The GUP Tech MOKA Pot is a two-knob fuzz pedal built around the classic Harmonic Percolator schematic, rebuilt with modern and available parts. GUP Tech describes it as "tons of Fuzz, not a lot of controls, only two knobs," and the maker's design note from Emilie frames it as an attempt to make a reliable version of a circuit players had been hearing about for a long time1.
Where the MOKA Pot comes from
The MOKA Pot's route to production ran through GUP Tech's lab series: the Lab 61 Percolator page, dated 22 March 2022, points readers to the MOKA P.O.T., described there as "the original production model from GUP Tech"2. The design note for the MOKA Pot and the Douche Edition is credited to Emilie13, and the pedals are made by GUP Tech in Saguenay, Québec, Canada14.
All GUP Tech pedals, the MOKA Pot included, are made by the company in Saguenay, Québec, Canada1.
Controls and the three clipping positions
The MOKA Pot keeps its control layout deliberately small: two knobs and a clipping bypass toggle with three positions1.
| Position | Mode | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Upper | Germanium clipping | "In upper position, you get the classic Germanium clipping."1 |
| Center | Bypass/boost | Runs the circuit with less clipping; GUP Tech added it "to use it with more volume, and less clipping."1 |
| Lower | Symmetrical silicon clipping | "In the lower position, it's a classic symmetrical silicon clipping."4 |
The center position is the one that changes how the pedal sits in a rig: with clipping bypassed, the circuit pushes more volume at the front of an amp instead of flattening it in fuzz, which is where GUP Tech's suggestion that it works well with single coil pickups and crunchy amps comes from4.
Gain, squealing and where to put it
GUP Tech is direct about how much gain the circuit carries: "This pedal is a huge monster of gain, and with so many components, it will easily go into Squealing mode when you max out" the knobs, particularly on trebly guitars without a buffer in front of it1. For a player, that means the two knobs are not just volume and texture dials; backing them off is part of taming the circuit, and a buffer pedal earlier in the chain is the maker's implied remedy for trebly setups.
Power
The MOKA Pot runs on 9 Vdc center negative and draws 2 mA1. That is a very light load by pedalboard standards, so it fits comfortably on any standard supply without worrying about current budgets.
The Douche Edition
The GUP Tech MOKA Pot Douche Edition is the sparkle-enclosure version of the same circuit. It carries the same two knobs and the same three-position clipping toggle, with germanium clipping up, bypass/boost in the center, and symmetrical silicon clipping down, and the same design note from Emilie behind it4.
GUP Tech's wider fuzz range includes other takes on classic circuits, such as the GUP Tech PhoqueR, which adds a Green Ringer to the Phoque Face circuit, and the GUP Tech Phoque Face Fuzz. For more on the effect type itself, see Fuzz Pedals.
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Questions
What is a Harmonic Percolator fuzz?
The Harmonic Percolator is a fuzz and overdrive circuit originally built by Interfax in the mid-1970s. Aion FX describes the original HP-1 as an extremely rare and highly sought-after fuzz/overdrive from that era. The circuit has since been revived by several makers, including Land Devices with the HP-2 and Vaderin Pedals with the HP-X, and GUP Tech's MOKA Pot is its own take on the same classic schematic, rebuilt with modern and available parts.
What do the three clipping positions on the MOKA Pot do?
The clipping bypass toggle has three positions. In the upper position you get the classic germanium clipping. In the center position the pedal runs in bypass/boost mode, which GUP Tech added so the circuit can be used with more volume and less clipping. In the lower position it is a classic symmetrical silicon clipping.
What power does the GUP Tech MOKA Pot use?
The MOKA Pot runs on 9 Vdc center negative and draws 2 mA, according to GUP Tech's product page. That very low current draw means it sits easily on a pedalboard power supply without stressing a daisy chain or isolated outputs.
Why does the MOKA Pot squeal with the knobs maxed?
GUP Tech says the pedal is a huge monster of gain, and with so many components it will easily go into squealing mode when you max out the knobs, particularly on trebly guitars without a buffer ahead of it. Rolling the knobs back or placing a buffer before the pedal keeps it under control.
Where is GUP Tech based?
GUP Tech builds all of its pedals in Saguenay, Québec, Canada. The company states on its product pages that every pedal is made by the team there.
What is the MOKA Pot Douche Edition?
The MOKA Pot Douche Edition is GUP Tech's sparkle-enclosure version of the MOKA Pot, with the same two knobs and the same three-position clipping toggle covering germanium clipping, bypass/boost mode, and symmetrical silicon clipping. It was listed as sold out on the maker's page as of October 2026.
Sources (4)
- MOKA Pot (Percolator Original Tribute), GUP Tech (guptech.ca)
- Lab #61 - Percolator, GUP Tech, 2022-03-22
- Particle Vintage Fuzz / Interfax Harmonic Percolator, Aion FX, 2021-02-19
- MOKA Pot Douche Edition, guptech.ca
