The Locobox PH-01 Phase Pedal is one of the many generic pedals produced in Japan during the 1970s, probably trying to cash in on the effects craze powered by BOSS at the time. Oh, I also have a nice DSD-3 ORIGINAL BOSS pedal to advertise shortly too ... watch this space!
Sold under a variety of different names, the Locobox PH-01 could be found badged as a Cutec PH-01, Gig PH-01, Redson Phaser 12 or Sound City PS-06 Phase Shifter
The Locobox is a straightforward phase pedal with lots of pitch modulation. It’s capable of a deeper effect than many other pedals. You can hear this in the Youtube demo included although it's not a great video! In reality there is plenty of speed range so you can create pitch-wobbling Leslie effects
We have had this in our studios for "yonks" and only today have I dragged it out to see how it is .... please READ the full description below
It DOES have an issue but I believe these are quite sought after these days and well worthwhile for restoration
LOCOBOX - Guitar Effects Pedal
Model: PH-01
Jet Black (Matt finish) - No, not the Australian band!
Function: Phaser
Made in Japan
Robust, rugged ALL METAL diecast case and foot switch
Diecast bottom plate (with all screws) rubber floor pad and yeah! the battery/plate thumb screw is fitted!
Knobs are plastic
Two user controls, SPEED & DEPTH
Dual power, either a standard 9V battery or plug an external 9V power source into the rear connector (100mA or more would easily power this unit)
External power unit will NOT be supplied
SUPPLIED:
LOCOBOX Phaser PH-01
Original box!
NOT SUPPLIED
NO user instruction sheet (if ever there was one)
9V Battery (Australia Post does not like customers sending batteries through the Post)
Leads - neither the input or output audio leads are supplied (uses standard 1/4" jack plugs)
External power pack is NOT supplied - easy to obtain, nothing special to this unit EXCEPT the centre pin is NEGATIVE - watch out for that!
COSMETIC CONDITION:
Oh my wordee she is an old girl but in pretty good shape for a 50+ year old, some might say that she's in her "prime", she sings to a different tune, none of that digital nonsense - this girl lives in the analog world (where all things are pure!)
NO case damage
NO significant scratches or marks to the jet Black matt finish
NO dents
NO pieces missing
Knobs, although plastic, are in great shape
Footswitch has a nice action (latching - push ON push again OFF) NOT CLUNKY!
Nice little box
TESTING:
First up, I am a techie from way way back in the mists of time so I enjoy looking at the "build" (it's a techie thing!)
Nice tidy compact layout although I don't like the PCB just "sitting" inside, no screws for the board at all - it is only insulated from the base plate by a diecut piece of cardboard!
PCB is single sided and all components are discrete "through hole" - no SMD here!
3x integrated circuits which are type 6550 dual Op amps
8x transistors - 5x K30A small signal FET's & 3x 2SC1815 silicon small signal.
Greencaps used throughout
Ordinary electrolytics 7x
A couple of vertical mounted trimmer pots
On the underside, the board looks to have been hand soldered and done with reasonable quality, same goes for the flying wire connections to the various controls and input/output
I cannot see any signs of the board having been worked on since this was made BUT I am a bit suspicious that someone has been "inside" because the take off points on the PCB and some external connections look "shinier" than the other solder connections which now look a bit dull after 50 years (we all get a bit dull after 50 years!)
I also think the jack socket lock washers have been changed, someone has changed them for some reason (possibly the original Jap sockets failed?)
THE PROBLEM:
Oh yes, there is a problem!
I have been unable to test this pedal and it certainly needs some investigation - I am now well past doing this myself, I do not have the spare time or inclination to "get to work" on this pedal, so it is offered as a "needs service" pedal
So what's the problem? (I hear you ask with intrepidation)
No life at all - because at the 9V battery terminals I am "seeing" a DEAD SHORT! The battery will very shortly have the life sucked out of it!
What intrigues me is the dead short, not partial or intermittent but it reads
I made a few quick checks, just because I am inside ...
Footswitch operates fine and reliably
Pots look fine and dandy but could probably do with a "squirt" in the wiper/contacts area to give the track a clean on each pot
So, measuring with my trusty Fluke I see infinite resistance when no jack plug is inserted.
Insert a jack plug into the INPUT (turning the unit ON) I see an immediate "dead short" which actually reads around 2.9 Ohms!
Tracing the wiring, the 9V battery clip goes straight to rear DC input socket, which is switched (when a DC plug is inserted)
Green (via the input jack switch) & Orange (positive) go to the main board - these are the supply rails
Checked the DC switched jack at the rear, nothing out of the ordinary and the switching works fine.
Funny thing, the input jack is switching the negative rail and uses a Green wire - that's normal but then there is a Red wire going across to the Output jack (for grounding) this in itself isn't strange but the colour coding is - I would have expected more Green to be used, not Red which usually indicates the Positive rail. I get a strong feeling someone has incorrectly "put this back together" sometime in the past. I suspect incorrect wiring is causing the issue but if it came to the worst, that board is a snap to work on anyway!
Just in case it comes in useful, while researching this pedal I found a schematic which seems to be of this model (different ic's although same pinouts) See the last photograph and I hope it helps (even if to just check the wiring hasn't been stuffed up)
I am taking my investigation no further than this - my wife says get rid of this stuff (I must admit I have mountains of gear!) and I am not to spend more time on things like this ... so it is now looking for a new owner who can "bring me back to life" (great song from Evanescence!)
HERE IS A YOUTUBE CLIP I FOUND ONLINE, not much chat and shame that the player doesn't give us a listen to some of the adjustments but there you go ...
