GEAR REVIEW
MAESTRO DISCOVERER DELAY | Doug Doppler
KEY FEATURES
• Delay , Sustain , and Mix Controls
• Modulation On / Off Toggle
• Internal Trim Pots for Rate + Width
• 20-600ms of Delay Time
• True Bypass
• 9VDC or Battery Powered
When Gibson decided to revive the Maestro brand , they did it right . The first pedal I reviewed from the new line was the FZ-M Fuzz , which faithfully reproduces the mojo of the original FZ- 1 , the first-ever pedal designed just for guitar . In the video I did for that pedal I also incorporated the Discoverer Delay to help capture the essence of classic guitars sounds from the likes of Bob Seger ’ s ‘ Mainstreet ’ to the Doobie Brothers ’ ‘ China Groove ’. I was consistently blown away at how close these two pedals came to the sound on these iconic tracks .
HISTORY As is the case with all the pedals in the new Maestro line , the Discoverer Delay cloaks a classic effect with the right blend of design smarts and modern amenities . And just in case you didn ’ t know , we all have Maestro to thank for the Echoplex , the Godfather of all delay units . The tape these units utilized was known for its warmth , as were the internal preamps . One of the unintended outcomes of tape delays was the wow and flutter ( modulation ) created by the motor speeding up and down , further compounded by the tape stretching over time .
In time , the EHX Deluxe Memory Man enabled players to achieve similar results in a smaller , pedalboard friendly form factor . The Strymon TimeLine brought further refinements in tone and reliability to the party , and aptly enough we can add the Maestro Discoverer Delay to the list !
CONTROLS The Delay , Sustain , and Mix controls adjust the delay time , number of repeats and effect level respectively . As you might expect , flipping Mod-On / Mod-Off mini toggle into the on position activates the modulation circuit , which can be further adjusted using the internal