Snufkino
Joined: Nov 03, 2009
Posts: 228
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Posted on May 02 2013 07:20 PM
I've been trying not to buy any pedals recently, but I got this the other week for a great price on ebay, and I'm so glad I went for it! 
image
Apparently it's a clone of the Maestro FZ-1S. It's got a nice, bright trashy 60's-70's tone to it without being brittle or too harsh, although mode 2 with the sustain dimed into a strat it is a touch too much! Backing off the sustain makes it more gated, and the balance just lets your guitar tone through, minus the high-end, since that's where the fuzz frequencies resides. (I guess?)
While the overall tone sounds great, it doesn't have as much character to it like other old fuzz boxes. It doesn't have the 'bounciness' of a fuzzrite (at least not compared to my Catalinbread Merkin pedal) or the thickness of the FY-2 "companion" fuzz, and there's no prominent upper-octave/harmonic FY-6 "Super Fuzz" style overtones, but it's really grown on me as a nice, trashy, cutting fuzz. What I love most is that backing off the sustain and balance in mode 2, gets it really close to my Wem Pep Box clone, which is useful to me, and so it'll probably be my future go-to fuzz pedal. There's things I like about my other fuzzes, but this just sits so nicely in the middle of the sonic spectrum without feeling like I'm compromising on what really matters, and since I get my Pep Box fix, it feels like two fuzzes in one.
The brighter fuzz tone is when it's in mode 2. Mode 1 is the same, just not as bright, and at a lower volume sounds a little muffled, but set loud, it's great!
Not my demo, but here's how it sounds:
Last edited: May 03, 2013 14:01:06
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AXXA
Joined: Mar 30, 2013
Posts: 51
Atlanta GA
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Posted on May 03 2013 12:58 AM
Nice! You have some good taste in fuzzes!
I have Smitty's Maelstrom, which is a Maestro FZ-1A clone. I really dig it for those really classic buzzy fuzz tones. I also have and love a Merkin, which almost exactly begins where the Maelstrom leaves off. They have a similar character IMO, but the Merkin has way more of everything (vol, compression, bass, fuzz, etc). I'd love to try a FZ-1S!
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Snufkino
Joined: Nov 03, 2009
Posts: 228
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Posted on May 03 2013 02:08 PM
I've definitely put "smitty fuzz" as a saved search on ebay.  Always been curious about trying an FZ-1 clone, especially after finding this blog a while back: Country Fuzz Spectacular
I've got the Cbread Merkin too. I really prefer it's character to a straight fuzzrite clone, it's just more 'rounded' somehow, but retains everything that makes a fuzzrite a fuzzrite. It's a real one-trick pony though. Just good for single notes, and sounds a bit messy with reverb, but this Smitty FZ-1S plays much nicer while still cutting and sounding nasty.
Last edited: May 03, 2013 14:08:53
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artdecade
Joined: Aug 30, 2012
Posts: 399
Twangsville
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Posted on May 04 2013 08:08 AM
I didn't care for the Merkin. I thought it was a bit too tame. Of course, I am used to playing a Boss FZ-2 (SuperFuzz clone) and that thing sound like the gates of hell have been opened.
The Smitty clips sound pretty good. Plus, I dig the looks of the enclosure. Nice grab!
— To Boldly go where no Tiki has gone before...
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JObeast
Joined: Jul 24, 2012
Posts: 2762
Finknabad, Squinkistan
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Posted on Oct 29 2013 12:53 PM
I just got to try my new Smitty Maelstrom Maestro FZ-1A clone and am very happy with it. It's very cutting, nasty and sharp, granular and nasal with a fair degree of available gain but not overpoweringly compressive of the guitar signal and never 'woofey' – exactly as I had hoped and a complete contrast from my Monsterpiece Tonebender MkII Pro clone. The Smitty Maelstrom cleans up to a high degree when the guitar's output is attenuated and every pickup selection yields a distinctive and musical fuzz tone. The Maelstrom never swamps the guitar tone with too much fuzz or an indistinct wall of noise. My newly-completed project guitar (search for "Swankcaster") is wired like a Mustang to give the unique out-of-phase sound, and this tone thru the Maelstrom maintains its distinctive notched midrange.
The Maelstrom gets my double thumbs up!
— Squink Out!
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CrazyAces
Joined: Jul 31, 2012
Posts: 4054
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted on Oct 29 2013 01:12 PM
Sounds cool, I might have to check those out, but minor rant regarding most or close to all Fuzz demos
why oh why do they never demonstrate the fuzz amount or sustain all the way through the dial, lowest fuzz to highest fuzz?
When I was shopping around for fuzz pedals this made me crazy (er)
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http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock
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JObeast
Joined: Jul 24, 2012
Posts: 2762
Finknabad, Squinkistan
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Posted on Oct 29 2013 07:47 PM
Digging on the Maelstrom today, installed into pedal board. Dramatically lower gain than the Tonebender clone - as expected. Way less compression and sustain, as desired. Layers nicely with Rangemaster, Octavia & Fulldrive II, and even 'Bender if guitar volume rolled off. Maelstrom is way 'tamer' gainwise than a lot of more cranked-up Fuzzes but that's how it was designed. For playing genre-specific music, correct gear is a must and to my ear this pedal nails it.
— Squink Out!
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AXXA
Joined: Mar 30, 2013
Posts: 51
Atlanta GA
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Posted on Oct 30 2013 04:49 AM
The Maelstrom is the lowest gain fuzz I own also. I find it really sounds its best with a loud amp that's compressing a bit. It help the sound fill out. I really liked it with my Vibrolux. But when you want that sound, nothing else can do it!
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JObeast
Joined: Jul 24, 2012
Posts: 2762
Finknabad, Squinkistan
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Posted on Oct 30 2013 03:35 PM
Having so many other gain stage units in my board, the uncompressed lo-gain fuzz of the Maelstrom helps me keep the sound tight and clear. I toyed with the idea of getting a Fulltone Catalyst before I settled on the Smitty, as the Cat makes an uncompressed breakup and layering effects can yield any amount of distortion... but I opted for the Maestro as it is an actual clone, down to the AA battery-only power. I figured – rightly – that it would give most authentic one-stomp clean-amp fuzz.
Nails it!
— Squink Out!
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