Maestro Original Collection pedals

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Fuzz Tone FZ-M

The only throwback to Maestros

past, the Fuzz Tone FZ-M pairs a

take on the famous FZ-1A (Classic

mode) with a more versatile version

in the Modern mode. The original

Fuzz Tone was an aural slasher, and

this is what the Classic mode offers

players, though with the Attack

(fuzz/clipping amount) turned

down, a less ear-splitting fuzz can

be corralled, albeit heavily

dependent on the source and the

Tone control position. In this mode

the FZ-M uses a low-pass ﬁ lter, and

whereas the Ranger still rolls off the

highs when the ﬁ lter is fully ‘open’,

this one screams at you until right

near the end of the CCW line. For

guitarists, this unbridled harmonic

distortion can be tempered with

prodigious use of the instrument’s

tone control, and the same goes for

synthesists who could pull down

any prior low-pass ﬁ ltering to garner

a smoother result.

The Modern mode uses a

combined high-pass and low-pass

ﬁ lter depending on which side of

12:00 the Tone knob is sitting, and

this, in conjunction with a different

fuzz behaviour, produces a

distortion that’s more familiar to

modern ears. Though the Classic

mode is good fuzz to cut through a

mix and is eminently playable, the

Modern mode is where the FZ-M

performs best. As with many fuzzes,

it best suits single notes, octaves,

and simple diads (root + major 4th

or 5th) and will add a distinctive

and pleasing old school buzz to

rock out the bass thanks to a

weighty bottom end. It’s less

appealing for the synthesist, though

for bass-heavy sounds it will provide

an overblown low buzz that may

prove useful. Though the Tone knob

lacks a little range, the Invader

doesn’t have a ﬁ zzy top end that

needs reining in.

The toggle switch brings a gate

into play, the threshold for which

can be adjusted via an internal

trimpot. It’s a simple gate that’s

adequate and will aid chopping

playing without spluttering but it’s

no match for a dedicated pedal.

Comet Chorus

Modern Maestro’s only modulator

brings two modes of chorus: Earth

and Orbit. Earth is the straight-up

chorus and Orbit leans more into

the rotary/vibrato sound. An internal

trimpot controls how much Orbit

deviates from Earth. The effect is

more akin to tremolo, though that’s

not necessarily a bad thing. The

main chorus sound is quite a thick,

instruments. The more low end

pushed into the FZ-M, the better it

sounds, and simple waveforms

(especially sine) can be transformed

into something far more exciting

before passing into ﬁ lters,

modulations and delays.

Invader Distortion

In many ways this is the least

subtle member of the Maestro

Original Collection, serving up a

heavy sound that is ‘invasive’ from

right across the range of the Gain

dial. Like the Range, there is a lot

of output level available for

crushing whatever sits trembling at

the other end of the cable, but

there the resemblance ends.

Though there is a meaty middle to

the Invader sound, it possesses a

heavy bottom end that loves to

chug. The behaviour is amp-like,

growling on the low side of the Gain

dial and emitting a deafening roar

at the other. There is a grainy

roughness that suits hard, punky

rhythm guitar playing, and it will

THE ALTERNATIVES

Boss FZ-1W (for

FZ-M) £175

The ’90s FZ-2 and

FZ-3 models have

garnered such a

reputation, as well as

some straight up

copies, that they got

the Waza Craft

treatment, resulting

in a well priced, high

quality standard for

fuzz lovers.

boss.info

Dreadbox

Komorebi (for

Comet) €160

Chorus and ﬂ ange

get a workout with

this modular-friendly

package. There’s a

huge range of

modulation available

for guitarists and

producers with CV

functionality to boot.

dreadbox-fx.com

EHX Memory Boy

(for Discov erer)

£109

Much of the magic

of the Memory Man

is captured in this

scaled-down version

with its great

standard of BBD

delay alongside some

hefty modulation

lovers of the wobble.

ehx.com

Consistent quality, but the

coherence of the control set

has hemmed them in

COMET CHORUS: Earth mode for the main event

chorus, and Orbit mode for a vibrato/tremolo

effect with its own mix trimpot inside

DISCOVERER DELAY: Analogue BBD delay with a

modulation mode that can be adjusted for depth

and rate via two internal trimpots

FUZZ-TONE FZ-M: The original Fuzz Tone’s

highly strung aggression with a fatter modern

interpretation that suits 21st Century pedal use

Reviews | Maestro Original collection pedals

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