Mozztronics FZ-1 Classic Fuzz

The Mozztronics FZ-1 Classic Fuzz is a fuzz pedal from Mozztronics that rebuilds the original Maestro FZ-1 circuit, the lower voltage vintage fuzz design that Premier Guitar describes as the root of the classic fuzz sound¹. Mozztronics also makes the MF-1 Baconizer Mosfet Fuzz, a separate fuzz design in its range².

What it does

The pedal takes the original Maestro FZ-1 circuit and adds two things the vintage unit never had. Griffin Jennings, writing in Delicious Audio's buying guide of Maestro FZ-1 style pedals, said: "Their FZ-1 Classic Fuzz adds a tone knob and a contour switch to the original circuit for lots of versatility."¹

That extra shaping matters in practice. On response, Jennings found that "The Classic Fuzz will clean up elegantly with the knob on your guitar, turning into a legit-sounding overdrive at lower volumes"¹. A player can therefore run it as a full fuzz with the guitar wide open and roll the volume back for a driven, overdrive-style voice, which is a known weakness of many vintage style fuzzes.

How it compares

The original Maestro Fuzz-Tone FZ1 dates to 1962, when it was marketed as a way for stringed instruments to simulate trumpets, trombones and tubas⁴. The Mozztronics approach instead keeps the original circuit and adds tone shaping on top of it.

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