Top 8 Best Flanger Pedals On The Market 2023 Reviews

A flanger pedal is one of the most recognizable effects out there. A flanger is very versatile and distinctive. But, they can also sound like different effect pedals. In fact, when it comes to a subtle flanger vs. a phaser, few can tell the difference. Only well-trained ears can pick up the subtleties.

Flangers can also sound like chorus or vibrato pedals. Again there are differences, but it is one of the reasons flangers are quite popular. The main flanger effect sounds like a jet plane sweeping overheard. It is the sweeps that give the flanger a flavor all its own.

The question is then; which flanger is the right one for you?

There are a whole lot of flanger pedals available. We have put together a rundown of the best flanger pedals on the market. So, let’s go through them and find the perfect one for you…

Top 8 Best Flanger Pedals For The Money 2023 Reviews

1 MXR EVH117 Flanger Guitar Effects Pedal

A flanger pedal with musical history, exceptional tone, and dynamic effects.

This is the same flanger used by Van Halen to deliver amazing sounds on timeless tracks over many decades. The sweet flanger sound from classic rock hits is now yours to enjoy. A recreation of the original, this pedal offers all the tricks. It gives you all the sweeps and swooshes the flanger effect is known for.

A Bucket Brigade Device modeled on the original design powers this pedal’s effects. It provides you with amazing tone, dynamic movements, and euphoric waves. It is a super-wide flange with heavy regeneration. This means you can dial in some long and low sweeps that whoosh on and on.

The most impressive feature is the EVH switch. This was designed by Eddie Van Halen himself. It allows you to instantly engage his unmistakable “Unchained” tone. It slips in some gain and drive to give you that classic EVH sound.

Likewise, this pedal comes decked in EVH’s own “Frankenstein” design. The white background with black stripes is a further homage to the master. It looks as cool as it sounds.

Along with True Bypass technology, your tone stays pure and true. It can be powered by batteries or with an AC adapter.

2 Electro-Harmonix Stereo Electric Mistress Chorus/Flanger Pedal

A distinct flanger pedal. It offers its own style and unique blending capabilities.

The sound this pedal can generate is most similar to Jimi Hendrix “Axis Bold As Love.” The sound slides and slithers while keeping your tone clear. The textures you can coax from this pedal are diverse.

This pedal is one of a kind. It features independent Stereo Flange and Stereo Chorus modulations. Each has a dedicated output, as well. As a result, you can tweak some lush, rich, and spacey effects.

Both the Flanger and Chorus have separate depth control knobs. There is a single Rate control knob that works with both effects. Furthermore, you can use each effect alone or in combination. Additionally, the Filter Matrix Mode allows you to freeze a flange point. It also lets you manually sweep the flange sound. This means you can tweak out some serious swishes and swoops with the turn of a button.

With a rugged footswitch and die-cast chassis, it is a pretty sturdy pedal. It can be powered by a DC adapter or with batteries.

3 MXR M117R Flanger

A refined amount of flanger sound options. The first flanger pedal retooled for the modern era.

For such a simple setup, this pedal has a wide variety of sound potential. It featured heavily in the 1970s Funk and Rock scenes.

Shape your sound from a big old jet airliner to chilly thrills. You will have no problem finding your sweet spot. Plus, you can hone in on some delay, chorus, and vibrato effects with ease. Simply turn the Width knob to zero to disengage the auto sweep. The result is more shake and bake than swoop and swish.

Each control knob is pretty straight forward. Manual, Width, Speed, and Regen control knobs allow for a wide variety of sound textures. One of the distinct features is the separate Manual control knob. It is common for flanger pedals to incorporate the manual function with another control knob. Not so for the MXR 117. As a result, you have a more precise shaping of the sweep.

The other control knobs are quite refined, as well. The width and rate can reach pretty far out. This means you can dial in some super space adventures. Yet, you can tweak it just a way so as to give you a real funky swishy snapback style.

Due to all the sound-shaping potential, it is no wonder this pedal is the leading flanger on the market. But, could all these great features make it the best of these Best Flanger Pedals? Read on to find out…

4 TC Electronic Vortex Flanger Pedal

A flanger that does all the work for you. Choose from an enormous list of signature flanger presets.

TonePrint technology is a revolutionary way to use the same effects settings as your favorite artists. Match this pedal to settings used by VanHalen, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Metallica, and hundreds of more artists.

TonePrint is an App for your smartphone. The App beams the data to the pedal. Then the pedal matches itself to any signature setting that you choose. Furthermore, you can tweak the signature styles and save them, or create your own unique profiles that can digitally load on the pedal. In fact, TonePrint is so easy to use, you might forget about the actual control knobs.

The Vortex Flanger offers classic flange and tape flanger modes. These built-in modes let you create sounds from a subtle quiver to a subpolar vortex. It is written in the name after all. The four control knobs provide you with detailed and dynamic shaping. They are intuitive to use and can be blended in lots of different ways.

In addition to a wide array of sound possibilities, there are Stereo and Mono inputs and outputs. Therefore this pedal can sit nicely in any FX loop or as part of an FX chain. Likewise, the tone of your guitar is maintained with the Analog-Dry-Through. Even when the pedal is engaged, the dry signal from your guitar is sent through separately at the same time.

This results in a fuller and more expansive sound experience. It is comparable to a 3-D sound. Both the dry signal and the effects signal are in the mix. Along with True Bypass, you can rest assured this pedal with not suck out any tone.

5 Mooer Eleclady Classic Analog Flanger pedal With 2 Patch Cables

An ultra-compact flanger that sounds great and doesn’t take up space on your board.

The Mooer Eleclady flanger is essentially a clone of the Electric Mistress flanger pedal. One glaring difference is the size. The Electric Mistress was a large metal box, while the Elclady is super-small. The discrete profile means it can fit easily alongside your other effects without overcrowding your best guitar pedal boards.

As far as sound and tone are concerned, this little pedal does a nice job. It is an accurate clone in that the sounds are very similar. In fact, some might say the Eleclady tone is crisper than the mistress. Either way, it is an impressive clone. And it pays good homage the legendary sounds the Electric Mistress helped craft in early Rock and Roll.

This pedal is designed to deliver an analog flanger sound. Furthermore, it includes two distinct modes to choose from. The Normal mode makes use of light sweeps in the flange effect. It gives you simple oscillation without any digital coloration. The tone is described as “undulating electricity.”

The Filter mode freezes the sweeps. This leads to a great degree of intensity. The tone is more dramatic and fuller. It works best for solos and lead riffs, due to the stronger presence of the signal in the Filter mode.

The controls are simple and easy to master. There are only three knobs; Rate, Color, and Range. Color adjusts the feedback of the flanger effect, while Range operates as the width control. The speed of the flanger is controlled by the Rate knob. With only three simple knobs, you can dial in some pretty expansive sounds and tones.

This pedal features a full-metal casing, but nowhere near as full or metal as the original Electric Mistress, and True Bypass. Its small price tag and decent sound possibilities have gotten people to take notice.

6 JOYO JF-07 Classic Flanger

An affordable flanger that offers durability and quality sounds and tones.

Budget effects pedals are often not up to par with more high-value pedals. However, the JoYo Classic Flanger delivers quality sound at a great price. It is constructed quite well. The metal housing can handle the wear and tear of on-stage performance. Furthermore, it does have True Bypass. That is a real luxury on a bargain effect pedal.

The controls are basic flanger settings. There are Speed, Width, Delay Time, and Regen control knobs. You can coax some sweet sounds out of this little guy.

Analouge’ish…

While it is a digital flange effect, it does not come off as clinical. It is not the same as an analog flanger, but it does use a Bucket Brigade Device simulator circuit. So, for the price, you are getting something approaching a natural flange tone, rather than digital daggers.

This pedal is a great option for beginners and flanger novices. It can help you get acquainted with flanger effects and operations.

It is true this pedal won’t knock any socks off. Yet, it does a decent job of delivering pretty authentic flanger tones and sounds, especially when you consider the low price.

7 Donner Jet Convolution Flanger Classical Analog Rolling Guitar Effect Pedal 2 Modes

Another nice miniature profile effect pedal that offers a good amount of value in a small package.

This mini flanger packs a good amount of whoosh in a little box. The aluminum alloy housing is tough and durable. The mini-profile design means it won’t take up much space on your pedalboard.

One of its best features is the True Bypass. For a budget pedal, this is a plus. True Bypass ensures your tone is uncolored by the pedal when it is not engaged. Overall this mini flanger is quiet and stable. Another really cool feature is the selectable modes. There is the Normal Mode, which acts like a regular flange effect.

Then there is the Filter Mode. This mode lets the pedal operate without the automatic sweeps. It is similar to a manual setting on other pedals, but not integrated with another control knob. The Filter Mode is a handy feature for those who like working without the auto-sweeps.

In addition to the two modes, there are three control knobs. Color controls the depth of the flange, Range controls the width of the flange, and the Rate knob controls the speed.

These controls are pretty responsive and provide a good deal of sound and tone possibilities. However, the Color and Range knob is smaller and tends to be a bit delicate.

Overall, this is a highly-capable pedal with an authentic-sounding, classic analog flanger sound — all for a great price. The Jet Convolution proves that cheap doesn’t have to mean bad.

8 Boss BF-3 Flanger Guitar Effects Pedal

A new take on an old favorite. Built off the old BOSS BF-2, the new BF-3 is made for guitar and bass players alike.

This pedal has the option for stereo and mono output. Both function with either the guitar or bass input. The benefit of a stereo flanger is that it allows you to create a surrounding flanger field, and use FX loops without hassle.

This pedal features four different modes. Each one has its own characteristics. The result is a highly-versatile flanger pedal that is durable and reliable too. First off is the Ultra Mode. This produces a deep and thick sounding flange. It is drippy and spooky all at once. Then there is the Standard Mode. Everything you need to know is in the name. It is a standard-sounding flanger effect.

Next is the Gate/Pan Mode. This mode is meant to be used with the stereo output. It actually pans the flanger effect between the left and right channels. As a result, you can craft some serious sweeps and stellar swishes for a sonic space extravaganza. When this mode is used with the mono output, it creates a noise gate effect. This means that a slicer effect is added to the flanger effect. It makes for an almost delay-like feel to the flanger.

And finally, there is the Momentary Mode. This mode allows you to tap into the effect for just a moment. With this mode, the flanger effect is engaged only as long as you press down on the pedal. It is a cool feature that lets you add flanger for short bursts, like at the end of a song.

In addition to the four modes, there is also a tap tempo option. This feature gives you the ability to set the speed you want using the footswitch. It is a helpful extra feature for changing your flanger settings while on stage.

The control knobs are simple and straightforward. The manual control knob is incorporated with a resonance control knob. You can easily tweak every kind of flanger sound you want from this pedal. With the addition of Ultra and Gate/Pan modes finding the ideal sound and tone is quick and painless.

BOSS is one of the worlds leading effects pedals manufacturers. And chances are you or someone you know has a BOSS pedal, maybe even your granny? They are that common.

Their pedals are all very well-built. They last for a long time and are pretty darn tough. The BF-3 is no exception. It sounds awesome and never misses a beat. All these great features have to make it one of the Best Flanger Pedals currently available, but will it be the best one for you?

Best Flanger Pedals Buyer’s Guide

Now that we have looked at the Best Flanger pedals, we have a bit more advice.

One of the biggest problems with effects pedals is a loss of tonal quality. This typically occurs when you use a number of pedals that do not use True Bypass. Any quality effect pedal chain should, therefore, include True Bypass technology.

However, if you use 100% True Bypass, you will lose the top end of your signal because there are no buffers in the chain. Buffers are used by non-True Bypass pedals. What they do is ‘buffer,’ or internally boost the signal. Therefore, if you’re running a long effects chain, make sure to include a number of True Bypass pedals plus a few buffered pedals, especially near the start and end of your chain to get the best of both worlds in terms of tone.

The choice of purchasing a flanger pedal that has True Bypass or not is, therefore, yours? Depending on the other pedals you currently own or intend buying in the future.

So, What Are The Best Flanger Pedals?

Each of the flangers we went over here is a fine option. They all do a good job of delivering the distinctive flanger effect. However, when all is said and done, there is one that leaves the others in its dust.

The Best Flanger Pedal is the…

As this pedal is a reissue of the first MXR flanger, the choice was kind of a no-brainer. After all, this pedal takes what dominated Rock and Funk in the 1970s and added a bit more. An analog flanger that is incredibly versatile and easy to use. The sounds and tones of this pedal are lovely, detailed, and dynamic.

The ability to cut out the automatic sweeps is a great feature. And it lets you dial in some chorus, delay, and vibrato to the overall flanging effect. From subtle swings to soaring supersonic stealth, this pedal is pure vintage grit.

We hope you found this rundown helpful. We are positive you’ll be sweeping, soaring, and swooning with your new flanger pedal in no time.

Happy flanging!