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Maestro / Fuzz Tone FZ1-a / 1968 / Brown / Effect

Designed by recording engineer Glenn Snoddy and WSM-TV engineer Revis V. Hobbs, Gibson marketed the Maestro Fuzz Tone FZ-1 initially at bass players following Grady Martin’s success with effect (accidentally produced by a faulty preamp on the bass channel of a session for Don’t Worry by Marty Robbins) and in the process made it the first widely available fuzz pedal. The release of I Can’t Get No Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones in 1965 helped elevate the profile of the pedal to the point where they issued a new version, the Fz1-a with a slightly modified circuit design.

The pedal itself is in fantastic condition with the inevitable marks here and there but the decals are still strong and there is no sign that it's been misused over the years.

Inside there is evidence that some joints have been reheated but there is no evidence of parts being changed.

But the burning question is, does it sound like Keef… Well simply put yes. Though it's not quite the same as the FZ1 that Keith used it does a damn fine job of getting you there. This is definitely in the garage rock end of the fuzz spectrum  with plenty of velcroy, trebly fuzz goodness on tap to explore. Worth searching Youtube for the demonstration recording that Gibson made in 1962 on first releasing the pedal as there’s quite a few uses for this pedal outside of the full on fuzz onslaught. 

Searching for something a little different or simply always wanted one, this fuzz is part of the fabric of popular music and well worth checking out. Grab this one before it gets away… 

Instrument sold

ATB Guitars, UK  

Contact name:
Mike Long
Brands:
Languages:
English
Specialties:
Vintage Gibson, Fender and Martin from 1940's-1970's
Opening hours:
24 hours

Hello we’re ATB Guitars.


We are one of Europes leading sellers of vintage and rare guitars. We only sell vintage Gibson and Fender electric guitars from 1950 until 1975 and have an extensive inventory to browse in our bricks and mortar store in Cheltenham, UK or in our online web store.

Payment and p/x:

All prices are in UK GBP £ Sterling. Payment can be made by Paypal, bank transfer, cash, or money order cashiers cheque etc. 


Should you not be absolutely delighted with your purchase you may return it to Cheltenham, at your own expense, within 7 days from the date of delivery for a full refund. The item must not have been altered or tampered with in any way, and it must arrive in the same condition as it left us.

Postage and shipping:

We ship within the UK by Royal Mail Recorded (small items under 2Kg), TNT or UPS and Worldwide by Royal Mail Airmail Signed For (small under 2Kg) Parcelforce, UPS or FedEx. All shipping prices include expert packing, cartons and packing materials but not insurance which is typically around 2% of items value. Currently approx shipping rates for a single guitar are as follows:

UK excluding Northern Ireland and Highlands £29
Most of mainland Europe £49
U.S.A. £129
Asia £149 - £190
Rest of World including S. America £149 - £275

 

 
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