Electro Harmonix Nano Bad Stone

A Legendary EHX Phaser Updated for Today

The EHX Bad Stone is one of those Electro-Harmonix effects that marked the golden age of analog pedals. This reissue retains the original circuit design and control architecture while bringing improvements expected by today's guitarists: a compact enclosure, true bypass, and easier integration into a modern signal chain. Historically, the Bad Stone stands out for its approach to feedback, enabling a more modulable and expressive phasing.

For Which Guitarists and Styles?

The Bad Stone is suitable both for musicians discovering the phaser and for discerning guitarists seeking a direct analog modulation pedal without menus. In funk and pop, it delivers the rhythmic "swoosh" that immediately locks into the groove. In rock, it thickens chords and adds depth to overdriven leads. In ambient and indie, the manual mode opens up more static, almost filtered textures that blend very well with delay or reverb.

In the studio, it's ideal for doubling a rhythm part, widening a clean take, or giving a signature to a guitar line without masking the attack. Live, its speed control and mode switch allow you to adapt the effect with a single gesture, even between songs.

Simple Controls, Extended Possibilities

The Bad Stone remains intentionally intuitive. The Rate knob adjusts the sweep speed: from a slow, wide movement to a fast, almost vibrato-like modulation. The Feedback control sets the intensity and presence of the phasing, ranging from a subtle, silky effect to a more hollow and expressive sound. Finally, the Manual Shift control comes into its own with the Auto/Manual switch: in Auto mode, the modulation moves automatically according to the Rate; in Manual mode, you select a fixed phase point and "lock" the tone, like a tonal snapshot.

For optimal use, place it before delays and reverbs if you want the repeats to retain the movement, or after an overdrive for a thicker, more organic modulation. The true bypass preserves your signal when the effect is off, and the status LED makes it easy to locate on stage.

Sound Character

The Bad Stone offers a warm, organic, and very dynamic phasing typical of analog circuits. The 6 stages provide a more complex movement than simpler phasers, with harmonic dips and peaks that can remain smooth on clean tones, then become more pronounced when pushing saturation. It responds well to playing dynamics: the harder you play, the more alive the effect feels, and the feedback lets you choose between a round modulation and a more defined signature.

The Manual mode is a real creative asset: it allows you to find a phasing zone that thickens a riff or, conversely, accentuates a specific frequency for an almost "filter-like" very musical effect. The result is a pedal that is both vintage in its tone and modern in its use, capable of being subtle or boldly present in the mix.

Technical specifications

Effects	Effects, Phaser	Type	sector
Technology	Analog	Use	electric guitar
Format	Pedal	Color	Grey

Circuit	analog	Switch	Auto/Manual
Number of stages	6	Battery	9V included
Modes	Auto, Manual (Manual Shift)	Power adapter (optional, not included)	9.6V DC, 200 mA
Bypass	true bypass	Consumption	18 mA
Indicator	status LED	Required voltage	9.6V DC (optional adapter) or 9V battery