The GUP Tech EVL Honker is a distortion pedal from the Canadian builder GUP Tech, and it is a hot-rodded take on the Marshall Guv'Nor. GUP Tech's own description: "It's basically a vintage hot rodded Marshall Guv-Nor. Think about a hot rodded JCM800 in that small enclosure."1 The same pedal is described on the maker's Lab Series Guv'Nor clone page as "our EVL Honker which is a hot rodded version of the Guv'Nor."2 In other words, the Guv'Nor's classic British-style distortion circuit, pushed toward higher gain.
Controls and voicing modes
The EVL Honker keeps the Guv'Nor-style control layout simple. GUP Tech says "The three knobs are classic controls, Level, Dirt and Tone," so you get output level, distortion amount and tone shaping on the top row.1
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Output volume |
| Dirt | Distortion amount |
| Tone | Tone shaping |
| Toggle switch | Selects one of three voicing modes |
The voicing toggle is what sets the EVL Honker apart from a straight Guv'Nor copy. Per GUP Tech: "The toggle switch gives you access to three voicing modes (Normal, Mid boost High Gain and Vintage High Gain)."1 Normal covers the standard voicing, while the two high-gain modes let you lean into the hot-rodded character, with or without a mid boost.
Power
The pedal runs on 9V DC center negative and draws 11mA, so it sits comfortably within what any standard pedalboard power supply provides.1
Douche Edition
GUP Tech also offered an EVL Honker - Douche Edition, with the same three knobs and the same three voicing modes on a toggle switch, described by the maker as "this High-Gain pedal in a box you need." That version is currently sold out.3
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Questions
What pedal is the GUP Tech EVL Honker based on?
GUP Tech describes the EVL Honker as a vintage hot-rodded Marshall Guv'Nor, and elsewhere as a hot-rodded version of the Guv'Nor. The maker's own comparison is a hot-rodded JCM800 in a small enclosure, so it takes the classic Guv'Nor distortion circuit and pushes it toward higher gain.
How many voicing modes does the EVL Honker have?
Three. A toggle switch selects between Normal, Mid boost High Gain and Vintage High Gain voicing modes, alongside the three knobs: Level, Dirt and Tone.
What power supply does the EVL Honker need?
The EVL Honker runs on 9V DC center negative and draws 11mA, so a standard 9V pedal supply works. GUP Tech does not list a battery option on the product page.
What colors does the EVL Honker come in?
The EVL Honker comes in a small enclosure with Black or White color options, according to GUP Tech's product page.
Sources (3)
- EVL Honker, GUP Tech
- Lab Series #14, GUPtech
- EVL Honker, GUPtech
