Dunlop MXR EVH90 Phase 90

The MXR EVH Phase 90 is a phaser pedal built as a collaboration between Eddie Van Halen and Dunlop Manufacturing, which Dunlop describes as an updated version of the legendary Phase 90¹. It is Eddie Van Halen's version of the pedal, made under the MXR name, and it carries a custom EVH paint job with the Frankenstein graphics tied to his playing career²³.

What sets it apart from the standard Phase 90 is that it holds both of the circuit's classic voicings. As Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio put it, it is "an Eddie Van Halen's version of the Phase 90 featuring both the 'block' and 'script' version of the circuit"⁴.

Two Phase 90s in one box

The original MXR Phase 90 went through two well-known versions over the years, usually referred to by the logo style on the enclosure: the earlier script logo and the later block logo. Players have long argued about which one sounds better, and the EVH90 ends the argument by putting both in a single pedal. Pedal of the Day's reviewer, David O, wrote that "It gives you both script and block modes so you don't have to choose"².

The two modes behave differently:

• Block mode (normal): the more aggressive, dynamic phase. David O called it "the dynamic phase the Eddie Van Halen fans are looking for," with a deep phase suited to the "Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love" riff².
• Script mode: the smoother, vintage-flavored voicing. In David O's words, "Script Mode gives you all the Phase 90 sound you long for: warm swooshing phase that sits beautifully before or after your overdrives"².

That placement matters on a board: as a phaser, the EVH90 works both ahead of and after overdrive pedals, and script mode in particular is described as sitting well in either spot².

Where it came from

The EVH90 belongs to a wider run of Eddie Van Halen signature gear from Dunlop. By 2008, Van Halen already had his signature Phase 90 and Flanger pedals in Dunlop's MXR stable, along with the EVH Signature Wah, as MusicRadar reported at the time⁶⁴. Guitar World, in a piece on pedals recreating gritty 80s sounds, described the EVH Phase 90 as "the result of a collaboration between Dunlop and Eddie Van Halen"⁵.

Dunlop's own manual for the pedal lists its core features plainly: "Deep, rich phasing" and a "Custom EVH paint job"³.

What reviewers said

The pedal has been received well by reviewers. David O at Pedal of the Day summed it up this way²:

Guitar World counted it among modern pedals that recreate the gritty sounds of the 80s, which is fitting given how closely the Phase 90 sound is tied to that era of Van Halen's records⁵.

For players weighing it against other phasers, the EVH90's distinguishing feature is the mode switch: the standard MXR M101 Phase 90 gives you one voicing, while the EVH90 gives you both, in the same small footprint, under Van Halen's graphics²⁷. If you are exploring the effect more broadly, the site's phaser pedals page covers the type as a whole.

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