Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone

The Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone was the first fuzz distortion device to become widely available on the market for electric guitars and basses, although there had been other prototype devices made. It was designed and manufactured by Gibson. The Maestro FZ-1 (along with its almost identical update the FZ-1a) achieved a peak of popularity in the 1960s. The device was used by Keith Richards in the Rolling Stones' 1965 hit "Satisfaction" and became a favorite of many garage rock and psychedelic acts of the time. Gibson re-issued the FZ-1a in the 1990s, but later discontinued the model.

History

Earlier use of fuzz effects

In the late 1950s, Guitarist Link Wray began intentionally manipulating his amplifiers' vacuum tubes to create a "noisy" and "dirty” sound for his solos after a similarly accidental discovery. Wray also poked holes in his speaker cones with pencils to further distort his tone, used electronic echo chambers (then usually employed by singers), the recent powerful and "fat" Gibson humbucker pickups, and controlled "feedback" (Larsen effect). The resultant sound can be heard on his highly influential 1958 instrumental, "Rumble" and Rawhide.^[1] In 1961, Grady Martin scored a hit with a fuzzy tone accidently caused by a faulty preamplifier that distorted his guitar playing on the Marty Robbins song "Don't Worry"; that same year he also recorded an instrumental under his own name that utilized the same faulty pre-amplifier; the song, on the Decca label, was called "The Fuzz." Martin is generally credited as the discoverer of the "fuzz effect." ^[2] Shortly thereafter, the American instrumental rock band The Ventures asked their friend session musician and electronics enthusiast Orville "Red" Rhodes for help recreating the Grady Martin "fuzz” sound.^[2] Rhodes offered The Ventures a fuzzbox he had made, which they used to record "2000 Pound Bee" in 1962.^[3]

Introduction of the Maestro FZ-1 and FZ1a

Gibson introduced the Masestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone in 1962, which became the first commercially available fuzzbox to gain widespread acceptance, and was for several years the most popular device of its kind on the market.^[4][5] In May 1965 Keith Richards used a Maestro FZ-1 on his guitar riff in "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction".^[6] The song's success greatly boosted sales of the device, and all available stock sold out by the end of 1965.^[7][5] It became a favorite of many garage rock and psychedelic bands.^[8] Other early fuzzboxes include the Mosrite FuzzRITE and the Vox Tone Bender used by Paul McCartney on to play fuzz bass on "Think for Yourself" and other Beatles recordings.^[9] A few years later others would follow, such as the Arbiter Group Fuzz Face used by Jimi Hendrix,^[10] the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi used by Hendrix and Carlos Santana,^[11]

In late 1965, a slight modification was made on the unit, adding an extra 1.5-volt battery, giving the unit two batteries instead of one as was previously the case.^[5] The model was re-designated as the FZ-1a, but looked and sounded identical to the FZ-1.^[5] In 1968, an updated model with a different look and sound was introduced, the Maestro FZ-1B.^[5] In the 1970s Maestro came out with the The FZ-1S Super-Fuzz, which had a distinctly different look and sound than previous models.^[5]

Re-issue and reproductions

Gibson briefly re-issued the Maestro FZ-1A Fuzz-Tone in the 1990s, but later discontinued the model.^[12] It has not been manufactured since. Other brands have offered models attempting to replicate the sound of the FZ-1 and FZ-1A.

References