Boss Phase Shifter PH-3

The BOSS PH-3 Phase Shifter pedal provides a wealth of vintage and modern phasing effects, including new "Rise" and "Fall" modes for unique, unidirectional phasing. Syncing these phasing effects is as simple as tapping the pedal to the desired tempo.

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $179.50

Looking to buy the Boss Phase Shifter PH-3? Check for availability.

Boss

Add to My Bookmarks

All items from Boss

Add your review

User Reviews of the Boss Phase Shifter PH-3

Submitted by Adam from Washington, DC (22 points) on Apr 6, 2014
The best thing I can say about this pedal is that Yoshimi and/or Boredoms uses it. The 10-step setting is crucial to hit one of those characteristic phaser freak-out tones. (Adding a PS-2 or -3 helps, octave up.)
Good Points: Won't get 10, 12, Rise, Fall and Step phasing anywhere else as far as I know, definitely not for thrity-five bucks on ebay. If you're patient, you'll find useable sounds other phasers can't make. Its tone is more digital than my small stone, which can make it harsher. It isn't always "clinical," but it can be "thin."
Bad Points: Without EQ and/or its own mixer channel, I might never use it. Adding a clean blend, like via mixer, can really open it up if you're careful. This thing can be a bitch in a feedback loop -- if you don't have some means to tame it, it crushes your sound into a raging flock of songbirds everytime. For that reason, I love it as an addition to vocal feedback.
Price Paid: US$9000.00
Purchased At: GC before I knew anything
Was this review helpful to you?

Yes No

Submitted by jonah from San Francisco, CA (26 points) on Mar 15, 2009
Honestly I'm not a big fan of this phaser. even when it's settings are dialed to the off-most position it still has a far to deep of a phase sound basically everything that comes after it in a chain sounds like it, there's no blend. the step feature is cool but it's a really distinct sound that I get sick of after hearing for 30 seconds. rise and fall modes are my favorite probably a classic space warp sound. exp pedal input as usual is not as fun as it could be with boss pedals. most often I bury this pedal within another 2-3 phaser pedals.
Good Points: boss sturdiness. inexpensive. green. hey at least it has an exp input (for you modularians out there).
Bad Points: no subtlety. balls out or nothing.
Price Paid: US$80.00
Purchased At: Geeharr Centaur
Was this review helpful to you?

Yes No

Submitted by kinetic turtle from Oakland, CA (166 points) on Apr 4, 2005
I've been enjoying this box for awhile. It's a nice all-purpose phaser, very versatile. It picks up distortions very heavily. It also reacts to expression pedals very well, which is a very nice function. More expression pedals means more things I can do at once. Dropping into a crazy, high speed ring-mod out of nowhere is my idea of a fun time. Oh! And it has a hidden tap-tempo function. Don't miss that barrel of fun.
Good Points: Boss construction exp/ctl jack rather extreme speeds and depths responds well to other pedals nice paint job? Tap tempo
Bad Points: Tap tempo is rather annoying to try to activate. But that's life.
Price Paid: US$80.00
Purchased At: Guitar Center
Was this review helpful to you?

Yes No

Submitted by Marco from Brescia (138 points) on Oct 25, 2004
I like this little toy: great fun, great sound. OK, it hasn't the strong sound of a Small Stone, but it's more useful: Rise and Fall modes are very nice, Step is marvellous. Good sounds in every position of the chain. I use one of this between a FZ-2 and a XT-2. Great loud tones.
Good Points: -a lot of fun, a lot of options -good rate: pretty fast
Bad Points: none?
Price Paid: US$120.00
Purchased At: Musical Box
Was this review helpful to you?

Yes No

Submitted by Brandon from Collinsville, IL (104 points) on Oct 19, 2004
It has its uses, but overall I'm not terribly fond of it. Can do some pretty cool things with the rate knob either maxed out or minimalized, but most all of the other settings sound pretty cheesey to me unless I bury it beneath a crapload of other efx, and that seems to defeat the purpose of having it in the first place. There are roughly 4 decent bends for this that I've found, but beyond getting the sequence sounding effect to freeze and stutter, there's not much noteworthy about it.
Good Points: can do cool things in conjunction with delays, and resonant filters
Bad Points: the output tends to sound pretty much the same regardless of what you feed into it on most settings. can oftentimes sound annoyingly cheesey
Price Paid: US$0.00
Purchased At:
Was this review helpful to you?

Yes No

Submitted by Adrian from Raleigh, NC (274 points) on Sep 22, 2003
I pretty much always use this, in my noise rig, or with the Stick/guitar rig. For noise, the step phaser is nice for adding rhythmic touches. With the speed cranked up the rise/fall settings are great for spacey near ring mod sounds. The 4/8/12 step phaser settings are all nice, and the speed can be cranked pretty fast making them useful for noise. Never tried the exp pedal control. Interesting results can be had in feedback loops when switching between the various modes.
Good Points: good sounding phaser, rate can be pretty fast, step phaser very cool. Rise/fall phasers pretty cool as well. Low (unintended) noise.
Bad Points: eats batteries pretty quickly
Price Paid: US$80.00
Purchased At: ebay
Was this review helpful to you?

Yes No

Submitted by Dave from Camp Lejeune, NC (24 points) on Sep 13, 2003
I bought this originally for use with a guitar, now I use it on my drum machine with great results. It's one of only a couple pedals I use in my setup and I've been using it for years.
Good Points: Love the sounds you can make, good effects on vocals too without a lot of feedback.
Bad Points: Can sound too harsh at times, lost a knob at more than one occasion.
Price Paid: US$20.00
Purchased At: Ace Music
Was this review helpful to you?

Yes No

Submitted by D/A A/D from Halifax (410 points) on Sep 4, 2003
I have used / owned a good deal of phasers in my time - and this one just keeps growing on me... Its funny because I originaly bought it for the step function, but now I use the 4 stage more... It really captures the sound of my '65 MXR phase 100 - which is now retired from the road... And my MXR didn't have tap tempo!!!
Good Points: Captures almost every phaser sound I have ever heard, and creates new and wonderfull phase tones... Really adds a synth like estetic to fuzz and or distorted sounds.... I put it after my octave - which is before my fuzz...
Bad Points: Dgital... other than that, none....
Price Paid: US$100.00
Purchased At: Hugga Guitar
Was this review helpful to you?

Yes No

Submitted by Yves from Ottawa (172 points) on Jul 14, 2003
I thought I might be able to "freeze" this sucker's LFO using an expression pedal in the EXP/CTL input, but: NO JOY. You can stop the LFO on a MoogerFooger phaser, but that's a pricey deal. Other than that it's a good phaser. With two in a chain, good things start happening.
Good Points: As good as the PH-2. Not too noisy.
Bad Points: As good as the PH-2. Stick with a duo of PH-2. It 's cheaper for noise and just as good.
Price Paid: US$0.00
Purchased At: Tried@Steve's Music Ottawa Can.
Was this review helpful to you?

Yes No

Submitted by nemoq from Edinboro, PA (18 points) on Dec 16, 2001
this phaser has 7 modes of phase shifting, including STEP, and 2 unidirectional shifts, rise and fall, like a saw wave kinda. it also has 4 mode of standard phase shifting, 4,8,10 and 12 stage phasing... 4 sounding more like vintage phasers like a small stone, and 12 sounding like a moogerfooger. it has a res depth and rate knobs like most phasers, but where this one leaves EVERY other phaser in the dust is the use of a built in tap tempo or external tap tempo/expression pedal. the step phasing sounds almost like an arpegiattor when used with overdrive or distortion. the rise/fall sound like lasers when used with distortion as well. i have owned all 3 of the boss phasers and this one make the others and any other phaser on the market look crappy with the exception of the moogerfooger, but for a third of the price AND phasing options unavailable on any other pedal... there is no touching this.
Good Points: i got 2 of these pedals, 1 for the step phasing only and one for all the other stuff. these things are a NECESSITY for any noisician or experimental music artist.
Bad Points: with this and another filter or wah, you can make some rather heinous noises that arent nice to your ears, but that may be a good thing for some people
Price Paid: US$75.00
Purchased At: used
Was this review helpful to you?

Yes No

Add your review of the Boss Phase Shifter PH-3