I Was So WRONG About the Rat Distortion Pedal

[@chrismillett]

Major props for using a regular old rat instead of something boutique to show this off.

[@grahamcoxon]

hiya john, this was a fun thing to watch just before i went on stage in mexico city armed with two old 80s RAT pedals(albeit slightly dismantled by mike hill to fit into my big and daft pedal board) i think you bought yourself a really good one. i started using one in the very last wheezing days of the 80s because there was nothing else around in the studio we were rehearsing in and it just stuck. i actually thought a few weeks ago that i was using it in the wrong way all these years (i actually thought aswell that the marshall plexi things i have been using for 30 odd years were a wrong choice too!) but it was nice to see that i pretty much used it in a similar way as you ended up doing in this vid. in those day there want much choice and i wasn't much of a seeker-- i didn't have the time actually cuz the group took off and i couldn't explore any alternatives. great to see you go over the thing so thoroughly ... i use two... one as a sort of drive pedal then another at full vol and full to the left filter and 3 o'clock dist to stack and get chaotic and a little frippish. i was a little upset that you mentioned Noel uses one- he must have copied me. anyway.. as a helix user ( probably going full helix with the band i have with my partner( the WAEVE) your chan has been a brilliant source of inspiration and laughs...and i think as a guitar player you are way too good but I'm being resentful.. a few questions...have you tried tom grays guitars? i use one with a sustainiac PU. also have been well into Manson guitars... with susainiac pickups. very useful and fun things.. well that's it...sorry for rambling ( I think)

[@Fuhgitboutit]

Dude wait this is actually the grahm coxon? Because if it is i totally 100 % am not ashamed to say i use two rats because i heard you did and gave it a try and had a spiritual awakening.

[@Hzalre]

@@Fuhgitboutit it is his official youtube account so i'm pretty sure

[@danielheywood908]

Good heavens! I literally came to this video in my eternal search to try to sound more Coxon...and found this wonderful comment from GC himself! We love you Graham. Looking forward to more Waeve gigs in 2024. Thanks for fab video John. X

[@lockdan]

John’s too big to reply to Graham Coxon these days 😂

[@eoinodonnell]

@johnnathancordy Gotta watch what you say these days John. You never know who might be watching 🤣

[@micwalt]

A Telecaster, a Peavey Classic 30 on the dirty channel, and a RAT 2 with the distortion at about 9:00 is sublime.

[@holtrain81]

Nuno uses it in a creative way to get that percussive touch by turning the distortion all the way down...Ive played the virtual version on my katana and the attack feels so satisfying!

[@CMHobbies]

I may try that. The rest just set to taste?

[@MoreMeRecording]

Yes, I caught him on Rick Beato's interview where he gave his " Inverted T" ( for lack of better way to explain it) settings up. BUT, his distortion isn't all the way down. Its actually @ 9 o'clock. I have a vintage Rat that has been on the shelf for quite a while and tried it and damned if it isn't a fantastic boost setting. New love for it

[@Place_to_keep_videos]

I find a Rat on low gain with the volume pushed and high end rolled off sounds great at any volume and doesn’t get harsh or brittle when through a giant FOH PA. Great dynamics.

[@ronmercer7766]

Many folks have been SO WRONG about the wonderfulness of noise you can generate with this sacred engine of beautiful filth .

[@thekitowl]

Only got one because Ronno used it as a replacement for the Mk 1 tonebender he used in the spiders. Awesome pedal when you take the time to get to know it .

[@User-jk8wq]

“Sacred engine of beautiful filth” is the best description of the Rat I’ve ever heard

[@bardsamok9221]

Rat has been known worldwide as a classic /great pedal for decades. You'll always find someone who doesn't like something. They're irrelevant.

[@DanEtch]

I’ve a Keeley-modded Rat and I love it. Gain down low, volume up high, filter to taste. Stacks well with everything.

[@richardelson3261]

Great example of the guitarist always sound like them. John always sounds pretty much like this no matter what he's using. That's a compliment. The more we get hung up on specific kit and tweaking the less we spend on music.

[@CMHobbies]

Another good example: Bea on Anderton’s with the blind overdrive shoot out. He sounded the same through everything.

[@StillAGreatNight]

I was also veeery iffy on the Rat forever, but this year started messing around with various models. Finally settled on buying a JHS Rat Pack. Has more dirt on tap than the 1981 DRV, but has way more clarity, cleanup, versatility, across all frequencies than an actual moderb Rat. Love this circuit now!

[@kermitkev]

For years I’ve used a Rat with Filter and Volume maxed, then bring in the Dist. to where it just bites and starts to affect the signal (usually 8 o’clock-ish). Gives a great warm single note sound - for Scofield types tones. I think I got this from a Kevin Eubanks interview. But, not all Rats are equal. So doesn’t always sound great! - love your videos and playing btw!

[@thisdyingsoul76]

I remember how shocked I was to discover the rat was an integral part of the David Gilmour sound for a while.

[@antonioroman4895]

The Rat is the BEST boost, distortion, fuzz all in one pedal!!!

[@fuzzfuzz4234]

Rat does Fuzz better than Fuzz.

[@kyran4238]

Best OD, boost and distortion pedal. Only pedal I regret selling is an 84 RAT. After spending 1000s on pedals over decades that rat was my favorite boost and my favorite OD AND my favorite distortion. Loves sitting in the mix too!

[@FranciscoHernandez-xp9yi]

The RAT was my first distortion pedal and I still have it. It’s nice to use for a chunky distortion, but I really like using it the way Scofield does with the distortion low and filter high. It really works well for the jazz fusion thing.

[@harrysearia1784]

I came up listening to 70 - 80's rock. Went to a local music store and asked what pedal would give me that 80's rock sound. The sales guy sold me a DOD Fuzz pedal. Hated it! I think i bought my RAT in the late 80's or early 90's. Still have it as well.

[@bla_blub]

I recently got my hands on a TC Nova Drive, a TS style circuit and a Rat style circuit in one box with MIDI connectivity, order switching and series / parallel switching. So versatile and so much great tones. I actually wanted a Kernom Ridge before, but that need is gone 😄

[@lavariffmaster]

Oh man, happy to hear it! You've just found THE pedal!!! Enjoy it!

[@gregoryhaire4322]

I used a RAT on my pedal board for years back in the 80’s and 90s when I was playing in club bands. Always loved it, great pedal. I moved on to Zoom then Line 6 and now using a Helix. It would be interesting to hear the Helix version compared.

[@Place_to_keep_videos]

I use the Ratatouille on low gain high volume boost for live shows and it gives me everything my Vintage Big Box Rat gives me except with a lower noise floor.

[@electricmeatpuppet]

As a huge Rat fan, the Helix model does a fantastic job, I've compared it with an proco rat2 and a couple other rat style pedals and if anything, it's prob a little brighter, but that's kinda good. I don't think many people would even be able to tell the difference. Great for classic rock through to soul crushing doom and sludge, even great for adding some dirt to ambient guitar.

[@maykolllopez1585]

Drunk Beavers 4 variations of RAT call the BAT has been my all time favorite Rat style pedal. It transcends beyond a simple RAT circuit, think of a JHS Packrat but even more packed and just down right better. 😊

[@mark7166]

The Rat is one of my favorite pedals of all time. I've always wanted to use a Big Muff, but the tone never really worked for me. With the Rat, I get those sort of fuzzy tones I want from the Muff, but with more to it, if that makes sense. The Rat and Fulltone FD-2 MOSFET are MY pedals. The only dirt pedals I really need, and the only ones I've kept long term.

[@alexforget]

A rat at low drive setting with a tube screamer in front when you want to push it more. The rat is also great at more gain setting for fat and loose dirty to fuzz. To me that's the standard overdrive.

[@danleonard3110]

You play the best out of all the KZbin players I've seen. Great style.

[@TheAaron3dg]

Fantastic demo! Really highlights how misunderstood and versatile this pedal can be

[@ScoDiddley]

It also cleans up with your instrument's volume, so never needs disengaged.

[@diegopalominoss]

it doesnt

[@nbl95]

My favorite use of this pedal is in Radiohead's "Just"

[@Saladzingers]

Really versatile pedal. I’ve bought and sold so many dirt pedals over the years but will never get rid of the RAT 🐀

[@davidmurphy4844]

That tatty box looks identical to mine which dates back to 1994. Doesn't work anymore but I've still got it. Replaced it with an Electro Harmonix Flatiron.

[@turds8551]

Great vid. The best play-through i've heard. Have had one for 6 months. Definitely worth having. Great playing!

[@drothberg3]

I still use a RAT that I bought I think in the 1980s. It sounds fuller and fatter with a Strat than any other pedal I’ve ever used.

[@marcpaola1371]

I agree there. I found thst to.

[@zacharyoliver1325]

I like how it's almost a fuzz. It's a classic, for sure.

[@jwwarrington1]

I just got this yesterday and I’m blown away. Love it.

[@squirelova1815]

The awesome Paul Reynolds of "A Flock of Seagulls" used one and he is a really Phenomenal Artist imho.

[@jr0706]

The Rat filter is quite powerful if you ask me. Is my guitar dark or bright? I can filter it. Same with my amps. Low distortion is a killer overdrive, but not dynamic in the way a Klon or Bluesbreaker is. Now I want to put mine back on my board.

[@3rdmm]

Vernon Reid relied heavily on the Rat in the late 80's, but complained about "good Rats" and "bad Rats", meaning there were inconsistencies/lacking QC. What's it like these days?

[@davestagner]

Consistency is definitely an issue with older Rats. I have one I bought new in 1987 (my first pedal!), and had Keeley-modded in the early 2000s, the first time it needed a switch fix. It’s too unreliable for gigging now, but it’s still the best sounding dirt pedal I’ve ever had. I searched high and low for years, through many Rat clones, trying to get as good, and eventually settled on a Big Ear NYC Woodcutter, which is a careful clone of a specific 1980s Rat 2. Still not quite as good as my original, but close enough, and I’m not worried about it failing on me.

[@AlexRamosDrTaz]

The current Chinese RATs are fairly consistent. I don't mind the newer op amp in them, not exactly LM308 but it's close. You can mod them to be more like the original, but I don't think it's necessary. The difference between USA and Chinese pedals isn't great enough for me. It's still a very tough, road worthy pedal anyway.

[@slowneutron6163]

You have my deepest condolences.

[@shanemcconnell1736]

OK I don’t know if any of you saw the video but Josh from JHS did a huge video on the rat and its whole history, went to the factory and everything, they said the circuit has never changed just the box in some of the window dressing, but at the factory, they said the circuit has never changed every rat is the same as every other rat

[@thierrythierry1013]

It reacts very well with a smiley fuzz-like before. The filter knob is pretty subtl and shines when dialing sounds.

[@Margilio5150]

How close is the Helix version ?

[@Talisk3r]

What always surprise me about the RAT is how much it thicken single coil.

[@uncleremus64]

I have the whiteface Rat from circa 1988. Yours, I think is from around 1992. I love mine. Use it every time I play and recently boughtnthe JHS version (You Dirty Rat) which has 8 versions of the Rat in one pedal. Bill Frisell also played one. I like to get Robben Ford tones out of it with everything at 2 o'clock.

[@RichardCrisman]

I’ve found my home 🏠 again‼️ Clean amp setting with a Rat 🐀. Just got the Boss Katana 100 Gen 3 and tried a clean amp model with the Rat and it sounded so amazing I had to go and see why. Thanks so much for the amazing demonstration 🙌🏻 Rat 🐀 4 Life!!🙌🏻 gang gang 🐀🐀🐀🐀

[@jimcswk1717]

Had a Rat 2. Liked it. Was a bit harsh my ears. My Fat Rat smoothed things out a bit with the mosfet switch. The fat switch truly goes into fuzz mode. I get the love for rats now.

[@buzzwashere1]

Man so tasteful… and your technique gets better and better

[@markferguson3745]

I never considered that kind of hard clipping " grungy", - that's more of the Muff/DS1, heavy gain & compression thing. The options on the Deuce Rat version are unique because not only do you have two stackable channels, but one has a no diode "clean"( not clean,- but unique to this), and the "Dirty" Germanium version, - my preferred as a rule .I haven't used one in many years, but recently came across a Walrus Iron Horse, which I'd breifly employed when first released( 2014ish?).This is a really nicely eqed and designed Rat circuit, - as Walrus often manage. At the same time, I tried the Ross reissue, which is prob closer to my vibe.We'll see; there's a lot of Distortions and Drives out now that offer some legitimate variations on the SOT.

[@paulsteinbrunner7197]

You should check out the Way Huge Red Llama. I'm not sure it's the same as a Rat, but it seems to do a similar, "is it a Fuzz, or is it an Overdrive?" kind of thing. Pretty neat sounding pedal, and when you stack it in front of a TS style pedal it makes this super thick drive tone.

[@jbcarr9279]

Great vid! You told us everything except where to find the weird 9v cable.

[@mikeh892]

I feel you, man. Played guitar for 20 years before I got a Rat, like you always assuming it was a sound I wasn't interested in chasing. Was I ever wrong. lol

[@ksharpe10]

The Pack RAT jhs pedal is really something. I still think the best pedal for drive/distortion, I have seen is the DSM Humboldt Silver Linings, only thing it is missing just like the packrat, presets. Presets would make them much better and gig usable.

[@maykolllopez1585]

You should check out Drunk Beavers BAT. It’s like the Packrat but better in my opinion.

[@RJW14]

Got the exact same box, absolutely love it. super versatile.

[@mrelmoresmusiclab]

Hey John, great video. I just put my Rat back on the board. It's so good. Side question for you. How do you like that clip on mic you are using for your vids. I love the idea of using one for my channel. Is is recording into a DAW or just recording audio to some type of card? Thanks man. Keep on crushing it.

[@stroopwafel6141]

Had the Rat back in the late eighties/early nineties but then got the Guv'nor... End of story: the Rat became homeless. And many other pedals came along, gained a place on the board, were replaced and now a lot are sitting on the shelf doing nothing. Can't make them all orphans.

[@leob4403]

Sell them, it's not that hard

[@Unusednickname_1970]

I’ve had a Rat on and off my board so many times, for decades. I have a love/hate relationship with it. The filter control has a tiny sweet spot, and the low end is thin with the distortion set low, and fat with it turned up. It’s a difficult pedal to dial in, in my experience.

[@jakestewartmusic]

The RAT is my fav dirt pedal. It's killer for boosting a dirty amp - tightens things up juuust enough without completely neutering the bottom end. And obviously classic, chunky distortion up to Sunn 0))) drone metal fuzz. Glorious.

[@kyran4238]

Yep

[@danivallcws]

Reminds me a lot of “The Dude” way of smoothing the articulation. Very very musical.

[@calumcrow2.09]

It's well known that Graham Coxon used a RAT. What is less well know is that he wasn't much of a technical guy: He used to just add more RAT pedals when he wanted more distortion.

[@jorgemartinez42069]

This is great, I too have recently come around on the RAT as well because of JHS pedals videos. I know Josh loves them, but I always thought, like you, it was just too much for my style. But there's something about the harmonics on these fellas that really sounds clear, like the details aren't lost as much as some other distortion pedals I've used, and can mix well with my boost pedal. Dialing back the distortion makes it have a more subtle crunch that I really like for some stuff.

[@picksalot1]

I've got one of the early Rat models. It's good, but brighter/harsher, and without as many useful tones as your Rat 2 - That is a really good one. The HX Stomp has a Rat, and it did a pretty good job emulating it, but then Line 6 found out their Rat was somehow defective, and added a new Rat.

[@-Pol-]

And is their new Rat better than the old one? can you choose between the two versions now or was the old one replaced?

[@picksalot1]

​@@-Pol-I believe both versions still exist in the Modeler. You can get good tones from either one, as that depends on skill in dialing in and knowing what tone you're going after. As I recall, I actually had an easier time dialing in the "defective" model, but it was a long time ago. 🤷

[@michaelgottlieb9083]

Who knew the RAT cult sound so good…🙃. I’ve been around for a minute. The Rat pedal came out in 78’ just about the time I started playing guitar around 76/77. I’ve never owned one or tried it out. I will be purchasing one today after seeing this review.…count on it. The review was great by the way and I heard tons of tones that I like. The guitar playing in this review was also inspiring.

[@trentgardner8257]

My favorite pedal of all time

[@winstonsmith8240]

I was just about to say John Scofield used one, but you beat me to it. Didn't realise he was a punk rocker though.

[@NedJeffery]

I used to have 2 RATs. one standard, and one I modded. But since I sold my analog gear and went to modelers I find the virtual RATs unusable.

[@michaelbrodsky]

How far back do you gotta go to get one not made in Chairman Mao’s Dollarama? A guy on Reverb said his 2003 is pure Chinesium.

[@TenebrisAnimarumDominium]

What happens when you turn the guitar down? Drive pedals are soooooo dependent on the guitar pot (or should be)

[@gffg387]

That's what I was trying to say to you all these years. Finally!

[@crock2434]

Use an old rat to boost my dirty Orange....and some times i toss an integrated preamp into the rat.....the way the old lm308 chips colapse could add a tube sag feel to a solid state amp as well....

[@ScottyBrockway]

I have a vintage one, I still can't use it with guitar, but I love it on my bass.

[@kentjm0330]

Great demo John ! How would u describe the difference between a Maxon Sd9 and RAT ?

[@MrDaigoRiki]

I love 90’s or early 00’s rat so much, I’ve got 5 and in the 90’s Graham Coxon used 2 rat2s in different setting. It’s very useful as a booster too.

[@fisch723]

I had the original RAT in the 80s/90s. As soon as I started using it, everyone asked me about my tone.

[@MrKbeaumont]

Same here I used the original RAT from about 85 to 92.

[@-Pol-]

@@MrKbeaumont So what pushed it off your board?

[@MrKbeaumont]

@@-Pol- I started using a chandler tube driver, I still have the RAT. But right now I'm just using a Helix LT into FOH

[@williamnapolitano1550]

what pick ups are you using?

[@padawan9127]

Yes, filter knob nearly all the way to the left!

[@scottyconantwisdomoftrees5993]

And my fave is the FATRAT- do yourself a giant favor and get one- THE Swiss Army knife dirt pedal-

[@theWARMJET]

Thurston Moors and Graham Coxon choice of weapon

[@fbaraky660]

hey man, are you still using the hx stomp? are you building a pedalboard with it? i believe i am following a similar path as guitarist as you are so that's why im asking

[@csj9619]

I've got a RAT and can't understand why people like it. Even did a LED mod on it and still don't like it. Pedals I do like: Caline Tantrum and Boss Metalcore 2013 BC Rich Warlock 1 with GFS Crunchy rails p/u (bridge position) Katana 50 mk2

[@bread6085]

It doesn’t do “tight” sounding metal which is prob what your into. It’s great for loose grunge like distortion. I’m considering selling cause I want a lot more modern distortion sound.

[@tiago2336]

Yo Nuno Bettencourt uses it in a great way bro (as you prolly know, but as you didnt say his name...). Great video as always.

[@AlexRamosDrTaz]

Metal players have used the RAT for sure! I prefer it as a boost but it's great on its own too. Love it for bass, but it does cut some bass frequencies out of the signal in higher gain levels.

[@Vildhjuggah]

Wow, the rat plays so well with the strat/single coils

[@thepedalreview]

Also, it would be cool if you compared the pedals to the Line6 emulations.

[@Tomorrowband001]

Beautiful playing!

[@beepbleepboop]

jeeeesus you make this pedal sound incredible

[@thepedalreview]

I have a love/hate relationship with the RAT. Sometimes I love it and then sometimes the harmonics or something about it annoys me so much.

[@stroopwafel6141]

Yeah, that is why I ditched mine in the nineties. I did not work particularly well with the amps I started using in that era.

[@squirelova1815]

EHX makes a really good refined Rat type of pedal called the "Flatiron Fuzz" and its demos sound really great too. It's called a "Fuzz" since it can get well into fuzzland but it's very much a Rat like distortion too.

[@GlennJimenez]

Is it that good???

[@squirelova1815]

It has more clarity and sepeaation than th average Rat pedal. @@GlennJimenez

[@-Pol-]

I have the Boss FZ-1w that goes in the other direction. It purports to be a fuzz but it cleans up all the way using guitar vol and pick attack. Hard to decide which I prefer. The RAT is certainly cheaper and before I got the FZ-1 I'd happily use it for OD, distortion and fuzz. The Boss is more of a head turner though. " What's that filthy sounding overdrive you're using? ...Oh! It's a fuzz? !! "

[@mrrootytooty5797]

I avoided the rat like the plague as i've no interest in distortion or metal. I build pedals though and recently got a rat pcb and thought "meh". Built it and its really musical bit of kit under the right settings! Might build a rat-turbo rat dual pedal next. Also my hierarchy always went Vintage germanium fuzz Vintage silicone fuzz Op amp fuzz Silicon overdrive Op amp overdrive Distortion I mean it kinda still does, but i'm really getting in to op amp overdrives and distortions :)

[@garyshepherd9226]

I have the original Rat version - always great pedal sound.

[@lchown1813]

Hey John...have you thought about doing a Reader's Choice video to vote on say your top five best Intro's....maybe the top five voted you could give the backing tracks and tab out for free or something of that nature.....for taking part.....Cheers!

[@1970Richiez]

My favourite pedal so far

[@michelvondenhoff9673]

The RAT,Jet Phaser and RE-20 space echo are my fav pedals on guitar as for now. Might add a Big Muff in the near future or...EHX Cock Fight Plus...

[@GuyNarnarian]

I have the "Splinter" which is a Fat Rat clone. I love it.

[@darwinsaye]

Rat only has two negative points for me. It’s not good at cleaning up when you roll down the guitar volume, and it shelves bass -not as bad as a tube screamer, but I’d prefer if it didn’t shelve any. One of my favourite settings is with the gain around 10 o’clock - a really nice glassy edge of breakup tone.

[@tmuka]

I love your Rat tone! I also think this pedal contradicts your video from today thinking you always end up with the same YOU tone. I really like the huge textures you get with this rat, even on your legato lines.

[@leemon99]

How good is the rat in the helix?

[@sboy1955]

The ratatouille is excellent.. a go to for me

[@jameswilson1628]

Heya John, wondering if you've heard how Nuno uses The Rat? Interesting stuff, check it out man.

[@cheesefrogsnail]

All RATs sound the same, you might have to tweak the knobs differently for the same result but they sound the same. And good. It is never too late to learn something!

[@StratsRUs]

I have a Rat 2...but I prefer the Rat Deucetone twin.

[@jasonmedina4560]

The guitar sounds on Modern Life Is Rubbish are on Mount Olympus for me.

[@crapmalls]

I haven't liked rats in the past but just got a joyo splinter and trying again

[@lowyaw]

i'v e been using a 20 eur chinese copy for a couple of years now. even has the proper chip lol

[@dreadnotpop]

I believe Jeff Beck use a Rat

[@Marlon5k]

the noise on a pedalboard... it's the only thing making me taking it out over and over again

[@jasoncookston]

I love the rat

[@ekuzy]

@john you visited Israel? 😮

[@3mstudiospalmdesert]

yuk