Maestro INVADER DISTORTION, User Manual

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Maestro, despite the common misconception, didn’t start as a pedal brand. Gibson marketed a line
of accordion amplifiers under the name as early as 1955. Many guitarists will also be familiar with
the classic Maestro Vibrola tailpiece, which was introduced in the 60s. But we’re talking pedals
here, right? The very first Maestro pedal (and the very first commercially available distortion pedal)
wasn’t much of a hit - at least not when the Fuzz-Tone FZ-1 was first released in 1962. But when Keith
Richards of the Rolling Stones used one for the classic riff on (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, everything
changed, and the Fuzz-Tone became a must-have accessory for guitarists everywhere and launched
the pedal craze that continues right up until today. Other Maestro fuzz pedals followed the original
FZ-1, including the FZ-1A in 1965, the Robert Moog-designed FZ-1B in 1968, and the 70s era FZ-1S,
MFZ-1, and BB-1 Bass Brassmaster.
Wah pedals were also first introduced in the 1960s, and two of the most sought-after on the vintage
market are the Maestro BG-1 and BG-2 Boomerang Wah pedals. While exceptionally hard to find
today, you have probably heard one before - legendary Stax Records session ace Charles “Skip” Pitts
used one for the wah guitar parts on the original 1971 recording of the Theme from Shaft.
Another legendary effect that Maestro pioneered is the Echoplex, which was first released under
the Maestro brand in 1962. (Echoplex is now a registered trademark of Dunlop Manufacturing.) An
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