The Orange Vintage Series Phaser is a phaser pedal built around a four-stage circuit rebirthed from the hand-drawn schematics of Orange's classic "Phazer" stompbox from the early 1970s. It has a single adjustable dial that takes the tone from slow, woozy sweeps to fast, choppy stabs, delivering what Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio called a luscious psychedelic swirl at various speeds1. The pedal is part of the Vintage Series line the British amp builder launched in September 20221.
What it does and how it's controlled
There is one knob: a single adjustable dial covering the whole range of the effect, from slow, woozy sweeps to fast, choppy stabs, via what De Gregorio described as kaleidoscopic whirlin1. Orange's designer left everything else to the precision engineered four-stage circuitry1. Players who want speed and feedback controls on separate knobs will find that kind of layout on other phasers; this one is deliberately minimal, in the same form factor and with the same minimalist artwork as the vintage unit1.
Delicious Audio's reviewer framed the one-knob approach as the pedal's strength:
"And that’s where the Orange Phaser excels, with a single adjustable dial to take your tone from slow, woozy sweeps to fast, choppy stabs, via kaleidoscopic whirling and insistent krautrocking pulses."
The circuit: vintage design, modern tweaks
The circuit is based on the same 4-stage design as the vintage unit but with several improvements to bring it to modern standards1. Two of those improvements are visible from the outside: an LED indicator and a 9V DC input, added as modern standards1. Inside, a JFET input buffer reduces noise on the input compared with the classic 1970s counterparts. As De Gregorio put it, "Some phasers can be really hissy, but the Orange Phaser has reduced noise on the input compared with the classic 1970s counterparts"1.
The pedal is true bypass, meaning that when the pedal is switched off, your chain, and your tone, won't be affected. The reviewer described stomping the footswitch as "as clean an interaction with a pedal as you'll ever encounter"1.
Origins and construction
The pedal draws inspiration from Orange's classic "Phazer" from the early 1970s, its name respelled in English in a way De Gregorio called as proudly British as the pedal's construction1. Originally named "Phazer," the reissue features the same form factor and minimalist artwork as the vintage unit, in a tank-strength aluminum chassis with block color and art nouveau typography1. Premier Guitar's reviewer, covering the Vintage Series line in 2023, wrote: "The new U.K.-built Orange effects are awesome."2
What reviewers said
Delicious Audio added the Orange Phaser to its article about the best phaser pedals1. The reviewer's overall verdict was that it excels as a specialist pedal that does exactly one job with zero intrusions on the swirl1.
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Questions
Is the Orange Vintage Series Phaser a reissue of the original Phazer?
It is a modern revival of Orange's classic Phazer from the early 1970s, originally named Phazer and respelled for the reissue. The circuit is based on the same four-stage design, rebirthed from the original hand-drawn schematics, with several improvements to bring it to modern standards, such as lower noise, an LED indicator and a 9V DC input. It keeps the same form factor and minimalist artwork as the vintage unit.
Is the Orange Vintage Series Phaser true bypass?
Yes. The Phaser has a true-bypass design, meaning that when the pedal is switched off, your chain, and your tone, won't be affected by the circuit. Delicious Audio's reviewer described stomping the footswitch as as clean an interaction with a pedal as you'll ever encounter.
How many stages does the Orange Vintage Series Phaser have?
Four. The pedal uses a four-stage phaser circuit rebirthed from the original hand-drawn schematics of the 1970s Phazer, with improvements to bring the design to modern standards, including a JFET input buffer that reduces noise on the input compared with the classic 1970s counterparts.
Where is the Orange Vintage Series Phaser made?
In the United Kingdom. Delicious Audio described the pedal's construction as proudly British, and Premier Guitar's reviewer, writing about the Vintage Series line in 2023, called the new U.K.-built Orange effects awesome.
What does the JFET buffer do in the Orange Phaser?
The JFET input buffer reduces noise on the input compared with the classic 1970s counterparts. Some phasers can be really hissy, according to Delicious Audio, but the Orange Phaser keeps that input noise down thanks to the buffer, one of several modern improvements over the vintage design.
Sources (2)
- Orange Vintage Series Phaser, Delicious Audio, 2022-11-07
- Orange Phaser, Sustain, and Distortion Guitar Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2022-09-16
