Reissue Gibson Fuzz-Tone FZ-1A Petition!
Moderators: pompeiisneaks, Colossal
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Kinkless Tetrode 66
- Posts: 44
- Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2013 1:35 pm
- Location: Berlin
Re: Reissue Gibson Fuzz-Tone FZ-1A Petition!
Could you guys please sign the petition? Thanks. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/reis ... tone-fz-1a
Re: Reissue Gibson Fuzz-Tone FZ-1A Petition!
Wait,I have a story about this pedal and I have owned at least two. I also have a friend who has recently sold an old non-working version on ebay for $150.
OK, the story. Back in the day, 1966, friend of mine had a small band with his buddies who were all into the Stones. So one of the guitar players (there were three, one played bass parts on the third guitar) comes to the practice (at the drummer's house of course) with the Maestro Fuzz Tone. It sounds like ass - and yet the guy will not stop trying to work it into any song they are practicing. He seems to be the only guy in the room that likes the pedal. So practice is eventually over, the mighty band of 9th graders pack it in and go home. The fuzz pedal is left at practice. Next practice, same scenario. And again. After 5 practices a decision is made by the members (minus the guy who owns the fuzz pedal) that the fuzz pedal has to go. They decide on a story and proceed to toss the pedal in a neighbors trash can on trash day - pedal is gone. The next practice the owner of the pedal shows up and the drummer says someone must of come into the practice room and stole the pedal.
The next practice, the kid shows up with another one! The band breaks up the next week.
Yeah, kids are cruel!! Ha, but my point is, this pedal sounds like ass. Find the Stones playing 'I Want To Be Your Man' on you tube. Yes, it's a Beatles song. It features either Keith or Brian playing slide guitar with what is no doubt the Maestro Fuzz Tone. Ha, there's a reason you never heard this song.
Let this pedal fade into obscurity. Please.
OK, the story. Back in the day, 1966, friend of mine had a small band with his buddies who were all into the Stones. So one of the guitar players (there were three, one played bass parts on the third guitar) comes to the practice (at the drummer's house of course) with the Maestro Fuzz Tone. It sounds like ass - and yet the guy will not stop trying to work it into any song they are practicing. He seems to be the only guy in the room that likes the pedal. So practice is eventually over, the mighty band of 9th graders pack it in and go home. The fuzz pedal is left at practice. Next practice, same scenario. And again. After 5 practices a decision is made by the members (minus the guy who owns the fuzz pedal) that the fuzz pedal has to go. They decide on a story and proceed to toss the pedal in a neighbors trash can on trash day - pedal is gone. The next practice the owner of the pedal shows up and the drummer says someone must of come into the practice room and stole the pedal.
The next practice, the kid shows up with another one! The band breaks up the next week.Yeah, kids are cruel!! Ha, but my point is, this pedal sounds like ass. Find the Stones playing 'I Want To Be Your Man' on you tube. Yes, it's a Beatles song. It features either Keith or Brian playing slide guitar with what is no doubt the Maestro Fuzz Tone. Ha, there's a reason you never heard this song.
Let this pedal fade into obscurity. Please.
Last edited by rooster on Wed Apr 02, 2014 6:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
Most people stall out when fixing a mistake that they've made. Why?
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vibratoking
- Posts: 2640
- Joined: Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:55 pm
- Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Re: Reissue Gibson Fuzz-Tone FZ-1A Petition!
So, does that mean you're not going to sign the petition?
Re: Reissue Gibson Fuzz-Tone FZ-1A Petition!
Maybe Mick, Brian, Bill and Charlie wanted to throw Keith's Maestro in the trash, but Keith carried a gun 
Actually, the gun thing started later, but I don't think you wanted to get on Keith's bad side. Your fuzz friend should have showed up with a Maestro and at least a Skull & Crossbones pirate ring.
Actually, the gun thing started later, but I don't think you wanted to get on Keith's bad side. Your fuzz friend should have showed up with a Maestro and at least a Skull & Crossbones pirate ring.Re: Reissue Gibson Fuzz-Tone FZ-1A Petition!
"So, does that mean you're not going to sign the petition?"
Haha! That was a nice post, vibratoking.
Haha! That was a nice post, vibratoking.
Most people stall out when fixing a mistake that they've made. Why?
Re: Reissue Gibson Fuzz-Tone FZ-1A Petition!
I bought 2 of the original Maestro fuzztones when they first arrived at Westchester Music near LA airport where Ren Ferguson was working in the mid 1960's.
These were the 3 transistor circuit with the 2N270's.
They really aren't that special and they were certainly short on sustain which was a real disappointment since the few tunes that used them seemed to have better sustain than the units I owned. The Stones' Satisfaction, and a few other local and obscure surf instrumentals were the reason I wanted to get one.
I made plenty of copies as soon as I got mine since the circuit was inside the pedal box. The ones I made were not any better. We soon thereafter got a hold of a vox fuzztone box that had a much better sounding circuit and using the vox fuzztone in series with the Maestro allowed us to get more smooth sustain so we could try to pull off the leads from Shapes of Things and later Incense and Peppermints etc.
That early Maestro circuit would be the last one I'd try to re release.
Check out the later FZ-1B model that uses 4 transistors instead and a positive ground, there are a few demos of it on youtube.
These were the 3 transistor circuit with the 2N270's.
They really aren't that special and they were certainly short on sustain which was a real disappointment since the few tunes that used them seemed to have better sustain than the units I owned. The Stones' Satisfaction, and a few other local and obscure surf instrumentals were the reason I wanted to get one.
I made plenty of copies as soon as I got mine since the circuit was inside the pedal box. The ones I made were not any better. We soon thereafter got a hold of a vox fuzztone box that had a much better sounding circuit and using the vox fuzztone in series with the Maestro allowed us to get more smooth sustain so we could try to pull off the leads from Shapes of Things and later Incense and Peppermints etc.
That early Maestro circuit would be the last one I'd try to re release.
Check out the later FZ-1B model that uses 4 transistors instead and a positive ground, there are a few demos of it on youtube.
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LeftyStrat
- Posts: 3117
- Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2005 6:58 pm
- Location: Marietta, SC, but my heart and two of my kids are in Seattle, WA
Re: Reissue Gibson Fuzz-Tone FZ-1A Petition!
I owned an original back in the day. It was only used to cover Satisfaction.
I used to be obsessed by the fuzz used on Spirit in the Sky. Then I realized the only use for that sound is to play Spirit in the Sky.
I used to be obsessed by the fuzz used on Spirit in the Sky. Then I realized the only use for that sound is to play Spirit in the Sky.
It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
Re: Reissue Gibson Fuzz-Tone FZ-1A Petition!
I guessing there isn't. Notice the lack of clones despite it's relatively simple circuit and legendary status. Gibson offered their RI for nearly two years, I expect they had all the market data they needed when they discontinued it.Kinkless Tetrode 66 wrote:This petition is just to see/show that there is a demand.
However...considering the success of the JMI and Macaris Tonebenders...maybe Gibson could be interested in a $300-500 "heritage" FZ-1A.
I most fully disclose I also owned and was underwhelmed by an original '60;'s FZ-1A. I bought mine in 2000 for about $125, barely ever used it, and sold it in 2012 for maybe twice that much (there was a distinct lack of interest in the pedal).