The Foxx / Sears Phasing Pedal is a phaser from the 1970s, the effect type that sweeps a series of notches through a guitar's signal to produce a whooshing, jet-like movement. It was made famous by Brian May, whose playing with Queen brought the pedal its widest audience. As with other phasers, it sits alongside related modulation effects such as flanger pedals and chorus pedals, which shift and delay the signal in different ways1.
Where it came from
The pedal dates to the 1970s and was marketed under the Foxx and Sears names. Its reputation rests largely on May's use of it: the technical write-up at Guitar FX Layouts introduces it as "a 70s phaser made famous by Brian May"1. Foxx also built other effects in the same era, including the Foxx Foot Phaser V1 and the Foxx Foot Phaser studio model 7, both of which appear elsewhere on this site.
What it sounds like
For a reference point, the Guitar FX Layouts write-up points to a specific recording: "To hear what this pedal sounds like, have a listen to Queen's 'White Queen' from live at the Rainbow!"1. That live version of "White Queen" is the commonly cited example of the pedal's phasing character in May's rig.
The circuit
The circuit is based on J112 transistors, matched. The Guitar FX Layouts author, who published a stripboard layout for the circuit in December 2017, noted: "The j112s work perfectly and are very cheap. Just make sure you match."1. A PDF layout for etching a printed circuit board followed in August 20181.
The published layouts are for builders working from the original circuit, not a current production pedal. The original 1970s unit is long out of production, so players today encounter it as a used vintage pedal or a DIY build.
Videos
BearAmps
Sources (1)
- Guitar FX Layouts: Foxx / Sears Phasing Pedal, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2017-12-10
Brian May
