What's your favorite Rat?

[imJonWain]

isn't the mosky king rat all the versions in one? I feel like either that or just a plain proco rat is the way to go. Mod it if you want to.

I have a 86 Rat I used for years but sold when they became stupidly expensive.

[Triangle]

What guitar(s) and amp are you using?

After going through a bunch of distortions, I've settled on a turbo as my go-to with the gain at noon or less. The gain knob on rats increases bass as you turn it up. I found that a standard rat had too little bass at the lower gain settings I prefer for clarity with weird dissonant chord voicings. The LEDs in the turbo instead of the silicon diodes in the standard also help with clarity.

I then run a non-human audio unclean after it for heavy parts. They complement each other really well. Pretty much completely stealing Alex from Metz' approach except he uses a Sansamp GT2 for this.

This is with a Jazzmaster into a Sunn Spectrum II set clean into a homemade staggered 4x12 with eminence wizards and swamp thangs.

[Gone Fission]

I actually dig my Rat at low gain for a jangly treble-booster-ish thing. But I get how the higher forward voltage of the LED clippers in the Turbo could be useful in moving that bass response. Correspondingly, I’m assuming the germanium clippers in the You-Dirty Rat would go the other way.

[Pepe]

But I get how the higher forward voltage of the LED clippers in the Turbo could be useful in moving that bass response. Correspondingly, I’m assuming the germanium clippers in the You-Dirty Rat would go the other way.

Yes and yes.

[D.o.S.]

For pedals that haven't been mentioned yet, Moose makes my two favourite 'bespoke Rats' at the moment: the Sledgehammer and Battlehammer are phenomenal - was doing a dirt test/tone quest in practice for a new heavy band a few months ago and as soon as I stepped on the Sledge everyone else was like 'that's the one use that one':
https://www.moosetwentythree.com/shop/sledgehammer

But I also find any standard Rat with an LM308 to be incredibly good, as everyone else has said. Can second the Blower Box as well. It's just a really great dirt circuit.

[Bellyheart]

What guitar(s) and amp are you using?

Currently have a Pawnshop Mustang with underwound Fralin P92s but am about to buy a Strat(probably Fat Strat). Running through a JCM800 or Music Man HD130.

For pedals that haven't been mentioned yet, Moose makes my two favourite 'bespoke Rats' at the moment: the Sledgehammer and Battlehammer are phenomenal - was doing a dirt test/tone quest in practice for a new heavy band a few months ago and as soon as I stepped on the Sledge everyone else was like 'that's the one use that one':
https://www.moosetwentythree.com/shop/sledgehammer

Battlehammer is looking like the one. I gotta watch videos after work but specwise that’s it. It seems like Turbo rat is what I’d get if it was just a ProCo. The tonal versatility of an eq is exciting. The bass rat BSRI make isn’t available and that’s the most diverse thing I’ve seen for what I’m trying to find.

[gila_crisis]

Since we are on the topic, does anybody have experience with Drunken Beaver Rat offerings?
They always look great and tempting on paper!
https://drunk-beaver.rocks/

[Ghost Hip]

I used the Earthbound Audio Iron Pig because it had LED clipping option (I think there were five total?). Felt easier to use my pick attack to coax less or more gain out of it. All the things Triangle said about LED clipping with Rats rings true for me, complex chord voicings really shine through without a loss of presence in the EQ department.

I've settled on a turbo as my go-to with the gain at noon or less. The gain knob on rats increases bass as you turn it up. I found that a standard rat had too little bass at the lower gain settings I prefer for clarity with weird dissonant chord voicings. The LEDs in the turbo instead of the silicon diodes in the standard also help with clarity.

[Scruffie]

Slightly naughty but as I don't directly make any money from sales, I did the design on the PastFX Mischief which is pretty much your classic RAT but with an active post distortion bass boost circuit (plus the usual mods).

Personally, it's my favourite Rat as that bass recovery was sorely needed IMO... but I might be biased

[vidret]

I've got a basic rat at the mo, and the basic gain of a rat is so good.

I had the earthbound audio, and it was great, but I didn't need all the clipping options or the blend.

If I was to try a 'better' rat I'd go for the BSRI at this point, or hope for black arts to do one.

[absent]

i love the 1312 it has a variety of modes too. the original modes are great. id check demos so you could hear the variety (you prob have already but just in case )

[MechaGodzilla]

i built a 4 knob rat from a fuzzdog kit. sounds great. fourth knob i think is a ruetz/resonance control and it really works for bass and taking the shrill nasal frequencies out. people say it makes it less "rat"-ty but fuck that it sounds great!

[vidret]

The only 2 RATs I can stand are BRSI SFG and Magawa!
SFG was a modern take on the topic with 2 band active EQ, clean blend and tons of low-end (actually it was conceived as a bass distortion device), while the Magawa is more a vintage take with many tone shaping capabilities (and it's a super cool alternative/post-rock distortion pedal, especially for low gain sounds, it's amazing!).

I used to have also an Earthbound Audio Iron Pig (vintage super charged Rat), and Idiotbox Deathmaster (a Rat with an expanded EQ section to mimic Celtic Frost's sound).Once I had a roommate he had a Mooer Black Secret, he lend me to try out. Of all these I didn't liked so much the "choked boominess" of the distortion at high gain settings (which I know is a part of the aura of the Rat).

I've also looked at the BSRI rats before, if I want something that goes really hard but (sludge-y ofc) is it SFG or magawa?
I don't care for clean blends but otherwise the SFG looks great.

Pedging for satan, but I'm gonna have to go out and get whatever satan hasn't gotten me.

[gila_crisis]

I've also looked at the BSRI rats before, if I want something that goes really hard but (sludge-y ofc) is it SFG or magawa?
I don't care for clean blends but otherwise the SFG looks great.

Pedging for satan, but I'm gonna have to go out and get whatever satan hasn't gotten me.

SFG can push more the Bass but is no more available, but Magawa can also be very sludgy!

[Zork]

I'm by no means a Rat expert but I use a Rat 2 for quite a long time now because it sounds just very good to me in most applications. I thought it could have a bit more bottom end, though, so I did this mod to it: https://marcuseffects.wordpress.com/201 ... -bass-mod/
It's not very complicated and sounds glorious. My modded Rat 2 is now my favorite Rat.