The GUPtech GrindR Plem Edition is a clean boost pedal with a switchable preamp. GUPtech describes it as "20db of clean boost, with a bypassable (left switch) preamp (bass and treble control)," and calls the whole package a three-in-one that includes the company's "old school popular Integrated Preamp," switched in with the left toggle1. It is one of several editions of the GrindR, alongside the Douche Edition and the Truck Driver Shawn Edition, which share the same boost and preamp design2.
Controls and how it works
The pedal is built around two toggles and the bass, treble and level controls1:
- Left toggle (P/B): selects between the preamp and bypass. In "P" (Preamp) position, Bass and Treble become active. In "B" (Bypass) mode, you only have Level and EQ type control1.
- Right toggle: switches between the original "Grind" EQ and the "33" EQ1.
- Bass and Treble: shape the tone when the preamp is engaged1.
- Level: sets the boost amount, and is the only level control left when the preamp is bypassed1.
With the preamp bypassed, the GrindR works as a straight clean boost; with it engaged, it acts as a small preamp with bass and treble shaping. The right toggle's two EQ types give a further tonal choice on top of that1.
GUPtech warns that the pedal runs on 9Vdc only, center negative, and that "anything over 9V will blow the pedal." Keep it off higher-voltage supplies and out of daisy chains that might deliver more than 9V1.
The Plem Edition and the GrindR family
The Plem Edition is a variant of the standard GrindR. GUPtech announced it in an update dated 16 August 2021: "New Plem edition is now available via the Custom Shop. Same boost power, new Blue look"1. So the difference from the standard pedal is the enclosure look, not the circuit.
Other editions carry the same core design. The Douche Edition is described by GUPtech with the same wording: 20dB of clean boost with a bypassable preamp and bass and treble control, also a three-in-one with the Integrated Preamp on the left toggle2. The GrindR circuit also appears as the boost side of the Baby Honker dual overdrive/boost, where GUPtech describes the left side as "20db of clean boost, with a bypassable preamp (bass and treble control)"34.
Availability
GUPtech's product page lists the Plem Edition as sold out1. It was a Custom Shop release rather than a standard catalog pedal, announced on 16 August 20211. Players looking for the same boost and preamp circuit in an available pedal can check the standard GrindR page or GUPtech's other boost designs, such as the Peeps Clean Boost or the Slime Mid-Boost.
Questions
How much boost does the GUPtech GrindR give?
The GrindR gives 20dB of clean boost, according to GUPtech's product page. On top of that, the left toggle switches in a preamp section with bass and treble controls, so the pedal can act as a straight clean boost or as a preamp that shapes the tone before or after other pedals on the board.
What does the P and B toggle position do on the GrindR?
The left toggle selects between P (Preamp) and B (Bypass). In the P position, the Bass and Treble controls become active and the preamp shapes your tone. In the B position, the preamp is bypassed and you only have the Level control and the EQ type selection, leaving the pedal as a straightforward clean boost.
How is the Plem Edition different from the standard GrindR?
GUPtech describes the Plem Edition as having the same boost power as the original GrindR, in a new blue look. It was made available through the company's Custom Shop in August 2021. The core circuit, the 20dB clean boost and the switchable preamp, is the same as the standard pedal.
Is the GUPtech GrindR Plem Edition still available?
No. GUPtech's product page lists the GrindR Plem Edition as sold out. The pedal was a Custom Shop release from August 2021, so availability depended on GUPtech building more units. The standard GrindR and other editions have appeared on the company's site.
Sources (4)
- GrindR Plem Edition, GUPtech, 2021-08-16
- GrindR Douche Edition, GUP Tech
- GrindR EQ, GUP Tech (guptech.ca)
- Douche Edition, GUP Tech
