Guitarists seeking the earth-shattering, low-end devastation synonymous with Swedish metal titans Meshuggah can now rejoice. Fortin Amps, renowned for their high-gain amplifier designs, has unveiled the Meshuggah Preamp/Distortion pedal, a compact unit engineered to deliver the band’s signature sonic assault.
Meshuggah
Designed by the acclaimed Mike Fortin, the pedal aims to encapsulate the sound of the elusive and highly coveted Fortin Meshuggah amplifier head.
Revered by metal guitar players as a “holy grail” tube amp, the original Meshuggah head, launched in 2016, was specifically designed to capture the tones used by both Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström throughout Meshuggah’s influential career.
Thordendal himself lauded the original amp, stating, “They sound fucking terrific. It’s been a long time since it’s been so much fun to just riff onstage, and these amps brought that back for me in a way I don’t think I’ve ever experienced – to the point that sometimes I just get lost in the riff and how powerful it feels.”
Meshuggah Pedal
Now, Fortin Amps claims to have bottled that same magic into a pedal format. While lacking the power tubes of its amplifier counterpart, the company asserts that the pedal’s tone and, crucially, its feel are remarkably similar.
This is the latest Fortin pedal, based on an amp. Our regular readers will remember the Fortin Natas Distortion Pedal, which was also based on one of their classic discontinued amp heads.
Two Channels
In their FAQs, Fortin Amps suggests that when paired with the power section of a Meshuggah amp or even impulse responses from the Neural DSP Nameless X suite, the tonal distinctions become “extremely hard to hear.”
Developed in close collaboration with Thordendal and Hagström, the pedal boasts a powerful and versatile feature set. An active 3-band EQ allows for precise sculpting of frequencies, offering both cut and boost capabilities.
Two footswitchable channels provide distinct tonal palettes, while Hi and Lo modes, working in tandem with the Master Volume Control (MVC) dial, enable players to fine-tune their desired level of gain.
Fortin Zuul
For Meshuggah aficionados, the inclusion of a built-in Fortin Zuul noise gate is a significant addition. This feature promises to maintain the razor-sharp articulation and tightness crucial for the band’s complex, staccato-laden riffs.
The pedal offers further tonal flexibility with its Hi and Lo gain modes.
The Hi Gain mode delivers a more compressed and modern character, ideal for contemporary metal tones. Conversely, the Lo mode provides an “open, raw vintage” feel, suggesting a wider range of sonic possibilities beyond Meshuggah’s signature sound.
Fortin emphasizes the interactive nature of the pedal controls, encouraging users to experiment with and uncover the pedal’s various sweet spots.
Designed and manufactured in the USA, the Meshuggah Preamp/Distortion pedal requires a 9V DC power supply (minimum 106mA).
Priced at $349, this pedal offers guitarists a potentially more accessible route to achieving the iconic high-gain tones that have defined a generation of metal music.
Prepare to unleash sonic devastation!
Fortin Meshuggah PreAmp/Distortion at Thomann
More Information
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