But the good thing that came out of this story is that I now appreciate the sound of the MZ-2 more than I did before. With decreased amount of gain the pedal has a really lively and "singing" character that I like a lot. I'm not too fond of the then-fancy digital delay/chorus and I rather like to use it in "SGL" mode, but in stereo the other modes really shine and enhance the sound in a nice way.
So I'm glad that I have another unit, mint in box. That one will stay for sure.