Looking for something like an old Maestro fuzz..

[yawny]

Was just looking around at different fuzz pedals since my Fuzz Face hasn't been waiting to cooperate with me for the past week or so (still trying to fix it) and ran across the Maestro MFZ1. I like the sound that Dan Auerbach gets on some of the earlier Black Keys albums (I like it, i'm not trying to copy it) and this is the pedal he used to get it, into a Tweed style amp, no less.

I'm not really looking to buy right now but I saw some on ebay and there's an MFZ going for $250 BIN and i have no idea if this is a good price.

Now, anyway, the fuzz i'm looking for doesn't have to be a Maestro, i just want a vintage-voiced fuzz. I like that kinda splatty, ready to feed back sound that borders on a big mess but still seems to retain note clarity. Most fuzzes seem too modern (though i do want a nice silicon fuzz at some point, tink White Stripes) even the Big Muff, which just seems too smooth and clean for what i want.

Input, ideas, comments, whatever wanted.

 

[snaredrum]

this guy makes some great pedals

The Primitive | North Effects

 

[yawny]

Looks solid, but i wonder what the cost to get one of those to the states would be.

 

[guitar_slinger8]

sad to hear the fuzz isnt working...maestro are pretty cool, but im liking the mk I TB i just built a little more controllable .

 

[Hector Arcadius]

Not sure if you're willing to go down that road, but that Boss FZ-3 has 3 settings and one of them is supposed to replicates the Maestro. If you can grab one cheap somewhere near you, perhaps you will kill some PAS.

 

[snaredrum]

Looks solid, but i wonder what the cost to get one of those to the states would be.

shouldn't be too expensive - it should be less than £10

 

[yawny]

Not sure if the Boss is quite what I'm looking for HA, but thanks for the recommendation.

shouldn't be too expensive - it should be less than £10

Really? I was always under the impression that int'l shipping on anything bigger than a letter was ridiculous. One thing though is that the more I look at it, the more I think that just a straight clone isn't quite worth it to me, since I could build it myself. I'll have to look into that more. Even at $250, the real MfZ is tempting.

 

[yawny]

Anyone know if $250 is a decent price for an MFZ-1?

 

[rybass]

I would say no. They are a fad right now. I've seen them sell for as little as $100 over the past year (not pretty but working condition). Keep an eye out and be patient.

I have a Dano french toast that can nail that thickfreakness tone; $20 at a guitar show. I also have the Joyo ultimate octave that I really dig. It's not quite as out of control as the MFZ and the french toast but still very good vintagey fuzz.

 

[yawny]

Ah, so just a case of the market being over-inflated/this guy wanting too much right now then. I saw that you were looking to make a clone in another thread, how did that work out?

 

[rybass]

I have the parts in hand but life has thrown some curve balls these last couple months so I haven't had time to build it yet.

My goal is to knock it out before Christmas.

 

[yawny]

What was your parts cost? Also did you decide to use a PCB or strip or what? I was looking into possibly building a MFZ-1 clone if it seemed reasonable.

 

[2009LPGT]

What was your parts cost? Also did you decide to use a PCB or strip or what? I was looking into possibly building a MFZ-1 clone if it seemed reasonable.

Yawny, a quick post on the gear page will likely result in several current clones. Of course you will have to deal with 100s of favorite fuzz recommendations as well!

If your not a member, I'll be happy to make the post for you.

 

[yawny]

That's very nice of you to offer, LPGT, I'd appreciate it. I'm having a hard time finding a true clone, and some of the things I see put the cost of a clone at close to $80, which is crazy for a build.

So yeah, id appreciate if you put up a post on TGP for me.

 

[2009LPGT]

I did a quick search over there. Check out these threads and if we need to ask them again...we shall!!

Maestro fuzz tone without the maestro - The Gear Page

Does Any New Fuzz Sound Like A '65 Maestro Fuzz? - The Gear Page

 

[yawny]

Sorry, LPGT, but those aren't a huge help, specifically because they deal with the FZ-1, not the MFZ-1 (FZ-1, think "Satisfaction" by the Stones, MFZ-1 think "Thickfreakness" by the Black Keys).

I've run across a lot with people building their own, but can't seem to find anyone who builds them in actual production. I could build my own, depending on methods used (stripboard, pcb, etc) but it could end up being rather expensive (and time consuming, my schedule is rather tight lately). Definitely could use some info from a new thread.

 

[2009LPGT]

Oops, showing my ignorance with fuzz!!!

I'll post a new topic!

 

[mdubya]

I have been rocking one of these for years

I have heard a Zvex Fuzz Factory do a pretty good job of emulating the Maestro. The Zvex are sometimes difficult to set, but there is a list around of recommended settings for different types of sounds. I would be very tempted to get one of those. You can cover a lot of ground with that one pedal.

 

[yawny]

I'm jealous mdubya, very jealous. I think I'll keep an eye out for the real deal, regardless of whether I get a clone or not, since they're just so cool. Maybe If no one bites on this one I can offer the guy something low

 

[2009LPGT]

Now you've got me curious!!Well here is one.

Electronic Orange Filthy Maestro | DiscoFreq's Effects Database

Filthy Maestro (fuzz) - Guitar Pedals - Electronic Orange

Sounds pretty cool. Kinda spendy.