Vorg F-501 Phase Shifter early 80's Japan

Vorg F-501 Phase Shifter made in Japan early 80's in excellent condition and in full working order.

Controls

• Intensity
  
• controls the depth/amplitude of the modulation (the size of the range in which the effect sweeps).

• Speed
  
• controls the speed/rate of the LFO wave that controls the effect

Quoted from Nicholas Kula at Tone Report ;

I’ve written about the Pearl Sound Spice Phaser several times, and rightfully so—it’s an incredible machine with a bevy of options. The phasing is deep, lush and very controllable, and in describing it, I’ve spun the yarn about Zachary Vex saying it’s his favorite phaser. All of that is true, so one might think that the older F-501 is a solid piece of machinery capable of even better phasing. Well, sort of.

The Vorg Phase Shifter is a completely different beast than the Sound Spice series. It bills itself as a six-stage phaser, much like the MXR Phase 90, but the sound is much more like a Phase 45. Some might say “Why would I want a Phase 45 that’s bigger than the original?” This is a decent question, and the answer needs context.

When the Phase 90 and 45 hit the scene, they appealed to two different players. Players who desired the dynamic swoosh of an enveloping phase tone took to the Phase 90, while players desiring a more subtle movement took to the Phase 45. If you fell into the Phase 45 camp, you were stuck on the stock intensity setting. That subtle swoosh was the alpha and omega of the sweep. If the phasing wasn’t subtle enough, that’s the brakes. Vorg’s take adds an Intensity knob, and “all-the-way-up” is the stock setting on any MXR. Dialing it down increases the subtlety until only a slight warble remains—perfect for an always-on modulator.

Also quoted from Nicholas Kula at Tone Report ;

The World’s Scarcest Effect Brand: Let’s Talk About Vorg Pedals

The year was 1974. Silicon semiconductors, reliable ICs and imported goods were in full swing. And just like what happens today, many new companies were popping up and cashing out after releasing a line of pedals based on a competitor's reverse-engineered circuits. The process was so easy—buy up a Distortion+, change a couple now-cheap parts, put it in a flashy enclosure and call it good. After effects-starved dealers buy them up, take the briefcase full of bills and dissolve into the ether. In the Silicon Wild West of this time period, it became increasingly difficult to discern the good pedals from the abject crap. And if you were a manufacturer, it was just as hard to separate yourself from these charlatans and establish yourself as a real up-and-comer. Only a handful of brands established themselves around this time with continued fame—MXR, Boss, and if you squint your eyes hard enough, Ibanez and DOD.

Some revered lines from this period—such as Ross—come to mind as being one such castaway brand, but a critical eye sees that they're copies of MXR circuits. Now that the Internet has a number of sites dedicated to turning over every rock and piece of debris in the field of effects in search of hidden gems, one brand continues to get swept into players' collective dustpan. Enter Vorg—one of the rarest pedal brands in the world.

For those not in the immediate know, the Vorg line was actually put together and marketed by Pearl—yes, the drum company. Most effects sold as “Vorg” were offered simultaneously under the Pearl name as well, but these early examples are just as rare. The knowledge of the Vorg moniker almost begins and ends with this opening paragraph. Google “Vorg pedals” and my own name will appear before any helpful nuggets. My own copy of Analog Man’s Guide to Vintage Effects even turns up nothing. However, I’ve owned and played a handful, and can personally attest to their greatness.

Vorg pedals were an admittedly strange looking—and feeling—bunch, and are often misrepresented by the Internet in various ways. Firstly, as not many people have owned them, they are much, much smaller than their pictures would lead you to believe. Their knobs, switch and other appurtenances lead one to believe that these are rather sizable units, but having owned a couple myself, they are no bigger than a Boss pedal. Secondly, they appear much sturdier than they really are, with a thin top and particle board-like sides. One of my Vorg pedals had a toggle switch in place of a stomp switch, so perhaps this is the reason for a flimsier build quality. As it stands, Vorg effects are as rare as the info that exists about them, and that fact is a crying shame. Let’s take a deeper look at the Vorg line and imagine what might have been.

Vorg F-501 Phase Shifter
Vorg F-502 Warp Sound
Vorg F-503 Graphic Equalizer
Vorg F-504 Flanger Analog Delay Effect