ProCo Large Box Rat

Very easy to have a wonderful sound... 3 knobs: "Distortion" is the input gain knob, "volume" is the output knob, and between them is the magic "filter": This knob cuts off high frequencies.
You can get a dirty overdrive sound, and with a little more gain you get a fantastic punk-hard rock distortion, and finally with the gain completely turned to the right you'll hear a beautiful fuzz-distortion.

My Rat has the old large box. On the pots inside is written "82" (among other numbers), so this is a 1982 Rat, one of the first. Please don't say it's a "vintage rat", because the vintage rat is a REISSUE, not the original. The reissue sounds very good, much more than the Rat 2 (which I have too), but the right sound is in the real old box...

As I said, sound is better than the Rat2 to my hears. I made a web page with some sound samples of the Rat1 (1982) and the Rat2 (1994): http://delay201.free.fr/RAT1.vs.RAT2.html
The Rat1 sounds heavier, has more bass than the Rat2, which sounds a little bit harsh and thin. Filter is more musical on the rat 1.
The Rat1 doesn't "change" the sound of your guitar. Mine is a small eko Manta from the year 1971. The two P90 pick-ups sounds fat on my small Fender "Musicmaster Bass amp" and I love it. The Rat2 eats the sound in the bass, the Rat1 sublimate the low end.

But Basically the sound remains the same: A proco Rat is a proco Rat.
The original Rat1 is a Rat2 with balls.

The rat1 is very reliable: The PCB has a lot of place in the large box, so it's easy to take it to pieces and to repair. I had once some problems with the switch: One Pschhht of lektro clean and and everything was in order again...

I think that Proco is a good brand, but I simply don't understand why the new Rats (especially those with the new chip from 2004 on) don't sound as good as the original ones from the beginning of the 80's !!!

I'm not a good guitarist but I've been playing for a long time in different bands, I had many effects in the past (Ibanez Chorus, Big muff, Tube screamer...etc), but today I only play through my Rat1 and an old Binson Echorec. What I appreciate on the Rat1 is the True-By-Pass: Sounds is not damaged when the effect is off (that's not the case on the Ibanez, Boss and many other brands).
If you're looking for a Rat, 3 models are the best ones: The large box Rat1 (1981-1983), the small box Rat1 "white face" logo (1983-1986), and the small box Rat1 (1986-1987). They use the same original circuit. After 1987, The Rat was modified (Rat2, Vintage Rat)...and the sound too.

3 Knobs make this unit a breeze to use. It does have a strong character and you should try it befor you buy it, Its not for everyone. Only gripe on ease of use is the lack of a light.

Setup:
late 70's Gordon Smith
Various Delays
Boss Chorus
Fender 75 combo with 15" speaker
My guitar realy doesn't do sustain (I like this fact. And the ProCo Ratt is one of the few distortions around that allows me to keep this characteristic. It has a very dry sound. It is not trying to sound like an overdriven amp which is what I like about it. I tend to use it quite low (20-25% Distortion) and filtered (60-75% Filtered). On the quality lines I can safely say this is one of the few Pedal distortions that allows the character of the guitar to show through.

on the whole fine. When the battery is low some times when you turn it on the volume dies, so its new battery for every gig. Otherwise. Well its a big metal box with a big metal button... It just needs a light.

Never called.

I Play about everything, Mainly 80's goth but with 60-70 psych0dealia and folf and jazz thrown in for good mesure. If you want that big heroic 'Metal God' sound of 1000 cranked Marshalls this is not your unit (I use a Boss unit for this). If on the other hand you want something more interesting this is definately worth a look. Just get the one with a light (yes I know it doesn't look as good, but...).

i like the pedal..so does my mom..she says its a breez to use..me too!!grab it today

dont even ask me because i will say this is a increadible peice of my guitar....the sound quality makes me tigle because it sounds sooo good..kinda like when u pop pop corn in the microwave..it gives a really neat popping distortion sound..
try it you will love it!!!

ok listen up...right when you buy this drive to the tallest building you can see...go to the top and let this baby go...now now.no parachutes...this thing is built like a tank..!!!

....

i play music kinda like the stuff you hear all the time...this tank pedal is the popping sound for the american home..buy it now!!!!!

It does not get any straight-forward/ no fluff than this. And I guess I am the only person in the world that appreciates the fact that you have to unscrew the back to change the battery. After loosing the battery plate/ battery holder from my Vintage Electro-Harmonix Bass balls, Big Muff, and others. I have had t his thing for almost ten years now, traded my Bass balls pedal for the used Vintage Rat. I never needed the manual and the thing never gave me the slightest bit of trouble.

I use one of the following basses:
Musicman StingRay
Rickenbacker
Fender P-bass deluxe
My Rig:
Ampeg B2-r
(Other irrelevant modules)
Ampeg Classic series 4-10" + horn
The sound is the best I have found for me, I always think there is something better out there but I have not discovered it for myself yet. I didn't want to emulate anyone?s sound, I had a sound in mind that I was going for. I got the sound I wanted and then some! I was surprised at the interesting, different, sometimes down-right bizarre sounds you can when incorporating other stomp boxes into your Rat menu and have the sound remain useful.

The ProCo Vintage Rat has never ever let me down. The battery lasts for a reasonable amount of time so I have never been surprised by a dead battery when setting up for a show but it is always a good idea to have a spare in your bass case anyhoo.

I do not have an opinion about ProCo for customer support - I never needed to call them. The products on their website are very over priced for buying direct - how is that for an opinion!

In my 10 years of playing the bass, I think this is the best thing out there if you are going for the same sound, as I am (solid & sometimes vicious). The Rat and I go together like Sybil & her Schizophrenia. If my ProCo Rat was stolen!?!? I wince at the thought - I would buy another but not before I hunted for he thief with a WWII Sherman Tank. I would be lost without the Rat and it electrified bold sound. I mean, the Rat will never break - it is built to last like a Sherman tank but with a slightly less lethal output. The Rat changed my scope and broadened my options. I am pleased as punch with this pedal.