The GUP Tech Mad Honker is a 2-in-1 overdrive pedal from GUP Tech, a maker that builds all of its pedals in Saguenay, Québec, Canada. One side is a GrindR boost, the other a TS-808 Hot Rod clone, and the idea is simple: a GrindR pushing a TS-808 Hot Rod, to get the best of both pedals1. It sits in the same family as the standalone GUP Tech GrindR and the dual overdrive and boost GUP Tech Baby Honker.
The two sides of the pedal
The GrindR side is the boost. GUP Tech describes it as 20dB of clean boost with a bypassable preamp that carries bass and treble control, switched in or out with the left toggle1. A toggle on this side also switches between the original "Grind" or the "33" EQ1.
The Honker Hot Rod side is the overdrive. GUP Tech calls it a classic TS-808 clone with Volume, Gain and Tone control, and adds a Hot Rod mod on top: a Fat selection on the left toggle and a clipping mode toggle with three settings, Diode, op amp and classic1. The TS-808 is the Ibanez overdrive circuit that the overdrive pedal category grew up around, and the JRC4558 chip in the Mad Honker is the chip associated with that design1.
| Side | Controls | Extras |
|---|---|---|
| GrindR (boost) | 20dB clean boost, bypassable preamp with bass and treble | Left toggle bypasses the preamp; toggle selects "Grind" or "33" EQ1 |
| Honker Hot Rod (overdrive) | Volume, Gain, Tone | Fat selection (left toggle); clipping toggle: Diode, op amp, classic1 |
Serial and parallel versions
GUP Tech has produced two versions of the Mad Honker since June 2020: one with the standard GrindR pushing the 808, and one with a parallel switch and Mix knob that lets both circuits run in parallel1. On the parallel mod version, the pedal's center switch selects the mode: left is parallel, right is standard serial mode1.
The two versions are not interchangeable: only the parallel mod version has the center switch and Mix knob. The standard version runs the GrindR into the 808 in series only.
Power and related versions
The Mad Honker needs 9Vdc center negative only, and GUP Tech is blunt about it: anything higher will blow some stuffs. Power consumption is 28mA1. That is low enough for ordinary pedalboard supplies, but the voltage warning rules out any higher-voltage input.
GUP Tech also built a Lab Series #33 Mini Mad Honker, which the maker describes as its mini Mad Honker prototype, including the two original circuits of the Mad Honker, the GrindR and the TS-808. That Lab Series version is sold out2.
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Questions
Is the GUP Tech Mad Honker a Tube Screamer clone?
The Honker side of the pedal is a TS-808 clone with Volume, Gain and Tone controls, built around a JRC4558 chip. GUP Tech adds a Hot Rod mod on top, with a Fat selection toggle and a clipping mode toggle offering diode, op amp and classic settings. The other side is a GrindR boost, so the pedal is two circuits in one box rather than a straight clone.
What does the Mix knob do on the parallel version of the Mad Honker?
On the parallel version, the Mix knob is part of a setup that lets both circuits, the GrindR and the TS-808, run at the same time in parallel instead of one pushing the other in series. The standard version has no Mix knob and simply runs the GrindR into the 808 circuit.
How do you switch the Mad Honker between serial and parallel mode?
On the parallel mod version, the pedal's center switch selects the mode: left is parallel, right is standard serial mode. In serial mode the GrindR pushes the 808; in parallel the two circuits run alongside each other.
What power supply does the Mad Honker need?
The Mad Honker runs on 9Vdc center negative only, drawing 28mA. GUP Tech warns that anything higher than 9V will blow some stuffs, so it needs its own correct 9V supply rather than a higher-voltage input.
Sources (2)
- Mad Honker, GUP Tech (guptech.ca), 2020-06-02
- Lab Series #33, GUP Tech (guptech.ca)
