FUZZ ___ AN ACCIDENTAL INVENTION

FUZZ ___   

In 1960 on a session in Nashville with singer Marty Robbins 

Engineer Glen Snoddy turn up the bass on the middle 8 and the circuit malfunctioned creating a Fuzz sound. The first thought was to re-record the tune but everyone felt it sounded cool so they left it in. Latter Glen decided to borrow this broken circuit and turn it into a pedal. He sold the crude prototype to Gibson. Gibson had Seth Lover the guy who invented the Humbucker designed the actual pedal. 

Gibson then made it and sold it as the Maestro F-1 Fuzz Tone. 

It came out in 1962.

Fuzz starts at 1:25

the fine print.

Gibson shipped them out to the dealers in 1962 but they could not find any players that would buy them.  In 1964 to try to get them out there they offered a deal if you bought a Gibson amp you got a free one. I was a kid and was in a store where a country player was trying out an amp and while the salesman was writing up the sale he gave the guy the Fuzz to try. Suddenly I heard the guy yell out  ...."What a piece of sh@t!" The guy went over to pay for his amp and I asked the guy if he would sell me the fuzz. He said  "How much/" I pulled all the change from my pocket and put it on the the counter. I think it was $14 give or take. He did not answer me and just put the money in his pocket.

In 1965 the Stones brought out Satisfaction with famous hook being played on a Fuzz Tone. The rest as they say is history. 

I used mine until the Elelectro-Harmonix Big Muff (Ramshead) came out. I then kept it until the MXR  Distortion + arrived.

Note that the  pedal has a jack on one side and the second very short cable hardwired to the  pedal. I was just a kid and even then I thought it was beyond stupid. I took it to a tiny shop that repaired radio's and small appliances. I ask the guy to fix it so I could just plug in a longer chord. So for $5 he converted

to a phone jack input.  Was I the first guy on the planet with a modded pedal, LOL.