The GUP Tech Blades of Steel Triple Overdrive - Fuzz Douche Edition is a triple pedal that combines three of the maker's most popular pedals in one enclosure. GUP Tech describes it as resembling a TS-808, an OCD and a Big Muff in a super compact enclosure, covering overdrive and fuzz duties in a single box1.
The three circuits inside
Each section of the Blades of Steel is a version of a pedal GUP Tech sells on its own12:
- Pumpky Overdrive: a modded OCD-style overdrive12
- Honker Hot Rod: a TS-808-style overdrive, the Tube Screamer circuit that also underpins pedals like the GUP Tech Dude Screamer12
- Big Pinotte Muff Tribute: a Big Muff-style fuzz12
Together, the maker says the pedal resembles a TS-808, an OCD and a Big Muff1. For a player, that means three familiar gain flavors, from mid-focused overdrive to full fuzz, without three separate boxes on the board.
Origins and the Douche Edition
The Blades of Steel began as a fan idea. A player named Stéphane had GUP Tech build a triple pedal with those three circuits back in 2019, and the design grew from there1. The Douche Edition keeps the same name and circuits but carries updated graphics, including the little Pumpky, Honker and Pinotte characters2. GUP Tech uses the Douche Edition name across its range for special versions of pedals such as the GUP Tech Queen of Crow - Douche Edition and the GUP Tech Vej2 Douche Edition.
Jacks, routing and power
The four jacks let you run the sections separately or as one chain1:
- First and second right jacks are in-out for the Pumpky and Honker circuits
- Third and fourth jacks are in-out for the Big Pinotte circuit
- An internal jumper between jacks 2 and 3 allows entering at jack 1 and exiting at jack 4, chaining all three circuits1
The pedal runs on 9V DC center-negative power and draws 15mA1. Size your supply for three circuits in one box, and check that any daisy chain you share it with can spare the current.
Where it fits
If you want the same three circuits but can live with a larger or plainer format, the standard GUP Tech Blades of Steel carries the same Pumpky, Honker Hot Rod and Big Pinotte Muff Tribute circuits2. For other takes on the Tube Screamer formula, see the site's comparison of the Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, or browse the wider overdrive and distortion pages.
Questions
What pedals are inside the GUP Tech Blades of Steel?
The Blades of Steel combines three GUP Tech pedals in one enclosure: the Pumpky Overdrive, a modded OCD-style circuit; the Honker Hot Rod, based on the TS-808; and the Big Pinotte Muff Tribute, based on the Big Muff. Together the maker says the triple pedal resembles a TS-808, an OCD and a Big Muff in a super compact enclosure.
Can you use the three circuits separately?
Yes. The first and second right jacks are in-out for the Pumpky and Honker circuits, while the third and fourth jacks are in-out for the Big Pinotte circuit. An internal jumper between jacks 2 and 3 lets the whole pedal run as one chain, entering at jack 1 and exiting at jack 4.
What power supply does the Blades of Steel need?
The pedal runs on 9V DC center-negative power and draws 15mA. Use a supply that matches that voltage and polarity, and note that a standard daisy-chain setup shared with higher-draw pedals may not suit every board.
Is the Blades of Steel based on a Tube Screamer and a Big Muff?
Partly. Of the three circuits inside, the Honker Hot Rod is based on the Ibanez TS-808 and the Big Pinotte Muff Tribute is based on the Big Muff. The third circuit, the Pumpky Overdrive, is a modded OCD-style design rather than a Tube Screamer variant.
Where is GUP Tech based?
GUP Tech builds its pedals in Saguenay, Québec, Canada. The maker states that all of its pedals are made by the company there.
What is the Douche Edition?
Douche Edition is the name GUP Tech gives to special or updated versions of its pedals, often with new graphics or a sparkling enclosure. This Douche Edition of the Blades of Steel keeps the same three circuits as the standard version but carries updated graphics, including the little Pumpky, Honker and Pinotte characters.
Sources (2)
- Blades of Steel Triple Overdrive, GUP Tech (guptech.ca), 2019
- Blades of Steel Triple Overdrive, guptech.ca
