This week's find is not only a unique piece of gear we don't see crop up too often, but it also comes from a famous owner. Osees frontman John Dwyer is parting with a couple of pieces of gear (see his full Reverb Shop here), and this unique Ludwig Phase II Synthesizer is one of them.
While "synthesizer" is in the name of this unit, this piece of kit is really a guitar effect that offers fuzz and wah in addition to some synth-like LFO filters for spacey, otherworldly sounds.
These units were introduced in 1970 and only manufactured in small quantities through 1971. Famously, those who have had the pleasure of playing multiple different units have reported that no two sound exactly alike—likely due to several discreet components drifting out of spec.
At its best, the unit—which was one of the first true multi-effects pedals ever created—produces phased-out, fuzzy, modulated tones that would certainly suit a psych rock player and beyond. And because of how limited their production was, these unique are quite highly sought after when they come around today.