~1975 Maestro Phase Shifter PS-1 PS-1A

Offered for sale:

Used Maestro Phase Shifter PS-1A, possibly PS-1.) [Since the label is long gone, we can’t tell if it’s a PS-1 or PS-1A]

This unit is in very good condition, fully functional, showing cosmetic wear from playing time.

The original Maestro Phase Shifter is the one that started it all!

Maestro developed the first commercially-available fuzz unit, octaver, compressor, filter and a few others, but of course the PS-1A Phase Shifter that actually sounds like the phase being swapped back and forth (almost a rotary-like effect) with 3 selectable speeds.

It began when Tom Oberheim auditioned his Ring Modulator unit for a Los Angeles film orchestra, selling a handful of units. In a few years, news of Oberheim’s freakbox caught the ear of an executive at Maestro’s parent company, and a partnership was born. Oberheim went on to design several units, one of them being the Phaser.

In an attempt to approximate a Leslie speaker, the PS-1A features preset speeds with a fixed time constant LFO. This means as you jump between speeds, rather than immediately changing, the speed ramps up and down as the switches are flicked. The rocker switches aren’t intended to perform as footswitches because the underside of the pedal contains a threaded mounting plate, so you can attach it to a mic stand to use in live performance. The unusual connector on the back actually connects the Phaser to a three-switch auxiliary box, (not included), which lets players control the action of the rocker switches by foot, making it a much more guitar-friendly unit.

The Maestro Phase shifter was used by John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin for his keyboards, and guitarists Steve Howe (Yes) and Joe Walsh among others, but perhaps its greatest use on guitar was by Ernie Isley on the Isley Brothers’ That Lady, released in 1973, where its phasing mixed with fuzz delivers liquid synth-like lead lines that still sound fresh today.

This is a very cool piece of effects evolution, own an original phase shifter!

Original Travel case (it has been reinforced with black duct tape) included.

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