The Ludwig Phase II Synthesizer is a vintage guitar synth pedal made by Ludwig, the company best known for making John Bonham's drum kit. Premier Guitar's history of vintage synth pedals, drawing on the Soundgas founder's account, describes it as "a mix of fuzz, tremolo, and formant filtering," all built in the pre-chip era with discrete circuits1. It belongs to the small family of pre-integrated-circuit synth pedals that tried to turn a guitar into something stranger before chips made the idea cheap.
What it does and how it is controlled
The pedal's controls are fuzz mix, animation, and formant trajectories, with the formant section refined into parallel, counter, and vowel variants1. Formant filtering shapes the vowel-like resonances of a sound, which is how the unit gets its vocal, synth-like character without any digital processing. The fuzz mix and animation controls blend the distorted element with the moving, tremolo-like modulation.
Its signature sound is the "yoy-yoy" effect. The Soundgas founder, quoted by Premier Guitar, compares it to a favorite wah pedal of his, the early-'60s cast-metal Schaller Bow-Wow Yoy-Yoy1. That comparison is worth keeping in mind when deciding whether this is a synth or a wah in disguise.
The enclosure
Guitar World describes the physical unit as "a box that unfolds to reveal a rocker pedal, several oversized mushroom-shaped footswitches and a control panel"2. It is a floor unit in the style of the era's multi-effect consoles rather than a stompbox, and the rocker pedal gives foot control over the effect while the mushroom switches select functions.
What reviewers made of it
The Soundgas founder's verdict in Premier Guitar is mixed:
"it's not as versatile as I'd hoped and falls a long distance short of the Hi-Fli."
He suggests it "should perhaps be viewed as more wah than synth versatility," and the comparison is to the EMS Synthi Hi-Fli, the era's more capable guitar synth unit1. Guitar World, meanwhile, counts it among the strangest vintage effects of all time and notes it became "a favorite of Sonic Youth," citing its use on Washing Machine2.
Rarity and price
Ludwig manufactured the Phase II in very small quantities in around 1970 to '711. Premier Guitar reported in 2021 that surviving examples sell for between $2,500 and $3,2001. For players who want the circuit idea without the collector price, PedalPCB sells a DIY circuit board described as "Compare to Mu-Tron Phasor II" for $12.00, reflecting the shared design lineage between the Ludwig unit and the Mu-Tron Phasor II3.
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Questions
What does the Ludwig Phase II Synthesizer sound like?
Its signature sound is a "yoy-yoy" effect. Premier Guitar's history of vintage synth pedals, drawing on the Soundgas founder's account, compares it to the early-'60s cast-metal Schaller Bow-Wow Yoy-Yoy wah pedal. Underneath that, the pedal combines fuzz, tremolo-like animation and formant filtering, all built with discrete circuits before integrated chips became common.
How much does a Ludwig Phase II Synthesizer cost?
Premier Guitar reported in 2021 that examples sell for between $2,500 and $3,200. Because Ludwig manufactured the pedal in very small quantities around 1970 to 1971, surviving units are scarce and prices reflect that. For comparison, a modern DIY circuit board modeled on the related Mu-Tron Phasor II design lists at $12.00.
Is the Ludwig Phase II a guitar synth or a wah?
It is marketed as a guitar synth pedal, but the Soundgas founder quoted by Premier Guitar suggests it should perhaps be viewed as more wah than synth. He found it not as versatile as he had hoped and said it falls a long distance short of the EMS Synthi Hi-Fli. Its signature sound is reminiscent of a wah pedal.
Who has used the Ludwig Phase II Synthesizer on a record?
Guitar World, in a list of the strangest vintage effects of all time, names Sonic Youth as a favorite-user of the pedal, citing it on the album Washing Machine. The magazine describes the kind of weirdness the unit produces as what made it appealing to that band.
Does the Ludwig Phase II use integrated circuits?
No. Premier Guitar's account describes the pedal's fuzz, tremolo and formant filtering as all achieved in the pre-chip era using discrete circuits. That places its design before the integrated-circuit effects of the mid-1970s, which is part of why the unit is built the way it is.
Sources (3)
- Monster Mutilators: Vintage Guitar Synth Pedals, Premier Guitar, 2018-06-07
- Weird Science: The 10 Strangest Vintage Effects of All Time, Guitar World, 2018-01-12
- Byzantium Flanger, PedalPCB.com
