The Fuzz That Started It All
Keith Richards had a new toy. Introduced in 1962, Gibson’s Maestro Fuzz-Tone FZ-1 was the first commercially available distortion pedal — and it was the secret sauce behind the infectious guitar lick that would drive the Rolling Stones’ massive 1965 hit “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” The Stones cut the final version of the song at RCA Studios Hollywood with manager Andrew Loog Oldham producing and staff engineer David Hassinger behind the board; and the rest, as they say, is history. The single shot to #1 on the US and UK charts, catapulting the group to international stardom. After the wild success of “Satisfaction,” the Maestro Fuzz-Tone FZ-1 virtually defined the sound of rock ’n’ roll and became an essential effect for guitarists seeking to differentiate their music with its cutting-edge sound. Now, Sweetwater is delighted to present to you the Maestro Fuzz-Tone FZ-M, a direct descendant of the FZ-1 that nails all the sonic ferocity of the original — while also offering a thicker, more modern-sounding fuzz tone as a bonus!
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Two pedals in one
Today’s Maestro Fuzz-Tone FZ-M is an all-analog design that’s effectively two pedals on one: it not only serves up classic, FZ-1-inspired fuzz; you can flip the Mode toggle switch to select a thicker, more contemporary-sounding fuzz tone. In Classic mode, it cuts through the mix like a hot knife through butter. Need it to blend in with the track a bit more? Switch to Modern mode (which also happens to sound awesome on electric bass). However you deploy it in your arrangements, you’ll find the Fuzz-Tone FZ-M makes your mixes glow with vibrant energy and jump right out of the speakers. If you’re like many of the guitarists here at Sweetwater, you’ve collected several pedals over the years in the quest for the ultimate fuzz. With the Maestro Fuzz-Tone FZ-M, your search is over.
Dial in the ultimate fuzz tone
With just three knobs on its vintage-style face plate, the Maestro Fuzz-Tone FZ-M is intuitive to use, and ridiculously easy to get a fabulous sound out of without excessive tweaking. The Attack knob sets the amount of fuzz. The Tone pot adjusts the timbre from bright and raspy to warm and wooly — and all points in between. Set your output volume with the Level control, which can take you well beyond unity gain when you need that extra push. And lastly, there’s the cool vintage Maestro bugle logo with red, yellow, and blue LEDs that light up when triggered by the true-bypass footswitch to signify that the effect is active. All things considered, the Maestro Fuzz-Tone FZ-M has it all: killer sound and impressive versatility, packed into a road-worthy stompbox wrapped in tasty vintage visuals. Plus, it’s an amazing value. You’re going to love this pedal.
Maestro Fuzz-Tone FZ-M Fuzz Pedal Features:
- Controls: Attack, Tone, Level
- Switches: True-bypass footswitch, Classic/Modern mode toggle switch
- LED indicators: red, yellow, and blue bugles in the Maestro logo light when the effect is active
- Signal processing: all-analog
- Power: 9V battery or regulated 9VDC power supply
- Power On switch: incorporated into the input jack
