Maestro FZ-1S Super-Fuzz DIY project

The Maestro FZ-1S Super-Fuzz DIY project is a fuzz build from General Guitar Gadgets: a schematic, parts layout, wiring diagram and bill of materials for recreating the Maestro FZ-1S Super-Fuzz, a fuzz tone from the early 1970s designed by Tom Oberheim¹. Vintage Guitar magazine dates the original's arrival to the start of the '70s as well².

Why build a replica

General Guitar Gadgets makes the case plainly: "The originals are somewhat rare and/or expensive, so it makes a good candidate for building a DIY replica!"¹ For a player who wants the circuit without hunting down a vintage box, the project offers a redrawn schematic with a True Bypass variant available¹.

What the circuit does

The FZ-1S is a fuzz tone, and General Guitar Gadgets is careful about how it relates to the more famous Maestro fuzz: "Please Note: this is not the so-called 'Satisfaction Fuzz-Tone ™', but this will give you the 'Satisfaction' sound, plus more!"¹ In other words, it sits alongside the FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone rather than copying it, while still reaching that familiar saturated character.

The redrawn schematic has an unusual provenance. As General Guitar Gadgets puts it: "This box was built back in the good old days when the schematic was included inside the box, so we redrew the schematic"¹.

Controls

The Balance control on a dual potentiometer and the SPDT toggle give the build more switching and blending than a simple three-knob fuzz, in line with the Super-Fuzz design¹.

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