The GUPtech Pop Corner, sold as the PPPC Pop Corner, is an overdrive pedal from GUPtech, a small builder whose pedals are made in Saguenay, Québec, Canada1. GUPtech describes it as a character overdrive rather than an all-around workhorse, saying it "won't be the all around main overdrive of your pedalboard because there's much more attitude and character" to it1. The company says it aimed for something versatile, "from light driven blues to modern rock where you can also find some hard funk and" squashed grunge tones in between1.
Controls
The Pop Corner keeps things simple: three knobs and one toggle switch1.
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Size | Volume1 |
| Butter | Gain1 |
| Salt | Tone1 |
| Toggle switch | Compression on/off, labeled More Clipping1 |
The compression switch is the pedal's second voice. Engaging it adds compression and, in GUPtech's wording, More Clipping, so the same Butter setting can go from a looser drive to a tighter, more squashed sound1. For a sense of how that sits next to other GUPtech drives, the GUPtech Trou D'Beigne TB Overdrive and GUPtech Saguenay Drive cover the builder's other overdrive designs, and the GUPtech CocoCast Preamp-Overdrive pairs a preamp with its own drive circuit.
Design approach
GUPtech is upfront about how the circuit came together. On the product page the builder writes1:
"We were looking at something versatile from light driven blues to modern rock where you can also find some hard funk and squashed grunge tones"
In other words, the Pop Corner was voiced by listening and prototyping rather than by working to a conventional circuit design, which is the company's own explanation for why it sounds the way it does1.
Power and bypass
GUPtech specifies a DC output with a negative center connector, compatible with a standard 9V adaptor1. The page does not give a current draw figure, so treat it like any small overdrive when planning a supply.
The pedal uses a true bypass design, so when it is switched off the circuit is out of the signal path1. A 5 mm LED shows when the effect is engaged1.
Videos
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Questions
Is the GUPtech PPPC Pop Corner true bypass?
Yes. GUPtech lists the Pop Corner as a true bypass design, meaning the pedal's circuit is removed from the signal path entirely when it is off, so your guitar's signal passes to the amp without passing through the overdrive circuitry.
What power supply does the PPPC Pop Corner use?
GUPtech specifies a DC output with a negative center connector, compatible with a standard 9V adaptor. As with any pedal, use an isolated supply or the correct adaptor rather than a daisy chain if you are unsure of the current draw.
What does the compression switch do on the Pop Corner?
The toggle switch turns the pedal's internal compression on or off. GUPtech labels the engaged position More Clipping, so switching compression in adds a more clipped, squashed character on top of what the Butter gain control delivers.
Where is GUPtech based?
GUPtech builds its pedals in Saguenay, Québec, Canada. The company states that all of its pedals are made by the builders themselves rather than outsourced.
What do Size, Butter and Salt control on the Pop Corner?
Size is the volume control, Butter is the gain control, and Salt is the tone control. Alongside them, a toggle switch turns compression on or off for more clipping.
Sources (1)
- PPPC Pop Corner, GUPtech (guptech.ca)
