The GUPtech TorchX Douche Edition is a distortion pedal from GUPtech, a small builder in Saguenay, Québec, Canada, where all of its pedals are made by hand1. It is the company's tribute to the classic Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal, the pedal BOSS describes as one of the first "amp in a box" designs ever, using its own circuit to replicate the sound of early '80s British stack amps2. GUPtech describes the TorchX as a standard, straightforward heavy distortion with gain, low and high knobs1.
The TorchX Douche Edition was listed as sold out on GUPtech's product page as of 26 October 20261. The company's standard GUP Tech Torch HM-2 Clone shares the same circuit and true-bypass switching3.
The HM-2 circuit, in true bypass
The original Boss HM-2 earned its reputation as an "amp in a box" pedal, a design that puts a whole amp's worth of gain and voicing in front of a clean amp rather than acting as a light boost2. TONEHOME catalogs the original as the Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal, a distortion pedal4. GUPtech's TorchX carries that circuit into a true-bypass enclosure, so the pedal is fully out of the signal path when off1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the amount of distortion |
| Low | Low EQ |
| High | High EQ |
GUPtech sums the pedal up as "Standard straight-forward heavy distortion with gain, low and high knobs"1.
The Clean Boost/Overdrive mod
GUPtech offers the TorchX with an optional Clean Boost/Overdrive mod, which adds a toggle switch between the Volume and Distortion knobs. The mod has been part of the Torch lineup since a 1 December 2020 update on the standard Torch HM-2 Clone3. On the modded pedal, the toggle gives three distinct tones13:
- Position 1: bypasses the gain circuit and the clipping diode, giving what GUPtech calls a nice clean EQ to add before a high-gain amp.
- Center position: GUPtech's own favorite, converting the pedal into "a nice and creamy Overdrive-Distortion effect."
- Position 2: the authentic HM2 circuit.
That first position is the one that changes what the pedal is for: with the gain stage and diodes out of the circuit, the TorchX works as a clean EQ boost in front of an amp already pushed into high gain, with the low and high knobs shaping what the amp receives1.
Questions
Is the TorchX Douche Edition true bypass?
Yes. GUPtech lists the TorchX Douche Edition as a True-Bypass version, meaning the pedal's circuit is removed from the signal path entirely when it is switched off. The same is true of the standard GUP Tech Torch HM-2 Clone, which shares the circuit and the true-bypass switching.
What power supply does the TorchX Douche Edition need?
GUPtech specifies a 9Vdc center-negative power supply, the same standard used by most compact pedals, and lists power consumption at 14mA. A standard pedal supply will handle it, but check the current budget if you are daisy-chaining several pedals from one output.
What does the toggle do on the modded TorchX?
On the Clean Boost/Overdrive mod version, the toggle between the Volume and Distortion knobs gives three tones. Position 1 bypasses the gain circuit and the clipping diode for a clean EQ to run in front of a high-gain amp. The center position converts the pedal into what GUPtech calls a nice and creamy Overdrive-Distortion effect. Position 2 is the authentic HM2 circuit.
Can the TorchX be used as an EQ in front of a high-gain amp?
Yes, on the modded version. With the toggle in position 1, the gain circuit and the clipping diode are bypassed, leaving what GUPtech describes as a nice clean EQ to add before a high-gain amp. The low and high knobs then shape the tone going into the amp's own distortion.
Where is the GUPtech TorchX built?
GUPtech builds all of its pedals in Saguenay, Québec, Canada. The company states that all of its pedals are made by hand in its own shop there, and the TorchX Douche Edition is one of them.
Sources (4)
- TorchX Douche Edition, GUPtech (guptech.ca)
- BOSS - HM-2W | Heavy Metal, BOSS (boss.info)
- Torch HM-2 Clone, GUP Tech (guptech.ca), 2020-12-01
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME
