Discovering A Legendary Fuzz Pedal: The FZ-1A
One day, while rummaging through the garage, my father stumbled upon an old, dusty pedal—a genuine Maestro Fuzz Tone FZ-1A guitar pedal. Excitement quickly turned to disappointment when we realized it had been stripped down to just the foot switch and a couple of jacks. The pedal’s core was missing, and it was heartbreaking to think that someone had overlooked its true value.
At that time, I was just starting to dive into vintage analog gear, so this find felt like a huge win. I assumed I could easily find the original RCA 2N2614 transistors online, but I was in for a surprise. Despite searching everywhere, including local repair shops and online auctions, I couldn’t track down a single one.
After six months of fruitless searching, my dad called with unexpected news: he had found the entire internals of the FZ-1A! We eagerly reassembled the pedal, only to discover that one of the pots was faulty, and one of the 2N2614 transistors wasn’t working. We were back to searching for that elusive part.
Introducing the CHZ-1: Fuzz Audio's Homage to the FZ-1A
After years of effort, we’re proud to introduce the CHZ-1 and CHZ-1A—our modern renditions of the Maestro Fuzz Tone. These pedals blend the vintage vibe with modern reliability. Designed with recording in mind, they offer reduced noise and a more refined tone. The CHZ-1 operates on both 9V power and battery, giving you the flexibility to capture that classic sag.
Each pedal is built to last, backed by a 10-year warranty, and features unique, hand-screen-printed graphics. The CHZ-1 is more than just a pedal; it’s the result of our journey, inspired by that dusty FZ-1A and the determination to bring it back to life.
An Old Fuzz Pedal and the Long Road to Restoration
Determined to finish the project, I resumed my search, calling every repair shop I could find. After several dead ends, I finally struck gold at a shop in Denver—Electric City Repair had the transistor we needed. With that final piece in place, we restored the fuzz pedal to its former glory, hearing its iconic tone for the first time.
This experience inspired the creation of Fuzz Audio. We realized how challenging it could be to source NOS parts and decided to make it easier for others. Over time, we built a network of contacts and assembled a significant collection of rare transistors, laying the foundation for what Fuzz Audio would become.
