RATS

[BLOOD EAGLE]

When I got into effects, I was always under the impression that rats and muffs were mortal enemies.
And I'm certainly a muff guy. Though I've had a few over the years, a roadkill, a turbo rat, and the lets not acknowledge it was a rat juggernaut... I never really fell in love with it.

I'm willing to give it another try though....

Is there a surface mount version?

What's the best clone?

Is there a "takes it to the next level" based circuit?

[HorseyBoy]

My first rat was a 90's VR too, I got a sovtek muff [still have] around the same time, I liked that rat but it was pretty vanilla so i never used it much and so traded it.. out of whatever kind'a whatever… I'll blame you guys… I picked up another VR rat… thing is awesome, more lows than I remember and it does a great overloaded sound when dimed, also kills going into a muff

Oh, yeah - Rat into Muff is great. Rat into anything is great. Wah into Rat also great.

[WORMDIRT]

For what its worth I have a late 80's rat 2 w/ dat lm308 toanz, and a brand new rat 2 that I threw a metal can lm in, can't tell the difference

Of course not... there are more differences involved from rat to rat rather than a simple IC, even if you play at really low volumes with headphones. People sometimes likes to listen with the eyes instead.

Thats what I mean, sometimes pedal threads can veer into a discussion of minor differences in components or build years. Not to accuse you guys of TGP shit and all that.
Rat is life.
Rat is love.

[frigid midget]

Yeah, it's easy to get caught up in the whole lm308 myth, but I think I tried all kinds of Rat versions over the years, and even a/b some of them side by side...

And these forum discussions totally blow thinhs out of proportion imo. Imo the sublte little differences between the different versions are hardly noticeable, especially in a live situation.

I could easily get by with a Mooer Black Secret as my only Rat. Like I said though, I'm not so much into Rats anymore, there's too many good dirt pedals out there don't DONT kill your low end and still get you as much grit/bite, and even more, AND have more EQ tweakability.

[BoatRich]

I just picked up the Greyscale Rat clone in the BST to use to boost my supercollider and I'm so stoked on it. I'm thinking I'll leave it on as my main distortion/overdrive and kick on the supercollider for the super heavy lows

[echodeluxe]

I always thought that rat clones were cool, but I prefer just a regular rat. you cant get better than that folded steel enclosure. All of the mods are very simple. Plus its cheap.

That being said, I have played some extremely insanely amazing rat variants.

[BoatRich]

I always thought that rat clones were cool, but I prefer just a regular rat. you cant get better than that folded steel enclosure. All of the mods are very simple. Plus its cheap.

That being said, I have played some extremely insanely amazing rat variants.

I'm not great with a soldering iron/needed the MXR sized box. That said, I never really bonded with the rats I had before so hopefully this works out

[echodeluxe]

you can dooo eeeet

[gordian knot]

maybe I'll revisit the rat. They are reat fun to tinker with s well a a very decent straight ahead little pedal.

anybody have info on currently developed mods. It's been quite a few years and I'd assume there are new tricks and tweaks beyond the diode swap and filter revoice (or, at least, more refined version of those)

[WORMDIRT]

Clipping diodes on a rotary switch and both versions on the ruetz with pots can get you pretty far. There is a beavis audio mightier mouse screencap floating around with a plethora of mods detailed on it.

[Gone Fission]

There's a switchable non-Ruetz "more bass" mod with variants someone worked up on diystompboxes. I'd go that way before Ruetz to preserve the Rat-ness.

[frigid midget]

There's a switchable non-Ruetz "more bass" mod with variants someone worked up on diystompboxes. I'd go that way before Ruetz to preserve the Rat-ness.

Nah, without major surgery there's alway a trade off. I've never come across a rat mod that involves increasing the low end without sacrifising some distortion

I could be totally wrong though, and I'm hoping I am. So if you happen to find the link, I'd be really curious...

[Gone Fission]

Bass boost mod, with some alternate tuning advice in the next post: http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/i ... msg1008843

I haven't gone there. But I love my VR stock, so why fuck with a good thing?

[frigid midget]

Thanks! Worth a try I guess. For all I know that's what the 'fat' switch does on Proco's latest Fat Rat
Either way, I guess the scratchy mids and thinner bass is what makes a rat a rat. If I had one, I guess I'd just want to mod it so it ends up sounding like a hotcake

[sergiomunoz74]

I think a rat shines when it's boosting a slightly dirty amp rather then into a clean amp. When going into a clean amp through a fender type guitar, it's super treshy and that's also a rad tone, but my only distortion pedal for the last 4 years has been a Rat which Skullservant later modded for me, and through a guitar with humbuckers with a very lightly breaking up british voiced amp, it's so thick and punishing that it always makes me smile.