The Hiwatt Filter Fuzz MKII Compact is a fuzz pedal built in the Messenger style, the circuit associated with Grand Funk Railroad's Messenger Fuzz, which the band used on its first three albums, including On Time. Hiwatt describes it as an SMT (surface-mount) Messenger-style fuzz, and Guitar Pedal X reviewed it as opening up the legendary Messenger-style fuzz to more players at an affordable price1.
Controls
The pedal carries four knobs and two footswitches, letting you set the fuzz character by hand and switch the filter and fuzz stages in and out while playing1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Output level |
| Fuzz | Fuzz amount |
| Filter/Focus | Tone shaping |
| Thick (Bass Input) | Bass input control |
| Filter footswitch | Switches the filter in and out |
| Fuzz footswitch | Switches the fuzz in and out |
Price and availability
Guitar Pedal X listed the Compact at £81/$100 as of June 2025, and noted that Andertons had discounted it to £69 at the time of the review. The pedal is available exclusively from Andertons, as well as direct from Hiwatt1.
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X's reviewer, Stefan Karlsson, compared the Compact with the larger Hiwatt Filter Fuzz MKII V1.1 and came down clearly in favor of the smaller enclosure1:
"And the long and the short of it is that I much prefer this more compact edition. It has indeed wholly solved the volume"
The review framed the Compact as the best-value Messenger-style fuzz of its moment, praising its louder, more balanced sound and its more pedalboard-friendly enclosure compared with the MKII V1.11.
Sources (1)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-06-04
