Thanks.

    [The Lex is probably the finest rotary sim on the market. It’s very good at doing Leslies but the Yamaha produced a more chorusy tone so I think the Boss RT20 is better for that. It also blends better with distortions than the Lex. – Bjorn]

  240. IMHO, the Vibe Machine (for its footprint sized unit) is by far the best going, but I still hold that the Sweetsound Ultra Vibe II has a bit more Mojo. I have still yet to try the MJM Sixties Vibe but from all I have heard and read it also is a unit hard to beat. :) Those are by far the 3 units I would consider… Oh and if you have money burning a hole in your pocket add the Effectrode in there as well.

    Starting to sound like Steve Martin in “The Jerk”, “All I need is this lamp. All I need is this lamp, and … this thermos…” OK 4 great vibes! The Effectrode as Bjorn has mentioned is a bit darker.

    If you are searching for the best authentic tones without spending $1300 on an original and inheriting all the issues that come along with buying a vintage Vibe then look no further. Any of these will make you happy.

    Cheers!

  241. Hey Bjorn,

    I have a question about flangers. If I wanted to get that nice Wall live tone paring a flanger with a Skreddy P19, would you recommend any of the newer production Deluxe Electric Mistress pedals? or if a vintage can’t be found, what readily available pedal would you recommend?

    The Hartmans seem like a good alternative to a vintage Electric Mistress, but they are pretty pricey at $239 USD, but that is the nature of our beast!

    Also followed your advice and ditched my mixed-brand patch cables for a Lava solderless and there was a tone improvement. Possibly time for a booster with two Muffs, chorus, Nova delay, flanger, Keeley BD-2 booster and compressor?

    [Hi Bryan! I think the best Mistress available today is the Mooer ElecLady. The Hartman sounds great but it doesn’t go that well with high gain pedals. The current Deluxe from EHX is way too dark and boomy. The Mooer is kind of a mix between the original ’76 and the late 90s Deluxe. And it’s small and cheap! – Bjorn]

  242. @Thomas, While Earthquaker devices make some great pedals, they totally missed the mark with the DEPTHS. It just doesn’t reallt sound like a Uni-Vibe. At, the same size, and a little more cash, and time, the Drybell Vibe-Machine is IMO, and that of many others, is the best vibe going. You can hear it, and read the review here on Gilmourish. Bjorn is also quite fond of thr versatile, and board friendly Vibe Machine. Hope that helps.
    Peace, Keith

  243. Hey Bjorn, have you checked out any of the Earthquaker Devices modulators with Gilmour’s tone in mind? The Depths optical vibe and the Grand Orbiter phase shifter come to mind.

    [Nope. – Bjorn]

  244. How is BBE Opto Stomp (compressor) compared to CS3 and Dynacomp. Would you recommend it keeping Gilmour’s sound in mind?

    [I haven’t tried it so I can’t really tell. The CS3 sounds a bit thin and it’s also a tad noisy. The Dyna goes really well with gain pedals in particular. Very transparent and dynamic. – Bjorn]

  245. Hey Bjorn,

    Two months ago I purchased a new Deluxe Electric mistress, and I have to say.. well, I am a bit disappointed… First of all, there is a volume drop (which is quite serious especially when used in gigs etc). And then, you are right, it sounds darker then the earlier deluxe models… Although not suitable for DG kind-of leads, I can leave with the darker tone. But the volume drop?? I thought they had fixed it… Is it still a problem or did I just get a faulty unit?

    I had been waiting for this one for quite some time… too bad. :(

    Thanks in advance :)

    [No, they never fixed the volume drop. It’s just the way the circuit is designed. The newer models sounds very dark and doesn’t blend that well with other pedals. The Mooer ElecLady is actually a much better sounding Mistress. – Bjorn]

  246. And regarding compression i have a keeley 4 knob clone built with the nos metal can ca3080 chips and i run it at 12v with a slow attack. The input gain is nescessary if you wanna use any sort of higher output pickups… including emg’s. Buti do feel like optical compressors give the most sustain while not messing with pick attack too much

  247. Great reviews! I am not a fan of the modern die cast box electro harmonix pedals whatsoever. They just dont have it ya know. Even the deluxe memory man tt with the mn3005s does not do it for me… maybe the tone is in yhose flimsy aluminum boxes.

    QUESTION
    how do you tell the dem (delux electric mistress) models apart? Like how do i know if its a good 90s reissue versus a later reissue? Or are all the big box ones good?

    I assume some use mn3007 bbds and some use mn3207. I have an mn3007 small clone that sounds much better than an mn3207 even though its not even being ran at higher voltages

    I really want a dem and need some help picking one out!

    [The late 90s Mistress is really worth tracking down. Much better sounding than the current model. Check out this site for details on the differences. – Bjorn]

  248. Hi Bjorn,

    Which one will be better option between MXR Dyna Comp (Block Logo, Red colour, not sure if it will be called block reissue but manufactured 4 years back) and Boss CS-3 (manufactured 4 years back). Definitely both of them are not vintage :)

    [The Dynacomp… since you ask me :) – Bjorn]

  249. Wow, what a setup! Thanks Bjorn!! Honestly, It sounds awesome; I’d never though that could be a POD!! That was a surprise; keep the good work!! Good look with your album, I’ll be glad to hear it..
    Cheers!

    [The POD doesn’t cover everything naturally but with some tweaking I often use it for cleans and heavy distortion. Paired with a tube amp and perhaps a couple of pedals it sounds really nice :) – Bjorn]

  250. Hey Bjorn, I hope you dont hate me for this question but… is that flanger + overdrive at 4:32 & 5:31 in Call Me Back? Im really loving that modulated tone.. Also, is that a Strat, and a normal one?
    Thanks Bjorn; if you prefer to keep the mistery, I understand too (that would be cool)
    Again, thank you!!

    [Hi Tom! Not at all… :) All the guitars in the mid section was recorded with a Strat with EMG DG20 into a POD X3. I think I used a Mesa sim with a Tube Driver sim for just a hint of break up. After the POD I had a Deluxe Mistress and I think the strum guitars also had a RotoVibe placed in front of the POD. All the delays were added in Logic. The rest of the song, all the rhythms and leads, were recorded live. – Bjorn]

  251. Hi Bjorn
    What do you think about the MXR stereo chorus in terms of gilmourish tones?
    Thanks!

    [Works nicely :) – Bjorn]

  252. Bjorn,

    Thanks for everything. I have looked through every section of your site 50+ times. I was curious if you had any opinion on whether the Made in Japan or Made in Taiwan CH-2 was better or if there is a noticeable difference. There is definitely a difference in price and there is also a rare version of the CH-2 with a silver screw that goes for even more. I’m sure you have done a fair amount of research.

    Thanks,
    Jeremy

    [You mean the CE-2 chorus? The Japanese ones are slightly warmer sounding, with less mid range. – Bjorn]

  253. I bought a Whirlwind Orange Box couple of months ago… Gosh, what a lovely, sweet sound! Highly recommended…

    [Yep… those Whirlwind pedals are great! – Bjorn]

  254. Hello Bjorn,

    I hope this message finds you well. Thank you for your words of wisdom. I have a quick question regarding a new product that I just saw available on a couple of web sites and I wanted to know your thoughts. Have you heard anything about the Hammond Leslie Digital Rotary Effects Pedal (good or bad)?

    Thanks.

    [Hi Carlos. I haven’t had the chance to try that one yet. – Bjorn]

  255. Hi Bjorn, I has a senior moment, I forgot to add the Zakk Wylde Phase 90 to the list rating against the reissue phase 90. By the way, is the new Custom Shop CSP-101SL Script Phase 90 with led the right one to get? Thanks Bjorn!

    [As far as I know, the Zakk Wylde is more or less identical to the EVH. See my reply to your previous comment as well :) – Bjorn]

  256. Hi Bjorn, what are you thoughts on the EVH Phase 90? How would you rate it against the MXR 1974 CS script reissue Phase 90? Thanks

    [Not that big difference. The 74 is perhaps a tad warmer but it also has hardwire bypass, which takes some of your top. The EVH is perhaps a more pedal board friendly pedal but I think I prefer the tone of the 74. – Bjorn]

  257. Hey Bjorn what can you tell me about the Tc Electronic Vortex vs. the Mooer Elec Lady? Will the vortex simulate a leslie as well as the mistress, not detune? Which do you think is a better thing?

    [I’ve never tried the Vortex so I can’t really tell for sure. Based on the clips I’ve heard it does rotary sounds pretty well but it’s slightly different sounding flanger compared to the Mistress. Closer to the MXR. – Bjorn]

  258. **sebastiano**

    Hi bjorn,
    At the end I had a good opportunity to get a very good second hand choruslab at 120 euro.
    I trust to have done a good choice based on your score of 10/10.

    I need another advice based on gandsk sound which could be my next pedal
    Stratocaster made in mexico original pick up
    Boss CS2
    Skreddy p19
    Choruslab
    TC flashback

    One favour bjorn give me, based on your opinion, the one (brand and model) that you would buy.
    Thanks in advance
    Sebastiano

    [An overdrive perhaps? David used the Tube Driver but it’s quite expensive. If you can’t afford one, I recommend either the Wampler Plexi Drive or Fulltone OCD. Both are very close. It’s also worth checking out the Lovepedal Dover Drive that I recently did a review on. It’s tweaked for a more mid rangy tone but nails most of David’s tones too :) – Bjorn]

  259. Hi Bjorn

    So its been a while now since its been released and wanted to know whether you managed to check out the Neo Ventilator II leslie emulator? Managed to snag one when they got released and have been blown away by its amount of control and of course how it sounds. I don’t have that much experience with rotary simulators but its pretty much my only modulation pedal at this point in time. The slow setting has some pretty convincing chorus/flanging tones and the fast setting is really thick and rich. Whats really cool is the ability to adjust the mix for the high and low rotors seperately so I set them pretty far away so its lower in the mix. If you add that with an expression pedal (perhaps controlling say the fast speed) you have 3 very interesting modulations to use depending on what tones you after – I like to take the fast setting and then dial the speed all the way back so its going really slowly as it makes a really heavy chorus effect. Although I try and look at it as an effect all in itself that I can use to create unique tones to me rather than full on emulating some Gilmour tones (although in honesty the first thing I did was try and get some CN tones with my Box of War haha). Definitely worth checking out if you have the chance!
    All the best with the Solo album endeavours and thanks for being the bearer of awesome news with the new PF album! Beyond amped for all the great new music on the way!
    Cheers

    [Hi Gareth! Thanks for your kind words and for sharing a bit on the Neo. I haven’t had the chance to check one out my self yet… – Bjorn]

  260. Hey Bjorn, just checked out the new b9 from EHX. It’s amazing! The pedal has about 6 or 7 presets that cover the most popular Hammond settings, and these can be customized through a series of knobs for click, modulation, etc. The tracking is superb, and this pedal will make any guitarist able to play those great b3 sounds with a stomp. Seems like Mr Matthews isn’t done yet, maybe all of the fine boutique builders have sparked some creativity in the EHX house, and this pedal is a definite winner. Priced just over $200.00, it’s a great tool for stage, or studio. Combined with a volume pedal, you’d really have a hard time telling that it’s not a b3. Seriously gassing for the EHX b9. Great pedal for my rusty keyboard skills!
    Peace, Love, and Gilmourish, Keith

    [Cool :) Seems like EHX has gotten a real boost lately and take the challenge from many of the boutique companies and cloners. The Soul Food, East River Drive, Deluxe Muff… Great value and tone. – Bjorn]

  261. **sebastiano**

    HiBjorn,
    i am going to buy a chorus ce2.I have found, here in Italy, two options
    The ce 2 made in japan prize 150 euro
    The ce2 made in taiwan prie 100 euro
    There is really differences of tone between the two? Did you the opportunity to test both?
    Do you think it worth the higher cost?
    Thanks a lot and as usually great job :-)
    Sebastiano

    [Get the Japanese :) – Bjorn]

  262. Greetings

    What do you think of such modulation pedals as Sea Machine Chorus, Phase 99 and Airplane Flanger?

    Thank you

    [Never tried any of them. – Bjorn]

  263. Tom from Chile

    Hey Bjorn, do you believe that there’s a little (very very little) phaser in the first Comfortably Numb solo ? You can hear a dominating phaser in the demos, maybe Dave used just a hint for the album?… Tell me what you think!
    Cheers Bjorn!

    [Yes there is one on the demo but I don’t think he used it for the actual solo that’s recorded. The Phase 90 that he used is very noticeable and it would have dominated more. There are conflicting reports on how the solo was recorded but it seems to be a consensus on The Black Strat with DiMarzio FS1 > EHX ram’s head Big Muff > split between Hiwatt+WEM and Yamaha RA200 rotating speaker cab. Although almost impossible to hear the Yamaha is present and it could be the modulation you hear and are referring to. The main solo is also mixed wide with a huge stereo reverb for a doubling effect. Listening to the mix it’s also evident that the signal was compressed and probably gated a lot too in the mix. – Bjorn]

  264. Hi Bjorn, have you tried the ADA Flanger? It’s one of the best flangers ever created but I don’t know if they are useful to get some DG tones.
    Kind regards.

    [Never tried it but based on the clips I’ve heard I’m not sure it’s that suited for David’s tones. More of a “jet” type of flanger, like the MXR, compared to the liquidy Mistress. – Bjorn]

  265. Hello,
    have you ever tried vintage Japanese Ibanez CS9 chorus? How is it comparable to BOSS CE-2?
    Thanks.

    [Very similar. – Bjorn]

  266. Wesley, I don’t have one myself, but I’d say the Strymon Mobius is the way to go… I’ve heard nothing but good about them, and they cover all Gilmour modulations, plus more… But, as Bjorn pointed out, they are quite pricey! Although when you work it out, you’d probably spend more getting the individual pedals (Electric Mistress, Phase 90, Boss CE-2 etc), and one good Uni-Vibe unit would set you back at least half of what the Mobius costs… So in the long run, I think it’s worth it :)

  267. @Wesley, I just saw an EHX that has a Mistress, and two other pedals, I think one is a memory man circuit. Didn’t look closely, as I was there looking fir Recording gear, but check EHX website, It may have been delay, flange, and chorus?
    KC

  268. Any thoughts on any multi-modulation pedals? Due to lack of space, I’d love to find one pedal that covers the chorus\vibe\flanger\phaser ground on its own. Or at most, two versatile pedals..

    [Don’t have much experience with that. The Strymon Mobius is probably the ultimate unit but it’s quite expensive too :) – Bjorn]

  269. Hello Bjorn,

    Could you tell me from your experience, if the Mooer eleclady would be as good as your EH Electric Mistress, in order to replicate the Andy Summers Police tones?

    best regards,

    Ernesto

    [I would think so. They’re very similar sounding. – Bjorn]

  270. Neo Ventilator II May Produce The ULTIMATE Yamaha RA-200 Sound!

    This is it! The new model has a mix control for BOTH the horn and the rotor. You can completely dial out the rotor for a dry “stationary” cabinet sound AND mix in the horn to taste. I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these! Check out this great YouTube video for a demonstration!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxF_MkTWQYE

    [Awesome! – Bjorn]

  271. Hi, do you have any opinions on the mxr stereo chorus/analog chorus because those look like cheaper alternatives to the boss de-2
    thanks

    [Never tried it. – Bjorn]

  272. Ps, would love to get your view of the strymon mobius. It covers nearly all David’s mod tones. It also has a neat loop feature which allows you to select whether you want tom place the effect pre or post drive pedals. Very clever!

    [Haven’t had the chance to try it out yet… – Bjorn]

  273. Hi Bjorn

    Amazing site and all your efforts in keeping it alive and relevant are thoroughly appreciated!!

    Quick question… I have both the mxr phase 90 74 RI and the phase 45 RI. I have noticed a definite treble bump, to the point where it is nearly harsh when I place them before dirt. I’ve had them before the fuzz face and moved them after the ff but before the rest of the drive pedals which include combinations of mad professor sweet honey, wampler plexidrive, wampler black 65, lovepedal les lius and way huge red llama. The phase pedals still give a treble boost before various combos of these pedals but when moved after them, the boost disappears. Interestingly, if I put the phasers before my Rat ii, there is no lift. I also have a block phase 90 from about 88/89, and this actually sounds great in front of the drive pedals, but as you have pointed out, lacks transparency.

    No show stopper really, but was just curious to know if you have experienced anything similar and had any thoughts on why it might be happening? I’m guessing there is some strange impedance mismatch going on somewhere. Maybe a well placed buffer in the chain might help out? The effect is most noticeable in front of the fuzz face (I use the AM-SF bc108 and the dunlop mini Red (germanium) ff).

    Cheers

    M

    [I’m no expert on this but the MXR Custom Shop reissues have hard wired bypass, like the original pedals, which means that the signal is travelling through the circuit even when they’re off. This should result in less treble. Not more. Are you experiencing this when the pedals are off or engaged? The phasing effect will add some treble, since it’s filtering the tone and modulating it in different frequencies. With some pedals, this will appear as more treble but it might also be the result of too much high end on your amp. Try to adjust your amp a bit and try placing the phasers both before and after your gain pedals and hear the difference. – Bjorn]

    1. You need to adjust your logic a bit. The last pedal in the audio chain will have the greatest influence on the tone. Your boost pedals have a midrange/treble boost that is reduced by the phaser when you place it after them.

  274. Debargho Sarkar

    Hi Bjorn,

    how would you rate the Tc Electronics Stereo Chorus/Flanger for Gilmour tones and for a Laney Cub12R, bedroom setup? for a while, it was Eric Johnson’s favourite. Don’t know if he still uses it or not. But in any case, how does it fare for Gilmour tones?

    Cheers,
    Debargho

    [Never tried the old TC chorus so I can’t really tell. The Cub amps are great for bedroom use with lots of headroom and they handle pedals very well. – Bjorn]

  275. Thank you for your previous response.
    I have bought an ElecLady flanger from Mooer – any recommendations for Wall live settings? The sound I am thinking of is the Another Brick Pt 1 tone.
    Great site, love your work!
    Thanks again!
    Hamish

    [It’s a bit tricky to find the sweetspot but I’ve set the colour slightly above 10 o’clock and the rate at 2:30. The range is rolled all the way back. – Bjorn]

  276. Hi Bjorn… man, thanks SO MUCH for the fantastic website and resources to catchin’ that Gilmour tone… I have a question: I am going crazy trying to figure out what combination of effects David is using for that awesome compressed/modulated sound in the solo to ‘A Great Day For Freedom’ live in Gdansk… best I can figure is it’s compressed with an overdrive/fuzz and some kind of modulation… perhaps a univibe or a leslie? Let me know if you can, and how to best approximate it if it’s some unbelievably rare and expensive gear… I’d appreciate it (and probably have to start saving my $ to purchase the gear, because that is probably one of the best sounding solo tones I ever heard!!)

    [Hi Ben! Sorry for my late reply. I’ve never managed to figure out if he’s using modulation or not on that performance. Sounds like there’s some modulation going on but apart from a UniVibe, there was nothing else in his rig. Doesn’t sound UniVib-ish to me… Anyway, the overdrive sounds like a Tube Driver set for a high gain but it could be the Cornish G2 as well… although I lean towards the former. Other than that, he might have used a compressor but it’s not a must for this tone. There’s also delay. The Tube Driver gets more compressed the more you drive it. Just like an amp. It’s the tube that gets hot and adds that nice compression. A similar pedal is the Wampler Plexi Drive, which is kind of a JTM45 in a box and the more you drive it, it adds a smooth compression. It doesn’t have as much gain as the Tube Driver but they’re very similar. – Bjorn]

    1. I too am certain I hear modulation in the Gdansk version of a great day for freedom solo! Its not on the whole time but there is an unmistakably subtle swirling sound at parts. At about 4:55 in this link ( https://youtu.be/unxU-mRfRGQ ) you can see him on the monitor maybe click something on at his feet and his tone then has a subtle modulation to it. Sounds like it could be a low mixed univibe. To me the effect is more obvious in some of the little percussive rakes he likes to do (at 5:07 , for example and you can hear the movement of a filtering effect)

      Let me know what you think :)

  277. Hi Bjorn

    First, I want to thank you about this great site which teach me a lot !

    I have a question…Have you ever heard about the rack effect (Delay, flanger, leslie, chorus,…), TC Electronic G Major 2 ?
    Does it recommanded for playing gilmour style ?

    Thanks

    Sincerely,

    [Hi Julien, I’ve tried it a couple of times but I don’t have that much experience with it. TC feature the same stem for all their effects in all their applications so whether you’re buying a stomp box or a big system, it’s the same tones. What differs is the ability to tweak the tones, make patches and presets and tailor your own tones and rig. – Bjorn]

  278. Hey!
    Have you ever heard the Psilocybe Phaser by HBE? I think it could also make a great gilmourish sound.

    [Never tried it. – Bjorn]

  279. Tom from Chile

    Hmm, I agree, I find that ODs or Distortions dont sound as good as before with the range. Also, I think that playing clean (but not chords) it sounds bad (IMO), but for Mihalis I guess range is a must.
    Thanks for the answer!!

  280. Tom from Chile

    Hey Bjorn, why you dont use the “range” in flangers? Im just curios, I mean, with some range it sounds somewhat chorus-ey, like that part from live Pigs (three different ones) before the part that had the talkbox solo. Thank you in advance Bjorn!! Have a nice day

    [I think it makes the Mistress sound too dominating and a bit detuned, almost like a ring modulator. Keeping it “off”, makes the pedal more transparent and natural sounding IMO. – Bjorn]

  281. Hi Bjorn! I was just listening to “Call me Back” (great song, brilliant guitar work) and wondering what kind of modulation you used for that swooshing tone in the rhythm guitar. Was that a Univibe? It sound beautiful.

    Congratulations on the great work

    Cheers mate!

    [Thanks for your kind words! That’s a Dunlop RotoVibe blended with a CostaLab ChorusLab. I think I also used a just a hint of overdrive from the Wampler Plexi Drive, to get a bit more bite. – Bjorn]

  282. Hi Bjorn,
    Great new update!
    Is the current Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress any good? I am struggling to find a good sounding flanger for the David’s Wall live tones. There don’t seem to be many flangers that mix with high-gain effects and don’t produce noise or a volume drop.
    Thanks, Hamish

    [The current model is OK but a bit too dark and boomy. The late 90s models should be easy to track down on EBay but check out the Mooer ElecLady. IMO the best clone out there. – Bjorn]

  283. Hello
    Have you ever tried or heard about Mr Black Tunnellworm Flanger?? Just wondering if you thought it could replicate Gilmours Flanger Tone

    [Never tried it. – Bjorn]

  284. Hi Bjorn,

    Your website is awesome !!!
    Congratulations.
    I’ve got a question. I want to buy an old CE2 Boss Chorus pedal (for PULSE sound). I want to buy a Made in Japan pedal, but I found many models in Ebay (Many years, black or green label, white or black screw…) with many prices.
    What do you recommend me to buy ?
    Best regards from France.
    JC

    [The Japanese models are recommended although I’m not sure how big the difference is from the Taiwanese. Both the black and green label Japanese are identical. As are the black and silver knob versions. – Bjorn]

  285. Glad to help Roger, sorry I spelled your last name wrong. I’m no Bjorn Riis, but I’ve done so much research the past 3 years, I actually know a bit about pedals now, so feel free to ask anything , any time.
    Peace, I wish the LED version would have been out when I got my script!
    BEST REGARDS, KEITH

  286. @Roger Santori, There are two different versions of thr script Phase 90 now. One is the ’76 direct copy, and the new one sports the Led, and 9v adapter. As far as I can tell, that’s the only difference, and actually quite convenient. So, yes, it is the original circuit as the Script without the LED. ;)
    Peace, Keith

  287. Hi, Bjorn. I bought an MXR script phase 90 but it has led and 9V power in… is it different from the block logo?? Is it not the reissue series? Thanks as always.

    [The script logos has a warmer and smoother tone. The block has more mid range and a tad of boost, making it sound less smooth and vintage. – Bjorn]

  288. Great article as always!

    I have a genera question. I understand that Chorus, flanger and phaser are three different effects and serve different purpose and each is meant for different era/tone for David’s sound. However which modulation ( chorus, flanger, phaser) is most versatile? if i have to choose one among the three types, which is most versatile, also for other genres and tones?
    Which chorus will be best 
Smaller amps/bedroom level ? Which one is best chorus for David’s tone in general (all the reissue model, not any vintage model) : 1. Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble, 2. EHX Nano Clone, 3.EHX Neo Clone, 4. EHX Small Clone, 5 TC Electronic Corona Chorus 6. Boss CS.

    Thanks for the your answer :)

    [I guess a chorus is the most versatile. It’s a subtle effect that fits all musical styles. Flanger and phasers are dominating and can sound both dated and typical for certain genres. All of the chorus pedals listed in the Gear Guide are more or less based on the Boss CE2, which is the one David used. – Bjorn]

  289. Hello Bjorn,

    Sorry for the wrong topic but there’s no possibility to leave a comment in the TC electronics flashback review again.

    A while ago you were writing that the old Memory man Deluxe was the best pedal to replicate the Binson echorec… your review about the Tc electronic Flashback was not that good… so I don’t understand seing pics of your home pedalboard using that pedal… have you checked the Malekko Analog ekko? (nice comparison made on the Shnobel channel / Youtube). That pedal, which has also the modulation included like the memory Man, seems to be the perfect replacement…

    What is in your opinion the best “Memory Man like” pedal out there? Malekko, mxr carbon copy (both have a modulation setting)? TWA Echo ?

    I’d like to make the right choice.

    Thanks for your help!

    Regards

    Sebastien

    [The best Mem Man option is by far the TRex Replica. It doesn’t have the modulation feature but the pedal is based on the Mem Man and the tone is superb. The Flashback review was mainly focusing on the Alter Ego’s new features, the Binson and Mem Man sounds. They didn’t sound nearly as good as they could have. I often use the Mem Man myself but the reason I feature the blue Flashback in my practice board is that it has a small footprint and the 2290 digital delay tone is great. For the price, the Flashback is probably the best buy out there. That doesn’t mean that it’s better then the Mem Man or Replica, but given the price, it’s worth checking out :) – Bjorn]

  290. Hi Bjorn,
    Great Article! I have a Big Muff and an Electric Mistress, but I’m not exactly sure as to where I should put the Electric Mistress to get the Final Cut and Wall tones. I’ve tried it both ways, but when I but the Mistress first in the chain, it just sounds too dark and swirly, and when I put the it second in chain, it’s a bit too redundant. Has it got to do with the type of Muff and amp, and what would you suggest?
    Thanks!

    [The Mistress should be placed after the Muff. It’s a very dominating effect and its tone depends on what guitar and amp you use. It also smooths out a bit when you play loud and push the signal. David’s using the Mistress on some stuff but what you mainly hear is a combination of the Muff and a Yamaha rotating speaker. It adds a milder modulation than the Mistress but you can use the Mistress to achieve similar tones. – Bjorn]

  291. Welp! Sounds like someone else besides me is clamoring for a gear guide… ;) I love the T-Rex and my Caitlinbread Echoric…but i always wish i could get the Trex to self-oscilate with a turn of a knob…kinda takes the fun out of reaching for those old psychedelic sounds. And since i use my trex last in stereo to two amps i’m always testing new delay pedals to go in front of it. What’s a good (fun) delay these days. I’ve been looking at the Delay Lama from Jams with the “Hold” switch… looks real cool. Any ideas or favorites these days? I love the Echoric as well and theres something beautiful about analog delay or sims that i can’t get enough of. Love my set-up…i guess i’m just trying to add to the conversation. I know, i know :) Delay guide is coming soon. Peace Bjorn!! I love this website!!
    Stay Golden!

    [A matter of days… :) Cheers! – Bjorn]

  292. I wanted a tape echo, but couldn’t afford the real thing. I was torn between the Skreddy Echo, (which sounds AMAZING), the Strymon El Capistan, (which also sounds great, has tap tempo, but way too may parameters to tweak), and the Wampler Faux Tape Echo.
    The Wampler also has tap tempo and seems to lie somewhere between the two. (Also the cost came into play.)
    Have been really happy with it.
    I know set it before my modulations. A friend explained to me that setting after the modulations can create an effect where you have two or more signals doing different modulation and this can cause some phase cancelling. I tried it before the modulations and now all the delays get the same exact modulation. I can really hear the difference.

  293. Hey Bjorn, You don’t really have a delay section …..yet, but I just wanted to throw in one contender to make the list. The Wampler Faux Tape Echo. This pedal ROCKS!! Great for the earlier stuff. It also has a tunable “warble” switch to simulate the effects of tape warbling due to age and slipping. Check it out!!
    (I admit, it’s not so good for the stuff from his first solo album on, but before that…..yeah.)

    [Thanks for the tip! I haven’t had the chance to try that one out yet. – Bjorn]

  294. You say chorus pedals are dominant effects, especially the BYOC, so would that not be a great idea to get when I don’t have a lot of money to spend? I already have a clone of the mistress, so I can get a pretty good Animals/Wall tone out of those, but I’ve also got an OCD for that Division Bell and PULSE tone, which I think a chorus would contribute to. So the question is, would buying a chorus be worth it when I can’t split my signal or anything like that how David did?

    [Chedck out the Mooer Ensemble King. It’s based on the Boss CE2, with a mix controll allowing you to blend in just the amount you need. Not as smooth and warm as the old Boss but definitely worth a try. – Bjorn]

  295. Hi Bjorn,

    Am I right in thinking that the new Phase 90 scripts aren’t worth having when compared to vintage models?

    Would I be better off going for a Small stone Nano or a Mooer 90 Orange? They’re certainly cheaper here in the UK!

    If either is a better bet than the new scripts, which would you go for?

    Thanks in advance.

    Dave

    [The MXR Custom Shop 74 is a clone of the original and personally I don’t think you can get any closer. The led script is also great and very close to the original. The Small Stone, another favourite of mine, sound a bit milder and perhaps not as deep as the Phase 90. Way better than the block MXR but I prefer the 74 reissue. – Bjorn]

  296. Hi Bjorn! I love your work and I was just wondering what’s a good delay pedal for getting david’s tone? I’ve been looking at the T-rex replica, the Deluxe memory man, the catalinbread echorec and a few others but I can’t seem to make a decision. :)

    [Depends on what tones you want. All of the ones you mention are great for the early 70s tones but not that suited for the Wall-present era. You’d want a digital delay for that, producing clear and precise repeats. I’m very fond of the Replica. – Bjorn]

  297. Bjorn I know I’ve been asking a lot of questions a lot here lately but I got one more and I’ll leave you alone lol real quick, David used the whammy 1 if I get the whammy 5 will it be similar or is it a good choice? I’m not able to try one out. Thanks!!

    [I haven’t tried the 5 yet but from what I understand, it’s gotten some very nice reviews and it seems that it’s closer to the first than 2-4. Either way, it’s a whammy and you’ll be able to nail Marooned and The Blue with it :) – Bjorn]

  298. Thanks so much both for your input, really appreciate it. This website is by far and away the best resource on the net for Floyd/Gilmour obsessives!!

    [Cheers, Dave! – Bjorn]

  299. Hey Dave! I know Bjorn didn’t elaborate. He’s been super busy, with touring, and reviews and family, and etc…….
    The Mooer is an excellent pedal. A great EM clone that is pedal board and wallet friendly.
    Some recommended settings on it are: set the color just a bit after 10, turn the range all the way down, set filter to normal and rate between 1 and 2 o’clock.
    You may notice a bit of a volume drop, but if you work with the color and find the sweet spot, the drop of won’t be as noticeable.
    Another tip that I’ve done is filled in the indents on the small knobs with white-out. Then I lightly sanded the residue off. This allows you to see your settings better.

    Bjorn, hope I didn’t cross any lines with my input. :)

    [Thanks for the input, Pete! I agree completely with you. The Eleclady is an excellent clone and , IMO, a much better one than the Hartman. It’s down to preference and taste, but the Mooer works nicely with both cleans and distortions, while the Hartman tend to mess up the distortions. The current Deluxe has a bit too much mid range and low end, which makes it sound darker and not that suited for distortions. The late 90s Deluxe has an open and liquidy tone and the Eleclady, I suspect, is based on this version. There is a difference, but you need a trained ear to hear it. – Bjorn]

  300. Hi Bjorn,

    New EH deluxe EM or a Mooer Eleclady?

    Struggling to find a 80’s or 90’s electric mistress!!

    Thanks,

    Dave

    [Mooer. – Bjorn]

  301. Greetings Bjorn! Thanks for an awesome page, it has help me a lot to make my setup!

    I was going to ask you between 2 phasers than can make a uni-vibe sound. The best phasers I had listened are VFE Phaser and Blackout Effectors Whetstone Analog Phaser. I liked a little bit more VFE, more simple, awesome sound, and seems that makes a better vintage Uni-Vibe sounds.

    Do you know them? if you do, what’s your opinion on them?

    Thanks!
    Pedro

    [Hi Pedro! Thanks for your kind words! I’ve played neither so I can’t really tell. In general, a phaser is not quite a UniVibe but you could use one for similar tones. I’m very happy with the MXR script 74 reissue and the Phase 45, although very subtle, does a very nice phase/UniVibe thing. Personally I’m also a huge fat of the old Dunlop RotoVibe, which lies right between a phaser and UniVibe. – Bjorn]

  302. Hi Bjorn. Very cool and informative website! Just wanted to share my experiences on a few of the pedals mentioned in this section. I agree that the EH Nano Clone is a disappointment. However, the Neo Clone is fantastic. On the Neo Clone, the volume drop has been corrected and it includes the depth switch found on the original small clone. The Boss CE-20 Chorus Ensemble is also worth considering, in my opinion. I normally steer clear of modeling pedals when I can get the real thing. However, the CE-20 really captures the rich tones on the Boss CE-1 and CE-2 as well as the Dimension D and others. It is very flexible unit with surprisingly authentic sounds.

    I, too, love the Boss RT-20. In fact, I was so impressed with it, that it led me to seek out the CE-20 I mentioned above. I have found that, for me, it is best placed before OD/distortion. The RT-20’s built in overdrive is a muddy mess. But, I have found that if you dial in just a little bit (barely cracking the knob), it can add a bit of drive and fullness to the tone and helps to tame some of the treble spike you can get at higher volumes when using the bridge pickup. I have also found a way to dial in what I think is a good sounding Uni-vibe tone. Again, the RT-20 has to be placed before OD/distortion. The RT-20’s overdrive must be completely off or it totally muddies everything up. Set the intensity knob to taste and then dial in some of the dry signal. Sounds pretty good to me.

    I really like the sound of the EH Neo Mistress but agree that it is noisy and not very close to the tone of the DEM. The Mooer Eleclady is definitely the way to go if you are looking for a practical and affordable alternative to a DEM.

    The EH Nano Small Stone sounds as good as any Small Stone I’ve every owned or tried and doesn’t have that dreaded volume drop. I think any fan of vintage phase shifting really needs to own both a Small Stone and a Phase 90. I tend to prefer the Phase 90 with single coils and The Small Stone with humbuckers.

    Cheers,

    Pat

    [Thanks for sharing, Pat! – Bjorn]

  303. Im sorry Bjorn, I didnt know where to put this, but delays go at the end of the chain haha
    Emm, do you think a Carbon Copy could sound “haunting” as some pompeii tunes? Well, my other options are Boss DD3 or DD7 but it seems like they arent so good at all
    Thank you

    [The Carbon Copy goes very well for that era :) – Bjorn]

  304. Hi Bjorn – long time reader first time poster. :) I recently got a Fire Bottle (LOVE IT) and am wondering if you’ve played it through the Mooer Ninety Orange at all. The boost on the FB seems to just kill the Ninety Orange, and what started as a powerful clean sound from guitar into FB ends up coming out of the Ninety Orange very distorted.

    I end up having to really roll back the boost on the FB or bypass it all together in order to keep the signal from the Nienty Orange from overdriving.

    Does this sound normal? Is it just the quality of the pedal? It making me think harder about saving up for the Effectrode Tube Vibe… unless I’m just doing something silly here. Thanks!

    [I haven’t them in combo. Works fine with the MXR ’74 reissue, MojoHand Nebula and EHX Small Stone. The Ninety Orange doesn’t have as much headroom as the Phase 90 but I haven’t had any issues with it. – Bjorn]

  305. Hi, Bjorn. Can you give some tips about using the whammy effect? I use it when I want to play, of course, The Blue and Marooned songs. I actually have the Digitech EX-7 Expression Factory to get the whammy effect instead of the Whammy pedal itself. The problem is that it sounds very messy… I don’t know how to explain that sound but it’s kind of tangled on the end. I don’t know if the EX-7 is not that good or where exactly I put it on the pedal setup. I’m using this order: Fender MIM (EMG) – Boss CS-2 – Digitech EX-7 – B.K. Butler Tube Driver – Boss CE-2 (only for Marooned) – Nova Delay – tube amp. I also used the EX-7 after the Tube Driver but it sounds the same to me… Would you recommend trying the original Digitech Whammy instead of the EX-7? Thanks… as always!

    [Hi Roger! I haven’t tried the EX7 so I can’t really tell about that one. I’d place it first or after the compressor. I don’t know what you mean by messy but try not to use too much gain when you’re using it. It’s also a matter of learning the technique and how to control your tone. If you listen closely to both Marooned and The Blue, the tone is fairly clean but there’s a lot of delay, which makes it sound huge. – Bjorn]

  306. I guess i’m mostly looking for that Short and Sweet sound from the self-released album. Is it the ce2 chorus? And what drive does he use in conjuntion? Bjorn, I’ve room for one more effect on my pedalboard and i’m torn between getting a Leslie sim like the Lex or go with a modulation that might be a little more versatile. Brother, looking back at your 40th anniversary Dark Side Tone tuturial has got me thinking about going that route. I like running my Bassman and Blues jr. in stereo and to do that i’ve been rocking the Trex Replica in stereo to get me there. Where would i want to run the Lex in my chain? Right now i’m Sunface, Wah, Dyna-Comp, Musket, Jam Rattler, Throbak OD, BK Tube Driver, Elec Lady, Phase 90, Sixties Vibe, Volume Pedal, Caitlinbread Echoric, Trex Replica. Where would a wizard as yourself put the Lex? I’ve seen that you’ve set it in different places. I like the sounds i’m getting with the Trex in stereo. Should i just run the Lex right before the Echoric in mono or would you have it last in chain in stereo? Or would you do something completely different and change up the signal path all together? In June i’m getting my rig fitted to a custom pedalboard so i’ve enough time to play around. My favorite sounds happen to be Live at Wembley so it would be real neat to have my pedalboard ready and able for these tones. You rule….we drool…
    Thanks Legend.

    [Hi Bo! It’s a bit hard to tell with Short and Sweet. It’s definitely not a CE2 as the pedal wasn’t out yet at that point. My guess is that it’s mostly the Hiwatt but with the Yamaha mixed very low. Could be a Mistress there as well… sounds like it on the chorus sections. Anyway, a chorus often more versatile than a Leslie sim or flanger but it depends on what tones you want. A chorus is more generic, while a Leslie or a Leslie sim has more character and stands out more. In regards to your setup… I’d place the Lex after the delays. That would be like feeding your guitar into a real Leslie. You could place it after a split on one of the channels in a stereo setup to achieve David’s wet/dry split. Cheers! – Bjorn]

  307. Hi Bjorn!

    So I’ve been playing around with the idea of getting a Chorus effect. The Analogman mini-chorus sounds really neat on all the video’s I’ve seen. I really hate the 80’s chorus but this one doesn’t seam to have much of that, if any. Also a couple neat Leslie tones can be replicated. I’ve been imagining the Tube Driver paired with subtle chorus. Do you have any opinion on the Analogman version? I’m also interested in the Jam Waterfall. When you say it can produce wild psychedelic swirls I begin to smile. Need this pedal to be a MXR or smaller because i’m plum out of room on my pedalboard.

    Thanks Legend. Keep it Legendary.

    [Hi Bo! Sorry for the late reply. The Mini-Chorus is great. It’s got that CE1/CE2 analog warmth and you can’t go wrong. I recommend the wet/dry mix feature. That’ll allow you to dial in the right amount and avoid those drenched 80s tones :) – Bjorn]

  308. Often I have a lot of questions about your articles, but this one really says it all. A great article Bjorn, thank you very much. I really enjoy reading this over and over again. Thank you!

    [Thanks! – Bjorn]

  309. Thanks Bjorn……got the light OD covered for the later acoustic stuff……I don’t like my delay sound….any recommendations on a replacement delay just for the acoustic side? Like in 2000, OD, delay, what else am I missing…..besides his talent? Can’t seem to get his acoustic tone. Modulation….now I’m just guessing. :)

    Tom

    [His acoustic tone was clean although he might have used some compression with the overdrive, I don’t know. Obviously, the guitar it self makes a difference and the pickups. The Baggs that he used makes a huge difference. – Bjorn]

  310. Hi Bjorn. I have a general question about chorus and uni-vibe. I know that the answer comes down to personal taste, rig setup etc, but I’m wondering about having a dedicated chorus pedal vs a uni-vibe that has a chorus setting? Just curious as to what you think, given that you’ve experimented with many more of these pedals than I have!

    I tend to use chorus minimally (used “with care” as you say above), just a splash of subtle colour, not all-out 80’s saturation. I’ve been thinking about upgrading my ‘budget’ uni-vibe to something like the Vibe Machine, which of course has a vibe/chorus switch. My question is, do you think a uni-vibe with chorus makes a dedicated chorus pedal redundant, if one uses chorus only subtly anyway? If I want to get close to some Gilmour tones, would I be kicking myself if I got rid of my chorus pedal?

    Anyway, I know the ultimate answer is really my own ears, but would appreciate your input too. Thanks so much for your site – has been beneficial for me in many ways. My two latest pedal acquisitions (in the post, or in progress) are the Musket and the Buffalo FX Booster! I wonder where I first heard about those?

    [Hi Bern! A chorus effect and the term chorus on UniVibes are two different things. A conventional chorus sounds like, well, a chorus, with that shimmery doubling effect. A UniVibe is really just a phaser and it should say vibe/phase, not vibe/chorus. The vibe sounds like the pedal’s out of tune or something, while the chorus/phase sounds like a phaser – not a chorus. So, a UniVibe won’t replace a chorus and those typically 80s tones :) – Bjorn]

  311. Great site….searched high and low

    I am currently in the process of elimination of picking a low gain transparent overdrives for my acoustic board. I have the basics covered (eq,compression, delay reverb….)

    Do you have any recommendations of effects that will give me that open airy Taylor 712 sound of the later years. I thought phase 45, TC Electronics SCF, Big Muff ….crazy making.

    Any help on a few key pieces to get me any closer…..ideally nothing that will produce a ton of noise trashing my effects loop….any ideas?

    Tom

    [You’ll be using all this on an acoustic? I don’t think I’d use Muffs or fuzz with an acoustic. It works but you’ll get a lot of noise and it’s difficult to avoid that harsh and thin sound. I’d rather go for an overdrive. I’ve used the Fulltone OCD on acoustics and its boosted mid range and slightly darker tone works nicely with acoustics. If you do want to try a Muff then I’d recommend a Sovtek kind of model, like the EHX Bass Muff or Jam Pedals Red Muck. – Bjorn]

  312. The ElecLady is my first choice if I have to buy a Flanger today.
    I’ve read your review and saw the video compared with the DEM.
    Mooer pedals are great for they cost, I love the Ensemble King Chorus too!
    But this HB Classic Flanger sounds good. I really don’t love Flangers effects in general.. are not my favorite effects for sure!
    So.. it’s hard to pick up the right one! :D

    Thanks for your work Bjorn.

  313. What about the Harley Benton (a Joyo by Thomann, FWIK) Classic Flanger?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hHSrjujlRE

    It sounds subtle enough on low settings, but I don’t know how it works in a Gilmour-oriented setup. Well..no mix/blend knob, as most of flanger pedals (stock).

    Thank You and greetings from Italy!

    [I haven’t tried it so I can’t really tell. I also recommend the Mooer ElecLady for those vintage flanger tones :) – Bjorn]

  314. Hey, Bjorn, what are your opinions on the neo clone? It’s a small clone with the identical circuit in it, and smaller. And unlike the nano, it has a depth control and no volume loss. Would it fit David’s tone perfectly?

    [I tried it years ago and I do remember it having a considerable volume drop. Perhaps I’m wrong but perhaps they’ve updated the circuit since then too, I don’t know. The pedal it self, regardless of the volume drop, sounds very similar to the CE2. A bit smoother and perhaps a bit less dominating, but they’re very similar. – Bjorn]

  315. Hi Bjorn! Did you tried the Boss CE-3 and the Eletric Mistress Stereo???

    [Yep. The CE3 is very similar to the CE2 although not as warm I think. It has a bit more mid range and, in my opinion, a slightly more processed tone. The Stereo Mistress is more like a very deep chorus with lots of low end and even a slight volume boost when engaged. I don’t think it should be compared to the original and Deluxe Mistress. I highly recommend the Mooer ElecLady and Ensemble King for affordable great sounding clones. – Bjorn]

  316. Hi Björn! which phaser you really recommend me? EH Small Stone or MXR script with led? Does the MXR phaser have tone volume drop as the earlier small stone? EH is true Bypass… but MXR?

    [I think the current line of the MXR script led is true bypass actually. Neither the MXR nor the Nano Small Stone has a volume drop. They’re very similar so you could go either way. At the moment I’m using a MojoHand Nebula IV that I’m very happy with :) – Bjorn]

  317. Hi Bjørn, I managed to pick up an early 2000 deluxe elec mistress but I need to convert it to work in the UK. It has the internally attached power cable with the 3 pin connection. Do you know the best way to convert it to work in the UK on 230 volts. I have heard if you don’t do it correctly you can change the sound of the mistress.

    [Hmmm… I’m really not the right guy to ask about electronics. I’d take it to an amp tech or post on the Gear Forum. Anyone here have a clue? – Bjorn]

  318. Hey Bjorn! You’ve been VERY helpful in the past with my questions so I thought I’d pose another…

    Have you had a chance to try out the Catalinbread Callisto Chrous/Vibe pedal? I have had my heart set on the CE2 for a LONG time, but I keep bumping into the Callisto. People have said it’s very versatile and is based in the CE2 neighborhood.

    I LOVE the warmth of the CE2, and she’s tried and true. Having more versatility in a pedal, like the Callisto, would be nice but I hate to be suckered in. Not to mention the CE2 is a classic and can still be had for a reasonable amount of money.

    Just curious on your thoughts, good sir!

    [I’ve only tried it briefly but it’s definitely similar to the CE2, both based on the MN3007 chip. You have a couple more features, including a handy mix/master control. It sounds a bit more open, with less mid range than the CE2. – Bjorn]

  319. I have a ’79 small box Mistress, and as pointed out above it thins out the Muff sounds quite a lot. It has the big volume drop as well. Has anyone noticed an improvement in performance with high gain sounds when the standard volume drop mod is applied?

  320. Thanks Bjørn, I’m looking for the mistress next and the byoc large beaver which Stephen Gallacher will build and decal for me. Then I just need to wait for your delay guide and the rest of the pedals I can get easily new or on ebay. My white face rat arrived the other day and it sounds amazing with my bd2 and Laney cub. Thanks again for all your help.

    [Glad to hear, Martin! – Bjorn]

  321. Hi Bjorn, can you mod a 70’s deluxe electric mistress to stop the volume drop or should I wait until an 80’s or 90’s reissue turns up.

    [All of the Deluxe models have a volume drop. The 70s more than the others perhaps but they all have it. Some prefer to mod it but personally I like it that way and don’t think a unity gain mod sound as good. The drop seems to make the pedal sound warmer and smoother. – Bjorn]

  322. Thanks Bjorn for such a great site! If you ever get a chance you should check out the Canadian made Retro-Sonic Phaser. It’s basically a improved Phase 90 script 4 stage but with the addition of a level control and a depth control in addition to the standard rate control. I put one on my board three years ago and it’s still on there. I use it all the time playing in a Floyd tribute in Atlantic Canada.

    Cheers,

    Heath

    [Thanks for your kind words, Heath! Haven’t tried their phaser but the compressor and distortion are awesome. – Bjorn]

  323. Im sorry for all my questions Bjorn :(
    Well, im between a Mooer Eleclady, but I think that I may be able to buy a Deluxe Electric Mistress from ebay, of course the mooer is a lot cheaper than the Mistress, but would it be better to get the Mistress or would the mooer cover easily the EH?
    All the best for you!!

    [No worries, Tom! Actually, I prefer the ElecLady over the current Deluxe. But, if you can get your hands on a early reissue from 99 or early 2000s, then go for it! – Bjorn]

  324. Emm, I need your opinion on this one: could you say that the eleclady has versatility for more than Gilmour tones? Thank you in advance!! your site rules man

    [Depends on what tones you’re looking for. I’m using it all the time for my own tones and it can easily nail stuff like Van Halen and other flanger users. – Bjorn]

  325. I hope i dont sound like an idiot, but to my ears the Electric Mistress sounds like a chorus and a flanger, so: is the electric mistress a flanger and a chorus?.
    Well, obviously im not an expert with flangers haha
    Cheers :)

    [It’s a flanger. Chorus is usually much more subtle but they’re both delay effects with various degree of pitch modulation. Flanger has a more metallic jet kind of tone. – Bjorn]

  326. Yeah I think I sent them an email about that and the other two emails were about possibly tweaking one personally to work with a big muff but maybe that pissed them off? Idk! Anyways thanks for your advice and time you take out of your day to reply! It really means a lot to me and others who appreciate the site and you! God bless!

    [Cheers, Brad! – Bjorn]

  327. You know I tried but they ignored two seperAte emails! Isn’t that rediculous?! I can find usable tones with it but I gotta tweak it a lot! I’d like to try the deluxe anyways would a 78 model be ok?? Thanks for helping buddy!

    [Hmmm… that’s too bad and not very customer friendly. The late 70s and early 80s Deluxe will do the job :) – Bjorn]

  328. Hello Bjorn! Quick question I have a Hartman flanger that I think I screwed up…I screwed with the trim pots like an idiot so…with that said I’m looking at a 1978 electric mistress deluxe on ebay and I was wondering if that’d be a good choice and also if the fx doctor does a good job fixing the volume drop? If you have heard of him! Thanks buddy!

    [Never heard of the FX Doctor but in regards to the Harman I’d send them an e-mail and ask for help on how to reset the trim pots. – Bjorn]

  329. HI B!!
    Your site IS amazing, congratulations.
    Y would like to ask YOU if there’s a great difference between the boss CS2 and the CS3 pedal, in terms of achieve the GILMOUR sound?? Do YOU think THAT IS a good deal to buy a vintage CS2?

    [Thank you, Sebastian! The CS2 does sound noticeably warmer and more dynamic but you can definitely cover the tones with the CS3 as well. – Bjorn]

  330. Hi Bjorn, I finally got the Byoc large Beaver… For sure is definitely a different beast from anything I’ve ever pluged my guitar into. After trying it out one vision comes to mind, don’t know if you have ever seen the the movie Duel from the late 1970s by Steven Spielberg about a terrified motorist stalked by a dirty loud tanker truck… Well, the Large Beaver sounds just like that tanker trunk. Lol… Anyways the reason I bought it in the first place is to replicate that Comfortably Numb sound I’ve always loved. As I stated before my setup is G&L sa emg, cs2, mooer phaser,musket, LG, Bd2 Keeley mod, deluxe electric mistress 90s version, dd20, laney cub stack. After trying a several combinations I found that the Lg and the bd2 dont replicate the CN very well. The musket > Lg combo actually works better but is not quite the same as CN. . . I saw a video posted on the buyer’s gear guide under distortion pedals, that Matt posted. He has the shreddy lunar module with the Large Beaver for the CN tone and I thought it sounded pretty good. My question= what booster would work best for a bedroom set-up for the LG?

    [I think the LB and BD2 works nicely together but it’s always a matter of combining the right settings on both pedals and your amp. You may also want to check out a TC Electronics Spark Booster for an all clean boost. – Bjorn]

  331. Hi Bjorn!

    I wonder to ask you what is your opinion on the EHX Worm (the XO version)! Most of clips that I found were not very informative as people tended to crank the rate and all effect sounded similar…

    I am after the “Breathe” intro sound, intending to use this as a basis :) I also have a small clone which i LOVE (and this is why i feel on the safe side with the worm) and a T-rex tonebug phaser which i absolutely not like (i really cannot believe that it sounds so bad and that it is so hard to dial in a sound… but this is only my personal opinion). So my thought would be the following:

    Scenario 1. THe phaser in the worm sounds univibe-ish enough – I m super happy!!!! -end of story
    Scenario 2. It doesn t sound appropriate – then I could maybe combine the tremolo of the worm with my T-rex tonebug phaser to emulate the throbbing. Does this make sense?

    I d appreciate an opinion. Unfortunately, I m on a budget so a real univibe is out of question.

    And a final question – ever tried the Rocktron Hypnotic Flange? I ve heard it s more on the subtle side – but if it can sufficiently mimic the animals tone… man… :)

    Thanks a million in advance Bjorn and sorry for all these questions… :)

    [I’ve never tried the Worm myself but judging by the clips I think there are other pedals out there that would do a much better job at replicating phaser and UniVibe tones. Are you familiar with the Mooer pedals? Check out their Ninety Phase, which is a very good clone of the MXR Phase 90. It does a nice UniVibe-ish tone as well for Breathe. They also have a decent tremolo, if that is your thing. If you’re only looking for a phaser, then check out the excellent EHX Small Stone Nano as well. – Bjorn]

  332. Looking at purchasing an Electric Mistress. There are 2 models that I’m seeing available from places like Sweetwater, etc;
    The Stereo Electric Mistress & The Deluxe Electric Mistress.
    ARe there any preferences?

    [The Deluxe. The stereo and Neo doesn’t have much in common with the original :) It’s also worth checking out the Mooer Eleclady. – Bjorn]

  333. Sorry for my total confusion… my first question was about the Boss Flanger BF-2 and on the second comment I was with the phaser on my mind too, and you answered that… my question now is back to the Boss FLANGER BF-2.

    [I don’t see a question about the BF2 but anyway… In terms of David’s tones I think it’s a bit too flanger-ish. It’s closer to the MXR, which has that typical jet sound that works great for Van Halen etc but not for Gilmour. The Deluxe Mistress or the Mooer ElecLady is a better choice, I think. In regards to what sounds you’ll get to cover with a flanger, I would say that it’s quite limited. David used the Mistres during the Animals tour and it’s also sparsely used on his 78 solo album, Wall and Final Cut but that’s about it. Still though, nothing really beats an Electric Mistress for your cleans or Big Muff tones :) – Bjorn]

  334. I was thinking about having a Boss Flanger PH-2, but I would like to know your oppinion related to Gilmour tone. Is it good?

    [You mean phaser? The Ph2 isn’t the best choice for David’s tones. Too modern sounding and closer to the Phase 100. There are lots of great sounding and cheap 4-stage phasers on the market, like the Mooer Phase Ninety and of course the MXRs. I also recommend the Whirlwind Orange Box, which is a true clone of the original Phase 90. – Bjorn]

  335. Hi, just bought the dd20 .. I had to go with a delay as your sound on sound review of soycd said. Plus I bought a Large Beaver Rams head and the moer orange phaser. How would you place the order of pedals. Cs2- musket – LG – bd2 -phaser- EM flanger- dd20? I noticed by placing the bd2 off position after after the cs2 it does make the signal cleaner ( perhaps is the buffer)What can I place there instead to have the same effect? Thanks for all your help. Because of you my pedalboard is almost finished. Will post pic in gallery soon.

    [Hi Denis! Your chain looks fine but try to experiment with different combos. The CS2, BD2 and DD20 all have buffers so it shouldn’t matter where you place them but there might be some conflicting impedance going on, which is why you get a difference… I also recommend having the DD20 on a separate power supply and not in a daisy chain. It sounds much cleaner and less noisy that way. – Bjorn]

  336. What about the Dunlop Phase 45? Is it too different from the 90 model? I never played with a 90 but I have a 45 clone. Althoug it is well constructed unity I confess I don’t like it very much with my Drivegate DG-1 or my Ram’s Head clone… but it’s fantastic for that Breathe tone!

    [The Phase 45 sounds more like a very mild UniVibe than a Phase 90. I love it and it has a very unique tone. Have you tried placing it in front of your gain pedals? – Bjorn]

  337. Hi Bjorn, I’m using a g&l with SA emg pickups boss cs2, musket, boss bd2 Keleey electric mistress 90s version, ibanez de7, cub stack. I notice that DE7 is clogging the signal. If I remove it from the chain, the tone is much clearer. Is this because is a buffer pedal or perhaps is just not a good pedal in combo with others. I really want to replace it with another Delay but there are many to pick from. What do you suggest would go well with what I have?

    [The DE7 might be messing up the chain for a number of reasons. The buffer isn’t all that and the delay effect it self tend to distort a bit. Especially the echo feature. It’s an OK pedal but I think there are better options on the market. I don’t think you can get better value than the TC Flashback. It sounds great and has a wide range of different tones. If you want a single mode pedal then check out the MXR Carbon Copy, MojoHand Recoil or simply a Boss DD7. – Bjorn]

  338. Hey, I was considering to buy the new electric mistress but after reading this i think i’ll get the mooer, its cheaper than the ehx, but makes any noise ? Thanks

    [The Mooer is very silent. – Bjorn]

    1. I’m also hunting for these settings because I just cannot get Wall Live sounds out of it due to the rather limiting knobs..

  339. Hey Bjorn!! Which phaser should I go for, MOOER Ninety Orange or EHX Small Stone? Which one would you recommend?

    Also I’m buying the TC Electronic Flashback X4, do you think I will get a nice analog sound out of it? I really need a delay with tap tempo, and storing 3 presets is really useful too!

    By the way, you have a wonderful website ;)

    [Thank you, Jose! Both phasers sound great. The Small Stone has a smooth, slightly milder tone, while the Ninety is closer to the Phase 90, with a darker tone. You could go either way. The Flashback has a few “analog” modes that sound pretty nice. Even the 2290 digital setting sounds warm and analog-ish. Great delay pedal! – Bjorn]

  340. Bjorn,
    You need to check out the Strymon Mobius, (when you find the time.) It does the chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo, vibe, rotary, and so much more. (You can use the destroyer function to get the Wish You Were Here played on a radio sound you hear on the recording.)
    It may seem expensive, but when you consider how much all those pedals would cost, well the math works out.
    I know you use the Strymon Lex, (a great pedal), but that’s in here too.
    You would love this pedal.
    I’m having a blast with mine.

    [Yes, I haven’t tried that one yet. It’s on the list :) – Bjorn]

  341. Hey Bjorn, Lindy has never mentioned his high output pups to me, perhaps he’s strictly a vintage guy, but He DOES make a set using the #43 wire the Seymour uses in the SSL-5, that allows for such an over wind, and produces a 10k, or higher bridge pickup. But as you know, as pickups get hotter, they sacrifice high end chime but I guess there are ways around that. But just wanted you to know what’s available. Let me know about the emails mentioned in the previpus post, and I’m sure we’ll find a perfect set for you.
    Keith

    [Hi Keith. Yeah, I got your e-mails and I think I answered to one at least. I’m swamped with everything we need to do with the new Airbag release. Only a few weeks away… I’ll go over my mails again in case I missed anything. Cheers :) – Bjorn]

  342. I got you man. Awesome. Im really stuck on the WYWH and live at wembley tones at the moment. But anyhow Im glad to know everyones prefrences change time to time haha I look forward to maybe hearing your ’84 tones in a video on youtube or something. Nice talking to you again Bjorn. Thanks for your help and your hard work on this site! Idk where I would be without it! btw the Whirlwind phaser sounds soooo good. Rock on brother, and God bless!

    Brad

    [Thank you, Brad :) – Bjorn]

  343. Are you guys speaking of the black Boss Heavy Metal? Remember the times I’ve said I’ve owned many pedal, but never used them? Well, in perhaps the greatest band I’ve ever played in,( regular eotation on the biggest alternative rock station in the state), I used an HM 1, through a JC 120, modified so that it’s stereo chorus was diveded between two cabinets, instead of the two internal speakers. With the modded amp, 2 2×12 cabs, and that HM1, it was one of the best sounding rigs I’ve ever had. Hard to believe I loved a solid state amp, and a Boss distortion pedal so much. I used that rig live for 5 years!
    Peace, Love, Gilmourish, and waxing nostalgic! Keith

  344. Oh yeah. Do you own a Heavy Metal pedal like Davids from that time? Or will you just use a muff? I do like that period also. I really like that live concert in 84, during the about face tour. He tore that guitar up during comfortably numb! Coulda done without the sax during theres no way out of here…lol but that was the 80s for ya! lol

    [Ha ha, yeah the 80s was a bit bad taste… :) I do own a HM2 but I’ve never really figured it out so I’m sticking to the Muff. David used both during that period. – Bjorn]

  345. Hey Bjorn. I am going to get a Whirlwind Orange Box. It is supposively VERY close to the original script, made by the original people. It also features true bypass, led, and Boss style 9 volt adaptor. A guy on youtube compared it to the script reissue and an original vintage phase 90. I personally couldn’t hear the difference in them all. Maybe small differences, but those are VERY small and I could hardly hear the difference. I wanted to know your opinion. Have you tried it? BTW, its weird cause, for the longest time I have always used a flanger with my muff, and I hardly ever used overdrive. NOW, here lately I haven’t been using my flanger at all. I usually use my muff by itself or with a rt-20 sim. I also use overdrive for alot of my stuff now too, and I have fallen in love with Davids darkside univibe and WYWH phase 90 tones. Do you ever experience this? Is it a phase? lol Just wondering. Again, thank you for all your work on here and all the questions you answer from us. You are WAY more patient than I would be buddy. lol Just shows what an awesome person you are. God Bless Bjorn and keep up the good work!

    Brad

    [Hey Brad! Yeah, I have different preferences all the time. Right now I’m very much into David’s 84 tones… The Whirlwind pedals are great and, besides having true bypass and led, they’re as close as you’ll get to the originals and current MXR Custom Shops. Cheers! – Bjorn]

  346. Hi Bjorn. I have 2 questions for you, perhaps you can help me out with them.

    1 – The pedal Gilmour used in the beginning of the first verse of Money, that’s a Tremolo, right? Can you recommend me a good one? Also, where should it go in the chain (my chain ATM is described below, in the next question)?

    2 – I’ve been thinking of getting a volume pedal lately. I’m trying to decide whether I should get a buffered one or not. In fact, I know nothing about Volume pedals, not even if there actually are buffered ones. Anyway, my signal chain will be:

    Guitar –> Univibe –> Fuzz –> Booster –> Iron Bell –> Phaser –> (Volume Pedal) –> Delay

    Since I use CS69 PU’s and ALL of these pedals are true bypass, I’m guessing it might be a good idea to throw a buffer in there to compensate for signal loss. That’s when I thought of getting a buffered volume pedal. Will it be a good thing?

    Thank you very much Bjorn. You’re the man!

    [Sorry for my late reply…
    1. Yes, it’s a tremolo. Any model will do I guess. I’m not that experienced with tremolo since I rarely use one. Tremolo usually goes in front of the gains.
    2. You can’t go wrong with Ernie Ball. I’m using the JR for passive pickups. You can drive over it with a truck :)
    I think you’re better off with a dedicated buffer. The CostaLab or TrueTone buffers are small and does wonders for your tones. I haven’t tried a buffered volume pedal but I think a dedicated buffer is much more efficient than a Boss or similar. Hope this helped :) – Bjorn]

  347. Hi, first of all thanks for your help with the website, it has really help me out!

    I have a problem with my phase90 (normal, not script) with the distortion, it “colapses” and sounds like the speaker has exploted. This happends when the wave of the efect is on the edges, the major problem is in the low edge of the wave. I have realized that this happends also with the amp without the effect but it is very very subtle, and with the effect the problem intensifies like 1000%! (on effect looper it’s even worse!).
    I will make a maintenance to the amp, but i had been reading about a moddification on the phase 90 called R28 MOD that aparently gives you more of that script tone and handles better this problem with distortion.

    If you know the R28 MOD, whats your opinion of it? Later I will buy the Electronic Orange Moon-Vibe MkII, but what do you recomend me for now?

    Thanks for everything and your time!
    Pedro

    [Hi Pedro. The way you describe the “problem” I’d focus more on the amp settings, what pickups you use and what other pedals you combine with the amp and the Phase 90. A dark and muffled tone will be amplified with filter and phase effects, because they sweep through the lower frequencies as well. Could you tell me what amp you have, its settings and what pickups you have. – Bjorn]

  348. Hi Bjorn,
    well I’ve bought a Phase 90 74 Reissue, and I have to admit it sounds great, I have been using a Small Stone Nano for a couple of years now and I was curious about doing an A B test between the two beasts.
    I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but is it possible that switching between the twos could have a collateral effect on how the delay sounds? I mean like if the change of pedal had an effect on the feedback amount of the digital delay…using one pedal the repetitions blends one way and then with the other kinda different. Maybe it’s just my mind.
    Anyway I noticed that the Phase 90 when in the pedalboard “pushes” a bit the overall sound…a sort of slightly volume boost…did you noticed something like that too?
    Thanks,
    Cheers!

    [I haven’t A/B tested the two so I can’t tell how they interact or operate side by side but the SS is true bypass, which doesn’t do anything with your signal. The P90 74 however is hardwire bypass, which means that the signal is flowing through the pedal’s cirquit even when the pedal is off. Without being an expert I would guess that this can affect the delay and it’s also possible that the qircuit has a hint of boost to compensate for the high end loss you get from hardwire bypass. Either way, the P90 will colour your signal when it’s off. The SS won’t. – Bjorn]

  349. Hi Bjorn!
    I am the owner of a MXR 1974 vintage phase 90.
    Is there any settings you can suggest that will resemble the sound of univibe in songs like Us and Them and Any colour you like?

    Thank you very much!!!

    [For Us & Them, Breathe etc try around noon and for ACYL about 3 o’clock :) – Bjorn]

  350. Hey Bjorn, how are you?

    I’m writing just to add that some time ago I spoted a cheap $40 chinese chorus from NUX (model CH3) at ebay and decided to give it a try. I have to say I’m quite impressed with it, metal case, true bypass and a mix knob, a huge plus as you said in an effect that is so dominating as the Chorus. I was thiking of just give it a try and then sell to someone but now it stayed in my pedal board. It’s always great when we try some cheap pedals and it sound as great as a more expensive one.

    Cheers!

    [Thanks for the tip! I haven’t tried any of the NUX pedals myself but there’s a lot happening in the budged segment these days, not least the Mooer pedals. – Bjorn]

  351. Hi Bjorn!

    I would like to set my delay (empress vintage modified) for the song Run Like Hell!
    I would like to play the guitar 3 (the chords of the song).
    Could you tell me the delay time and repeats (and whatever you think that probably helps me) for this part of Run Like Hell?

    Sorry for my English..

    Thank you very much!!!

    [I don’t have the Empress myself, so I can’t help you with any specific settings. The delay time is 380ms single tap but you can also blend that with triplets, like David does. – Bjorn]

  352. Off topic, but I wanted to tell you that I took Cymbaline back to Tom for a little minor surgery. This may be something that benefits all. When I first got my Rodriguez, it played better than any Strat I’d ever played, and has unheard off resonance, and sustain. However, being a brand new guitar, ( not store new, but just finished new.), I found that after 8 months of string pressure, the neck settled in, and I noticed that the action had risen just a slight bit, and I’d had a minor buzz on the G string on the 13th-15th fret, that disappeared because the action had changed. 1 day at the shop, 1/4 turn of the truss, and a flat diamond thingy, that is used to fine tune fret dressing, and I’m amazed that it’s playing better than when I got it, and the G string, often a problem string, is now perfect. Also got him to change the pup height from Fender specs, to his ears specs, and as I suspected, the guitar even sounds better, and it was already the best sounding Strat I’ve played. So, after you’ve had a really new guitar for 6 months, or a year, it’s likely to change a bit, and it’s a good idea to re set up the guitar, or have someone do it for you. A little TLC can go a very long way!
    Peace, Keith

    [Wise words. I always recommend to perform a setup at least twice a year. Either learn how to adjust the truss rod, action and pickup height and set the intonation or get a pro to do the job. As you’ve experienced, string pressure, humidity and temperature changed does affect the wood and tension. It’s also a wise thing to experiment with different setups and find the sweetspot that both fits the guitar and your playing. Factory setups are always a great starting point it’s the small adjustments that makes the whole difference. – Bjorn]

  353. Thanks Stephen, I know you got my back. Bjorn, although we’ve never met, you were responsible for the start of a great friendship with someone I think of like a brother, Stephen Ford, and the site haz given me a rather hard headed nephew, Will. Thanks for the site, all your hard work, and for my two good friends, three counting you. We gotta band together and work on young Williams vintage gear obsession though, Ha-ha! Just kidding William!
    Peace, Love, and Gilmourish, THE POSTECUTIONER!

    [Ha ha, thanks Keith :) – Bjorn]

  354. hi bjorn,

    i did ask this earlier but i never had a reply and i think that was because i gave you a list of my pedals and asked what would be the best order to put them in etc. but i since understand you will not answer these types of questions anymore.

    so please allow me to to ask a question of your set up in the hope that it will give me an idea as to how to set my board up.

    so can you tell me your pedal order that you would choose to reproduce the pulse/ delicate PERIOD. particullary on the turning away and comfortably numb/ turning away tone or there abouts. i would be very gratefull for your suggestions.

    as a matter of interest, my pedals are , redbox wirlwind compressor, ocd, keeley 808 mod, throbak od boost, electric mistress, mxr analogue delay, tc electronic nova delay;

    i also have ibanez 50/50 starfield sterio valve amp circa 1970 i think. 2 2X12 carvin steve vie lagacy cabinets fitted with vintage 30 greenback speakers, jmp 1, and tc elecrtonic G force inc artist card.

    any help will be greatly received

    kind regards

    bob

    [Hi Bob. I’m sorry but I don’t have the capacity to answer any e-mails anymore. All correspondence should be made here :) Based on your pedals, I’d use the compressor for cleans and overdrives, the OCD for overdrive rhythms and bluesy solos and the Nova Delay for all the delays, using the 2290 bank. You might also want to use the ThroBak boost for volume and clean boost. As for distortion, I’d go for either a RAT, which is an extremely versatile distortion or a Sovtek Big Muff. Now, these aren’t made anymore so you can get the current EHX Bass Muff (very close) or a clone, like the excellent Wren And Cuff Box of War, Jam Pedals Red Muck or Blackout Effectors Musket. You’ll find reviews here on the site. See this feature for some tips on overdrives and distortions and this one for some general tips on setting up a pedal board. Hope this helped. – Bjorn]

  355. Hmmm Keith raises a good point…
    Bjorn, a thought for a future article….
    May be hard to get your hand on a bunch as the best delays often come with a pretty high price tag but still could be nice. The Echorec and the El Capistan, Eventide Time Factor, Strymon Timeline, Boss DD-20, T-Rex Replica…etc :)

    [Tell you what… If you you and Keith send me all of those pedals, to keep of course, I’ll be happy to do a Gear Guide for you… LOL! I have one planned for the autumn. Testing pedals like mad :) Cheers! – Bjorn]

  356. No gear guide on delays, so I put this here. Hey Bjorn, I got a message from Will telling me Sam Ash was taking delivery of the Echorec this week, so I called my favorite manager, and she said when checking the computer that my store has one coming in sometime between Thursday, and Tuesday. Being sure that they’d raise the price, I found that they have stuck with the $230.00 price, but she gave me a discount, and I now have my name on their first Echorec, and including tax, I’m getting it for less, and don’t have to deal with Catalinbread, who were very rude when I called to buy one. Had they been nice to me, I’d already have one, but it would have cost more, and I get to play it first!!! Glad I waited!!!
    Peace, Love, and Gilmourish, Keith

    [Love to hear your verdict on it, Keith! – Bjorn]

  357. 6:40 onwards, its subtle but im sure its there!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJqfHaLUW18

    [Hard to tell but I don’t think that’s a Mistress. Could be the ambience in the hall or the compression on the YouTube clip that’s causing the effect but it doesn’t sound like a flanger. From what I can see on the pictures, there doesn’t appear to be a Leslie in his rig either. He did use the 1999-2005, which featured a Cornish chorus pedal. Could be that one… Again, hard to tell. – Bjorn]

  358. Bjorn,
    I have the Hartman flanger but I was wondering what settings you recommend to get the most authentic Gilmour tones? Like you mentioned, I have been unable to find any useable tones with my Hoof fuzz on at the same time. Love the site, and I visit it often!
    George

    [I don’t own one my self and I haven’t tried it long enough to remember any settings. I didn’t quite get the tones I wanted with Muffs but it sounds quite nice on cleans and milder overdrives. Try setting the speed and colour at about 1 or 2 o’clock and the depth as low as you can, without the tone fading out. – Bjorn]

  359. Have you ever tried the BYOC Analog Flanger? I’m interested in buying that one, but I was wondering what you’d suggest. If you have, should I get that or the ElecLady?

    [Never tried it, so I can’t really tell. The ElecLady is great though! – Bjorn]

  360. BJORN!!! exciting news, i was listening to a version of AHM from 2008 with David on guitar and i noticed, although he is using his Pete Cornish board (looks and sounds to me like the on an island tour board) but during a section i can hear the electric mistress! I’m sure of it! i found it odd as there wasn’t even a Leslie on AHM originally and i didn’t think his current board had any kinds of modulation? but its definitely there… there’s been a few rumors going around he might be recording… do you think we will hear the mistress again? :D

    [Hi Zac! Sorry for the late reply. I haven’t managed to find the place where he’s using the Mistress. Could you please send me a link and point out the timing? Thanks! – Bjorn]

  361. P.s I am gonna mod the phase 90 to make it true bypass and install an external power input (boss style) and a LED

  362. Ho Bjorn
    I’ve been a faithful Small Stone nano user for a couple of years, but from what I’ve heard and seen, the Phase 90 74 reissue can handle the gains before it way better…the E.Harmonix pedal tends to distort a bit when placed after a powerboost… What’s your thought?
    Thanks!
    See ya,
    Matteo

    [The Small Stone is a bit milder and transparent than the Phase 90 and therefore can sound a bit thin with overdrives and distortions. I haven’t experienced that the Small Stone distorts with the Colorsound but the Colorsound can bleed out a bit on lower amp volume, which is quite normal with silicon transistors. Perhaps that’s what you hear? – Bjorn]

  363. Hi Bjorn, amazing site you have here! I agree with you about the mid range and break up problems on the block logo Phase 90. I try to compensate by adjusting my guitar’s volume and tone controls when the pedal is engaged.

    Have you tried the MXR CSP-101SL Custom Shop Script Phase 90? MXR seems to be marketing it as 1974 reissue, but with an LED and power jack and no hand-wiring. How close do they sound to each other? The power jack option would help for my setup.

    Thank you!
    Eric

    [Thank you Eric! There is a difference. The 74 reissue feature hardwire bypassing, which rolls off the top end considerably. The phasing sounds amazing though. The 101SL has true bypass switching, which doesn’t colour the tone at all. – Bjorn]

  364. Hi Bjorn!

    You mentioned up above that the Mooer Ensemble King is based more on the CE-5 and not the CE-2. Well, I decided to pop one open and compare it to the CE-2 schematic. Strangely enough, the schematics are extremely similair, and the Mooer also features the MN3007 BBD chip, which is found in the CE-2, but not in the CE-5 (Boss never used the MN3007 in their CE-5s, because of the higher battery drainage, they used MN3207 and MN3101 in the very first years of their production, and then they went digital. An analog CE-5 is quite rare and sells at a high price). I believe that the Mooer is much closer to a CE-2 than a CE-5; the name may have you believe otherwise, but the original CE-1 was called the Chorus Ensemble. They only started using that name again when the CE-5 came out. Not to mention when I heard an A/B a friend had sent me who owns both pedals, it was very difficult to find the difference when I closed my eyes. Anyways, that’s enough of my ranting, just thought I’d share my findings for you all if you are considering buying a CE-2 or similair.

    [Thanks for the update, Yoel. I didn’t get the chance to A/B test the two and I guess the guitar and amp I used for testing all the Mooers, wasn’t doing all the pedals justice. Thanks! – Bjorn]

  365. Looks like martin provided the link, it’s also interesting to read the “uni-vibe” mod too, however I am perfectly happy with my Phase 90 now, hope this helps some people out!

  366. Hello Bjorn,

    I’m about to buy what seems to be a 99′ reissue deluxe electric mistress… with the old style knobs that the current one does not have anymore… but, I’m hesitating because of the Dc adaptor, which is not attached to the pedal (like the V4 version should have), but that you have to plug into the pedal (and then you can unplug also).

    Does it seem like a fake V4 ? like a V5 with added knobbies?

    Regards,

    Sebastien

    [Obviously, since I haven’t examined the pedal my self I can’t tell for sure but my 98-99 also has the separate 24V adapter. If it looks genuine, then I guess it is. If you get a chance to play it, you should hear a liquidy, fairly bright flanging. There’s a very subtle volume drop but the low end is well balanced and the overall effect blends well with the pickups. The current reissue is considerably darker, slightly noisier and has a noticeable low end boost. – Bjorn]

    1. The hockey puck style knobs aren’t something new. You find them on the originals. They weren’t always made with the same knobs.

      You don’t have to leave this website to find a picture of an original Electric Mistress with hockey puck style knobs. Go look at the picture provided for the Electric Mistress shoot-out.

      Interesting that an identical chip is noisier housed in the V5 as opposed to the V4.

  367. Hey Bjorn, great guide, I just wanted to share with people who may have bought the Phase 90 (new, not-script model) that there is a simple guide to severing the “R28” resistor on the Phase 90’s board, it apparently stops the re-feeding of the signal back through the phase circuit, and hence gives a more subtle, script-logo phase sound. I’m super glad I finally did it, I can actually use that pedal now, great to have that and a Micro-vibe to choose from. Thanks!

    [Thanks Gabe! Do you have a link for the tutorial? – Bjorn]

  368. Hi Bjorn!
    What about MXR Flanger?

    [You can tweak them for a similar tone as the Mistress but the MXR isn’t as liquidy and open sounding. I think it works better for rock and those typical 70s tones than Gilmour’s tones. – Bjorn]

  369. Good evening M. Riis,

    I’m new on this website. I’m really curious about the Mooer Elec Lady.

    But, as you mentioned the the range knob was unusable, and the color knob better used at 10 o’clock maximum, did you find a sweet spot for the “The Wall” and “Final Cut” settings… i’ve seen the video with the “Animal album setting”: great!

    Thank you, and heve a good night!

    [Sorry for my late reply, Jonah. I usually set the pedal with the range all the way off, the colour seems to have a sweetspot right between 9 and 10 o’clock and the speed between 2 and 3 o’clock. Perhaps closer to 3. It’s a tad bright with distortions and Muffs especially so you might want to roll down the tone on the Muff just a hair. – Bjorn]

  370. Hi Bjorn,

    thanks for your answer, I think I’m gonna buy a vintage Electric Mistress .

    i’ve few electric mistresses to sell on specialized websites, I know how to date them with the serial numbers on the pots.

    So what would be your choice between 181 – 84 green mistress, or an recent model. Speaking of a recent model, what do you call 90’s model? because the first 90’s RI model was made in 1999, jjudging by this site (http://www.metzgerralf.de/elekt/stomp/mistress/electric-mistress-history.shtml). So what do you call 90’s RI? Just the pedals made between 1999 and 2000?

    Thanks for your help, i’m a bit lost.

    Regards,
    Uwe

    [Hi Uwe. Sorry for my late reply. Personally I prefer the late 90s Deluxe over any other Mistress. Compared to the late 70s model, this one has a more defined character kind of a mix between the super watery 9V/18V original and the MXR jet type of flanger. It’s also much less noisy than the original. Compared to the current reissue, the late 90s has a more open tone with less mid range and lower end, which makes it easier to blend with gain effects especially. I’m not sure what the correct model reference is. – Bjorn]

    1. The V4 and V5 Deluxe Electric Mistresses both use the RD5106A BBD. Aside from the power plug the schematics are identical. What accounts for the difference in tone between the two that you’re describing?

      1. I haven’t studied the schematics or opened up any of the units. I’m not a technical expert. What I do know is that the ’99 version that I have, and have used since I bought it new in 99, sounds lush, fairly bright and nicely balanced. The current big box Deluxe, and I’ve tried a few, sounds considerably darker, more mids and low end and the flange sweep is not as wide. You tell me why it’s different :)

      2. I totally agree with Bjorn: I recently bought a latest version of the deluxe and I set the controls like Bjorn’s comparison EHX vs Mooer. No way. My EHX was so darker, and to get the flangy sound I had to mess with controls for a while. I was so disappointed that I sold it immediatly. I bought a Mooer Eleclady: that’s much better.

        1. So if the tone is warmer with more mids and low end, and the sweep is not as wide, that’s a bad thing?

          A noisier BBD is preferable to a quieter one that’s more focused?

          Both re-issues use the RD5106A. The originals used the SAD1024A. The components for both re-issues are identical.

          Bjorn is not getting the same tone as David Gilmour, Andy Summers or Alex Lifeson with the 99 re-issue.

          You are not “nailing” the tone of the originals with either of the re-issues.

          The Mooer Eleclady is brighter than the original Deluxe Electric Mistress so that means you should chose the Mooer over the warmer sounding original Deluxe Electric Mistress?

          You are not “nailing” the tone of Bjorn’s 99 Deluxe Electric Mistress with the Mooer.

          Are you trying to nail Bjorn’s tone or Gilmour’s?

          1. I think you’re perhaps missing the point here. I have never said that I nail David’s Mistress tone 100% with my ’99 Deluxe. The reason I use it, is because I think it sounds better than the original Mistress models and the current Deluxe. Maybe that’s Tony’s point as well, I don’t know. Whether or not one likes the current Deluxe depends on taste.

          2. It’s pointless to talk about components. I evaluate a pedal by hearing it and sound depends on the amp too (I have a Fender BJ III btw). With the EHDM I experienced a high loss of volume and I didn’t like its sound. So I chose the eleclady over the EHDM. But I have to try some replica of the first mistress still. Cheers

            1. I’ve just bought a v5 version, and i was feeling a big volume drop and quite a dark sound, so i opened up and found a trimpot which in the scchematics it’s refferred as “mix” and by adjusting it maxed out i’ve merged the volume drop and also it sounds a lot more brighter (in a good way) to my ears.
              But i’m no technician, anyway check out this page

              http://www.metzgerralf.de/elekt/stomp/mistress/align.shtml#4

              1. Thomas Hagemeijer

                Hi Riccardo, I think I’m about to buy a V5. is the volume drop intense? and how does that trimpot work?

              2. Ciao Riccardo, scusa ma non avevo visto questo post…V5 sarebbe deluxe nuovo? Comunque alla fine ho preso un Hartman ed è una figata spaziale…con quello riesco a riprodurre fedelmente i suoni di The wall Live 1980. Saluti

  371. Hey, I just bought a mooer ensemble king….any advice on what settings to use for pulse?

    [I’d set the level around noon or 1:00 and both the rate and depth at about 11:00. Tweak your way around that. – Bjorn]

  372. Oh, by the way,

    Talking about Phasers, Have you tried the BYOC Phase 90 clone? Why haven’t you put it in the review?

    regards,

    uwe

    [Yep, it sounds very close to the original. Can’t include every pedal :) – Bjorn]

  373. Hi Bjorn,

    I was about to buy a Hartman Analog Flanger off ebay, when I read your review.
    What is worrying me is the fact that it “makes the heavier sounding Muffs sound quite thin and fizzy”.

    Is it a better choice to order a Mooer eleclady? Does that pedal make the heavier Muffs sound correctly (not fizzy)?

    What would be my best choice for the ” Wall” tones with flanger, knowing that I’d like to have a True Bypass pedal , not the 80’s EH electric mistress.

    Regards,
    Uwe

    [Obviously, these reviews are based on my very subjective opinion but I think the ElecLady sounds better than the Hartman. Especially with distortions like the Muff. The current Deluxe is a tad too dark for my taste but the late 90s model is superb. It’s hardwire but doesn’t suck too much tone. – Bjorn]

  374. Hey Bjorn, the new guide is great! You should consider adding rotating speaker and echo sections.Thanks as always!

    [Thanks! A delay/echo feature is due this fall :) – Bjorn]

  375. So, did the ElecLady get a better score because it is cheaper? Does it make muffs sound thin like the Hartman? Is there something in the Hartman that can be adjusted to make it less fizzy sounding with muffs?

    [The Hartman is a clone of the first generation Mistress, while the ElecLady is something between the original and Deluxe, which makes is sound bit darker and it blends better with gain pedals… in my opinion at least. – Bjorn]

  376. Hi Bjorn, thanks for your testings – they are always very usefull for those, like me, that are “lost” with so many options. As I’ve mentioned at Gilmorish on FaceBook, a “quick alternative” for two different “chorus-like effect” can be obtained through the Digitech’s Whammy DT pedal (YouTube exaust demo at a 15 minutes video: http://youtu.be/iJ2zrpButfw). As an “alternative”, specially for “Gdansk tour fans” (“The Blue song” and other ones) and “Pulse Live tour”, its a way to quickly obtain a chorus-like effect without activating any other pedal. The detune options of this Whammy pedal are also very interesting to quickly obtain fatter sounding (near to a bass for some Gilmour’s introductions for many songs when he uses the 5th and 6th strings for long solo periods) – all in one very clean/transparente pedal. Best regards!

    [Thanks for the tip, Carlos! – Bjorn]

  377. Just my two cents…..

    I think of phasers including the univibe as basically being dynamically changing EQ devices/filters, so it sort of makes sense that they go in front of a distortion just like you would put a wah in front of distortion to alter the character of the distorted signal.

    Flangers and choruses, to varying degrees, create a second signal time delayed with the first, so it makes more sense to place them after distortion devices .This creates a less muddy signal, as the attack transient of the guitar is not smeared going into the distortion.

    Of course, rules are made to be broken…

    [Good points. – Bjorn]

  378. So would the RT-20 be the best choice for Wall and Animals era RA-200 tones?

    [Wall and Animals (live tones especially) won’t sound right without an Electric Mistress but the RT-20 does the RA200 pretty well. By no means the real thing but by using the mix feature you can blend in just the right amount of modulation for that extra dimension. Muff > booster > mistress > RT20 and you can’t go wrong :) – Bjorn]

  379. Well,
    My favoutite Gilmour tones are pheraps the Division Bell. However in the oposite maybe are the momentary lapse of reason. On Pulse I really love the clean sound on Shine on and the distorted sound on Time solo.
    However in my pedalboard I have a mistress and I love them and in fact it’s essencial for animals-final cut tones. I also have a Mad Professor Tyni Orange Phaser and I love them (I love mad professor pedals!) It sound very liquid, very very good sound quality, very mix with the other pedals and have a “blend knob”. I think that this pedal is simply perfect for breath.

    It Recently I buy a RT-20 and I hate them. The pedal eats the signal, when is on and when is off… In Generaly is like put the sound of the guitar direct on sound table… the electric guitar is there… but doesn’t sounds good how if you use a tubes amp… Can you tell me that settings you normally use on this pedal? (RT20)
    I’m decided to buy a Electric Blue Chorus… of course, of mad professor!:-) I had see them on youtube and I love them, and if will be like my phaser it would be amasing.

    Cheers!

    [i’ve never experienced that the RT20 eats signal but it doesn’t like to be powered in a chain so be sure to use a dedicated adapter or line from a power source. Also, some overdrives and distortions might react to the buffer in the RT20, so you might want to place a true bypass pedal between it and the gain pedal. Keep in mind too that this is a rotary sim and not a chorus or flanger so it will behave differently. If you’ve ever played through a leslie you will have noticed that it changes your signal completely. That’s why many prefer to combine rotary cabs with regular amps and the RT20 allows a similar setup with the effect mix and direct volume controls. – Bjorn]

  380. Thank you Bjorn for the long work you’ve done. But can you tell something about the Moog phaser? Is it a good deal for the Gilmour’s sounds?
    Cheers!

    [Never tried that one so I can’t really tell. Sorry. – Bjorn]

  381. Great article as always!
    Speaking of the Electric Mistress, how do you (and others) cope with the volume drop when using it on stage? I find it to be most annoying to hit it for a solo for it to kill that bit of volume.

    [Thanks! Doesn’t really bother me and I don’t think it’s that severe. Not on the Deluxe anyway. Makes the Big Muffs sound a bit smoother I think. – Bjorn]

  382. Have you look at any of the Strymon mods? Maybe even the Mobius? I know they are all digital and the Mobius is a multi-effect of sorts but I think they sound great and a good way to cover a lot of ground with little pedal board real estate.

    [Only tried the Lex so far, which I’m using on my stage board. Check out the review here. – Bjorn]

  383. Very nice, great work Bjorn!
    I really enjoy these new Buyer’s Gear Guides!
    Can’t wait to see the Buyer’s Gear Guide Delays :)

    [Thank you! – Bjorn]

  384. Awesome stuff as usual Bjorn. I love all these new gear guides. I’ve based my entire pedal board off your reviews, videos and other peoples opinions that visit here frequently. I did have a question though. How can you tell the difference between the original/reissue deluxe electric mistress and the current models?

    [Thanks, Thomas! I haven’t played an original Deluxe, so I can’t really tell about that one. The late 90s Deluxe has a bit more presence and open tone compared to the current reissue. – Bjorn]

  385. Ciarán Byrne

    Wow Bjorn! These new articles are excellent, I’m quite enjoying reading them :)

    [Thanks! – Bjorn]

  386. Wonderful! I’ve been using many of these with great success – notably the CE-2, the Maxon PhaseTone, and the Deluxe EM. For anyone who buys an Electric Mistress, I would strongly suggest that they send it to Howard Davis to have it modded to non-Deluxe specs… He does an amazing job (as he should – he used to design circuits for EH, after all) and can add a few things like a non-volume drop mod and a mix knob. Definitely worth it for the best possible Wall and Final Cut tones!

    [I haven’t done that my self but I’ve read that many people are disappointed with his work. Your experience is different? – Bjorn]

  387. This was just what I needed to see.

    Just a fantastic update. I lost a large amount of gear to a storm a few years ago and am just now getting some of it back, and I REALLY needed a good modulation option that would cover multiple bases. The RT-20 was what I was looking at and your thoughts on it have really reenforced my own opinions.

    Also, a little off-topic but I’m looking for a strat that would be a perfect start point for his tones, to replace my ’87 MIJ I lost. I really don’t relish replacing pickups and components again so any quick thoughts on a starting point involving the least work would be appreciated (other than the obvious custom shop black strat that is).

    I’ve played Gilmour covers for 25 years and I can honestly say this site is just brilliant and I greatly appreciate the work you’ve done Bjorn.

    [Thank you Duane! I’d track down a CIJ Strat. The ST-57 guitars are amazing. I think they all feature Fender CS Texas Specials now, which are slightly hotter than the CS69s. Fender Mexico also launched new nitro finish guitars in the Classic Series. Both the 50s and 60s will do the job. MIMs have come a long way lately. Other than that, I guess you need to go to the US Classic Series. Good luck! And sorry to hear about all the stuff you lost. – Bjorn]

  388. This whole update was nothing short of BRILLIANT Bjorn! Lots of useful info and clarification, for which I really thank you, and I’m sure I’m not speaking just for myself.

    Really looking forward to the Buyer’s Guide update regarding Delays. that’s been the hardest part for me for a while now. Anyway, keep up the good work. Cheers from Brazil!

    [Thanks! The delay guide will be posted early autumn. – Bjorn]

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