MXR EVH90 Phase 90 vs Spaceman Explorer 6-Stage Phaser
The MXR EVH90 Phase 90 and the Spaceman Explorer 6-Stage Phaser are both pedals sharing smooth, lush, low gain. The MXR EVH90 Phase 90 leans full. The Spaceman Explorer 6-Stage Phaser leans modulated and dynamic.
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Blended from circuit-archetype lineage, dynamic feel, tone-signal overlap and tone-vector distance — the tone vector itself is derived from editorial description text, not a measured acoustic signal, so this reflects how similarly the catalog copy describes the two, not a lab measurement. Shown only within a gear class, and only where there's enough evidence to be meaningful.48% — somewhat different
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Genres both listings are associated with.- Classic Rock
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Derived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.- smooth
- lush
- low gain
MXR EVH90 Phase 90
MXR · pedal
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Citation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.$129.99via Reverb
The MXR EVH90 Phase 90 is Eddie Van Halen's signature version of the classic MXR Phase 90, finished in striped Van Halen livery with a single Speed knob and a Script switch. The switch toggles between two voicings: modern Block mode, which is brighter with a more pronounced, scooped sweep, and vintage Script mode, which is warmer, subtler, and smoother. It produces the swirling, liquid phase that defined Eddie's tone on classic Van Halen recordings, working beautifully into a cranked amp for thick lead and rhythm textures. Simple and immediate, it suits classic rock, hard rock, and anyone chasing that signature warm, organic phaser sound from a single intuitive control.
The Spaceman Explorer is a hand-wired six-stage analog optical phaser built in Portland, Oregon, known for a sweet, distinct phase voice that is sometimes liquidy and smooth, sometimes chewy and lush. Its frequencies ebb and flow organically while offering deep tone-shaping through resonance, mix, range and volume controls. The Resonance control adds feedback for over-the-top phasing, Range sets the low-frequency extension, and a wide Rate control spans extremely slow to very fast modulation, with five selectable wave shapes including sine, ramp up, ramp down, triangle and square. True-bypass relay switching with a soft-touch footswitch rounds out a boutique build that sits at the intersection of organic warmth and precise, mechanical pulse, suiting psychedelic, classic-rock and experimental textures.
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Genres this gear is documented as being used in.- Rock
- Hard Rock
- Experimental
- full
- modulated
- dynamic
- analog warmth
- shimmer
- mid-forward