The Rotosound King Henry is a vintage-style phaser pedal, hand wired in England and designed with John Oram of VOX and TRIDENT history1. It is a four-stage phaser: Guitar Pedal X called it "A particularly luscious 4-Stage Phaser"2. The pedal is discontinued, as marked on Rotosound's own product page1, so it turns up on the used market rather than in current dealer stock.
Where it came from
The King Henry is Rotosound's vintage style phaser pedal1. It is a phaser, the effect type that gives the King Henry its name, and Rotosound presents it as a vintage style design rather than a modern recreation1.
The controls: Rate, Depth and Peak
The King Henry keeps its control layout to three knobs, which Rotosound describes as smooth wide range control of rate and depth1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Rate | Sets the phasing rate3 |
| Depth | Sets the phasing depth3 |
| Peak | A regeneration control for a wider range of phasing effects1 |
The Peak knob is the pedal's distinguishing control. Rotosound describes PEAK as "a regeneration control for a wider range of phasing effects"1, and Guitar Interactive Magazine's Jonathan Graham called it "a control for the wider ranging of phase effects" when the pedal launched4. Curwen's review went further: "Its secret weapon is the peak knob, which brings regeneration into the mix and emphasises the 'wow' in the sweep, giving you a sound like an auto-wah when you turn up the depth"3.
What reviewers said
MusicRadar's verdict was that the King Henry "offers lots of variation on that 70s phaser sound" via its rate and depth controls, and Curwen summed it up as "royally good phasing with a funky edge"3. The same review flagged the pedal as pricey3. Guitar Pedal X, covering the reissued range, was similarly warm on the circuit2.
The King Henry is discontinued per Rotosound's product page1. A related variant, the Rotosound Yellow King Henry, was announced with the same PEAK control in 20135, and is covered separately on the Rotosound Yellow King Henry page. See also Rotosound The King Henry Phaser.
Videos
Guitar Interactive Magazine
Questions
Is the Rotosound King Henry true bypass?
Yes. Rotosound's product page lists true bypass switching among the King Henry's features, so the pedal takes itself out of the signal path completely when off, leaving your guitar's tone untouched on the way to the amp.
What voltage does the King Henry run on?
The King Henry takes a power supply through an input socket for power supply connection, accepting 9 volt to 18 volt, internally regulated. That wide range gives players flexibility with supply voltage, though the pedal has no battery option listed.
What does the Peak control do on the King Henry?
Peak is a regeneration control for a wider range of phasing effects. MusicRadar's reviewer described it as the pedal's secret weapon, bringing regeneration into the mix and emphasising the 'wow' in the sweep, giving a sound like an auto-wah when you turn up the depth.
Who designed the Rotosound King Henry?
Rotosound's page credits the design to John Oram of VOX and TRIDENT history. MusicRadar reported that Rotosound teamed up with electronics guru John Oram for a new range of effects, of which the King Henry was one.
Is the Rotosound King Henry discontinued?
Yes. Rotosound's own product page for the King Henry carries a Discontinued heading, so the pedal is no longer in current production, though it remains documented here as a reference.
Sources (5)
- King Henry, Rotosound, 2025-02-20
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-02-21
- Rotosound The King Henry Phaser review, MusicRadar, 2014-06-25
- Six New Effects Pedals Released by Rotosound, Guitar Interactive Magazine, 2014-03-03
- Rotosound Introduce Six New Effects Pedals, Guitar Interactive Magazine, 2013-07-08
