The Prof Pinotte Phaser Soft Serve is a phaser pedal from GUP Tech, a small builder whose pedals are all made in-house in Saguenay, Québec, Canada1. It is a deliberate tribute to the MXR Phase 90, which GUP Tech calls its favorite "simple" phaser pedal of all time, and it keeps that pedal's single-knob approach: one rate control, with a tweaked tone that makes the control's range more reactive than the original1.
What it does
GUP Tech describes the Soft Serve's sweep as running "From low low oscillation to incredibly fast ringing wobble, this phaser is a classic !"1. The company also gives a placement tip in its own words:
"Upfront the amp, you'll get that Jerry Cantrell - EVH tone. In the FX Loop, the effect will be cristal clear."
In other words, GUP Tech positions it as a pedal that behaves differently depending on where it sits in the signal chain: pushed into a driven amp for the saturated, sweeping character associated with players like Jerry Cantrell and Eddie Van Halen, or run in an amplifier's effects loop for a cleaner effect1.
Controls and power
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Rate | Sets phaser speed; the tone is tweaked so the range is more reactive than a stock design1 |
| Power | Specification |
|---|---|
| Voltage | 9 Vdc, center negative1 |
| Current draw | 3 mA1 |
At 3 mA, the draw is low enough that the pedal fits easily on any standard 9V supply1.
The Phase 90 connection
The single-knob layout is the heart of the design. MusicRadar's Trevor Curwen wrote that "A single-knob configuration, as on MXR's Phase 90, may well be the classic design for a guitarist's phaser"2, and Performer Mag's Benjamin Ricci made the same point from a player's angle: "The Phase 90 is a classic for a reason. It's got one knob so it's hard to screw it up"3. Dunlop's own page for the Phase 90 describes the same sweep the Soft Serve pays tribute to: "The Phase 90 takes you from subtle, spatial shimmer to all-out high velocity swooshing with the twist of a knob"4. GUP Tech's version keeps that simplicity but tweaks the tone so the rate control's range is more reactive1.
For other takes on the same circuit family, see the site's Phaser Pedals page, or GUP Tech's RCKT Shadow Phzr.
Colors and availability
The Soft Serve's look is part of the appeal: the ice cream color scheme varies from pedal to pedal because each one is made individually, with colors GUP Tech lists as Neon Pink, Neon Yellow and Seafoam1. As of 2026-10-26 the maker's page showed only 1 unit left1.
The Douche Edition, released September 3, 2023, is a variant of the Soft Serve. GUP Tech describes it as the "Douche edition of our PPP ss" and gives it the same single rate control with the tweaked, more reactive tone range5.
The maker's page shows 3 reviews, all positive (3 of 3)1.
Videos
GUPtech
Questions
What power does the Phaser Soft Serve need?
The Phaser Soft Serve runs on 9 Vdc center negative power, the same standard supply most pedalboards use. Its power consumption is very low at 3 mA, so it sits comfortably on a daisy-chained supply alongside other pedals without straining the supply's current budget.
How many controls does the Phaser Soft Serve have?
Just one: a rate control. GUP Tech describes the design as simple, with a tweaked tone that makes the control's range more reactive than a stock design. That single-knob layout follows the MXR Phase 90, which reviewers have long called the classic configuration for a guitarist's phaser.
Where is GUP Tech based?
GUP Tech builds its pedals in Saguenay, Québec, Canada. The company states that all of its pedals are made by the company itself there, and the Prof Pinotte Phaser Soft Serve is one of them.
What is the Douche Edition of the Phaser Soft Serve?
The Douche Edition is a variant of the Prof Pinotte Phaser Soft Serve that GUP Tech released on September 3, 2023. The company describes it as the Douche edition of its PPP SS, and it carries the same simple design with a single rate control and a tweaked, more reactive tone range.
Sources (5)
- PPP SS - Prof Pinotte Phaser Soft Serve, GUP Tech (guptech.ca)
- DOD Phasor 201 review, MusicRadar, 2015-02-06
- The Ultimate Guitar Pedal Buyer’s Guide, Performer Mag, 2024-03-03
- MXR® PHASE 90, Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
- PPP SS - Douche Edition, GUP Tech (guptech.ca), 2023-09-03
