The Fender Waylon Jennings Phaser is an analog phaser pedal that takes its inspiration from the company's original four-stage phaser circuit developed in the 1970s1. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as a way to take players along for the same ride as Jennings by emulating the stomp boxes he used to forge his own path1. It was announced in August 2023 with an MSRP of $129.9923.
Controls and the Sweet switch
The pedal carries phaser-standard Range, Rate and Feedback knobs to dial in your tone, plus a three-position Phase switch4. RockBoard's PedalPedia says that when the Range and Feedback controls are combined with the three phase voices, they cover the gamut of phasing tones used by Jennings on stage and in the studio1.
The Sweet switch is the pedal's distinguishing feature. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio explained it this way at launch: the Sweet switch "instantly locks your tone into the phaser sweet spot while transforming the Feedback knob into a blend control"4. Premier Guitar's first look put it another way: turn on the Sweet Switch to jump right to the "sweet spot" of clean signal mixed with phase-shifting tones5.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Phase switch | Selects 2-stage, 4-stage or 6-stage phasing4 |
| Range | Sets the sweep range of the phase effect4 |
| Rate | Sets the speed of the phase sweep4 |
| Feedback | Shapes the intensity of the effect; becomes a blend control when the Sweet switch is on4 |
| Sweet switch | Locks in the sweet spot of clean and phase-shifted signal4 |
How it sounds and what reviewers found
Premier Guitar's reviewer found the controls approachable: "the Waylon Phaser's controls are easy to sort. They work in cool, interactive ways which take some practice to master, but are ultimately easy to wrangle"3.
gearnews.com's Jef summed up the package as offering "a whole heap of great phase tones in a compact aluminium pedal"2.
Did Waylon Jennings use it?
Despite the name, the answer is no, as far as anyone knows. Premier Guitar's reviewer noted: "As far as we know, Waylon never used the Fender Phaser, opting instead for a Maestro PS-1A, various MXRs, and Boss phasers" over the course of his career3. The pedal is a tribute to his sound rather than a reissue of his actual gear, emulating the kinds of boxes he used1.
Power and practicalities
The pedal runs on 9V DC center negative and draws 100mA1. That current draw is worth noting when planning a pedalboard power supply, since it is higher than many simple analog pedals need. The top-mounted Input and Output jacks help it sit neatly on a board2, and true-bypass switching makes it, in gearnews.com's words, "perfect for most pedalboard setups"2.
Players comparing it with other Fender phasers may also want to look at the Fender Lost Highway Phaser and the Fender Phaser Reissue, or read more broadly about phaser pedals.
Videos
Premier Guitar
Fender
Mannys Music
News
Questions
Is the Fender Waylon Jennings Phaser analog?
Yes. Fender lists the circuit type as analog, and the pedal is built on the company's original four-stage phaser circuit developed in the 1970s. The three-position Phase switch lets you choose between two, four or six-stage phasing, giving three distinct flavors of the phase-shifting effect within that analog circuit.
What does the Sweet switch do?
The Sweet switch instantly locks your tone into the phaser's sweet spot, the balance of clean signal mixed with phase-shifting tones. It also transforms the Feedback knob into a blend control, so you can set the mix of clean and effected signal directly rather than shaping the intensity of the phase effect.
Is the Waylon Jennings Phaser true bypass?
Yes. gearnews.com notes the pedal has modern-day true-bypass switching, which the outlet called perfect for most pedalboard setups. It also has top-mounted Input and Output jacks, which helps it fit cleanly on a crowded board.
How much current does the Waylon Jennings Phaser draw?
Fender lists the current draw at 100mA, powered from a 9V DC center-negative supply. That draw means a standard low-current daisy-chain output may not be enough, so plan your pedalboard power accordingly.
Did Waylon Jennings use this pedal?
Not as far as anyone knows. Premier Guitar's reviewer noted that Waylon never used the Fender Phaser, opting instead for a Maestro PS-1A, various MXRs and Boss phasers over his career. The pedal instead emulates the stomp boxes he used to forge his own path, according to Fender.
What does the Phase switch do?
The three-position Phase switch selects between two, four or six phase stages. Combined with the Range and Feedback controls, these three phase voices cover the gamut of phasing tones Fender says Jennings used on stage and in the studio.
Sources (5)
- Phaser Waylon Jennings by Fender, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Fender Waylon Jennings Phaser with Sweet Switch, gearnews.com, 2023-08-30
- Fender Waylon Jennings Phaser Review, Premier Guitar, 2023-11-06
- New Pedal: Fender Waylon Jennings Phaser, Delicious Audio, 2023-08-30
- First Look: Fender Waylon Jennings Phaser, Premier Guitar, 2023-08-29
