ProCo Turbo RAT

There are 3 knobs and well... it's about as easy to use as a distortion pedal can be. I don't see how it could be rated anything other than 10 to be honest.

This is a completely subjective category clearly and I'd just like to say that I completely agree with the review that should be directly below this one which was complaining about some very misguided criticism aimed at this pedal. If you want some sort of tremendous lead tone like the kind you'll get out an Engl Powerball or some other tube amp then this is obviously not the pedal to buy. I have no idea why someone wanting such a tone would even consider this pedal - I mean within ten seconds of playing one or hearing one for that matter, it's obvious that this isn't that kind of pedal.

What it does do however, I absolutely love. I tend to just use this for simple power chording fun and the odd (very simple) bit of lead and I love it. It just seems completely ridiculous to me that a distortion pedal that does these sounds so well (as this one does) can be accused of providing "fake tones" as if there is only the one "true tone" that all guitar players must aspire to and as this pedal doesn't provide them it gets a 3. So here's a word of warning for anyone wanting to buy this pedal - you can't rate a sound solely in terms of numbers like the 9 I've given here, sounds by their very nature are incommensurable and as such as a rule I will recommend the rather obvious advice to listen to it a few times before you buy! That seems like common sense but clearly given a few previous reviews some people like to buy effects based solely on the numerical rating it's received. If you applied that logic to movies for example, you'd end up going to see maybe some romantic comedy or arthouse film when you really want to see an action movie - it's exactly the same principle for guitar effects.

I've only had one small problem with this pedal when for some unknown reason the pedal just wouldn't turn on - I tried using a power supply and batteries, but it still wouldn't work. This all took place in the context of a gig unfortunately and it subsequently rather ruined it. So in answer to the second question I would say that no, ever since that experience I always have a back up distortion pedal. However, I should also say that the particular pedal I owned had been through an awful lot of use over a few years and has in fact, worked perfectly ever since. I think that merits an 8 if you also take into account the much stressed point that it seems impossible to break this pedal physically (as opposed to the electronics stopping working - though I've spilled beer over it on many an occasion and it still works!).

I've never dealt with them so I will give them a 10 for no particular reason.

I play mainly indie rock type music and this suits me perfectly. I think the justification for my 10 comes from the fact that I've spent a large amount of money on distortion pedals over the years and this one (the first I bought and one of the cheapest) is the one I still use. I even still use it most of the time to gig with despite buying myself a rather nice tube amp.

three knobs, distortion is simple enough, filter it backwards from what you are used to, and volume is guess what, volume. simplicity with just enough flexibility

here's where the ratings get f'ed up. the only reason im posting this is because of some of the bad "sound quality" ratings for this pedal. a lot of people have complained about this pedal being very dark even with the filter set at the most trebly setting or with the pedal switched off(which is complete nonsense because it is wired for true bypass). Addressing the "darkness" attributed to this pedal by some reviewers, you must consider what it is you are buying this pedal for, meaning what are you going to run it through. the rat pedals were originally made by proco to give fender amp owners a stompbox that would give them a footswitchable jcm 800 style high gain sound out of their fender amps.

do not be afraid though, i have never run my t-rat through a fender amp and i can always get the sound im looking for.

i read that someone else described the type of distortion you get as black sabbath, and that has to be the truest interpretation of the sound this pedal puts out, in my opinion. However, this will differ greatly based upon what amp you are running the pedal through.

in music everything is based on opinion, and the people who didnt like this pedal are entitled to their opinion, but they should have done a little more research and known what it was that they were buying before they invested their money in something that wasnt going to give them what they wanted. based on most of the bad reviews of this pedal that i read, those people should have bought channel swtiching tube amps, because they didnt really want analog distortion, they wanted tube overdrive.

in my opinion the turbo rat does exactly what it is supposed to do, and very well at that. i think its pretty easy to see that most people who have chosen and love the rat, knew what the rat would produce before they used it. if that is not the sound that you are looking for, by all means move on to something that will suite your needs, but do not give a great pedal, that does exactly what it should, a bad review just because you didnt know what you wanted.

it's in a steel case that is thicker than 1/8th, i dare you to try to break this pedal. in i read an earlier review that said the knobs come off easily. I dont know what kind of dope that person was on, because those things are stuck on like the almighty put them there himself.

never dealt with them, all i know is that they ship candy with their cables and parts when they send orders to music stores

a great pedal, plain and simple. not the kind of thing i would run through a solid state amp though.

It's pretty easy to use, but I think I'd rather have the Boss style stomp. Though there is something classy about the switch.

Unlike the Deucetone, it's pretty straight forward.

The Filter is interesting, but it's only useful in the 8-10 position.

It's got about 5 different types of distortion down along the distortion noise. After the just-after-mid position it doesn't become terribly useful though, just adds a "little" more gain. But considerred the wild differences on the other side of the knob, it's not a huge setback.

Anyway, this is an AMAZING pedal! I spent so long looking for a pedal that would give me the heavy distortion I need without sounding like a Metal Zone.

The Distortion it gives is almost like both OD and Distortion at once - and it's HUGE. A wonderful fart pedal. Can be used for Metal, Light Rock, Hard Rock - anything! Though it probably is best for Hard Rock.
There's no fuzz tone, but that's what the You Dirty Rat is for :) If you had both those pedals(or a T-RAT with a Zvex Fuzz Factory), you'd be unspottable :)

I love this so much. I didn't try before I bought, I just listened to the tones on the website. And I got a great sound out of the box without any need to mess with EQs. And when I did mess with EQs - I could even get a Metal Zone like setting!

Tons of drive.

I'd recommend backing it up with a little chorus once in a while- despite what other reviews say, it has a very "scratchy" tone.

I really wish it had an EQ built in though... The Filter isn't the best. I'll have to buy a seperate EQ pedal now. But for the price, it's well worth it.

Brick. Knobs come off easy though, but I imagine they're just as easy to replace.

Their website was great, and offered some fantastic sound samples. Could have had a wider selection though, but it REALLY helped me decide if it was right for me.

Sorry, I just really love this pedal. As I said before, I play a variety of types of rock music, from 80s goth to alt rock, to Metal like Pantera. This does everything I need. I bought my Digital Effects Zoom 606, loved it but I'll need to replace it with other pedals, I bought a Morley Classic Wah which I LOVED but will one day have to alternate it mostly with a Dimebag signature crybaby for tweakability; but I can honestly see myself using the RAT as my Primary distortion pedal for a long, long time to come. Maybe some day I'll try out the other RATs.

Also a fantastic "backing up" pedal, especially for Metal Zone, and can be backed up very well itself with my Nobels OD pedal.

The lack of EQ like the Metal Zone has is disappointing, but not necessary if you have an amp with any kind of tone settings, especially with the Filter.

It's a fantastic pedal, but do NOT buy it if you just want biting metal leads - personally, I find it does Pantera like distortion a lot better than I thought it would, but it won't take you to the extremities of that level on it's own. People obviously didn't try or read up before they bought; just buy a Metal Zone and turn up the Trebles for that.

It isn't difficult to use, it just sounds like shit on every possible setting-- even when it's turned off! I hate to deviate from everyone's opinions for fear of getting hate email, but I definitely have to disagree on this pedal!

This is a great pedal... if you like the sound of a fat Chinese man sitting on your amp and farting into your speaker. It muffles the sound, even when turned off. Takes out highs and bite, adds tones of fake-sounding bass. I don't want more bass, I have an EQ for that. Honestly, I'm not very hard to please. I like nice clear, biting lead tones. I thought I could use a little more distortion. But this sounds SO electronic and solid-state! It KILLS attack and it sounds like you're playing through some weird synth effect, not a guitar. I guess some people in the Nu-Metal category would like this fake sound. I bought this pedal because I've heard good things about it on here, but GOD! Total waste of 50 bucks. This thing is overrated.

Yeah, I'm sure it will work if you drop it and all that bullshit, but it's still going to sound like hippo-fucking.

I'd call myself a classic metal shredder... I use a Gibson into a tube amp, and use various vintage DOD pedals (you can't go wrong with them... they're cheap, efficient, and they don't darken your tone like SOME pedals do...). The filter knob is totally retarded, it already darkens your tone, and if you turn the knob to the right, it just cuts more tone out. Also, I DESPISE the volume knob. For some reason, it cuts the volume of the whole effect chain, not just the level of the pedal. GUITAR-COMP-OVERDRIVE-RAT-EQ-AMP... I also tried using it before the overdrive, sounded like shit still. The Distortion just sounds fake. So all in all, it's useless. If you love tube crunch and response, don't buy this. If you play a Squier into a Crate amp, go ahead.

Couldn't be easier. Three nobs.

This is the greatest distortion pedal I have ever used. I play a Fender Cyclone II (American Jaguar Pickups, single coil) and a epi Les Paul through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I got the Deluxe for the clean sound and was almost oanicking when I couldn't get a good distorion out of it. I tried the digitech x-series hot rod rock distorion, the ds-1, and the metal zone. The digitech and the baoss just didn't have enough guts for me, and I was embarassed to step on the metal zone. That pedal has no soul. The Turbo rat on the other hand is not lacking in anything. It has so much gain and so much power and so much distorion it is unbelievable. It is such a raw, nasty, gutty, organic, thick, distorion. With your guitar volume you can go from great crunch for classic rock to almost uncontrolable (in a good way) distortion. I really can't say enough good things about this pedal. If you're looking for natural sounding heavy distorion, leave the digital modeling stuff at home and GET THIS PEDAL!!!

It's built like a tank.

I know they say not to give overly glowing reviews, but I can't help it with this pedal. I play in a cover band that does everything from Cheap Trick to Velvet Revolver to STP to Grunge to you name it. This pedal gives me unique sound that works for all of those styles. I've played with guys who use those PODS and other modeling things and They're all trying to get the sound that I have. They can keep trying, I'll take my turbo rat for a quarter of what they're paying, and I'll still sound better. BUY THIS PEDAL!!!

its a pedal, just knobs

Ive tried different od/distortion pedals and I found I was never 100 percent happy with the sound, I first noticed rats by hearing ex Blur guitar player Graham Coxons sound (he uses 2 rats), I really liked his sound so I checked out some rats and found I liked the Turbo version most (good to be influnced by an artist but should not copy unless u feel the sound is right for you, in this case, I went for the Turbo instead of the Rat 2), it has what ive been looking for, its got a big, warm sound, my USA Strat plus sounds perfect through it!! I have a RMC Picture added as well, what a killer set up!! the pedal does have abit of noise on full gain but thats no problem, I like 12 o'clock settings :)

ill be looking after it well but its built solid, no lack of quailty

Its the pedal ive been looking for, great for blues to heavy rock! it makes u feel u have something special in your set-up!! PLEASE stop slagging of effects when your using some cheap guitar with a silly amp??? this will not improve your sound, it adds to your set up, so if u have a great set-up! u will get a great sound from it

Three knobs, easy to use.

I have had several Rats, and have had this particular unit for a while now. I have never been crazy about the high-gain settings on this pedal, it was just too fuzzy for me. I always wished I had an overdrive pedal that blurred the lines between overdrive and distortion, something that could sound nice and mellow, but that could also sound crunchy and nasty. I pulled the Turbo Rat out of the closet about two weeks ago and tried it at some lower gain settings and found that it sounds fantastic. I can get a serious crunchy-in your face overdrive tone from it without it getting fuzzy. It sounds so thick and heavy, even at lower gain settings, and it is very crunchy. I ditched my tube screamer clones on my pedalboard and replaced them with the Turbo Rat. I keep the gain below halfway, and play with the filter until I get the warmth and crunch that I want. Whenever I lowered the gain on any of my other distortion/overdrive pedals the sound always thinned out somewhat, it just lost some dimension. The Rat stays full and aggressive, even at lower settings, and gives me a wicked crunch that none of my other overdrive or distortion pedals can give me. Pinch harmonics are a snap, and the pedal just sounds great. Im using it with a 74 Fender Deluxe Reverb, and a Fender-Rivera Twin Reverb II. I primarily use a Les Paul. I love this pedal now that I have found a new use for it. I use the Dime Distortion from MXR for all of my over the top distortion needs, the Turbo Rat covers everything else.

Built like a brick, treat it well and it will outlive you.

I grew tired of my Visual Sound Ultimate Overdrive and my Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive pedals. I wanted a medium-gain sound that blurred the lines between overdrive and distortion, and those devices either did not have enough gain, or just sounded too thin when I turned the gain down. When I tried my Turbo Rat with the gain at about halfway or below, I found the sound I was looking for. Warm, mean, crunchy, and full. Now I have the perfect compliment to my Dime Distortion. I play classic rock, 80's metal, and I play at church just about every sunday. I have been playing for 10 years now and know what sounds I like/dislike. The Turbo Rat gives me the mellower sound I wanted without being thin or wimpy, and it gives a me a huge crunch-tone. I dont like to give pedals perfect 10's, but for what Im using it for its perfect, and its Made in the USA and reliable. What more could you want?

10..like said previously..three knobs is easy enough

i bought this thing when i was first starting out about ten years ago and initially i hated it but i kept it anyway. since then i have found a million and one uses for this pedal. my main trick is to use it to boost my amp distortion (sunn beat lead 2x12). when ya boost the volume on this thing its actually loud enough to plug in headphones and hear it in the left channel. so you can imagine how much it will boost yer tone

ive had to replace the wires for the battery twice but hey...all pedals need that at some point.

never dealt with em

Oh I spent two weeks trying to figure out what the knobs did, the ones that really got me were "Volume, and Distortion"! Erm I am being sarcastic, if you cant work this box then you are too stupid to own a guitar.

It is extremely easy to get a good sound out of this, but it is only a one trick pony, if you want a overdrive, buy some thing that says "overdrive" on it.

I am playing a Paul Reed Smith McCarty with Bare Knuckle pickups (Bridge-Mule, and Stormy Monday-Neck), through a US Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, I also have a Standard cry baby, MXR Wilde Overdrive and a Boss RC20XL Loop Station. I also have a old Jackson Kelly as a Back up guitar.

I find that the pedal is quiet and there is little back ground noise, this works really well with the other pedals in my rig and absolutely loves the PRS, I can get great harmonic feedback with the Turbo Rat.

I play mostly Funk, Rock and Funky rock, also a little disco, Jazz and Blues. Prior to the Turbo Rat I was just using a MXR Wilde Overdrive, (which I love) but I wanted the "the extra one, so my sound would go to 11 instead of ten" (In Spinal Tap terms!) And the Rat is pretty extreme in that sense! It is not part of my main sound as I find that I start to sound a little wanky and start playing shred! But it does bring that extra aggressive edge when I want it.

The Rat is not really a "Scooped" sounding pedal and tends to add extra bang to the lower mid section resulting in a "chunky" sound that cuts well through a mix.

Never let me down, unlike my Wilde over drive!which decides when it wants to work! (But alas I love the sound of it)

Anyway play with a back up pedal? are they serious!? I have a back up guitar, but not pedals!

Never dealt with them

As mentioned I play mostly Funky Rock, through the gear that I have also previously mentioned, I have been playing for 14 years, and as mentioned I find the pedal very limited, but I bought it for the sound that it makes, I am well pleased with my Overdrive, and Clean Channel, but I wanted a agressive "Mega rock" sound to occassionally use for solos, and simply take the sound to a more agressive level, which this pedal does very well.

If it was stolen I would claim on insurance, if it was lost I would kick my self in the arse!

I compaired this to loads of other boxes of similar and more expense but this was the chunky sound that I wanted.

an idiot could use this pedal, 3 knobs, distortion, filter and volume, the only thing you need to know is that the filter works in reverse. AND it glows in the mutha fuckin dark!!!!!!

i use the Turbo Rat as my main distortion inbetween a fender jaguar 62 reissue/rickenbacker 330 and a fender pro reverb 79 and the pedal is the item i've been searching for, for years!! I've tried alot of different distortions and this one is the best for me, above shreadmaster, tube screamer, big muff. sounds lovely with differing amp styles. AC-30, Fender combos and even my old H&K solid state head and 4x12 cab. it's versitile and it's great for crunchy, rhythm type tones too. it's also wort noting that while recording, our producer recorded a vox continental organ through the turbo rat and it sounded amazing.....keeping the distortion in moderation of course!! vocals can be done in this style also.

i've had my one for a few years now and it's never let me down. I would and do, do gigs without a backup, i trust the pedal with my life!!

never tried, never needed!!

I'm in a signed rock band with pop styled songwriting and this pedal is all I need to get my guitar sound happening, other guys in the band are so impressed their getting turbo rats for themselves. If it were stolen I'd get a new one the same day, it's become the corner stone of my tone. I would have given it a 10 but there are a few drawbacks...1, it has mini jack style power input(this is not the UK standard) 2, it's really heavy. but these are small pricse to pay for the quality of tone!!