ProCo RAT 2

It didn`t take long to dail in some tones with this pedal. Only three knobs and the less knobs the better!

Wow , I`am really surprised at how good this pedal sounds . I had been reading over at the Keeley website about their mods for this pedal and I was expecting to send it to them right away , but not now . For only having three knobs you can get quite a few sounds out of this baby , I used it today through my Peavey Classic 20 amp(hooked up to a 2x12 cab) and Warmoth custom Strat with a single humbucker and cranking up the filter control gets a nice warm grainy overdrive , kind of like a tubescreamer with more gain . It was also a little bass bommy at that setting so I put my MXR 6 band Eq with to tame the bass a little.

Put wheels on it and it would look like a toy tank , seems very durable.

Never dealt with them probably never will.

I`ve also got the Tone Bone Hot British pedal and dare I say I like the Rat better. Don`t get me wrong the Tone Bone is a great pedal but it`s got a lot of bells and whistles and can be annoying trying to find a sound. With the Rat you go from the heavy scooped tones to the nice warm overdriven tones with the turn of the filter knob. Also,this pedal has a lot of gain and I haven`t dailed in any metal tones but this pedal could do it.

pretty easy to use. only three knobs. volume, distortion, and filter. no manual. dont need one though.

first off, i give it a 10 cos it sounds great and its only $65. That's how i rate a lot of things, based on cost. I'm sure i could get some effects builder to build me the perfect pedal, but i dont think its fair to rate that and this on the same scale.

the sound is great. i've always been a fan of the fuzzy distortion sound. i've had two big muffs. the russian one sounded great, but it fell apart on my. i had the USA one but it sounded too thin and too tame. now i have this rat and a double muff. this thing sounds a lot better for distortion than the double muff. the double muff does overdrive very well though.

I dont like high gain, so its at a moderate setting. i have three drive pedals, this (for moderate distortion), the double muff (for fuzzy overdrive), and a maxon od808 for a light overdrive. this thing does its job great. i can nail Oasis' early tone from Definitely Maybe.

A lot of people say this thing lacks low end, maybe its because i use a Les Paul and everyone else is using a strat or something, but i find this to get muddy, real easy.

for the reason i got it, and because of its insanely cheap price, i give it a 10.

seems like a brick.

i actually play jazz, blues, and british influenced rock mostly, but this thing still gets a lot of use. especially when i cover songs. my own songs generally dont require much gain at all. if it were stolen, i'd definitely buy a new one. didnt cost that much. i LOVE the true bypass. my god, i wish every pedal came with it. i've owned about +20 dist/od/fuzz pedals and i think only 3 had true bypass. that's stupid. i'd rather pay a little extra money for a pedal if they'd all just put true bypass in. i use this a lot for lead, i like how it sustains for a long time, but doesnt have to sound too saturated. I also like its natural sound, definitely doesnt sound digital at all.

could be better. i would like to see a special edition rat that spreads the first 1/4 turn on the distortion knob over the whole range. nothing above that is useful to me

great! one of the most characteristic pedals i know. i have the currennt rat (from Musician's friend, March 2004), and it sounds similar to the one i had in high school. i think everyone should try a rat at least once to see if they can't get a distinctive, useful sound out of it. i go into a single-ended class A small tube amp with this, which is ideal for this pedal. it is definitely made to interface directly with the front end of a very responsive tube amp.

i had one before that i eventually sold after years of use. rock solid.

good old rat. it's got that mean, pissed-off sound, but it's smooth somehow. i don't know - sonic paradox. sounds good with all my guitars/amps, from strat to archtop. some of my OD pedals sound good with a little gain boost betwen the guitar and the pedal - rat doesn't. i set mine up so that i can just make out extended chords at full volume, so if i go beyond that, it's just noise.

There is no manual and it's self explanitory BUT it can take a while to dial in the sound you're looking for. Three knobs Distortion, Filter and Volume.

Setup: American Tele-->Rat2-->Ibanez Chorus-->Traynor YCV40 amplifier.
As you can see I have a simple rig. This pedal is the best. Mine is not noisy at all. I can get three types of distortion with my setup. I've got the amp's overdrive channel by itself, the Rat by itself and the Rat with the amp's overdrive channel. I set the distortion at 9 or 10 o'clock, the filter at 3 o'clock and the volume at 2 o'clock. The distortion on the Rat is incredible! It definitely gives strong mids. Harmonics are out of this world and the sustain goes on forever. It's true that it doesn't take away from the natural sound of your guitar. This pedal is perfect for blues, rock, and hard rock. It can be used for metal, or shred stuff but I would say that it's probably not ideal. What I like about this pedal is that it doesn't make bad playing good. Although I'm always tempted, I stay away from effects that completely alter my sound. That's because I would hate knowing that if my pedal busted I wouldn't be able to perform. The Rat is great because it makes good music sound great. I love using it with the overdrive channel of my amp for solos. It adds awesome fullness and sustain that can't be beat and it makes the solo better. But again, if I didn't have it, I would still be able to play, it just wouldn't sound as good. I bought this pedal because I'm in a cover band that plays late 70s and 80s stuff (not hair music). Stuff like the Eagles, Tom Petty, Bryan Adams, Joe Walsh, SRV Kiss David Lee Roth etc. These bands all have different sounds and it would be great to have a separate rig for each song but that's impossible. The Rat allows my tone to sound awesome and cover a lot of different types of music. I give this pedal a 10 if it's going to be used for blues, rock, and hard rock.

It's built like a tank. I wouldn't go so far to say it's bullet proof or I can hide under it during Armageddon but it's built as good as they come. I'm giving it a 9 because when I purchased it from a guy on ebay it worked, but the LED stayed lit all the time, even when the cables weren't plugged in. More on this in Customer Support.

As I just mentioned the LED status indicator stayed lit all the time. It worked fine, it's just that the battery would die relatively quickly if I didn't remove it after I was done using it. I emailed the company and they got back to me fairly quickly. I explained that I didn't buy it new and I didn't know how old it was. They told me to mail it back to good ol Kalamazoo MI and they would repair it. I sent it out and had it back in two weeks. I only paid to ship it there. They repaired it for free and shipped it back to me for free. They are awesome. If you live in the USA this is another great reason to buy American products. Imagine having to ship it back to Korea, or Taiwan? ProCo is the best!

I've been playing for 20 years and I've had a few distortion pedals. This is by far the best. Others tried to emulate tube amp overdrive. Usually they didn't sound that great and I already have a tube amp. Others were too fuzzy. Others were too over the top sounding. I wish I could describe the RAT's sound. It's smooth and tight and heavier than natural tube overdrive but not fuzzy. It's just a fantasic pedal. Again, tube overdrive is great but this is different and is a great compliment to tube overdrive, whether it's used with or without the amps natural overdrive. If you play rock, blues, or hard rock you HAVE to try this pedal. The sustain is unbelievable and so are the harmonics. You have to take some time to tweak it. My recommendation is to set the distortion lower than you think it should be. I would definitely get it again if it were lost or stolen. I often think of getting another one to add to my chain using different settings. This is the best distortion pedal.

Really easy. Three controls : distortion, filter (an anticlock-wise tone control ) and volume.It has got a visible led (I think I will change it with a blue one) and fluorescent graphic which allow you to set it even in dark situation, very cool!

My sound signal path is : Telecaster USA->CryBaby GCB95->Boss CS-3-> Boss SD-1->PROCO RAT II->gnaff II (I micro amp I built myself)->EH PolyChorus (I mod to truebypass)->, Boss DD3, Akai Headrush, JCM800 4210.
This pedal is really cool. I was looking for a dist to avoid to use my Jcm Boost channel (which has the bleed-through problem) and I think I've found it! Rat sounds very similar to my JCM800 (even if a bit more mid-ranged)and in the clean channel I can obtain an hi-gain distortion without loosing definition. I often play 5-6 strings chords and they sound great with all the controls flat. Rat has long sustain so it's great for alternative/indie stuff.
A cool thing is it's TRUEBYPASS and has a LED STATUS.
I gave it 9 since feeded with my sd-1 it loses a bit of definition and then since you can't use the (unmodified) rat like a booster : no sound with dist at 0(however buy a booster if you want to have one)...

Just bought but I trust it since It's built like a tank and It's one of the heavyest pedal I've ever hold in hand.

Who knows?

I play grunge/alternative with a bit of indie rock and It's really the sound I was looking for. If you are looking for a bit more of distortion maybe you can try the TURBO RAT but somebody says It's less definited than RAT II.
If you've a JCM800 and love its sound buy a RAT II at once!!!
But If you need an extra-versatile dist pedal maybe RAT II won't be the good choise...

Plug and play action. Instrument cable goes in input slot. and amp cable goes in output slot. It came with a manual but you don't really need it unless you are a child in need of "parental guidance"

I play this after a dunlop crybaby wah and in front of a Boss Flanger (BF-2). I use an AXL "Johnson" Stratocaster and a 20 W amp for recording on my pc. The main reason I got this because I was trying to get the perfect modern day Ernie Isley (from The Isley Brothers)sound. I discovered that the ProCo Rat 2 was one of the pedals he uses now days.The ProCo Rat 2 makes my Boss DS-1 Distortion sound like a pindrop. This is the best distortion pedal ever made. Pluck any note on your guitar and count how long you can hold a note with a boss distortion. (probably like 5 or6 sec). Then try and hold a note with a ProCo rat distortion 2. It sustains the note for like 10 sec or more. Tons of sustain. Gotta like it. The Distortion knob can go from a clean soft distortion to a wild and heavy distortion when turned all the way to the right. Like most people say, the Filter button is like a reverse tone . You would think to get a mellow tone you would have to turn the know to the left. Totally oposite. But that is cool though because it has a wide range of tones. And of course the volume can go to whisper to yell. Awesome. It has a tiny buzz but nothing too harsh. When used in conjuction with a Boss Bf-2 flanger and a Dunlop Crybaby wah, you nail Ernie Isley's modern sound. His sound (if you don't know him that good) can be heard mostly in the Isley Brother's 2001 release "Eternal". He solos in over half of the 14 songs on the cd.

I can definately depend on it. I use it all the time. I use an adapter instead of a 9V battery with it, so I doubt I would need a backup when gigging.

Never Dealt with em. Thats a good thing.

I play soul, a R&B and a little rock. sometimes gospel. The ProCo rat 2 is better off used for Rock and soloing. I would definately buy another if stolen. I actually never payed for this. I traded my Boss Octave 2 for it. But I would definately pay for another if I lost it if I can find another person to trade with. The main thing that caught me was the long sustain. Holds your note long without a compression/sustain pedal. I would only suggest getting a compression/sustain pedal if you want your note to hold superlong like 20 seconds or so. the ProCo Rat 2 holds a note for like 10 secs or more by itself. I use this in all of the recordings I do on my computer. Like I said I chose this because I found out that my favorite guitarist, Ernie Isley, from the Isley Brothers uses one in his current effects setup along with a Dunlop Rotovibe, DUnlop Crybaby, Boss Bf-2 flanger and Roger Mayer Octavia. If you get all of those pedals you nail his sound on the head and more.

I love the simplicity of this product's layout and the clear aim that this box is not for EQ'ing, or attempting to be a preamp, or all-in-one gizmo. Getting good sounds, the ones I want of course, is a breeze thanks to the quality smooth graduated pots... from a touch of gain with a little push on the pick [slight break-up] to the chainsaw massacre. (Really, you don't need the manual... it's honest in its presentation of what the knobs are called.)

I've had this for about 2 years and recently compared it to a Maxon OD-9 for a month and was relieved to find that my old Rat 2 is even more transparent, and without that "compression-like" tone. [hey, PROCO makes quality DI boxes, there you go on why] and offered better graduated gain [from the lowest settings on both] than the Maxon, which is a great box, but much more expensive. This made me happy since I didn't have to spend [implusively] on another effects gizmo.

Compared to the bassy, mid-cut flavor of BOSS Blues Driver, the Maxon is definitely better to my taste. And, of course, the Rat 2...

Finally, I prefer transparent signal/sound from a gain/distortion pedal, and would rather have an Amp that could project the overall tone, color, and mood of the guitar. My set-up, especially, the Fat Boost and Rat 2 help me much in achieving that Bluesy-Rock feel I'm feeling, with the potential to go off the deep-end and soar into solo heaven (still without having the Rat 2 color my sound.)


Okay my set-up. The guitar and amp factor is crucial in the make or break on this subjective catagory of "sound quality". Here it goes, but let me warn you... PRS Custom 22 3/P-90's and Gibson Firebird V (Reissue) > [BOSS Tuner] > RAT 2 > EQ > Fulltone Fat Boost > Chorus > Volume Pedal > OK, a mediocre, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (no mods: 40Watt/12" factory spkr)
Well... that's why I got the Fat Boost.

Why "9"? I can't wait to put it through a better amp.

Definitely, the best quality coating, materials and design I've seen in the effects box catagory. Hey Mil Spec... what else?!

No relations.

My style of music: Blues, Classic Rock, a lil' ole fake the Jazz stuff, "Amazing Grace" and whatever it can think of in the closet.
Playing weekly about 10 years.
Overall a great box... that's why I got and still hold on to it.

A cinch to use, although the Filter works like a reverse tone control as everyone has said.

In the past, I've owned a Turbo RAT and borrowed and old RAT (small box type, like this one) so I knew what to expect- although now I've got decent gear and an ear for tone rather than putting everything on 10.

My main guitars are hopped-up Squiers, a Double Fat Tele Deluxe (ridiculous name, great LP tone) and an old Korean Strat with the stock pickups replaced with Mighty Mites. Amp-wise, it's a Marshall DSL50 head with a 1936 2x12 cabinet. Tonewise, I guess I favour sounds along lines of the Pixies, the Breeders, Pavement, Superchunk.

The thing that struck me straight away was the amount of gain squeezed into the Distortion control from 0 to 4ish, after which, it seems to make very little difference. Same deal with the volume dial to be honest. I'm not sure if every RAT I've owned/tried has been like this and I've only just noticed, or if this new version is a whole new beast. Maybe my pickups are just super hot..... but I dont think so!

A/B'd against a few other distortion pedals (Marshall and Boss), it definately sounds a lot "fuller" and geniune, even the trebley end of the Filter dial sounds rich.

There's a general good rock rhythm tone in the first 15% of the Distortion dial, pushing it further makes for some Foo Fighters/Smashing Pumpkins esque riffery. Although the heavily overdriven sounds are a little more extreme than I'd use as a main distortion sound, it could definately work within the right context.
However, the high gain sounds are great. for leads, very organic.

Sounds "nice" with single coils or humbuckers with the right settings. I preferred it with singlecoils since the prominent midrange and low end really makes the distortion jump out at you compared to the surfy clean sounds.

If I can find some way of tweaking the pots inside to make the range a little more spread out, it'd get a 9 methinks.

Great sounds, just a little too hard to get.

Although this one is brand new, my experience with RATs in the past has been trouble free. Don't see why this one should be any different.

I'd deal with the place I bought it from, rather than phoning up ProCo in Michigan..

I like to have a load of guitar sounds available, I generally go for a smoother more classic tone, despite the "alternative" music I play.
I wanted something a little more agressive, and I got it! Pretty much does what I wanted, maybe not quiiiite as flexible as I'd hoped, but I'll live.

three controls - not difficult at all/

ESSENTIAL INFO - this pedal really performs best when used with a heavily overdriven marshall. supercrisp,crunchy distortion with piles of tone. awesome"the ONLY distortion pedal i havetried,andi havetried a few!!! that can handle a marshall. no wonder theMELVINSand ENTOMBED use them!!!

damn right.

the ONLY distortion pedal which enhances heavyily overdriven el34 powered amps. an absolute classic.

Only 3 pots and no manual (why waste the paper?) so it's as easy to use as any other dist peadal in that respect. However, it does take some tweaking to get the right sound. The gain control makes no difference past 9 o'clock, regardless of your guitar's volume, so most of the adjusting you'll need happens in quite a narrow range. it does get very loud with the gain cranked, so expect a bit of a volume jump!

The setup i'm currently using is a '77 ibanez artist (with humbucker pickups)>seiko tuner>RAT 2 or ehx US big muff pi>Boss ce-3 chorus>ehx russian small stone>boss bf-34 flanger>marshall DSL 401 tube combo. i originally bought the rat as a harmonic dist pedal instead of the big muff for some songs due to the latter's poor passive bypass (it sucks out the high end when switched off). It is possible to get a really muff-like fuzz with the agin high and the filter at around 8 o'clock to bring in more high-end 'sizzle'. for a more tubey sound, turn the filter clockwise a little and make sure the gain isn't too high or it'll turn to muddy sludge. It really improves your sustain though.

When i first plugged the rat in, i turned all the controls to the midday position and ended up with a really loud sound with little treble, which surprised me a little. By itself, this pedal produces a tone with plenty of mids and bottom end, but you can get a really wide range of sounds by messing with your amp's eq. You can get a really mild, purring distortion as well with the gain low and the filter high. oh yeah, it can give some really wicked feedback!

The boys and girls at proco really put a lot of thought into this. everything about its construction says 'reliable', from the solid click of the on/off switch to the large, sturdy knobs. The thickness of the metal around the battery hatch (easily accesible by a rubber-headed screw) would probably stop a rifle pellet. If you stomped on and kicked it around the stage/rehearsal room your foot would break first. like its namesake, the rat is a tough little beast. I doubt i'd need a backup.

not needed to use the warranty card, but that build quality makes it less likely to break than a boss, which really is saying something.

For the 90s alternnative stuff that i play, this pedal works quite well, with a surprisingly wide range of sounds for a simple dirt box. If it got stolen or lost, i'd be very annoyed and save up for another one. However, the volume pot could do with being of a different spec to make a gradual change in gain across the full range, instead of all of the sounds being concentrated in a few mm of travel. The best feature is probably the filter knob, which can make it sound like a fuzz or overdrive. overall, good sounding and ruggedly built box of noise that could be used for a variety of guitar styles.