Rat 2 Distortion : Fantastically versatile distortion box

The current production version of the infamous ProCo RAT distortion pedal. Same 3 controls for volume, filter and distortion, same strength of enclosure (I.e. near indestructible).

I've heard a lot of people swear that the old RAT's with the LM308 chips in them sound superior. Having tried an early 80's and mid 90's RAT prior to this one, I can say that if there is a difference, it is barely perceptible, and certainly not worth paying extra for. Save yourself some money and snobbery by getting this.

Despite being marketed as a distortion box, the RAT is surprisingly versatile. With the gain rolled back and the volume cranked, you can get a cutting overdriven tone that sounds great.

With the gain midway you can get some pretty convincing Marshall distortion sounds. This area is where my RAT tends to live - distortion and filter at 1 o'clock, volume at 3 o'clock. Single note lines sound thick and have great sustain, and chords sound absolutely massive.

Cranking the gain can give you some pseudo-fuzz tones. I don't tend to use the pedal for this very often due to personal preference, but it does have its applications.

Speaking of applications, this pedal is perfect for live and recording. The pedal cuts some of your guitar's bass and boosts the mids a little (almost like a tubescreamer) - this guarantees you being heard in the mix, and you can use the fantastic sustain of the pedal without being drowned out (unlike the scooped Big Muff). If you want your low end left intact, the Turbo RAT would be a better option.

The only disadvantage for me was the nonstandard 9 volt jack. I needed to buy an adaptor, which was a bit of a pain. All in all though, I highly recommend this pedal