The Maxon PT-9 Pro is a phaser pedal, and a less common relative of the standard Maxon Phase Tone family. According to the maker's product page, it is "a different version of that model that was only sold in Japan under the Maxon brand, dubbed the PT-9 Pro, this silver-" boxed unit, built with optical circuitry1. For a player, that means it is a phaser you are unlikely to have seen on a US pedalboard: it was never part of the regular domestic lineup.
What it does
Like other phaser pedals, the PT-9 Pro shifts the phase of the guitar signal and blends it with the dry signal to produce the sweeping, whooshing effect the phaser is known for. What sets this version apart, per the maker, is its optical circuitry, a design approach where the modulation is handled by optical rather than purely electronic means1.
Why it is hard to find
The PT-9 Pro was never sold outside Japan under the Maxon brand, which is why it turns up far less often than the standard PT-91. Players hunting for one on the used market should expect a silver-boxed unit rather than the more familiar finish of the standard model, and should treat the optical circuitry as the distinguishing feature of the Pro version1.
Videos
Gaijean
Sources (1)
- PRO PLUS PHASE SHIFTER (PT-9Pro+), Godlyke Distributing, Inc.
