Fortin 33

The pedal grew out of a long technical partnership between Thordendal and Mike Fortin of Fortin Amplification, and Fortin says it creates the percussive, "chugging" sound that defines the Meshuggah aesthetic¹². Gearnews described the result in 2017 as ultra-clean, pushing an amp into high-gain territory while maintaining the guitar's core tonality³.

What it does to your sound

The 33 is a clean boost, not an overdrive. Fortin's own description is that it "reshapes the frequency curve, firming up low frequencies and focusing the midrange" so that complex rhythms remain articulate under heavy gain, without adding its own clipping¹. In practice that means the pedal's job is to hit the front end of your amp harder: Fortin calls it "a 22dB boost that shifts the guitar's signal to hit the front end of an amp harder"². Gearnews found the sound ultra-clean and noted it maintains the guitar's core tonality even as the amp is driven into high-gain territory³.

Gearnews' 2026 boost pedal buying guide puts the pedal in context: pedals of this kind are especially popular for djent, progressive metal, and tight rhythm guitar sounds⁴.

Controls and the side switch

The 33 has a single knob, which Fortin calls the mental control. The maker's instructions are simple: increase it to drive the front end of your amp harder, and the more you increase it, the more your tone will start to jump out of your amp⁵. Fortin says Mike and Fredrik spent a long time tweaking the internal settings so that one knob is all that is needed⁵.

The side-mounted 1/4" jack lets the pedal act as a remote channel switcher for your amplifier when the effect is engaged¹. The small switch changes the polarity so you can decide which channel you want the 33 to be on⁵. MusicRadar's announcement noted that a mini slide switch makes the jack either open or closed by default⁶.

Power, bypass and size

The 33 runs from a 9V DC center-pin-negative fully regulated adapter or power supply, or from a battery, none of which are included⁵. Current draw is 27mA at 9V⁵, low enough for a standard pedalboard supply. Switching is industry standard 3DPT mechanical true bypass⁵, with top-mounted jacks⁶.

The enclosure measures 4.4" x 2.38" x 1.06" (112mm x 60mm x 27mm) excluding knobs and switches, with a shipping weight of 360g⁵. The original finish was matte black⁶³. The pedal is built in the U.S.A. and carries Fortin's limited 1-year warranty⁵.

Where it came from

The Mini 33 and how it differs

The Fortin Mini 33 is the same pedal in a smaller box. Fortin states plainly that the regular 33 and the Mini are the same, and the only difference is the physical size, with the Mini sized for tight pedalboards⁷. It shares the mental control, the side channel-switching jack and polarity switch, 3DPT true bypass, the 27mA draw at 9V, U.S. construction, and the 1-year warranty⁵. As of October 2026 Fortin's 33 collection page lists the Mini as sold out⁸.

Fortin also makes the Grind, and the maker distinguishes the two: both are exciters, but each excites different frequencies⁹. Players comparing tighteners can read more in the boost pedals overview.

Inside the circuit

For players interested in what is under the hood, the DIY community has documented the design. The Guitar FX Layouts blog, which published a stripboard layout for building the circuit in March 2020, describes a design that uses a charge pump IC to generate a high voltage rail of around 33V for the opamp, running from a 9V supply¹⁰. The layout specifies MAX1044, 7660, 7660s, or LT1054 charge pump ICs, with 1N5817 and 1N4001 diodes¹⁰. That internal voltage rail is how a 9V pedal can deliver a large clean boost without running out of headroom.

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