Maestro MFZ-1 fuzz build report.

[brett]

Hi
I just finished an MFZ-1, and spent a few hours getting to know it.  First impessions were very good.  It is very solid, controlled fuzz.  There aren't many high harmonics or anything.  It's gives you back what you play, just squished and fuzzed to hell and back.

Compared with:
Fuzzrite  - it is less wild.  Fewer harmonics, less gain (but the fuzzrite has totally ridiculous gain).
TS9 - more gain and distortion, no tonal changes.  I'll be taking the TS9 out of my chain in favour of the heavier sound of the MFZ-1.
Ge fuzzface - less flabby bass, more top end. But maybe a bit less sustain and sensitivity.

My main problem with it is that I live in a quiet country area, and so I really notice the noise output.  I used a TL072 in it, but it's still at least as noisey as TS with a 4558 in it.  To try to fix it, I'm going to replace the two 1M resistors with 330k resistors in the op-amp input buffer, and use a NE5532 low-noise op-amp.

Overall, this is an amazingly good fuzz.  To hear it in action, listen to any Black Keys track.  Their sound could  be mistaken for a very dirty amp, but I can get very close to that sound with the MFZ-1 and the clean channel on my JTM-60.

cheers

[MartyMart]

Brett, which one is this ?
I have Maestro super fuzz , just "Fuzz" ( satisfaction ) FZ-1A/B S  is it this one ?
2 or 3 trannies .....

MM.

[Sir H C]

The MFZ-1 was the space-age looking one with the two huge knobs on the side after all the FZ-1 series devices came and went.

[B Tremblay]

Brett, did you use the schematic seen here?
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=47563.0

[brett]

Brian
That's the one.
My only change was to replace those 2 x 2.2M resistors in bias generator with 2 x 1M.

cheers

[B Tremblay]

Cool, thanks.

[B Tremblay]

My main problem with it is that I live in a quiet country area, and so I really notice the noise output.  I used a TL072 in it, but it's still at least as noisey as TS with a 4558 in it.  To try to fix it, I'm going to replace the two 1M resistors with 330k resistors in the op-amp input buffer, and use a NE5532 low-noise op-amp.

I noticed a surprising amount of noise as well.  I've got it on the breadboard with an NE5532, with the stock values except I used 1M5 for the Vref voltage divider.  I left out the power supply filtering since I'm using a clean, regulated wall wart.  The noise really becomes hard to ignore when the Drive pot (I used a linear taper, but audio is probably better) is rotated past 50%.

It produces a good, but somewhat generic fuzz sound.  After playing it for a bit, I plugged into my EasyFace, then the 3-knob TB, and I felt that they were both superior to the MFZ-1.  Still, this circuit is ripe for expansion and modification.