Up for sale, a 1974 Maestro FSH-1 Filter Sample/Hold in near-mint, 100% original condition and in perfect working order. Designed by synth pioneer Tom Oberheim, the FSH-1 pairs two unique effects in one unit. The Filter side of the pedal is a low-pass filter (a mainstay of the synth world, brought to the guitar world by Oberheim/Maestro) that effectively functions as an auto-wah, while the Sample/Hold portion of the unit is a slightly more subtle filter effect that is a direct dose of pure ‘70s funky bliss.

A real if-you-know-you-know pedal in its day, the FSH-1 was only produced for a few short years; in the years since Norlin ended the Maestro line (in the late ‘70s/early ‘80s), the FSH-1 has come to be regarded as one of the most important effects of the decade, frequently replicated in modern times by a variety of builders. Completely analog in its signal path, the transistors and semiconductors used by Maestro in the construction of this unit were considered somewhat less than prime by most manufacturers. However, in the hands of Maestro, they were simply perfect for getting a warm, bubbly sound with a decidedly organic feel and subtle crackle (famously, Maestro also did this with their original Fuzz circuit, achieving similarly fantastic results). As such, despite the best efforts of modern builders, there’s really no substitute for the genuine article with the original componentry present.

Each side of the unit has an independent control: Filter Range for the filter and S/H Speed for the Sample/Hold, with a two-way switch to toggle between the two effects. The effect is powered by a pair of 9V batteries, and the original CTS pots date to the 12th week of 1974.

This is a very clean example, with virtually no wear on the large wedge enclosure save for a couple small scratches on the baseplate. The graphics are pristine, the stock knobs are present, and even the serialized label is intact on the top edge of the unit.