Gibson Maestro Fuzztone

This is an amazing classic fuzz pedal! I've had it for about for months, i bought it through e*bay and got a great deal. There wasn't a manual, it was lost by the previous owner. No mods needed (in my opinion). Great playability!
Only two knobs,how easy can it be?

It's simple to produce those classic stones' synth-like guitar parts, and it sounds a lot like jeff beck's tones.
Has very recognizable treble spikes in the sound and volume when played through my marshall at low volumes, but sounds great by itself or in front of a crybaby wah. Never Really noisy for me, because it's well behaved, and makes the sounds you want it to make!

A true show of the great 60's and 70's craftmanship, i haven't had any problems with this pedal. I am always trying to be on the safe side, because this pedal gets a unique sound for me, so i would definitely try to get a replacement (if i could afford another one), but i doubt it will break, ever.

Well, i have never tried to get in touch with the compny, but i took it to my local guitar repair guy, and he redid the original cord, so i'd recommend going to your local guy instead of the long outdated maestro customer support.

i play zeppelin, pink floyd, grateful dead, and the stones'. i play a les paul studio, and the combination is beautiful! I'd definitely buy another one if it were stolen or lost, it's an amazing pedal. i love the fact that it's so unique, but you can still enjoy having a broad palette of soundscapes. i think, tonally, that this pedal, the original, not the reissue is better than any other fuzz on the market, except maybe some roger mayer models, but it's definitely a one of a kind find.

This box is pretty easy to use once you work out a few minor flaws. Two knobs attack and volume, easy to get inside and to the battery. The fact that you can only use a battery i don't like but it is a AA battery which i think is pretty cool.

to begin with i was uneasy shelling out a hundred dollars for a simple fuzz pedal when i could make one for a lot less and then it arrived and i felt even worse, i was heart broken. i plugged it into my old tubey and it was spiking all over the place. the volume would drop out and then come back up very suddenly, which is worse than it sounds, it was horrible. the sound wasn't the only problem the thing is that, maybe it's just mine, it wasn't true bypass so the volume control was on all the time which is far worse than it sounds because then there is an awful mismatch in volumes when you switch it off which made it just unusable. Fear not though i changed the crappy switch, believe me it was crappy part of it melted while i was unsoldering one of the leads which has never once happened to me, for a 3pdt which solved the volume problem but there were still spikes all over the place. after a week or so of trying everything imaginable i put it in the effects loop. it's crazy because it actually sounds great in the loop, i guess because it's not overdriving the input into oblivion and the input level on the box is somewhat in control, more so than before. Now i can't belive the difference it's like diamonds and coal. the only thing is because it's in the loop it's after my wah which doesn't sound as good but maybe i can put my wah in the loop, i don't like that idea but i guess i will have to try it. any way put this box in front of a wah and you WILL be amazed it sounds just so perfect like they were made for each other. ofcourse they were. i have a homemade wah with a yellow fasel so it may sound a little different with a vox of something with a red fasel or a normal inductor.

i'm pretty sure now that i have changed the switch it will function perfectly, all of the components look top notch except for the switch, that was a huge surprise. at least put a carling or something. i assume that the reissue was built more with historical accuracy instead of functionallity in mind. it's probably better that way because when they try to improve something they almost always make it worse.

never dealt with them and i think it might be hard to get a hold of someone.

i play everything rock, even some stuff that i'm not proud of. Zeppelin, stones, atdi. i've been playing a while but i'm not one of those pathetic old guys that are in there 40's or 50's and think they know how to tear it up, i'm still 21 and plan o keep playing. i bought this box because i wanted a fuzztone, i didn't want a copy. keith richards used a fuzztone, i'm not happy with a good chunk of his work but i like enough that i bought this. i guess that's the main reason i wanted that great sympathy sound or gimmie shelter this thing does it mostly because this is what did it in the first place. if you wanna be SRV you get a dumble and a strat, right. well i bought a les paul and a maestro fuzztone. do i regret buying this box? maybe just a little because of all the trouble it caused me but it sounds great and i'm happier than i am sad about it. i'm not sure i'd buy it no, actually i'm sur i would but it wouldn't be an instant decision. great synth sounds great fuzz.

I'm reviewing the Gibson FZ-1A here, neither the FZ-1 nor the Maestro labeled FZ-1B.

Two knobs - output and attack (intensity of fuzz). Plugs right into your guitar. Very easy.

Keep in mind that fuzz works best if you control the volume and the tone of your guitar and feed the fuzz into an overdriven amplifier. Fuzz alone doesn't get you the tone, it's always a combination of factors. By itself, this sounds like a chainsaw, like most fuzzes.

I'm playing this with my Hamer guitar into a Marshall 6100 LM and a Trace-Elliot cabinet. Sometimes, I plug the Fuzz Tone into a HAO Rust Driver for a different tone. I keep this as an effect, though.

The effect itself is very, very quiet, even at high gain settings.

Like all good fuzzes, this one reacts well to your guitar's volume. For the Stones' Satisfaction sound, turn down volume a bit and the tone almost all the way down.

But that's not all. Playing power chords through the Fuzz Tone produces some amazing grind. Its a plus that it can be pretty loud if cranked fully. As said above, your guitar's volume, tone and the amplifier you put the fuzz into form a combination that may need some tweaking.

The Fuzz Tone hasn't got infinite sustain, but that was to be expected. No ultra-gain-madness here (if you'd need lots of gain, would you look for a fuzz pedal?). It also has no "hidden" octave-up-mode.

It's almost 40 years old and still in good shape and great sounding.

I play Black Metal mostly. This isn't going to replace my distortions, but I'm sure I will use it for backing tracks somewhere. And that sound will rip your head off.

If it were stolen - I own a lot of more-expensive-looking toys, I'm sure the thief would think it's old, worthless crap and steal something else ;)

I bought this on e*ay because I read good reviews. When I had it, it figured out the Satisfaction sound in 5 seconds. But then I played a powerchord and I loved it.

This is one of the oldest fuzzes that can still be bought for somewhat acceptable prices on e*ay. Make sure yours has three RCA 2N2614 transistors.

Very simple. 2 knobs: Volume and Attack

I'm using a 57' Historic Les Paul Goldtop through a vintage Fender Princeton Reverb (but would like to eventually get a Twin Reverb.)
I've always wanted to be able to produce a Beatles-like tone. ("Revolution" "Sgt.Pepper")
I did my research and decided on investing in this pedal which is supposedly an exact duplicate (except for a few nice upgrades) of the Gibson Maestro Fuzztone pedal used in the 60's by bands like the Rolling Stones, (used in "Satisfaction") of course the Beatles, and many other bands from the 60's. The pedal produces a very unique sound that some may not like, but others may love it. I'm giving it a 10 because it nails the sound its supposed to produce, but like I said, some may not like the sound, but they wouldn't be looking into getting this pedal anyway. If you like the dirty sound as heard on the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction," this pedal is for you. It sounds very vintage and inconsistant with plenty character. It nails the sound I wanted it for! Oh, and another thing I like about it, is that it doesn't have too much sustain on it, which makes fast picking seem clean even through a fuzz.

Haven't owned it long but seems to be built like a tank!

Like I mentioned previously, I got the pedal so that I could reproduce the sound that bands of the 60's like the Beatles and Stones produced. This pedal does the job. Just listen to the intro to "Satisfaction." This is the same pedal that the Stones used to record that song. Very unique sound and I love it. It's a very simple pedal and gives you that vintage sound. I also have the yellow Fulltone Fulldrive2 which is an awesome overdrive, and the Fulltone Choralflange which is an excellent chorus. This pedal has a tone of its own and anyone who likes playing the music of the previously mentioned bands should try to buy this pedal. If I lost it I would try to get another one.

It was originally very easy to use and blasted out that 60's fuzz through a tube driven Supro amp. Mine is wore out now but I have had it since 69.

It can fuzz with the best of them....I can remember a neighbor coming over and asking if I was using a "horn section"....Very brassy tone when turned all the way up. It won't cut the mustard now because the guts need to be replaced but it was great back in the 60s and early 70s. The sound I got back then....I have never been able to duplicate with any other effect. I would love to get the old beast up and running again. It would sound great run through a vintage tube Fender or Marshall.

Before it wore out it was very dependable. Be sure and use a very solid foot switch if replacing. Also cables.

Find somebody who can work on old technology. Good Luck

I will admit that I am an Ol timer. I have been playing since 1967. I used the Maestro for several years back then through Supro, Ampeg, and early Peavey amps. I Play Fender Strats and Gibson 335 through Fender Amps and would still use the Fuzz if it was operable. Cant get the old tone through new boxes. My son plays more than I do now and he likes it too.