Fortin Amps Fortin MESHUGGAH

The Fortin MESHUGGAH is a two-channel preamp/distortion pedal from Fortin Amps that shrinks the circuit of the Fortin Meshuggah signature tube head into a pedalboard format. Fortin positions it as more than a distortion: a specialized preamp designed to handle the massive harmonic demands of extended-range guitars, tuned to keep the low F string articulate even under extreme gain¹. It was announced in April 2025 at an MSRP of USD 349².

The pedal it is based on is rare ground. MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley called the Fortin Meshuggah head "one of the most legendary and hard to find guitar amps of all time"³. The pedal brings that circuit to players who work "in the box" or on a pedalboard⁴.

The Meshuggah amp in a two-channel pedal

The MESHUGGAH pedal features two foot-switchable gain stages, labeled Red and Green, which Fortin describes as offering dual-channel versatility from crushing rhythm to searing lead tones⁵. Each channel has its own gain control, and a Lo/Hi gain toggle switch on the pedal works alongside them, so a player can set up four gain structures in total before touching the EQ.

Fortin says the two gain modes make the tone range from a chug to a harsh fuzz¹. The jacks are mounted on the top of the enclosure to suit tighter pedalboards, alongside the 9V input, and connectivity is a guitar input and an amp output⁶. Gearnews described the pedal as promising the band's high-gain tone in a preamp and distortion stompbox².

The original amp remains a separate product: Fortin's artist page describes the Meshuggah Signature 50W amplifier as a limited-edition, point-to-point handwired 50W tube head⁵.

Controls: active 3-band EQ, Hi/Lo gain and the Zuul gate

The control set breaks down as follows, combining Fortin's product page with Guitar World's review listing¹⁶:

The EQ is a 3-band active design, so it does not just cut frequencies, it can add them, which Fortin calls hugely responsive¹. Gearnews characterized it as a highly interactive 3-band EQ allowing precise frequency sculpting with both cut and boost².

The noise gate is the built-in Fortin Zuul, which Fortin calls the industry standard and which is available as a pedal in its own right, already popular for metal⁶. Fortin's artist page describes it as a crucial component for the dead-silent stops between riffs that define Meshuggah's style⁵. For players comparing standalone options, see noise gate pedals.

Power and bypass

The pedal runs on 9V DC, center-pin negative, fully regulated, from an external adapter or power supply only, which is not included¹. Fortin states a power draw of 106mA at 9V DC¹; Guitar World's review lists it as approximately 125mA, power supply only⁶.

Bypass is true bypass with DPDT relay switching, and the pedal powers up in the same state it was powered off in, so it returns engaged or bypassed as you left it¹.

Designed by Mike Fortin with Meshuggah

Fortin describes the pedal as crafted in direct collaboration between the sonic visionaries of Meshuggah and the innovative mind of Mike Fortin¹. MusicRadar reported that Fortin designed the new pedal in close collaboration with Thordendal and Hagström, the two Meshuggah guitarists who also used the original head³. Fortin had designed the Meshuggah signature amp in 2016³.

The pedal is built in the U.S.A.¹, a point MusicRadar also confirmed, reporting it is designed and made in the USA³. It carries Fortin's limited 1-year warranty¹.

How close is it to the amp?

Fortin says Mike Fortin got as close as he could to the tone and, most importantly, the feel of the amp¹. Gearnews reported that Fortin Amps assures users the tone and feel of the pedal are strikingly similar to the amplifier, and that differences are extremely hard to hear when the pedal is paired with a Meshuggah amp power section or Neural DSP Nameless X impulse responses².

What reviewers said

Guitar World's review by Connor Flys gave the pedal five stars for build quality⁶. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson, reviewing it among 2025's best new distortion pedals, wrote:

Guitar Pedal X, December 2025⁷

At the pedal's announcement, Karlsson wrote that "it sounds superb to me - and really seems to fully capture that Meshuggah sound"⁸. Guitar Pedal X awarded the Meshuggah a SILVER ranking in its 2025 round-up⁷. The original amp's reputation carries weight of its own: MusicRadar noted that Lee Malia of Bring Me The Horizon told them he wanted one of the 50-watt heads³.

Availability has varied by region. At launch, Guitar Pedal X reported the pedal was expected to be available through Thomann in Europe⁸, and by May 2025 it was listed as special order at Thomann and Andertons, with arrival expected in the first or second week of June that year⁹.

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