The Greer Amps Gorilla Warfare MKII is a distortion pedal the company says it built after years of requests for a Greer take on a familiar circuit. Greer describes it as "our angry, aggressive, larger-than-life and not-holding-back version of the old familiar circuit", and says "The Gorilla Warfare MKII is a pedal that we have had a ton of requests for over the years."1
The Tone control
The MkII's Tone control is the headline change from the original RAT-style layout. Greer explains: "you know that old Filter knob? Well, we turned it into a Tone control. It covers the exact same territory the original Filter control did, but...when you turn it up, you get more treble!"1 Delicious Audio's coverage, speaking with Nicholas Kula, confirms the same description of the control2.
In practice, that means the knob sweeps the same territory as the Filter control on a RAT, but with extra treble available at the top of its range, which is useful for cutting through a band mix or brightening a dark amp213.
How the MkII differs from earlier versions
Guitar.com, covering the pedal's unveiling at Summer NAMM 2019, reported that the MkII "is stocked with better components and a new tone control designed to wring out more treble"3.
Greer also notes an earlier, separate version of the pedal: "We even did a super limited run of this pedal a while back, with a different graphic, slightly tweaked circuit, and a different chip"1. The MkII is the current, standard version.
| Earlier limited run | MkII | |
|---|---|---|
| Graphic | Different graphic | Current graphic1 |
| Circuit | Slightly tweaked | Standard1 |
| Chip | Different chip | LM3081 |
| Status | Super limited run, a while back | Current version1 |
Greer's product page lists the price in pounds sterling (£152.00 GBP)1. No US dollar list price is given.
Build and power
The pedal is built in an aluminum enclosure that Greer says "will outlast most of humanity"1. It runs on a 9 volt, center tip negative, 2.1mm standard power supply cable, the common center-negative format used by most pedalboard power supplies1. The footswitch is a true-bypass switch that Greer says "feels good to step on"1.
For a player putting it on a board, the practical points are:
- Any standard center-negative 9V DC supply with a 2.1mm plug will run it1
- True bypass, so it stays out of the signal path when off1
- Aluminum enclosure, built to take pedalboard life1
What reviewers said
Delicious Audio's Nicholas Kula framed the pedal as a designer's take on a familiar circuit: "Nick Greer is a well-respected pedal and amp designer, so you can be sure his RAT is a tasteful improvement on the original"2.
The Gorilla Warfare MkII sits among Greer's other dirt pedals, including the Green Giant, Hammer, Little Samson, Sucker Punch Distortion, Peacemaker and Black Mountain Crunch Drive. For the wider field, see the site's Distortion Pedals page.
Videos
Rabea Massaad
Peter “Danish Pete” Honoré
R.J. Ronquillo
Questions
Is the Greer Amps Gorilla Warfare MkII true bypass?
Yes. Greer Amps describes the MkII as having an old school true-bypass switch that feels good to step on, so the pedal passes your guitar's signal untouched when it is off.
What power supply does the Gorilla Warfare MkII need?
Greer Amps specifies a 9 volt, center tip negative, 2.1mm standard power supply cable. That is the common center-negative pedal supply, so it works with a standard isolated pedalboard power brick or adapter.
What chip does the Gorilla Warfare MkII use?
The MkII uses the LM308 chip, the op-amp associated with the RAT circuit. Greer describes the pedal as its angry, aggressive, larger-than-life and not-holding-back version of that old familiar circuit.
How is the MkII different from the first Gorilla Warfare?
Guitar.com reported that the MkII is stocked with better components and a new tone control designed to wring out more treble. Greer also notes an earlier super limited run of the pedal with a different graphic, slightly tweaked circuit and a different chip.
Who designed the Gorilla Warfare?
Nick Greer, the pedal and amp designer behind Greer Amps. Delicious Audio called him a well-respected pedal and amp designer and described the pedal as a tasteful improvement on the original RAT.
Sources (3)
- Gorilla Warfare MKII, Greer Amps
- Greer Amps Gorrilla Warfare MkII, Delicious Audio, 2023-02-02
- Six of the best pedals from Summer NAMM 2019, Guitar.com, 2019-07-22
