The Greer Amps Sure Shot Clipping Boost is a one-knob boost pedal with a difference: instead of staying clean as you turn it up, it is designed to get dirty. Its single LOUD control makes you louder, and as you increase it, the pedal pushes your amp into overdrive while also driving a pair of MA856 clipping diodes. Greer Amps describes the result as a layered drive effect in which the amp and the pedal are both beginning to overdrive, with a tone rooted in the 1970s, some areas slightly peaked out and some frequencies tamped down1.
It is also the first pedal Greer Amps has released in the mini pedal format, and it runs off of 9 volts only1.
What the LOUD control does
There is only one control, and Greer is upfront about what it is for. As the maker puts it on the product page: "The LOUD control does just that, it makes you loud"1. Turned up, it does two things at once: it pushes the amp into overdrive, and it pushes the pair of MA856 clipping diodes harder1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| LOUD | Raises the level; pushes the amp into overdrive and drives the pair of MA856 clipping diodes harder as it goes up1 |
Greer is equally clear about what the Sure Shot is not. On the product page, the maker answers two questions directly1:
The LOUD control is not described as a transparent clean boost1. Greer Amps builds other pedals aimed at different jobs, such as the Greer Amps Sonic Boom and the Greer Amps Pork N Beans Boost, so players comparing boosts across the range have those pages to turn to.
The Sure Shot runs on 9 volts only1. It is not a pedal that takes a higher supply for extra headroom, which suits its design: it is meant to get dirty as you turn it up.
Where it sits on a board
Greer Amps suggests the Sure Shot works well in front of other drives: run it in front of a favorite boost, overdrive, distortion, or even a second Sure Shot, and the maker says it adds texture and juiciness to what follows1. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio, writing in May 2022, said much the same: "It also works well in front of other boost, overdrive and distortion pedals, adding texture and juiciness"2.
That makes it a candidate for the front of a chain, ahead of your overdrive pedals or distortion pedals, where a clipping boost changes how the next pedal is hit rather than simply raising the volume12.
Background and reception
Delicious Audio covered the Sure Shot at its release, describing it as a one-knob boost that pushes the amp into overdrive while also pushing the MA856 diodes, "creating what the builder describes as a 'layered' drive effect in which both the amp and the pedal are beginning to overdrive"2. The name has a homely origin: Greer Amps says it is named for Nick's favorite burger stand1.
The pedal carries a 5 year warranty from Greer Amps1.
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Questions
Is the Greer Amps Sure Shot true bypass?
Yes. Greer Amps states that the Sure Shot Clipping Boost features true-bypass switching, so when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes through without the circuit loading it. That matters on a pedalboard where a boost like this often stays on as a foundation for other drive pedals.
What voltage does the Sure Shot Clipping Boost use?
The Sure Shot runs off of 9 volts only, according to Greer Amps. It is not a pedal that accepts higher supply voltages for more headroom, which fits its design: it is meant to get dirty, not to stay clean as you turn it up.
What clipping diodes are in the Sure Shot?
The Sure Shot uses a pair of MA856 clipping diodes. As you turn the LOUD control up, the pedal pushes your amp into overdrive and also pushes those diodes, which is where the pedal's layered, slightly peaked-out character comes from.
Can the Sure Shot go in front of other drive pedals?
Yes. Greer Amps says that run in front of a favorite boost, overdrive, distortion, or even a second Sure Shot, the pedal adds texture and juiciness. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio likewise found it works well in front of other boost, overdrive and distortion pedals.
How long is the Greer Sure Shot warranty?
Greer Amps gives the Sure Shot a 5 year warranty, according to the maker's product page, a figure also reported by Delicious Audio.
Sources (2)
- Sure Shot Clipping Boost, Greer Amps
- Greer Amps Sure Shot Clipping Boost, Delicious Audio, 2022-05-20
