Tone Report Weekly Issue 140 | Page 17

BPL BI-STAGE PHASER I am a sucker for modulation pedals with feedback knobs, and by that measure, the Ibanez BPL is intriguing. However, when switchable stages are thrown into the mix, the BPL becomes a bona-fide winner. Switchable from 6-stage (Phase 100) to a then-unheard-of 10 stages, the BPL delivers a versatile range of phasing, from warm and subtle to ridiculously non-musical. Even the universally lauded MuTron II Phasor couldn’t compete with its six stages, and only the gargantuan Mu-Tron Bi Phase, in an enclosure the size of a Buick, could muster up only 12 stages at eight times the price. Truly, the BPL gave aspiring psych-rockers of the time something to crow about in a pedal that could fit in their pockets. Pricing on these can start at around $50 but they usually sell for closer to $65. “SWITCHABLE FROM 6-STAGE (PHASE 100) TO A THENUNHEARD-OF 10 STAGES, THE BPL DELIVERS A VERSATILE RANGE OF PHASING, FROM WARM AND SUBTLE TO RIDICULOUSLY NON-MUSICAL.” ToneReport.com 17