The Acorn Amplifiers MIGFET Preamp V2 is a preamp pedal that reinterprets the original Sovtek MIG50 guitar tube amplifier in pedal form. Where the amp used 12AX7 preamp tubes, the MIGFET V2 uses JFETs in their place, which is where the pedal gets its name. Acorn positions it as a way to carry the MIG amp's preamp character on a pedalboard, alongside the maker's other amp-inspired pedals such as the Solid State Preamplifier. It is the second version of the design, following the original Transistor MIGFET 50P Preamp1.
What it does
Acorn describes the pedal as capturing the feel of the MIG amp's preamp section, including its response to picking dynamics. In the maker's words, the circuit "gives the pedal the compression/sag response of a tube amp when you dig in on your guitar strings"1. The pedal's EQ section is dynamic rather than fixed: Acorn says it "has that classic Bassman tone stack shapeability," carried over from the MIG circuit, and that it allows for a wide range of tonal settings1.
The controls
The MIGFET V2's front panel centers on a gain-staging pair plus the tone section1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Works with the Master to set gain: low Volume with a raised Master gives clean preamp tones |
| Master | Lower the Master and crank the Volume for more gain and breakup |
| EQ (dynamic) | Bassman-style tone stack, described by Acorn as shapeable across a wide range1 |
The Volume and Master interaction is the main way to shape the pedal's character. Acorn's guidance is to "turn the Volume low and raise the Master for clean preamp tones," and to "lower the Master and crank the Volume for more gain/breakup"1. In practice, that means the pedal can sit anywhere from a clean boost-style preamp into a preamp pedal pushing into its own breakup, depending on where the gain is staged between the two knobs.
Power and bypass
The MIGFET Preamp V2 is true bypass and runs on a standard 9VDC pedal supply, consuming less than 40mA of current1. That current draw is low enough to sit comfortably within the budget of most pedalboard power supplies.
Acorn's product page specifies 9VDC pedal power and does not mention battery operation, so plan on a standard 9VDC center-negative supply.
What changed from V1 to V2
The V2 is the second version of the design, following the original Transistor MIGFET 50P Preamp, which Acorn debuted the year before the V21. The change between the two is deliberately small. Acorn describes opening up the circuit and finding "a simple yet effective single component swap that delivers additional breakup while retaining the full tonal characteristics of the MIG sound"1. In other words, the V2 breaks up earlier than the original while keeping the same overall tonal character, rather than being a redesign.
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Questions
Is the Acorn MIGFET Preamp V2 true bypass?
Yes. Acorn Amplifiers specifies true bypass on the MIGFET Preamp V2, with the pedal powered by a standard 9VDC supply and drawing less than 40mA of current.
How much does the Acorn MIGFET Preamp V2 cost?
Acorn Amplifiers lists the MIGFET Preamp V2 at $199.00 USD on its product page as of October 2026.
What is the difference between the MIGFET V2 and the original Transistor MIGFET 50P?
The V2 followed Acorn's original Transistor MIGFET 50P Preamp. According to Acorn, the change is a single component swap inside the circuit that delivers additional breakup while retaining the full tonal characteristics of the MIG sound.
How do the Volume and Master controls work together on the MIGFET?
Acorn describes the two as a gain-staging pair: turn the Volume low and raise the Master for clean preamp tones, or lower the Master and crank the Volume for more gain and breakup.
Sources (1)
- MIGFET Preamp V2, Acorn Amplifiers
