The Fortin KALI is a two-channel preamp and distortion pedal that Fortin Amps calls "The Ultimate Modded Marshall in a Box." It is designed to cover the ground between a vintage Plexi and a hot-rodded JCM800: in Fortin's words, "classic Plexi sparkle or the brutal, saturated growl of a hot-rodded JCM800"1. It is the third pedal in Fortin's preamp series, following the Fortin Natas and Fortin Meshuggah, and it is built in the U.S.A. at a list price of $299.99 USD1.
The circuit is inspired by Fortin's CALI amplifier, and Mike Fortin's design pays direct homage to the Jose Arredondo mods of vintage Plexi amps, the pioneering California hot-rod work of the 1980s1. Delicious Audio describes it as a pedal that "channels decades of amp modding heritage, including influences from Jose Arredondo's pioneering work," spanning vintage Plexi-style brightness through aggressive modern metal distortion2.
A Plexi and hot-rodded JCM800 preamp in a pedal
The KALI traces its lineage to the Fortin CALI amp, a white-colored amplifier that itself honored the Arredondo-school mods. The pedal shares that white colourway, which Guitar Pedal X noted is unusual for Marshall-inspired variants3. Although it is inspired by the CALI amp, the pedal was named KALI to avoid confusion with Origin Effects' existing Cali product line2.
Where the Natas and Meshuggah pedals translate Fortin's high-gain metal amplifiers, the KALI aims at the modded-Marshall side of the family. Delicious Audio frames it as a pedal that delivers "the sonic character of Fortin's CALI amp, from vintage Plexi-style brightness to aggressive modern metal distortion"2. Guitar Pedal X places it in a small group of pedals that cover Plexi and JCM800 territory, noting a rare all-white Snowblind Edition of the pedal based on the Laney AOR, itself a heavily modded take on the JCM800.
The controls: two channels, two gains and three modes
The KALI is a dual-channel pedal with two footswitches: a Channel 1/2 footswitch and an On/Bypass footswitch3. Channel 2 adds an extra gain stage on top of the base circuit, and each gain control carries its own three-position Bright switch for dialing in bite1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| CH 1/2 | CH 2 adds an extra gain stage (gain control knob 1)1 |
| Gain 1 | The amount of additional gain in the CH 2 (Red channel) boost, with its own 3-way Bright switch1 |
| Gain 2 | The amount of gain applied to the circuit, with its own 3-way Bright switch1 |
| Active Bass, Mids, Treble | Three-band active EQ4 |
| MVC Master Volume | Overall output level4 |
| MASTER (VINT / SAT / RAW) | Three modes that change the way the pedal feels and reacts to your playing1 |
| Zuul | Built-in Fortin noise gate4 |
The MASTER section is where the three gain modes live, and Fortin describes it as "where the secret sauce is hidden"1:
- VINT: the most vintage sound and feel of the pedal, with some brightness added and a level of compression that makes it feel like a pushed Plexi; with CH 2 selected you can add a modern mod to the circuit1.
- SAT: the saturated, compressed option between the other two modes1.
- RAW: no additional gain stages added, the pedal in its most natural state1.
Guitar Pedal X's review lists the control set as Active Bass, Active Mids, Active Treble, MVC Master Volume, Gain 2 (low-end frequencies distortion), Gain 1 (bright and high-end frequencies distortion), Gain Structure (saturation and compression, Lo/Hi) and the Zuul noise gate4. The built-in Zuul gate means high-gain settings stay quiet without a separate noise gate pedal on the board.
Power and switching
The KALI runs on 9V DC, center-pin negative, fully regulated, from an external adapter or power supply only, and the supply is not included1. There is no battery option. Current draw is 115mA at 9V DC1, which is well beyond what a battery could sustain and high enough that a shared or unregulated daisy-chain supply is a poor match for a fully regulated requirement. Bypass is DPDT relay true bypass switching1. The pedal carries Fortin's limited 1-year warranty1.
The KALI needs a fully regulated 9V DC center-pin negative supply delivering at least 115mA. No power supply is included with the pedal, and there is no battery compartment1.
History: from the Cali amp to the high-gain trifecta
Fortin announced the Kali on 5 August 2025 as a $299 two-channel preamp/distortion pedal derived from the Cali amp, available from the Fortin Webstore with European distribution expected later3. Delicious Audio reported the release as the third in Fortin's preamp series, after the NATAS and MESHUGGAH models2. With the Kali, Guitar Pedal X wrote that Fortin completed its "High Gain Pedal Trifecta," alongside the Natas and Meshuggah forebears3.
The timeline of the series:
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X included the Kali in its 2025 Full Metal Racket roundup of compact high-gain and heavy metal pedals, calling it "a worthy high gain metal pedal too, with plenty of gain in reserve"4. In the site's year-end selection of the best new distortion pedals of 2025, Stefan Karlsson's verdict was:
"Great Plexi + JCM800 Marshall style Dual Channel Preamp, really tight and expressive5."
The same roundup placed the Kali among the year's notable new distortion pedals, with the Fortin Meshuggah taking a SILVER award5.
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Questions
Does the Fortin Kali have a noise gate?
Yes. The Kali includes Fortin's own Zuul noise gate built in, alongside the active three-band EQ, two channels and two gain structure modes. That makes it usable at high gain settings without a separate gate pedal on the board.
Is the Fortin Kali true bypass?
Yes. Fortin specifies industry standard DPDT relay true bypass switching, so the pedal removes itself from the signal chain when bypassed rather than buffering through the circuit.
Can the Fortin Kali run on a battery?
No. The Kali runs on a 9V DC center-pin negative, fully regulated external adapter or power supply only, which is not included. There is no battery option, so it needs a spot on a pedalboard power supply.
What is the difference between VINT, SAT and RAW on the Kali?
They are the three MASTER modes. VINT is the most vintage sound and feel, with added brightness and compression that makes the pedal feel like a pushed Plexi. RAW adds no extra gain stages and is the pedal in its most natural state. SAT sits between them as the saturated option.
Is the Fortin Kali made in the USA?
Yes. Fortin states the Kali is built in the U.S.A., and it carries Fortin's limited 1-year warranty. It is sold through the Fortin Webstore at $299.99 USD.
Sources (5)
- KALI® - Versatile Modded Plexi | Modern Hi-Gain | Pre-Amp - Fortin Amps, Fortin Amps
- New Pedal: Fortin Kali Preamp Distortion, Delicious Audio, 2025-08-09
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-08-05
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-11-27
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-12-05
