The Greer Amps Sucker Punch Distortion is a distortion pedal from Greer Amps, reviewed by Pedal of the Day in June 2015. Its aim, as the reviewer put it, is early JCM-style amp territory: "creating tones similar to early JCM amplifiers, some of the most coveted of the Marshall line"1. It sits in the distortion lane, alongside other Greer drives like the Hammer, the Little Samson and the Black Mountain Crunch Drive.
How it works and what it sounds like
The Sucker Punch uses a JFET preamp to drive a 386D chip amp section, a topology the reviewer connected directly with its JCM-flavored tones1. Greer housed it in what Mike B called "a really flamboyant yellow enclosure"1. He also noted a "Huge amount of volume on tap!"1, which matters if you plan to use it as a boost-into-drive or to push a clean amp.
His overall verdict was strong: "once in a while I will plug one in and it blows me away right from the get-go"1. The pedal earned a permanent spot on his pedalboard1.
Controls
"Volume, Gain and Tone are about as basic as it gets for a dirt pedal," as the Pedal of the Day review put it1. Three knobs, no menus: set the drive, shape the voice, match the level.
Power and bypass
The Sucker Punch runs on a 9-volt battery or a standard negative center 2.1mm power supply1, the common connector for pedalboard supplies. It is true bypass, so it drops out of your signal chain entirely when switched off1.
The Harley Benton versions
The Sucker Punch design also appears under Harley Benton's name. The MiniStomp Sucker Punch is listed by Harley Benton as a Metal Distortion with True Bypass "to eliminate signal interference when switched off," and its controls differ from the Greer original: "Tweak your tone using the distortion, contour and volume controls"2. RockBoard's PedalPedia entry lists the same three controls3, and MusicRadar's Rob Laing likewise described the Sucker Punch as having "Distortion and Contour controls" plus an output volume control4.
The control layout is not the same across versions: the Greer original has Volume, Gain and Tone1, while the Harley Benton versions use Distortion, Contour and Volume13. If you are comparing the two, check which layout you are looking at.
Videos
Greer Amps
Curtis Kent
gearmanndude
Questions
Is the Greer Amps Sucker Punch true bypass?
Yes. Pedal of the Day's review of the Sucker Punch notes that it is true bypass, and Harley Benton's product page for its MiniStomp Sucker Punch version likewise lists True Bypass to eliminate signal interference when switched off. With the pedal out of the circuit, your guitar's signal passes straight through to the amp.
Does the Greer Sucker Punch run on a battery?
Yes. According to Pedal of the Day, the Sucker Punch uses a 9-volt battery or a standard negative center 2.1mm power supply, so it can run on either. The 2.1mm negative center connector is the common standard for pedalboard power supplies.
What controls does the Greer Sucker Punch have?
The Greer original has Volume, Gain and Tone knobs, which Pedal of the Day describes as about as basic as it gets for a dirt pedal: level, drive and tone shaping. The Harley Benton versions carry Distortion, Contour and Volume controls instead, per Harley Benton's product page and MusicRadar's coverage.
What amp tones is the Greer Sucker Punch aiming for?
Pedal of the Day's reviewer, Mike B, describes the Sucker Punch as creating tones similar to early JCM amplifiers, which he calls some of the most coveted of the Marshall line. The circuit uses a JFET preamp driving a 386D chip amp section to get there.
Sources (4)
- Greer Amps Sucker Punch Distortion, Pedal of the Day, 2015-06-23
- MiniStomp Sucker Punch, Harley Benton
- MiniStomp Sucker Punch by Harley Benton, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Harley Benton reveals its new MiniStomp effects pedals, MusicRadar, 2021-10-13
