ProCo RAT

Very easy to use if you take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the sensitivity and functions of the knobs. plug in, plug out, hit button, rock on! pretty simple. only giving a 9 because of less than conventional power plug.

sound quality is pretty impressive and quite versatile. its definite NOT made for tight thrashy metal, as a previous reviewer so obviously pointed out, but has its place in so many other styles of music. and just so you know, CJ Reaper, there are other styles of music where "good" tone is required. some reviewers have compared it favorably to the big muff but i must completely disagree. while the muff has its merits, the rat does not have the same big boomy sound and is, therefore,the rat is tighter and more controlled as far as higher gain technical playing. it can sound like all sorts of major artists from nirvana to metallica to led zep to cream and many more depending on pedal settings and guitar and apm set up. most importantly, u can sound completely original and like yourself! i use it through a 1972 Trainor YSR-1 custom reverb with a whole mess of pedals (including a russian big muff, classic crybaby, Electro-harmonix holy grail, boss green phaser, super chorus... etc) and with an epiphone LP custom with stock pickups, an ibanez sf-420, and ibanez iceman-x with a pair of dimarzio super distortions and it really sounds great with all 3 guitars.

ive been beating the hell out of this particular specimen for about 12 or so years and just recently had a problem with the switch. thats really it. ive depended on it for quite some time, and will continue to as long as im playing.

Proco was an absolute pleasure to deal with. While i didnt have my pedal repaired by them, they sent me the circuit schematic and gave my guitar tech tips on what and how to fix it when the switch went. oh, and they even told me what "the captain is smiling" means.

well, ive been playing rock, alternative, punk, metal, blues, and combining all sorts of things for about 20 years now and i cant imagine doing what i do without this pedal! if it were lost or stolen, i would go through great lengths to secure another. ive used a lot of distortion/fuzz boxes and find the rat to be the best sounding and most versatile.

I've got an older Rat, the whiteface version from the early 80's. Three knobs, couldn't be easier to use. You can quickly dial in whatever tone you desire. Everything from full on death crunch to smooth overdrive.

Flat out THE BEST distortion I've ever heard...and I've heard them all. It's probably not easy to find these older model Rats anymore, but whatever they did to them back then, they've got the "magic". Ultra musical sound, no harshness or farty tone. Super quiet in my signal chain. I use Fender Stratocasters into a Fender Super Reverb amp.

Built like a tank. Haven't had any issues since getting it back from ProCo (see Customer Support below).

I found this Rat in the back of the closet at my parent's house after forgetting about it for 20 years. It belonged to a friend of mine in high school who passed away and his sister gave me a bunch of his old equipment. Anyway, I dug it out and tried it, but something was wrong with the jacks or switch, no worky! So...I emailed ProCo and explained the problem. Their response: "Send it in, we'll fix it for free". To say I was blown away by such incredible service in this day and age of non-existent customer service is an understatement. Keep in mind, I was not the original purchaser. I had no paperwork, nothing. Sent it in and they had it back to me within a week, completely repaired and sounding great. Now THAT'S Grade A customer service, folks. Bravo ProCo!

If you can find one of these old whiteface Rats I'd definitely recommend it. I play indie rock/post rock/shoegaze type of music and it's my favorite pedal. Superb tone. If it were stolen I would track down the thief and go bowling with his head.

Couldn't be easier. Just remeber the tone knob works in reverse: all the way up means least amount of highs.

First of all: true bypass, which means your tone remains unaltered when the pedal's switched off.
At low distortion settings the Rat just warms up your tone with what sounds like a little compression, at higher settings you can get anything from a boss DS-1 style scream to a convincing fuzz to a tubescreamer-like singing sound.
Another good thing is that when you set it at about ten o clock, you can go from clean and warm to mild overdrive by manipulating the volume pot on your guitar. I use it for a Scofield type sound most often. It doesn't suck lows like a TS does and the distortion at low settings is more subtle and less abrasive than a DS-1 or BD-1. It doesn't affect the tonal characteristics of your guitar as much as other pedals, just makes it sound dirtier and fatter. It's not really a tube amp sound (for that, I'm afraid you'll just need a tube amp), just a great transistor overdrive sound.

No problems yet, looks and feels reassuringly sturdy.

No experience, but the five year "any excuse, even abuse"-warranty sounds good.

I play jazz-funk and this pedal is great for that. I have used dozens of distortion/overdrive pedals (TS-9, fuzz face, lots of boss pedals) in my 20+ years of playing and this one is definitely my favorite. I use this pedal with a Washburn J6 jazzbox and occasionally a tele, no other effects. If I lost it, I'd definitely get another one.
I was looking for one versatile pedal that would give me a good sound no matter what amp is present at gigs, jam sessions, rehearsals etc. and this one definitely does that. I just pop the Rat into my guitar case and I can play jazz, funk, blues and rock, all with great tone. The price is good, too. It's a pity it doesn't work with my Boss adapters though.

so i altered my RAT via Robert Keeley-- thus adding a three-way switch next to the distortion, filter, and volume knobs. the switch goes between "original rat," the "mighty mouse," which is a high-volume clean(er) distortion, and a more overdrive-y setting, which is the one i use. not much to worry about, dial-wise-- just keep fiddling til it sounds good. which it will, most likely.

I liked the pedal before, but I had it modded about 3 years ago, and I cannot even imagine using another distortion box. Guitars have come and gone, amps, delays, but my RAT is awesome. I highly recommend the Keeley mod, because the "overdrive" setting is about the most kickass distortion I've heard from a simple box. I use it w/ a Fender Telecaster Deluxe RI (the 2-hummer version) into a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, w/ a DD-3 delay. So almost all of my dirt comes from this little guy-- and boy, it does the job. From fuzzier, Big Muff stuff to way bluesy, it kills. I use it for a sharp, slightly brittle distortion. It's still warm, despite loading on crisp high-end. Imagine the distortion on the Hives' "Veni Vidi Viscious" or some of Guy's tones in Fugazi. Although I loved the original RAT, I have to say it's the mod that made it into the pedal I know and love-- firstly, it is SO much louder than it used to be-- switching between the "original" and "overdrive" settings shows how much more clean boost this thing can give. Also, it's a lot more natural sounding, more Marshall-y, with the modification. Perhaps it's because I love the "overdrive" setting, but this thing sounds like a cranked amp, even when quiet. It responds really well to cleaning up via volume knob on the guitar, but I wouldn't recommend it, just because it sounds so killer when cranked.

It doesn't feed back too badly when you don't want it to, and did I mention it sounds great?

The battery lasts forever, it's a badass case and it can take a beating. I'd never worry about it.

n/a

It's my favorite (and signature) distortion-- I've recieved many compliments on my tone, and I don't think I'll be changing it in the near future. Just get the mod, people! It's so worth it!

Only 3- knobs, very simple. However, the filter knob may at first appear counter intuitive. As you turn it up, it cuts the high frequencies. As others have stated, these 3 controls are very interactive.

Unbelievable! I absolutely love this pedal. I have had it for more than 20 years. It has grown with me, as my tastes have "matured". I have a 1962 Les Paul/SG Jr., Fender Lonestar Stratocaster, & a Reverend Slingshot.My amps are a Mesa Boogie MarkIIC, & a Fender Blues Jr. I have tried & mostly been dissappointed, in most of the effects pedals out there. I only run this Rat through the clean channel of my Boogie. I do not use any other effects. I used to set the distortion at 2-3 o'clock, now I typically set it at around 11 o'clock. I used to play along to Black Sabbath records, using just a small Pignose, with only my Rat! It sounded pretty convincing!!! You really can get any sound that you need, with this pedal. I did recently purchase a Barber Electronic Direct Drive pedal, which does provide a more musical tone for overdriven blues. The Rat is still #1.

This thing is built like a tank. I have never used a backup with it. It is the only piece of equipment, that I would consider doing that with. The battery wires did come apart a couple of years ago. Not a big deal, considering the fact that this unit was used & beat up, when I purchased it some 20 years ago. Batteries seem to last forever, with this stinkin'Rat!

I called ProCo when my Rat's battery cables malfunctioned. The man that answered, told me to ship it to them, & they would be glad to take care of it for me. I informed him that I had purchased it used, almost 20 years ago, had no warranty. He said that it did not matter, they would be happy to take care of it, at no charge. It was returned to me within a week. There was a nice note enclosed, stating that my model, was in his opinion, the finest that they had ever made. There was even some candy placed in the box! Customer service does'nt get much better than that.

I play classic rock, blues & old hard rock. I like Jimi Hendrix, Robin Trower, Frank Marino, Paul Kossoff, Ritchie Blackmore, & of course, all of the blues greats. I really don't understand these folks that can't get a good sound, out of this pedal. I have heard that the later models were significantly different, & the sound suffered for it. I don't know for sure, I have played a couple of others, that did not sound as good as mine. I highly recommend the older models. If mine were lost or stolen, I would immediately search for a replacement.

Yep

Great boost with a Marshall and a Les Paul. Especially great for achieving horrible microphonic feedback on command. Paired with a noise supressor, this thing could be damn well capable of taking over the world with a good old tube amp. Through a clean amp, sounds like a Marshall with no balls. Through a Marshall with the distortion barely on, the volume maxed, and the filter set to taste...hot damn.

Basswise, it can get fuzzy or meaty. Whatever your heart desires.

Use inside of a sock as home defense.

Great stuff, classic pedal that seems to still be under the radar for some reason. Nobody has made them famous, I suppose. Great value and affordable to boot.

Distortion, Filter and Volume, you know the drill.

Just so we are all clear, this review is for a small box, NON-LED Rat circa 1983, white face with black inverse "Rat" logo and the infamous LM308N chip. And it's stock, no Keeley or any other kinds of mods.

The Rat is appropriately named, it's distortion is ratty, ragged and coarse. It's definitely a distortion, but it has enough characteristics of an overdrive and a fuzz to make it sort of a hybrid pedal. In my opinion it basically sounds like shit no matter how you set it, but I can see why others would like it.

On it's own into a clean amp it produces a hairy sound that is loose and messy. Tight, smooth and focused it is not. No way could you EVER use this pedal alone to get Death or Thrash metal sounds, it's not even remotely tight enough for any rhythm work that requires a tight palm muted sound.

Single notes have an interesting "hair" to them, it's an OK pedal for leads but for rhythm it's more suited to more primitive forms of "rock" that don't require much, if any, technique.

Other reviews have said that you can use this pedal for any style of music. No, you CAN'T! Not for any "real" Metal(Unless you're Trey Azagthoth, don't ask me how he gets a good sound out of one), it's not tight enough for Metal. Noisy, annoying "alternative" rubbish yes, but not Metal or anything that requires a "good" tone.

Built like a tank, probably the best build quality I've ever seen in a production pedal. If it sounded as good as it's built I'd be much happier with it.

N/A

Been playing since 1984, lots of styles but my favorites are classic Metal (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Dio) and Death/Thrash Metal (80s Slayer, Destroyer 666, Morbid Angel).

It's fine for what it is but it doesn't do much for me. I use it occasionally as a low-fi tone filter for leads when I need some extra mids to cut through. It does add a cool ragged quality to the sound, but not one that I would want as part of my sound all of the time.

I'll keep it for bragging rights as it is a "rare" version of the Rat. If lost or stolen I'd not replace it. I would sell it if offered as much or more than I paid for it. Otherwise it's just a really cool looking (if horrible sounding) paperweight in my pedal collection.

It's a three knob pedal. The way I see it is the filter knob is like an inverse tone knob. Less filter=more treble and vice versa. Once you know that, it's easy to go from the harsh, ear grating sounds with the filter zeroed, or the really muddy, not so punchy sounds when it's dimed. Find the sweet spot in between, and you are in a world of bliss.

I get the sounds of the only artist that matters when it comes to getting sounds: me.

On a more serious note, it's easy to get lots of sounds out of this. To get a Big Muff type tone, max out the filter knob and set the others to taste, and it's like a muff. A little known fact is that Metallica used these pedals before they got real big and started using ADA's. They were using these through Marshall amps pre-MOP, as far as I know.

I know many jazz guys in Chicago who use this for their lead sounds. It cleans up really well.

This is one of those pedals that really shines with a single coil pickup. It keeps the snap but can make single coils sound really, nice and heavy. Think of Nirvana's In Utero type sound.

With humbuckers, you can do anything from blues or jazz lead lines to thrash metal. For thrash, I'd recommend using an EQ as well to filter out some of the harshness though.

I also sometimes use it into an already pushed tube amp, and it adds a new and wonderful dimension that just sustains for days.

The only negative is the harshness it's capable of.

Metal box. Just as, if not more reliable than Boss pedals. Mine is about twenty years old.

Wouldn't know.

An old Rat is something any and every electric guitarist could find useful. It's a versatile fuzz/distortion box that still has its overdrive type qualities. I'm very happy with mine. I use it mainly with my MIJ Strat through either a Fender Blues Jr or a Marshall JCM-800 4210 (2 channel). It's really wonderful and responsive. Pink Floyd to Mudhoney, this is it.

Three knobs, one footswitch and a battery cover. Hmm... no rocket science needed here...

My RAT is an original LM308 version (for you techie/gear pigs), and as such sounds VERY different from the RAT of today, even the so called Vintage ones.

I had a RAT about 12 years ago (it was the one where the LED/light shone through the letter "A" on the front) and didn't like it. All these guys raved about it, especially for Bass Guitar, so I bought one, not really knowing that there even WAS a difference between this and the original late 70's/early 80's version...

Cut to a week ago and there is a vintage original (white lettered) RAT sitting in the display case at my Local Music store. I instantly recognised it and grabbed it...

One mods that came to mind (especially for bass) is one simply known in the poogers's circle as the "Ruetz Mod" which enables the RAT to speak a little differently, while still maintaining its essential character.

Once I had completed this mod to the fullest (toggle switch added to select between stock and two separate and seriously different voicings) I now have a pedal that I am totally happy to add to my effects board.

Some bottom end (extreme bottom that is) does loosen up a bit, but thats to be expected when everything is being overdriven/clipped to hell!!!

Crank this thing up with my modded Cry Baby wah cracked open to a certain point and I suddenly have Greg Lake or John Wetton's overdriven tones (if you have no clue who these guys are, should you really be collecting vintage stuff???)...

Solid!!!

I dropped twice off the workbench while installing the toggle switch and doing the soldering- I guess if it can take modding from hell (which is a lot more destructive than actually USING the pedal), then it will probably last a lifetime longer!

No backup required...

Not needed. At least not by me... If I can't fix this thing when it breaks (will it ever???), having the schematic and some brain power (and patience), then I'll hunt another one down on Epay or something like that...

This killer pedal, with the mods added, is what God would play when he jams. If its stolen, I'd go to prison, becuase I'd hunt the person down and beat them to death with it!

Pretty simple. Three knobs...filter can take a few minutes to find the tone you like, but its not too bad. No manual as I got used off of EBAY...

My Set up: '78 Twin Reverb-Boos DD-3, Boss PH-3, DOD FX60 Chorus, ProCo Rat,Boss TU-2 tuner, '72 Tele Deluxe or Studio Les Paul. Very quiet pedal, does not effect your tone when off. Ive tried the Boss-DS 1(too shrill, ice-pickish) and the Ibanez TS-9(not enough dist. IMO) and this thing blows them out of the water. You can get evrything from slight overdrive to huge distortion. Mine is from 86 or 88, the smaller box, but has the LM308 chip, which is what you want I guess, I got lucky! Very versatile pedal, not just a one trick pony. I play mostly clean and needed something for leads and what not...those other pedals weren't what I was looking for, The Rat is permanantly a part of my pedal board!

This sucker is built like a tank, mine is from the late 80's and still is kicking...it will last, trust me...

N/A

Like I said I play mostly clean, percussive reggae, and don't play dirty too much, but this pedal is perfect. You can achieve a wide range of tones and distortion styles...you can still find these on EBAY for like 80.00 bucks, get one you'll see...these are sure to be a classic...

Very easy to use. Three knobs, filter acts in reverse. Spend the time
to see all the tones this pedal can give. Mine is an Original '83
Big Box Rat.

This is the first time I've come into contact with a Rat. Have used
every other type of O/D pedal. Finally going back to straight through the amp. I play vintage Fender Tweeds, and a Marshall JMP 50w Head/Cab
This pedal is amazing. Not noisy at all. Strong clean effects. When
in Bypass does NOT effect the natural tone of the guitar through the
amp....something that put me off many classic/modern pedals. Not this
Baby. Had an MXR Dist +, Big Muff Originals...No Contest, this Blows them away. I can se why so many Top Players from Rock - Jazz use this
pedal. Jeff Beck's favorite...I see why.

Only had it a short time. Is 23 y.o. and strong as ever. These guys
put a lot of thought into this pedal. The casing, and the internal wiring & circuit board are equal to any Boutique pedal of today.
Simple & Beautifully laid out. Will not cause any problems.

N.A. Lasted this long in great condition, will last another 23 yrs
with care.

I play Classic Rock & Blues. I can see myself having a whole lotta
fun with this pedal. I have Original TS-808's but this will be a new
favourite.You know as soon as you play through a great piece of gear
that it inspires you and you don't want to stop. This pedal does that.
Its organic, not processed sounding. I think a KEY though is to play
through (as another reviewer said) QAULITY Valve amps. The fenders
take to it beautifully. That was just the Rat straight through the amp. Look forward to hooking up a compressor with it. A Great amp,
Guitar, and this pedal..... you will have a ball. Best $200 I ever
spent!!!!

It's as easy to use at any pedal can be. God. It's all analog and that's the way it always should be. I got mine used, so no manual, but who would need one for this thing?

Ah. I love saying my setup. It feels so good.

Dean Vendetta 3.0 (with DiMarzio MegaDrive and Air Norton)-->Rat-->Dano Fish/Chips EQ-->Boss CH-1-->DOD Phaser-->Marshall JCM-800 4210-->Lee Jackson 4x12 (with Celestion G12T-75's). Unfortunately, as I speak, my Marshall is being retubed, so I haven't been able to test it out yet. However, my opinion isn't just a honeymoon deal because I've used these for recording before and I knew what to expect. My experience with it was through a JCM-900 4501, and now a Fender Frontman 10.

This pedal is amazing.

3 knobs: Distortion, Filter and Volume. This pedal WILL NOT even come close to doing a clean boost. It's a distortion/fuzz, not a straight od. It can give a distorted signal boost though. The volume seems to be independent of the distortion knob which makes things really easy. The more you crank the filter knob, the muddier your tone gets and the lower your volume gets too. I'm using it with Distortion at 12:00, Filter all the way down, and volume wherever convenient. If you want to get the sound of the Rat with the filter knob maxed out, roll off your tone knob completely and you'll be there. Then you're thinking Tom Morello from Rage S/T. With tone up, you get some nice heavy/thrash sounds from it. You probably won't want more distortion than 12:00, honestly.

This pedal, gasp, is capable of generating some bad sounds, but anyone with any concept of tone or knowledge will understand how not to get these sounds, and some people would probably enjoy these sounds also. This is, in my opinion, one of the best, if not the best distortion pedals ever made. Bar none.

Well, I just bought the unit. It looks like it's in 9.5/10 condition, and it's around 20 years old. You be the judge, eh?

I hear they're alright, but I have no experience.

The best. Better than a Muff (and it can do the Muff sounds, just so you know), better than a Metal Zone (much warmer), better than any digital pedals that have been made thus far, better than Rocktron's pedals, better than any boss distortion, DOD distortion, etc.

Short of using real tubes, you can't get anything better. And in my opinion, this is better than many high priced amps' distortion channels. With the EQ ahead of it, your distortion/tone options are endless.

Dead easy to get a GREAT sound (but only if you happen to have the sound in your head to begin with!!) Lets just face the fact that some people will ALWAYS get crap sounds no matter what gear they use.
Lucky it only has 3 knobs...!
This brilliant pedal MUST be used in conjunction with a GREAT amp, and a great overdrive tone to begin with to get the best from it.
NO POINT in using this pedal with a clean amp.

I have had my Rat for close to 20 years, and I have used it with;
1/ '76 Marshall Super lead (modded by Tim Evans, Australia)
2/ Labsystems Cage 30A + 50 Boutique Hand built heads.
Many years ago I used the Ibanez Tubescreamer, but although they are ok, they are not as great as the Rat. They are slightly overrated IMO.. These Vintage/early rats will be the one to get in the future. I have always set my amps with some overdrive to begin with, and then added mild quantities of The Rat on top. The best Overdrive/Distortion unit hands down. Harmonic, singing, aggressive attack, headroom... its all there. I now own three of them.

20 years of trouble free.. My Rat is now pretty rusty, and sounds as good as ever.. I had a Rat in my rig all this time and never told anyone I was using one.Theydid ask how I got My Sound, sorry for not telling you.. I have done many gigs with this pedal From small club gigs,to crowds of 2000 3000 at large hotels, up to Concerts of 15,000- 20,000 plus.

Never needed..

This Pro co Rat is the best overdrive pedal ever, including the coveted Ibanez tubescreamer. I have tried heaps of pedals. I used to take 6 pedals home at a time from shops and try them all.
I dont have to worry 'cos I now own three of them. It suits all from singing sustained tones, to blues ( I have a WONDERFUL SRV tone with it too...) right on up to heavy rock. Buy one...

Well, it has 3 knobs: Distortion, Filter (to shape the EQ curve), and Volume. If you can't operate something this simple, seek help. I give it a 9 because it doesn't set itself for you, but then again no pedal does.

I think it sounds great, personally. Probably the best stomp box distortion I have encountered. It just sounds all around good. It can be either very trebly and midrangey, similar to old Metallica tone, or you can suck the mids out and it will sound bassy and full. It is punchy enough for palm muting, but can be quite smooth. It's not really creamy like a Big Muff, but can do a decent approximation for the money. It's a shitload better than the Double Muff, which is a similar concept (overdrive + Big Muff circuit type). This is much more versatile, and sounds great.

I use this with my Essex Les Paul copy, or some modified Fender Strats with Seymour Duncan Hot Rails in the bridges, depending on the mood I'm in. I play it through a Sunn Model T reissue into a Marshall 1960B straight cab. My band plays heavy indie rock and this pedal is great. I use it as a boost right now. With the distortion at about 9 o'clock, the filter and volume almost cranked, it works as a great boost and adds some midrange crunch to the Sunn, which is a very bassy, dark sounding amp. I find myself using the pedal a lot. It also works great to give some grit to parts. It's like I have three channels now: one clean, one Rat overdrive, and one Sunn mega distortion. Really damn nice sounding.

I can't imagine a better pedal than the Rat to use in front of a clean amp. Bands like Pelican actually use this in front of clean vintage Model T's as their main distortion sound. I don't like it as much as the Sunn's amp distortion, but if I were going to ever use a pedal as my main distortion, this would be the one.

Well, I have the vintage Rat, so it's probably 20+ years old. I bought it used now all these years later, and it has worked fine. My guess is that these things are built to last.

Never contacted them.

Overall, a very kick ass distortion pedal. I've tried tons of pedals before: Big Muff, Double Muff, Boss DS-1, Boss Metal Zone, Zoom effects...Big Muffs are nice but have limited applications. The Double Muff is way too muddy and is like a one, maybe two trick pony at best. The DS-1 is nice but not very musical when used with other effects, and does not have much gain. The Metal Zone farts out at reasonable settings, the volume is not there at all, it just sounds like shit IMO. I won't even comment on Zoom effects...If you need a good, versatile distortion pedal the Rat is awesome, and usually pretty cheap, too. Go for it.

VERY EASY TO GET GOOD SOUNDS OUT OF THISS LITTLE BLACK TANK. SOUNDS GREAT STOCK BUT SOUND EVEN BETTER WITH THE RUETZ CLIP MOD (NO SOLDERING - THE MOD TAKES LESS THAN 2 MINUTES). THE KEY TO FINDING GOOD SOUNDS WITH THIS PEDAL IS TWEAKING THE "FILTER KNOB".

I USE THIS PEDAL WITH BOTH HUMBUCKER AND SINGLE COIL GUITARS.(EMG 81'S - DIMARZIO TONE ZONES/ FENDER CUSTOM SHOP '69 STRAT PICKUPS, STOCK '78 STRAT PICKUPS). FROM GUITAR TO PEDALBOARD: ROGER MAYER WAH, FOXROX CAPTAIN COCONUT-2(WITH ROLAND EXPRESSION PEDAL), PRO RAT,IBANEZ TS-9, MXR ZAKK WYLDE OVERDRIVE,BOSS DD6. THE PEDAL BOARD GOES TO A MORLEY TRIPPLER AMP SELECTOR. FROM THE TRIPPLER, THE SIGNAL GOES TO TWO 1980 MARSHALL JMP 2203 100 WATT HEADS HOOKED TO TWO UNKNOWN BRAND 4X12'S (MARSHALL COPYS) LOADED WITH MESA BOOGIE SPEAKERS. CAN GET JIMI TONES, IOMMI TONES, SRV TONES, ECT ECT. ALL DEPENDS ON HOW IVE GOT THE KNOBS SET.

THIS SON OF A BITCH IS THE MOST RELIABLE PEDAL I HAVE EVER OWNED. HAVE HAD IT FOREVER AND HAVE NVER ONCE CHANGED THE BATTERY! (A DOLLAR GENERAL STORE BATTERY AT THAT!) WOULD DEFANANTLY USE IT WITHOUT A BACKUP.

NEVER DEALT WITH PRO-CO. SEEING THAT MY RAT WAS MADE SOMETIME IN '84 OR '85, I DOUBT THEYD EVEN CARE ANYWAYS.

I PLAY STONER ROCK, CLASSIC ROCK, METAL,ECT. THIS PEDAL IS GREAT FOR SOME STUFF, BUT NOT REALLY GOOD FOR THE METAL STUFF I PLAY (PANTERA, SLAYER, ZAKK ECT.) BEEN PLAYIN FOR ABOUT 13 YEARS AND OWN LOTS OF SHIT. IF IT WER STOLEN OR LOST I WOULD BE VERY VEY PISSED OFF. WOULD TRY TO FIND ANOTHER OLD ONE LIKE I HAVE. (THE NEWER ONES SOUND TO BUZZY FOR MY TASTES). I LOVE THE WAY IT MAKES MY MARSHALLS JUST A LITTLE MORE DIRTY WITHOUT DESTROYING THEIR NATURAL SOUND. ONLY THING I DONT LIKE ABOUT IT IS THAT I DONT HAVE ANOTHER ONE JUST LIKE I BOUGHT THIS PEDAL FROM A FRIEND WHO USED IT WITH A SOLID STATE(YUKK) CRATE (IM GETTING SICK JUST THINKING ABOUT THE WORD CRATE) AMP. BELIEVE IT OR NOT IT MADE THAT SOLID STATE PIECE OF SHIT SOUND DECENT.I TRIED IT THROUGH MY MARSHALL AND FELL IN LOVE WITH IT. HE LATER BOUGHT ANOTHER AMP AND LIKED THE SOUND OF IT WITHOUT THE RAT. HE SAID HE WOULD TAKE 20 BUCKS FOR THE RAT AND I JUMPED ON IT. IF YOU CAN FIND AN OLDER ONE TRY IT.

Depending on the sound you are looking for, it is generally pretty easy. The filter knob is basically a high cut filter, and the real tone shaper on the RAT. The rest is self explanitory.

I use a 72 RI thinline Tele, and a Custom Strat into a modded Hot Rod Deluxe. The sound quality is fabulous, and incredibly versatile for that matter. This thing yeilds some of the warmest, smoothest sounds I have ever heard, and can get downright dirty too. As I said earlier it's all in the filter knob. I can't think of too many drive sounds this thing can't reproduce. Bring the volume down a bit and it cleans up great. Very dynamic, though I could see how some people would have a hard time getting their insturments real tone to come through. I can get a much more transparent sound through my Maxon OD 808 but thats a totally different effect anyhow. Don't get me wrong, this thing does way more than those other one trick ponies. Anything from subtle overdrive to far out muffy fuzz. This sucker is true bypass, and all analog. What more could one ask for?

The battery lasts like 150+ hours, and its enclosed in a tank. This thing effin rocks.

Never dealt with ProCo, but the HQ is a half hour away from me in good ol Kalamazoo, Mi.

I play mostly blues and jazz, but also alot of your typical rock and jam stuff. I've been playing for eight years. As far as effects go I prefer to keep it simple. I power with a Boss PSM, into a Boss CS-2, Boss Super Chorus, RAT, Maxon OD 808, to a Boss DD-6 delay. My RAT was stolen last year, and indeed I replaced it immediately. I compared this side by side to multiple distortion boxes, and the tone and versatility of this pedal came out on top over and over. Especially for the price, this is my favorite distortion/fuzz. Go get one.

Very easy to use. Wow, this pedal is dang versatile as well.

WEll, i use a bunch of stuff. Many pedals, a texas fat strat, and a 59' bassman reissue ltd. I've been using the ts-808 as well as the ts-9 pedals for distortion (not at the same time). Each of them have kind of their own sound, but they didn't really have that much drive. it's more fuzzy than driven. However, i just bought a rat and I love it. I was very used to the settings of the tubescreamers, so i set it about the same with the RAT. At first i thought it sounded a little too driven, but i didn't realize that the gain potential with this thing is much greater than either of the tubescreamers. I liked the real heavy sound but what a surprise I got... the day i went to play with my band, i found that my tubescreamers were stolen. I thought i wasn't going to have to change much of the tone i had before. But i forced myself to try and cope with the sound difference of the RAT. However I found, I could get much of the great sound for ambient leads i got with the TS's, but twisting a few knobs. And when i wanted to rock out, that beautiful tone was at my fingertips as well. I can't exactly name too many bands that i know for sure use this pedal, but i know Tom from JIMMY EAT WORLD has one.... I also have found that it sounds much like THE ANNIVERSARY with some settings. So anyways, i really like it.

seems to be built very well, but i've only owned it for a short while

haven't had to deal with proco yet.

No pedal can do everything, but each pedal should have somethings specific that it does very well. The good pedals out there have a certain sound to them that can be capitalized when used correctly. I truly have found so much of the beauty in this pedal from only using it a few times, that says a lot.

You have to spend some time experimenting with the settings. When you find one you like, WRITE IT DOWN!

1992-vintage standard Stratocaster that's been modified--one DiMarzio Super Distortion humbucker in the bridge position and one volume control. I can get everything from mildly overdriven a la Malcolm Young to a chewy, chunky rhythm sound a la Skynyrd to the proverbial "Smooth, creamy" overdrive like Clapton. Crank it an you get a pretty nice metal crunch, too. Very versatile, provided you spend some time with it.

Like a rock. Built like a freakin' TANK.

Never had any issues.

I've been playing 20 years and my influences are Pete Townshend, Malcom Young and Keith Richards. That's why I play a Strat. LOL. If this were lost or stolen, I'd definitely find an earlier issue like this one used. It's too good not to have. I guess the favorite feature is that it works equally well at practice volumes all the way up to "shatter the windows across the street" volume. A nice add-on feature would be the ability to program presets, but you can do that with a small notebook or piece of paper somewhere. A great effect for everybody from the "Stevie Ray Vaughnabe" crowd to the metalhead and everything in between. Good stuff...

As mentioned before, three knobs. To tweak really good sounds, you have to play around with the filter knob for a while, very responsive thing. But in generall it's very easy to use.

I use humbucker-equipped guitars as well as ones with single coils, mostly through a peavey classic with an old marshall 4x12 box. The rat enhances the sound without sacrificing the indentity of the guitar or amp. My main guitar is a 1980 Ibanez S540 with a single coil and a humbucker, and it's very easy to get a rich, warm lead sound with both of the pickups. When played through a humbucker it delivers a huge wall of sound when cranked, it also blends really well with the distortion channel of the amp.

It seems indestructible. Solid metal casing, the switch is also a blast.

I didn't have to deal with proco so far

If you're looking for a distinctive rock sound with a pretty high amount of gain, the rat's for you. It delivers the whole package, from chunky rhythm sound to screaming leads, as long as you know how to use the filter setting. I wouldn't use it to get Dimebag or Chuck Schuldiner sounds, it's definitely more suitable for rock or blues. I instantly fell in love with this thing, now a very important part of my setup.

It dont get any simpler.

3 knobs ditotion, filter & volume.

I'm using a 1983 destroyer with screamindemon, running into a 5150II head and Marshal 1960A cab.
Putting the amp into lead with the RAT on and the sutain and sound is amazing. Who needs compression/sustain pedal when you buy the right gear the first time.

No noise what so ever.

Solid as a rock. It is an original 80's model. Although the pots do need to be replaced.

I play metal to blues, and the pedal suits both styles to me.
Been playing for 8 years.
Also own 1986 Nitro US Custom,1977 Ibanez LawSuit LesPaul, and an original 1987 Jap Fender "STRA"(metal type, flloyd rose etc...)
Compared it only with a metal zone, and DS1.

Seriously one of the best sounds i have heard from a stomp box.

very easy.. i was a bit annoyed that the ac input was the reverse of most pedals.. but im anal.

it sounds way better than any other distortion pedal i've used... i've tried the other, newer rats and they sound way different (worse).. the filter knob gives the pedal a lot of versatility. the pedal has a unique ability to make your guitar sound a bit like an analog synth if you want it to... at least, thats what comes to mind. its fun to tinker with. i play with a japanese jagmaster through a Garnet Pro Bass amp.

it is also the beefiest pedal i have. as many people have said, it seems indestructible. however, i bought it used and think i have to replace the switch or something, because a couple of times it has cut out.. it might've been because it was in the cold, travelling.yes, the pedal can drive a car.

never

above all it is absolutely perfect for the music i play... experimental noise/grindcore/spacecore like Arab On Radar, holy molar, ex models.. ive played in my share of busy bands since i started playing about 8 years ago.. this is the only pedal that has survived.

Three knobs, distortion, filter, and volume. Pretty easy to use, but you need to experiment with it to get what your after.

I have two electrics currently, a '76 Les Paul Standard and a U.S. made Peavey Predator Strat copy. My current amp is a Peavey Triumph 60 tube amp running through an old Peavy 4X12 cab. I use the Rat with the Triumph's clean channel. Both guitars sound great with this pedal. I also tried my Cry Baby 535Q in conjunction with the Rat, and it sounded great too. My favorite distortion is what I like to call a kind of twangy distortion where you can hear every string individually. I guess you could call this uncompressed distortion. This is the type of sound you would get from a Dr. Z Maz 38 turned up and played straight through for example. I can get a pretty good approximation to this tone with the Rat's distortion knob at about 11 oclock and the filter knob at 7 or 8 oclock. This pedal does not take the tube clean tone and make it sound like solid state distortion. It only modifies the clean tube tone expertly. The tone is very harmonic too. The only reason I'm not giving it a 10 in this category is because it doesn't sound exactly like a great tube amp played straight through with the tubes saturated, but it gives a very close approximation.

Only had it for 4 days, and it was bought used in pretty good shape. Seems like it would be pretty indestructable.

Don't know, never contacted them.

I play a wide range of different music including in order of preference: blues, classic rock, country, 80's hair metal, and modern metal. I've been playing off and on for 30 years. If this pedal was stolen or lost, I would try to find another used one, since they don't make this issue any more. I love the way this pedal only modifies your clean tube tone and doesn't covert it to a bland non harmonic solid state tone. I don't hate anything about this pedal. My favorite feature of this pedal is the filter (compression) knob. I compared this product to a Boss SD-1 pedal and picked this pedal based on the reviews, but I think the Boss pedal is also a good pedal. I wish it has a little light to let you know if it was on if I ever was using it in conjuction with another distortion pedal, but that is not a problem right now because I only play it on my amp's clean channel with no other distortion pedals. It defenently helps me make music and never gets in the way. This is a very good distortion pedal in it's price range, and I don't see any weaknesses in it. The only thing that really sounds better in my opinion is a quality all tube single channel amp played straight through and turned up to where the tubes are saturated.

Very

who said this is no good for metal?one of the most recorded "secret"pedals ever
is early metallica not metal? or ratt or half of the bands ruling metal in the 80's?
try one in front of a JCM 800 set to loud clean w/eq pedal slightly scooped...it will blow your mind
oh yeah...never crank the gain its best around 2/3.
Noise?you gotta be kidding me.This thing packs a HUGE crunch/noise ratio...if your amp is clean this thing is VERY quiet...maybe you're trying the metal thing with "tex-mex"single coils or something equally silly

Ive had mine forever...switch is a little dirty.other than that it sounds as good as ever

can't be beat for 80'metal/alt/slash tone etc

Three knobs. Learn how to use them all, but remember the Filter (Tone" knob in the middle is your key to success or failure.

Easy to get anything from completely clean sounds to slight overdrive to serious crunch. If the sound isn't in this box you'll need to build something yourself.

The thing is a CHUNK. I've got the original version before ProCo downsized the Rat and then re-released the big box with an LED calling it the "Vintage Rat." (Whatever.) The thing is indestructable.

Have had no issues with the product so I have not dealt with ProCo. However the WWW site is pretty helpful, offering some suggested initial settings, etc, so I give 'em a 5

Ramones, Van Halen, AC/DC, SRV, Green Day, Sex Pistols, Pink FLoyd, Clapton...it's all in there. (Or as close as you can come without duplicating the gear and having a hands and brain transplant.)

It's good stuff, Maynard. Check one out the next time you're Saturday Afternoon "shreading" at the Guitar Center annoying the hell out of the paying customers. LOL.

Very easy. 3 knobs. You can't complain about that much.

Not bad. Sort of like a Tube screamer. It seems to have a nice quality in that when you turn down the distortion it still sounds good in that "just barely breaking up" mode. Some pedals only sound good totally turned off or gain at 10 without much range. It does sound a bit scrappy in quality. I play it with a Les Paul into a Fender DeLuxe Reverb amp. Seems to have a bit more compression than a TS-9.

very solid build it seems

I have lots of distortion pedals. So far my favorite is a Mesa Boogie V-Twin. My favorite pedal for distortion that's not tube based is a Keely modified TS-9. This pedal doesn't have their sound, but then again it doesn't cost what those pedals do. I feel it's better than a Boss pedal and about the same as a TS-9 in tone quality. It doesn't beat a hot tube pre-amp pedal though.