The GUP Tech Clippy Fuzz is a fuzz pedal made in Saguenay, Québec, Canada, where the company builds all of its pedals by hand1. GUP Tech describes it as "Wild, untamed, erratic, and massive sounding," and calls it "One of our favorite and most versatile fuzz based on the Paul Trombetta Mini-Bone"1.
Controls
The Clippy Fuzz carries four knobs and a toggle, and each does a distinct job:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Used as you would expect1 |
| Gain | Used as you would expect1 |
| Bone | Fully clockwise, it completely chokes the transistors' voltage and adds a nice sub-octave to your tone1 |
| Mood | A little bit like an EQ for the upper-octave tone you can get1 |
| Toggle (under Bone) | 3-position switch that adjusts the attack of the Bone knob and the reactivity1 |
GUP Tech is upfront that the Bone knob takes some learning: "The Bone knob is a little bit tricky, fully clockwise, it's completely choking the transistors voltage and add a nice sub-octave to your tone"1. In practice, that means the knob does more than a plain tone or bias control: at its extreme it starves the transistors and produces a note below the one you are playing.
The octave-up sound
The Mood knob and the toggle work together to bring out an octave above the notes you play. GUP Tech's own instructions: "With the toggle on the right position and the knob fully clockwise, you'll get a nice octave up tone"1. The Mood knob then acts as a tone shaping control for that upper octave, described by the maker as a little like an EQ for it1.
The octave-up sound depends on a specific setting: the toggle in the right position and the Mood knob fully clockwise. Other settings of the toggle change the attack and reactivity of the Bone knob instead1.
Players interested in octave and octave-up fuzz effects more broadly can compare the Clippy Fuzz with other GUP Tech designs such as the GUP Tech Bloup! Octavia Fuzz Tribute or the GUP Tech Bouh-Nana Octave Machine, and with the company's other fuzzes including the GUP Tech Phoque Face Fuzz and the GUP Tech Bee Fuzz.
Power and practicalities
The Clippy Fuzz runs on 9Vdc center-negative power and draws 1mA1. That is a very light draw by pedal standards, so it poses no problem for a standard daisy chain or isolated pedalboard supply.
Price and availability
GUP Tech's product page lists the Clippy Fuzz at £71.00 GBP as of 26 October 20261.
Videos
GUPtech
GUPtech
Guide de survie du guitariste
Questions
What circuit is the GUP Tech Clippy Fuzz based on?
GUP Tech describes the Clippy Fuzz as one of its favorite and most versatile fuzzes, based on the Paul Trombetta Mini-Bone. The maker builds its pedals in Saguenay, Québec, Canada, and the Clippy Fuzz carries that circuit into the company's own enclosure with its own control layout.
Does the Clippy Fuzz make an octave-up sound?
Yes. According to GUP Tech, with the toggle under the Bone knob set to the right position and the Mood knob turned fully clockwise, you get a nice octave-up tone. The Mood knob works a little like an EQ for that upper-octave sound, so you can shape how much of it comes through.
What power supply does the Clippy Fuzz use?
The Clippy Fuzz runs on 9Vdc center-negative power and draws 1mA, according to GUP Tech's product page. That low draw means it sits comfortably on a standard pedalboard power supply alongside other pedals.
Where is the Clippy Fuzz made?
GUP Tech states that all of its pedals are made by the company in Saguenay, Québec, Canada. The Clippy Fuzz is built there alongside the rest of the GUP Tech range.
What colors does the Clippy Fuzz come in?
The Clippy Fuzz is offered in two color options, Black and Blue, as listed on GUP Tech's product page.
Sources (1)
- Clippy Fuzz, GUP Tech
