ProCo RAT 2 Reissue

Very easy to use. If you've ever used a boss ds-1 or any basic distortion pedal, you should have no problem at all operating this.

This pedal sounds awesome with some amps and just good enough with other amps. I play it through the clean chanel of a mesa boogie DC-5 and it sounds amazing. I've plyed it through a solid state amp that was meant to emulate tubes and it only sounded good, NOT great. I believe it responds better to tubes than to solid state. From what I've read online, this pedal has changed a lot since it's initial release back in the 80's. Even the 90' version; so I'm told, was better than the recent version. The current ones are made in china with cheap parts. Keeley electronics can modify this pedal and make it sound great. As soon as I can, that's exactly what I plan to do. This pedal has the potential to be amazing, I just know it. But as it is now, it depends on what amp you play it through.

It seems really sturdy. and they have a good reputation, despite claims of inferior parts.

I emailed them once and got a response withing 4hrs.

I like this pedal, but after the mod, I'll probably love it! It sounds great with my gear, but I'd probably gig with another pedal, like a crunchbox or an OCD, just in case whatever strange amp I'm playing through doesn't like the rat.

3 dials: volume, filter and distortion.

Ok, here is what I discovered with this pedal. You need to use it with a quality tube amp to really see what it's capable of. I think that's what the original rat was meant for. I've used this into the clean channel of of tech21 trademark60; which has a great sounding clean channel, and it sounded to tinny and harsh. I played it into the clean channel of a Mesa Boogie 50 caliiber plus and it SCREAMS!!It's defined and punchy and mean and thick, with lots of harmonics. I actually prefer it to the amp's distortion. The graphic EQ on the Mesa 50 caliber plus really helps; dropping the middle slider all the way down scoops the mids enough to make it sound heavy, but not so much that you get lost in the mix. You're definitly in metal territory there. So, it depends what amp you use it with. Using a graphic EQ will also help. I suspect it would sound equally as good with a twin reverb, or any other quality tube amp with a nice clean channel.

Built like a bomb shelter.

N/A

I think this pedal has a very distinct sound to it and it needs to be matched up with the right gear to really sound great. In my opinion, it sounds best through the clean channel of a quality tube amp and with a graphic eq.

Volume, Filter (a unique kind of tone control) and distortion controls. Simple.

I play les pauls and strats, into a variety of quality tube and solid state amps. I bought this pedal based on it's legacy and; dare I say, legend. I wasn't too impressed. It's not a BAD pedal, I just don't get all the hype? Maybe I was expecting more, based on the hype? Maybe I've gotten to used to Mesa Boogie and Marshall amp distortions, I don't know, but I was expecting to have my mind blown and it didn't happen. The filter control; which I think is brilliant in theory, fails to deliver. The tone control on a standard big muff, does a MUCH better job of affecting tone than the filter control does on the rat. If the filer on the rat worked more like it does on a big muff, we'd have a vast improvement. It's not versatile and behaves "cheaply", i.e cheap parts. There's also not enough distortion in this pedal for me. I know this was not meant for metal, but I need a certain amount of distortion to play leads and I don't really get it with this pedal, unless a crank the distortion, but then it takes on an ugly fuzz quality, which I'm sure has it's use, but I don't like it. I'm told that the older versions of this pedal ROCK, that they sound MUCH better. The reason is that Pro Co has begun cutting corners and are producing pedals with inferior parts. Thats a shame. I'm sure these were once great. Maybe I can get mine modded, as there are quite a few do it yourself kits available and also some pedal builders that will do it for you. You can even buy them pre modded.

The casing seems extremly durable. Too bad the innards suck.

I emailed them and got a prompt, courteous and helpful response. Great customer service. The type that will in itself retain customers. They "get it".

It's a quality pedal that definitly has it's place in the pantheon of distorton pedals. It's not meant for modern high gain. I'm sure back when it came out it was considered high gain, but that was a long time ago and styles have changed. It gives a good "rock" tone and it's a good all around rock guitar pedal. You'll need a booster or compressor for leads, as the sustain is a bit lacking. If you play classic rock and straight ahead rock, this will do fine. If you need high gain, look elsewere. I play this in a "rock" band, but need to use it with an overdrive for leads and higer gain. If I lost it, I'd probably buy a different pedal. I don't hate it, but I don't love it. I'm just not impressed.

it's a versatile pedal so getting an exact sound out of it does take some time and patience.

I have played this pedal through a few different setups and it seems to react quite differently to many of them. I suggest useing it for a vintage chunky tone into your amps clean channel, or useing it as a boost into a high gain amp can really make your amp scream. through solid state amps it tends to sound metallic but through a jcm 800 this thing rocks.

this has got to be one of the most indestructable pedals, mine is from '87 and only has paint wear from my foot, no dents, sounds as good as ever. no problem gigging without a backup.

like i said before, this is a very versatile pedal and it really nails vintage chunky rhythms and searing leads. i would say it is ideal for classic rock, hard rock and metal. its really good for pushing your solo's way out there.

By itself, the Rat is more or less a fuzz and distortion mix. I like the basic sound for medium gain distortion, but to really get the potential, you need to front end this pedal with a compressor/clean boost. Or two Rats together (low distortion/high volume into medium distortion, low volume on 2nd unit) or the Deucetone which lets you cascade two rats. I've always wanted a more tight bass and crisp sound approaching metal but not quite. You can get there by running a hot, compressed signal into these. So, I have the Deucetone and couldn't be happier. If you've tried this pedal and it didn't have the definition you wanted, run a high signal into it and you get a very versatile gain that can straddle traditional hardrock and dips its toe into metal enough to be credible with big sustain (not scooped metal, but more old school metal). If you want smoother overdrive tone, the Deucetone has the Dirty Rat which is smoother than other Rats and can be your pseudo-Tube Screamer. If you dime the distortion on these it goes way into the fuzz zone. I don't use that sound too often, but it is versatile.

It has three knobs - volume, filter and distortion. They seem to have a lot of sweep between the three of them. Filter will change your tone from anything to screaming fuzz to a subterranean rumble. They do what they say they will.

I use this with a Roland MicroCube and also with a Marshall AVT25 valve combo, my preferred amp whenever I'm not using the amp du jour. My usual chain involves a Jim Dunlop Cry Baby and a Boss OD-2 Overdrive, then the Rat. My main guitar is an Ibanez AF-75D archtop, which makes the most unearthly and evil sounds with this thing. The thing I love about the Rat is that it covers such a wide range of noises. I once wasted money on a Big Muff, but before it died on me (shame on your shoddy soldering, Electro-Harmonix!) it made basically one sound, and it did it either quietly or loudly, depending on how much you turned up the volume. The Rat, on the other hand, changes its character with every nudge you make of the volume and tone knobs anywhere along the chain. Roll back the volume on the guitar and you can get a vicious blues tone. Turn everything up and you roar. This is the best distortion pedal I have ever heard, or expect to hear.

I could stun a burglar with it. It's heavy and it's made of metal. Compared to my old Big Muff, which was basically like a nerdy teenager's science project (I Made A Fuzzbox Using Only Household Electronic Items!), it's almost ridiculously sturdy. It's only a few months old, mind.

Registering the product was easy enough. Let's see what happens if it goes wrong.

I play mostly free improvised music and also back up singer/songwriter friends when they need a guitar player; also like classic rock, noise, punk, hardcore and bebop. I tried out a lot of pedals before settling on this one, and the Rat was exceptional value at 99 Euro, well down in the cheaper end of the market. If it were stolen I would definitely get another. I love the basically rich, fat, angry tone, as well as the versatility, the fact that I can ring so many changes just by tweaking a few knobs. It's sturdier than a Big Muff, more versatile and better-sounding (and cheaper) than all the other Metal and Distortion pedals I tried out in the shops, and it looks cool. After my Cry Baby, it's without doubt the best money I ever spent on a pedal. (My Cry Baby is now eight years old and I have only once had to change the battery.)

If I could change one thing, it would be the DC input socket, or else I would make ProCo power units more widely available. It's annoying that it's a bit tricky to hook this thing up to the mains, but it seems to be quite easy on batteries so I'm not complaining really. Boo to those who claim that the original models were better - well, you can't get the original models anymore, so take it from me, this is better than everything I've heard of the competition.

Three knobs that adjust your distortion, volume and distortion sound. That's it really, the filter is unlike annything you see on other distortions however the manual tells you all and even gives you three basic setups for a jazzy, solo and heavy sound.

It compliments your amp and guitar combination. I heard that it only sounds good on humbuckers however my setup is..
Fender standard tele (single coils) >>535Q crybaby wah>>Digitech Whammy>>Proco RAT 2>> Line 6 spider or Peavey Rage (which is a tube amp)

This pedal sounds good through both a tube amp and a line 6 digital hunk of junk. It sounds really awesome through a clean amp and there is no hiss or hum. Very good sounding.

It's like a brick!
Dependable but i would use it with a back-up because if it did break it gives me a chance to use a big muff :)

not had to deal with them.

I play rock, alternative, funk, punk, jazz, expiremental etc. I like this distortion allot. I have been playing for 5-6 years and this is the distortion that i've been looking for. I would replace it if it was stolen or lost. I love the LED on this thing-no idea why it's just really cool.

I have read some of the review about the battery being difficult to fit in. I use an AC adaptor so I never had to deal with the problem. With three knobs it a simple pedal to use.

It is hard for me not to write a gushing reveiw, it is my favourite pedal.
The best way I can describe this pedal is that its smooth sound is between the 70s and more modern Distortion sounds. If you want Metallica rhythms sound then there might be other pedals that do this job better. If you want purist 60/70s blues sounds then something like a tube screamer might be more that thing. Yet for all that there is a serious character on this pedal that I just love.

The filter knob increases the treble when rolled to the left and bass when rolled to the right however the filter knob completely changes the tonal character on this pedal. The bass sound on this pedal is so warm and creamy.
Brilliant for getting sweet harmonics.

Playing extended chords is more that possible.

The sustain is just beautiful. The way the distortion breaks up when you back up on the volume on the guitar great.

I gig with a Fender Strat and Gibson Les Paul though a Mesa Boogie Mark 4 and my pedal works either pedal.
It definitely has a sound all of its own.

Never had any trouble with this pedal, my guess is that it will last a lot longer that I will. It a tough pedal.

Never had to deal with them, don't expect to either

From reading other reviews replacing the battery can be a problem. I use a AC adaptor for my pedals so that is not a problem for me. However I did looking inside my rat and I can see their point. For that reason only I won't give a 10.
It mightn't suit everybody but this distortion has a lot over versatility judging form all the different styles of band that use one.

I have been playing professionally for 17 years. I'm not in the habit of losing equipment but if some misguided individual stole my rat I certainly would buy another after harvesting and selling the organs of that misguided individual.

I think it is worth checking one out because it will give a different sound to the other thousand distortion pedals out there.

It is very easy to use and the sounds can be quite diverse.

Not my cup of tea. I'm playing through a Carvin X100B and I'm happy with the tone, but I got this cheap so I thought I'd give it a whirl (I've had it for 6 months). It's really a love it or hate it type of tone, and oddly enough I'm in between...I can hear the richness and beef in the distortion, it's very distinct though it is either too muddy or too brittle, to my ears. Not enough distortion through the clean channel for the stuff I play, which is 80's metal. On the distortion channel of the amp with just a bit of gain dialed in, it made an enormous difference. It's an "in your face" tone that doesn't suit my tastes very well.

A good sounding distortion with plenty of character - just not the sound I would want to use.

haha, the battery holder is a pain in the butt. *L* Other than that it's rock solid.

I can appreciate the fact that this is a very well made, very distinct sounding distortion but it's a bit too harsh for me. I would never use a distortion pedal for lead boosting, but for this purpose I actually find a redeemable quality in it - adds sustain and lots of midrange bite so it can cut through when needed. Hard to imagine this as my main rhythm sound, or my lead sound - but to the right ears it could serve for both those reasons perfectly.

Try before you buy, if possible.

You can't get a battery inside the f***ing box without forcing it against the electronics inside. The battery holder is this gigantic plastic piece of crap that sticks out to the sides when you stick a battery in it. Pro Co could have just used the small metal battery clip that Electro-Harmonix uses, and that would have solved any forcing issues. I have to use an adaptor if I want to use the pedal. Other than this, which is major, it's really easy to dial in a good, hard crunchy sound by itself, or with the output turned up all the way, and the gain and filter at half, it drives an overdriven tube amp to Rock and Roll distortion perfection, for both lead and rhythm.

It has one of the best Rock and Roll sounds you can get. I really like the way this pedal sounds, more so than anything else I've tried. It gets a real thick sound for muted-palm rhythm work, without being too bassy or muddy. It really sustains an already overdriven amp for lead. I use it in this order: Guitar, Crybaby Wah, Rat, Big Muff, and Small Stone, then into the front end of my tube anp.

It's the best-built foot pedal on the market today, as far as heavy duty construction. Pro Co has the best warranty I have ever seen: 5 years, replace or repair whether you abuse it or not.

Like I said, the best warranty I have ever seen in a foot pedal for guitar.

Everything about this pedal rocks, but the stupid battery holder means that overall, this box gets an average rating at best. Use it on a pedalboard or with an adaptor, and it's the best. Try to use it with a battery, and it's the worst.

Very easy to get a Poop sound out of.
When I talked to ProCo they said that the Rat 2 would be better than the Turbo Rat for my taste. THEY WERE WRONG. Rat 2, the worst sounding pedal I've ever owned hands down. Noisy with awful tone.

I know tone, tube amps, les pauls & teles. I have owned most every pedal out, other than boutique pedals. I know ProCo is a great company, if this is what made in the USA is all about, stop making pedals. I had an original RAT years ago & really liked it. I have no idea what style music this would be used for. When I had the distortion almost all of the way off, it had tone that made me not want to smash the pedal into a million peices.

These things last forever.

They are very nice at ProCo.

I play Hard Rock/Punk Rock & have been at it for years.
I couldn't put this pedal back on Ebay fast enough. I know people like the Rat 2, but why? I had a Turbo Rat for a short while & it acually sounded pretty cool. However, I would not advise someone to purchase that pedal either. Unless you ran your amp with no gain/overdrive I can't figure out how this pedal could be used.

This is the worst sounding pedal I've ever heard! The Worst!

This is one great distortion pedal. So easy to use, it's only got three knobs--volume, filter, and distortion. It can't get any easier.

It is so easy to get good sounds out of this thing. I play a Gibson Les Paul Studio or Fender Standard Strat, through the Rat, and into my Carvin Bel Air tube amp. This set up just ROCKS! It is not noisy at all, about the same as a Metal Zone, relatively quiet. I get the sound that I have been looking for. Studio quality distortion. Does not sound as "processed" as the Metal Zone.

This thing is solid. Heavy duty construction. I'd hate to drop it on my toe or something!

I play mainly rock in some form or another. A little metal now and then. The Rat can do it all. It makes me sound like some of my favorite artists. I have been playing for almost 20 years and this is the best, quality distortion pedal that I have tried. If it came up missing I would certainly get another one. It's easy to use and it sounds awesome. Don't go buy another pedal, get the Rat 2, you won't be sorry. Overall, I can't give it a "10" because nothing is perfect! But it sure is close.

Three knobs, how easy can it be..It takes a little while to get your favorite sound....but then, wow!!!!!!
no manual needed

At the moment I play a Marshall jcm 2000 dsl. And after buying the RAT I
am now looking for an amp with a better clean sound then marshall. I bought the marshall for its overdrive, but this baby (my RAT) beats it on every front.
It sounds like heaven!!!!!
There is NO better distortion in this world or the afterworld, and I bet you won't find any better in outerspace!!!!

backup, not needed. this thing is build like a tank! AND IT LOOKS GOOD TOO

not needed, but I rely on Procosound. They are very reliable

I play postpunk/new wave put in the new millenium..a little avantgarde, rock enz..
this RAT is suitable for every kind of rock music. I've had an ibanez tubescreamer, bigmuff, mxr distortion + and they stay behind where this RAT keeps climbing up to heaven (believe me it does!)
If it would be stolen I woulnd't buy one, but two instead.

BUY A RAT.....STOP LOOKING FOR A BETTER DISTORTION...BETTER THEN A TUBESCREAMER, BETTER THEN A BIGMUFF, BETTER THEN ANY OVERDRIVE MARSHALL EVER BUILD..THIS THING RULES, IT'S KING, IT'S GOD, IT'S EVERYTHING!!!

It's so ease. Three Knobs. One you set the distortion amount, one for Filter ( a kind of equalizer that give a live and body to your distortion, and at last a volume.

If you close your eyes you probably will think you are hearding a tube amp sound. Amazing sound for just a pedal. I always heard about it , but the first time I played with one I understanded why It's so claimed and respected.I play with a fender ( SA and 89 EMG equipped ) and a Wolfgang Special flame Top in a Marshall JCM 2000 (DSL 100). Sometimes I use the Rat 2 sound instead of Marshall to have a different distortion sound.
It will not let you down

I had never deal with them

Sometimes I gig and I don't want to take all equipment (JCM 2000 /Cabinet, etc) , I just take some pedals and the RAT 2.I love it and if it were stolen I would buy another one as fast as I can

It's the simplest piece of electronic equipment i've ever used.
Hard NOT to get a good sound. Sounds awesome through a good tube amp with decent speakers.

My current setup is: Gibson SG special--boss tuner--rat--mxr micro amp--Sovtek MIG 50--avatar 2x12 w/V30's. I'm a simple, classic kind of guy. I need a good warm clean, a good crunch, and a smooth, full, tight open chord sound.
Hardly any noise even with my hi-output PU's.
I bought it because I saw Dave Grohl(foo Fighters) using it alot in the earlier foo days, plus he always had it on the floor in live videos and pics. I also saw Jim from Jimmy Eat World using it in a picture. I bought it because of all the different guitarists I saw using it. It gets that good ol marshall sound in a little black box. Think Jimmy Eat World's "the middle" and that sound is exactly what this pedal does best. Good for solos, crunchy chords and sounds awesome in dropped D. I have no doubt I'll use this pedal for the rest of my years, nothing can replace it.

I step on it every day and it still looks new. It's built like a tank. THICK guage metal casing. Its almost ridiculous how they built this thing. I'm surprised its not painted camo. Its so heavy you could bash someones head in with it, and throw into the wall 10 times and it'd probably still work.

Never had to, but I hear they're very friendly.

It's gotta be rock'n'roll music...if you wanna dance with me!
Foo Fighters, Pumpkins, Jimmy Eat world, Saves the day, Taking back sunday to name just a few. Great match. I would buy another one on the spot if it were lost or stolen, I depend on it that much. I love everything about it, the look, the sound, its everything i need and nothing i don't. Again, I bought it because pro's used it. It beats the poo out of it's competitors. It definitely helps me make music.

Price paid $64.95 NEW at AMS mail order, I just wanted to say in comparing a brand new Rat 2 to my early rat 2,which is at least 10 years old, there are a few differences! The new rat the knobs slip off very easily, old one they must be glued on - wont budge, the pots on the new one also are very sensitive at low settings, especially the distortion and volume , they pretty much act like switches ,not enough, not enough then wham too much - need a little headroom hear in the lower settings.
Upon further examination, the circuit has changed slightly and somethings are in different places but still the same high quality components - dont think this has effected the sound much, still the greatest distortion pedal for the money and quite possibly any money. I wish they still made the rack rat but with real channel switching ability instead of the turn one off then turn the other on - that was really stupid - could have sold a ton with proper switching.

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