Product: ProCo Rat 2 Ratsputin/Ratzinger Vodka Mods
Price Paid: USD 150.00
Submitted
07/21/2006
at
02:22pm
by
Rod
Ease of Use
:
10
The vodka "mod" that my Rat2 received includes two toggle switches one 2-way and one 3-way. Additionally the control knobs offer sweeping levels of distortion, filter and volume. The 3-way toggle selects the style of function weather it's full fuzz, warm overdrive or cranked tube saturation with lots of subtle harmonics. The second 2-way switch selects the vodkamod flavor with has different sonic qualities much like an EQ curve or swithes say on a sansamp to select what tone flavor. The number of different combinations of tones with these added switches makes this a very worthwile tool indeed for tone shaping esp when used in front of a tube amp (I haven't tried it direct yet but I will expand on this later).
Sound Quality
:
10
The sound quality is great with the stock Rat2 but the vodka mod takes it out and really makes this pedal a complete tone hunters dream. If you've heard a stock Proco Rat2 pedal this mod gives you two distinct tone flavors with 3 settings each that's six total tone variations with three parameters of volume/distortionlevel and filter which is a tone adjustment much like a notch filter or parametric eq mid frequency
Reliability
:
10
Rat pedals are all metal and built like tanks, they seem even more bullet-proof than the Bigmuff pedals. I've had mine for around a decade and it's never given me problems, i'm sure the Vodka mod hasn't compromised the overall reliablitiy, and I'm sure Mike would remedy that situation if it did occur, he's very easy to deal with.
Customer Support
:
10
This is not a reflection of Pro Co, but again I've had the Rat2 in it's non-modified form for many years and have had it in my pedal board for years (right after the Boss CS2 and before the Vox/Crybaby wah) with no issues to report to customer service. Vodka mods customer support was great, very fast and personal care in the email communication. Shipping was quick as a wink.
Overall Rating
:
10
I play in a southern band that hops into neworleans funk, jazz fusion, rock n' roll, and even classic rock and metal at times. This pedal can cover a lot of territory now that it's not just a "fuzz" pedal anymore. I'd would have to replace this with another if it were lost damaged or stolen. Built to last, sounds great, very versatile, easy to use, very musical. Get your rat modded if you can and I can recommend Vodka mods highly at this point. I'm sure I'll send many more pedals to Mike for his custom mods, he may become my Tone Guru much in the way that Keeley mods have become for others.
