FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone

The FZ-1 was the first mass-produced fuzz, and though its thin, buzzy sound didn’t win many fans at first, it was immortalized by Keith Richards on “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” This single track effectively invented fuzz as a category. The FZ-1’s concept, using a pedal to create entirely new textures rather than just pushing an amp, birthed the Sola Sound Tone Bender, Arbiter Fuzz Face, and all fuzz derivatives. Its circuit was crude, but it lit the fuse for the entire fuzz/distortion branch of the tree.