ROAD TEST
Maestro Fuzz-Tone FZ-M & Discoverer Delay Effects Pedals
By Manus Hopkins
A
legacy guitar manufacturer like Gibson will likely always be known mainly for its guitars . Yet , earlier this year , it was announced that Gibson was reviving its Maestrobranded pedals , with five new stompboxes marking Maestro ’ s return . Dubbed the Original Collection , the line features the Fuzz-Tone FZ-M , as well as the Discoverer Delay , Ranger Overdrive , Invader Distortion , and Comet Chorus . Canadian Musician selected the Fuzz-Tone and the Discoverer for review .
Before even setting up and starting to play around with them , you can tell what the intention was behind these pedals . Outfitted with a retro look and recreating vintage sounds with modern technology , these pedals are a bridge between classic and innovative sounds , each one exhibiting versatility to fit within a multitude of styles .
Fuzz-Tone FZ-M The main feature among this new line of pedals , the Fuzz-Tone FZ-M is an updated recreation of Maestro ’ s original fuzz pedal — also the world ’ s first-ever fuzz pedal — the Fuzz-Tone FZ-1 , which was introduced in 1962 . Pedal technology has obviously come a long way since then , but the FZ-M stays close to its roots while still making use of the technological advancements of the past seven decades . The all-analog pedal is outfitted with a ‘ Mode ’ toggle switch , giving the ability to switch between a vintage fuzz sound , akin to that of the original FZ-1 , and a modern tone with a different kind of thickness and grit .
Luckily , my apartment building is in one of downtown Toronto ’ s more artsy neighbourhoods , so it ’ s full of musicians and people don ’ t seem to mind hearing each other practice . Still not wanting to make the entire building shake , I set up the FZ-M with my old Crate GX-212 amp and began playing relatively quietly — but I quickly decided I needed to give this pedal a spin without volume restrictions , so I headed to my band ’ s practice space armed with the Maestro pedals and my Schecter BlackJack ATX V-1 ( outfitted with Seymour Duncan pickups ), where I was able to use my Traynor Custom Special 100H all-tube head , atop a 4x12 cabinet , and experience the full effect .
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It ’ s impressive how much versatility there is in this relatively simple pedal — its only controls are the toggle switch and dials for attack , tone , and level — yet it ’ s able to achieve such a range of sounds , from dirty blues to sharp rock tones . The “ Classic ” setting is actually the one I liked more of the two modes this pedal offers . It feels like a cop-out to say it ’ s the fuzzier sounding of the two , but it really is . Whereas the “ Modern ” setting has a neater , more refined tone , the grittiness of the vintage-inspired sound is the FZ-M ’ s standout feature . It ’ s not just dirty , but incredibly sharp , making it a perfect choice for flashy solos and lead licks . The attack and tone knobs are incredibly sensitive as well , especially the attack . The smallest twist of the dial can make all the difference in the sharpness of the tone . It ’ s a replication rather than a duplication — the stompbox doesn ’ t make your guitar sound exactly like Keith Richards on “ Satisfaction ,” but it does sound like a new , updated version of that coveted retro sound , as if those old records were made with modern technology .
Discoverer Delay Because I knew I would be checking out the fuzz pedal from this line , I wanted my other choice to be something different , so it was a toss-up between the Discoverer Delay and Comet Chorus , instead of a distortion or overdrive option . Once I had watched a short demo of each , I knew the delay pedal was something I had to try out for myself . What started as practicing some exercises and playing a riff or two quickly turned into a good chunk of my afternoon spent making spacey , ambient sounds and playing with the pedal ’ s settings almost at random .
With a similar look to the other pedals in this series , the Discoverer also features a toggle switch and three control dials ; the toggle switch ’ s two settings are modulation on and off , and the three knobs control delay , mix , and sustain . With the delay dial turned down and the modulation off , the sound achieved is a warm tone with a resonant slap-back — but crank the delay and flip the modulation on , and you ’ ve got a full-on shoegaze sound , retaining that nice vintage warmth , which is really the thing that sets this pedal apart . Another thing
that really struck me about the Discoverer was the realization that there ’ s hardly a player who couldn ’ t find some use for this . Not everyone wants to make the loopy , spacey , ambient noise that this pedal can easily achieve , but even with the modulation off and the dials turned low , the slap-back it provides can add so much texture and warmth to even the simplest strumming pattern , really giving it a room-filling effect .
There ’ s an air of confidence given off by the relative simplicity of these stompboxes , as if they ’ re telling the player that they sound good enough to compete with any other similar pedal , without needing a load of extra features to make them special . The Fuzz-Tone FZ-M and Discoverer Delay certainly deserve a spot on the pedalboards of guitarists of pretty much any style , and I ’ d expect that the Invader Distortion , Ranger Overdrive , and Comet Chorus wouldn ' t be any different in this regard .
Manus Hopkins is the Assistant Editor of Canadian Musician .