Sam Ash Variophaser Owned and Used by Tom Verlaine Phaser Effect (1975)
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Sam Ash Variophaser Owned and Used by Tom Verlaine Model Phaser Effect (1975), made in Italy, Black finish, cast aluminum.
Legendary and recently shuttered New York musical instrument store Sam Ash provided instruments to untold numbers of players in the tristate area and abroad, and for a time their offerings included several proprietary Sam Ash branded effect pedals. Not uncommon for the retailer dipping its toes into selling branded equipment, Sam Ash briefly manufactured their effect offerings at the Shin-ei factory in Japan until eventually finding a partner in the Jen factory in Italy; some of these pedals were nearly one-to-one in terms of circuit and aesthetics with Jen branded counterparts. It is difficult to say how many of these are out there, but a surprisingly small number of them seem to ever have hit the market. This large enclosure Jem factory Variophaser is a prime example of this phenomenon.
The Variophaser is a straightfoward phase shifting circuit, running off 9V battery power with just two pots to control the intensity and LFO speed of the phase. Sam Ash placed their name on the pedal, but it has at least two siblings at Jen: the nearly identical Jen Variophaser, and the very similar KPS 900 Phase Shifter. This particular Variophaser was owned and used by known phase lover Tom Verlaine, the guitarist and vocalist of New York's generation-defining rock band Television.
Height is 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm.), 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm.) width, and 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm.) in depth at deepest point.
This overall very well-preserved example is all original inside and out, seemingly including the battery snap as well. here's a bit of wear proportional to some stage and (mostly) studio use by Verlaine, and as with many of Tom's other effect pedals the battery cavity cover is missing for easier access to a quick 9V battery swap. No time to fiddle with screwdrivers when you're rushing to a packed-out gig at CBGB. The pedal also comes with a letter of provenance from Jimmy Ripp (his co-guitarist on most Verlaine projects since 1981). Overall Excellent - Condition. Excellent Condition.
Legendary and recently shuttered New York musical instrument store Sam Ash provided instruments to untold numbers of players in the tristate area and abroad, and for a time their offerings included several proprietary Sam Ash branded effect pedals. Not uncommon for the retailer dipping its toes into selling branded equipment, Sam Ash briefly manufactured their effect offerings at the Shin-ei factory in Japan until eventually finding a partner in the Jen factory in Italy; some of these pedals were nearly one-to-one in terms of circuit and aesthetics with Jen branded counterparts. It is difficult to say how many of these are out there, but a surprisingly small number of them seem to ever have hit the market. This large enclosure Jem factory Variophaser is a prime example of this phenomenon.
The Variophaser is a straightfoward phase shifting circuit, running off 9V battery power with just two pots to control the intensity and LFO speed of the phase. Sam Ash placed their name on the pedal, but it has at least two siblings at Jen: the nearly identical Jen Variophaser, and the very similar KPS 900 Phase Shifter. This particular Variophaser was owned and used by known phase lover Tom Verlaine, the guitarist and vocalist of New York's generation-defining rock band Television.
Height is 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm.), 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm.) width, and 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm.) in depth at deepest point.
This overall very well-preserved example is all original inside and out, seemingly including the battery snap as well. here's a bit of wear proportional to some stage and (mostly) studio use by Verlaine, and as with many of Tom's other effect pedals the battery cavity cover is missing for easier access to a quick 9V battery swap. No time to fiddle with screwdrivers when you're rushing to a packed-out gig at CBGB. The pedal also comes with a letter of provenance from Jimmy Ripp (his co-guitarist on most Verlaine projects since 1981). Overall Excellent - Condition. Excellent Condition.