The GUP Tech Horsie Overdrive is an overdrive pedal from GUP Tech, a small builder in Saguenay, Québec, Canada, where the maker says all of its pedals are built by hand1. GUP Tech names it plainly as a tribute: the product page calls it the "Horsie Overdrive (Klon Centaur Tribute)", meaning it follows the circuit of the Klon Centaur, the boost-overdrive that has been copied and reinterpreted more than almost any other pedal1. The maker describes the sound as "The classic infinite clean-ish boost-OD with Tone control of the treble", the same clean boost into light overdrive behavior the Centaur is known for1.
What it does to your signal
The Horsie sits in the boost-overdrive family: at lower settings it acts as a clean-ish boost that keeps the character of your amp and guitar, and pushed harder it adds overdrive, with a Tone control shaping the treble1. That is the role the Klon Centaur established, and GUP Tech keeps the "classic circuit" while fitting it into a smaller box1.
Circuit: germanium clipping and the Klon buffer
Two circuit details define the Horsie, and both come straight from the maker's page1:
- D9 germanium diodes for the clipping, which GUP Tech lists among its "only high quality parts"1
- The classic Klon buffer, which the maker says the pedal "also got"1
For context on the original: Delicious Audio's buying guide describes the Klon Centaur as "combining an internal voltage-doubling charge pump with hand-selected germanium clipping diodes"2, and Bill Finnegan, the Centaur's designer, told Premier Guitar that "the diode clipping happens on top of some op-amp clipping in the main gain stage"3. The Horsie's germanium clipping and retained buffer place it in that same lineage, and the internal voltage conversion described below echoes the original's higher internal rails12.
Power: 9V only, and a clean supply
The power requirements are the one thing a new owner must get right:
GUP Tech specifies "9Vdc center negative ONLY. Anything higher will blow the circuit." The pedal converts internally to -9 and +18V, so the maker says a clean power supply is required. Current draw is 16mA1.
That internal conversion to -9 and +18V is how the pedal reaches the higher internal voltages the Klon-style circuit runs at, and it means the quality of the 9V input matters: a noisy or dirty supply passes straight into a circuit that depends on clean rails1. At 16mA the Horsie is within reach of most standard pedalboard power supplies1.
Enclosure, price and versions
The Horsie comes in a 125B enclosure with top mounted jacks, which GUP Tech describes as the "classic circuit, smaller 125B enclosure" arrangement: the full circuit in a more compact box than the original Centaur's large housing, with jacks on top for tighter pedalboard spacing1. It is listed in yellow1.
| Horsie Overdrive | Horsie Douche Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit | Classic circuit, Horsie specifications4 | Same specifications4 |
| Enclosure | 125B, top mounted jacks1 | Gorva Design sparkle enclosures4 |
| Price | £71.00 GBP1 | £93.00 GBP sale price4 |
| Current draw | 16mA1 | 16mA4 |
The Douche Edition is GUP Tech's sparkle-enclosure variant of the same pedal, a treatment the builder applies across its range4. The standard Horsie is sold through the maker's product page, with pickup available at the GUP Tech shop, usually ready in 24 hours1.
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Questions
Is the GUP Tech Horsie true bypass?
No. GUP Tech lists the Horsie as a buffered design, which follows the original Klon Centaur approach: the pedal's buffer stays in the signal path. The maker describes the buffer as the classic Klon buffer, so the Horsie keeps that part of the circuit rather than switching to true bypass switching.
Where are GUP Tech pedals made?
GUP Tech builds its pedals in Saguenay, Québec, Canada. The maker states that all of its pedals are made by the company there, and the Horsie Overdrive is among them. The pedals are sold through the maker's own site, with pickup available at the GUP Tech shop, usually ready within 24 hours.
How much does the GUP Tech Horsie Overdrive cost?
GUP Tech lists the Horsie Overdrive at £71.00 GBP on its product page as of October 2026. The Douche Edition version of the Horsie, which uses the same specifications in a Gorva Design sparkle enclosure, is listed at a sale price of £93.00 GBP.
What enclosure size is the GUP Tech Horsie?
The Horsie uses a 125B enclosure with top mounted jacks. GUP Tech describes it as the classic circuit in a smaller 125B box, which keeps the pedal compact on a pedalboard while leaving room for the circuit and its internally converted power rails.
Sources (4)
- Horsie Overdrive (Klon Centaur Tribute), GUP Tech (guptech.ca)
- The Klon Centaur Pedal And The Best Klon Clones In 2026: A Buyer's Guide, Delicious Audio, 2026-06-17
- Builder Profile: Klon's Bill Finnegan, Premier Guitar, 2014-01-21
- Horsie - Douche Edition, GUP Tech (guptech.ca)
