The GUP Tech Torch HM-2 Clone is a distortion pedal built as what its maker calls "our tribute to the classic Boss HM-2 distortion"1. The original Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal is the circuit behind the buzz-saw high-gain sound associated with Swedish death metal, and clones like the Torch put that tone in a hand-built pedal. GUP Tech sells it in two forms: a standard version with a straightforward three-knob layout, and a TorchX Modded Black version that adds a toggle switch opening up three distinct tones from the same circuit1.
The circuit it is based on
The Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal was Boss's own high-gain distortion pedal, and its sound is described by Wren and Cuff, another builder working in the same territory, as "it's buzz-saw brand of high-gain distortion"2. The original version required a 12V DC negative-tip power supply, as Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson noted in 20263, so a 9V pedal like the Torch is simpler to fit into a standard pedalboard setup.
The standard Torch
The standard Torch is described by GUP Tech as a "standard straight-forward heavy distortion with gain, low and high knobs"1. That gives you a gain control for the amount of distortion, plus low and high EQ knobs to shape the heavy bottom end and top edge of the sound, in the manner of the HM-2's famous tone controls.
The TorchX Modded Black version
Since 1 December 2020, GUP Tech has offered the Torch with a Clean Boost/Overdrive mod, sold as the TorchX Modded Black style1. The mod adds a toggle switch between the Volume and Distortion knobs, and the maker says "you now get three completely different tones from this toggle":
- Position 1: a clean EQ boost
- Position 2: the authentic HM-2 circuit
- Center position: an Overdrive-Distortion hybrid
For a player, that means one pedal that can act as a clean boost or overdrive into an amp, a straight HM-2 style distortion, or something between the two, selected from the toggle rather than by adjusting knobs1.
Power, bypass and practical details
The Torch runs on 9Vdc center-negative power and draws 14mA, which is within reach of nearly any pedalboard supply1. It is a true-bypass pedal, so when it is off, the circuit is out of your signal path1. The maker lists it at £77.00 GBP1.
The Torch's 9Vdc requirement differs from the original Boss HM-2, which needed a 12V DC negative-tip supply31. Do not run the Torch at 12V on the assumption that the original's supply rules apply.
Who makes it
GUP Tech is a small Canadian builder. "All of our pedals are made by us in Saguenay, Québec, Canada," the company states on the Torch's product page1. Its range includes other distortion tributes such as the GUP Tech 1982 RAT Tribute Distortion and the GUP Tech Pile O' RATs, alongside preamp and overdrive designs.
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Questions
Is the GUP Tech Torch a true bypass pedal?
Yes. GUP Tech lists the Torch HM-2 Clone as a true-bypass pedal, meaning the pedal's circuit is removed from the signal path entirely when it is switched off, so your guitar's signal reaches the amp untouched until you engage the distortion.
What power does the GUP Tech Torch need?
The Torch runs on a 9Vdc center-negative power supply and draws 14mA. That is a standard pedalboard supply requirement, so it can share a supply with most other pedals. Note that the original Boss HM-2 it is based on required a 12V DC supply, so the Torch is easier to power than the pedal it honors.
What does the toggle on the modded Torch do?
On the TorchX Modded Black version, a toggle switch fitted between the Volume and Distortion knobs selects three tones: position 1 is a clean EQ boost, position 2 is the authentic HM-2 circuit, and the center position is an Overdrive-Distortion hybrid. GUP Tech has offered this Clean Boost/Overdrive mod since December 2020.
Where is the GUP Tech Torch made?
GUP Tech builds all of its pedals by hand in Saguenay, Québec, Canada, and the Torch HM-2 Clone is no exception. The company is a small builder whose range covers tributes to several classic distortion circuits.
Sources (3)
- Torch HM-2 Clone, GUP Tech (guptech.ca), 2020-12-01
- Hangman-2D, Wren and Cuff
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-10-06
