So today we're going to look at the pedal that was born right out of those original big box Phasors and its exponential evolution through the first 3 years of production...
At the beginning of 1977 DOD introduced a new, scaled-down line of effects. It was called the "200 Series" and featured the now infamous "Bud Box" enclosures. They were the first DOD pedals with a smaller footprint and an attempt from the brand to follow the trends of the time.
In keeping with tradition, the first effect they released was the 201 Phasor. It was a completely redesigned circuit from their previous two phase shifters, taking cues instead from the MXR Phase 45.
Like all of the pedals from that series it featured an off-white finish, 3-D brand logo, and that fancy old westy font.
It's believed that these were built for just a few months, making them quite rare and hard to track down nowadays. So if you find one (or currently own one) let me know! :)
In the Fall of 1977 DOD was ready to release their brand new updated "200 series" pedals. Following legal threats from MXR, they ditched the Bud Box enclosures and created their own unique sand casted units.
Again, the first effect they would choose as the introduction to this new series would be their 201 Phasor. Now cloaked in grey paint with bright yellow graphics and that big bold 3D brand logo, DOD would unknowingly release what would become one of the most iconic guitar pedal lines of all time.
The circuit remained roughly unchanged, with the biggest difference being a new larger PCB, giving the parts room to breath without all the constraints of a Bud Box enclosure.
In early 1978 DOD again changed the look of their pedals, but this time it was purely graphical. Along with the 250 Overdrive Preamp and the 280 Compressor, the new 201 Phasor would shift to a smaller DOD brand logo and a thinner font.
The pedal was otherwise identical inside and out. And this would be the last era of DOD effects that were battery powered only (note the lack of a 9v jack on the side of this and the previous two versions).
Not quite as rare as the two models above, but this version is still considered somewhat of a "hen's tooth". Amazingly though, it's often overlooked as it's easy to miss the no-power jack.
Toward the latter half of 1978 DOD again revised their 200 Series effects, giving the customers what they wanted... a power jack!
Visually this version looks almost identical to the previous one, and it is, except the added jack on the side above the output. Inside, as is with the 250 and 280, there is an update to the circuit that simply accommodates the new wall power (affecting the tone slightly, but noticeably).
These are fairly common to find on resale sites, and to the point that if you can't find one, just be patient... you will.
The final version of the gray 201 Phasor came out in 1979, and on a technical level, is the same as the previous version (although you will find differences in component brands, just like all DOD pedals).
The biggest difference here is the graphics were changed to highlight the various jacks; "Out", "In", and the brand new "PWR." were placed within the borderlines themselves. This again is an updated feature you will see on most of the 200 Series effects from this era.
These are the most common gray 201 Phasors you will come across. And although I didn't get into serial numbers, this version has the widest range.
From here, DOD would continue to expand their phase shifting repertoire, and go on to release the 401 Phasor, the 490 Phasor, and the 201 Phasor in yellow all within a year of each other. And while the gray 201's lifespan was relatively short, it serves as the perfect example of a young company pushing forward, figuring it out as they went along, and just making it work!
So if you have any additional details on the history of DOD, or if you happen to have one of the first two Phasors discussed above, please feel free to reach out to me via Email or Instagram, I'd love to hear about them.
thanks for reading,-ed
No comments:
Post a Comment