Godfathers of djent and stank face riffs Meshuggah have teamed up with Fortin Amps for a namesake signature pre-amp and distortion pedal for “unrelenting and aggressive tones” aplenty.
Crafted in collaboration with Meshuggah’s guitarists Fredrik Thorendal and Mårten Hagström, and Mike Fortin, the Meshuggah pedal “embodies the raw power and precision of one of metal's most legendary bands,” bringing all the fun of the band’s signature Fortin amp into a more compact format.
Fine-tuned controls are designed to tighten heavy guitars and blend precision with chaos, delivering extra excitement and grit to a player’s guitar tone.
A three-band EQ with active circuitry helps manipulate two built-in channels which follow the same gain structure as the band's well-loved signature amp. That means the EQ adds desired frequencies rather than simply eliminating the undesirables.
Fortin's Zuul noise gate, a key part of Meshuggah's calculated ferocity, is also present to stop things getting out of hand, and there's Lo/Hi mini-switch “to take the pedal from classic rock to a fire-breathing high-gain monster”.
This is especially useful when switching between uses, with the pedal serving pre-amp, signal boosting benefits, and more hairy, face-to-the-concrete power in equal measure.
At the bottom of the pedal are two footswitches, for switching between its two channels and a standard on/off switch.
There's also a glowing nuclear symbol slap bang in the middle, which is either a neat aesthetic touch or proof of how radioactive this small but beastly pedal is.
“Imagine the roaring intensity of Meshuggah’s live performances echoing through your rig,” Fortin commands. “Layer your riffs with complex harmonic excitement and dive into a world where your guitar can express the chaos and beauty that metal embodies, and take your tone to unprecedented heights.”
Music Man signature artist Rabea Massaad is clearly excited by Fortin's latest drop. He's reacted to the firm's Instagram post with “Oh shiiiiiit”.
Built in the US, the pedal rocks true bypass, a standard 9V power supply for easy pedalboard inclusion, and a one-year warranty for all players.
Speaking in his demo of the pedal, Ola Englund says: “It's got the Meshuggah amp growl of the real amplifier, and I love how simple it is.”
The Fortin Meshuggah Pre-Amp - Distortion pedal is available to order for $349 and ships worldwide.
Head to Fortin Amps to get yer djent on.
