What's a cool RAT-style pedal?

[Rotlung]

I play a handful of telecasters through an AC30C2 and want to add a good Rat to the stable. I have a cheap Rat 2, and it sounds good, but it's missing something. What are some of the more interesting or plain great sounding Rat style pedals out there? I say Rat style, because I don't necessarily need a vintage clone, but something that's Rat based with a little extra, even if it's a simple tweak. I've seen a couple that get a little fuzzy, like the Katzenkonig or the Alpha Dog, which is definitely appealing, but I'm open to anything that sounds good. The Katzenkonig seems to have noise issues, or else I would've ordered it already. The budget is around $150 used, at most maybe $200 only if it's new prices.

I've been checking out demos of these...

Catalinbread Katzenkonig
Fuzzorcious Rat Tail
VFE Alpha Dog

[ThurberMingus]

Rat Tail all day.

Fuck/Mini when it's time to move on.

[krr149]

Rat Tail all day.

Fuck/Mini when it's time to move on.

I run my Rat Tail into a Fuck. I love it.

[CyaNitrate]

Dunn O)) Deceiver

[waltdogg]

Is Skully still selling his clone? Check that out.

[skullservant]

Is Skully still selling his clone? Check that out.

I am, someone buy it

[UglyCasanova]

I remember Dr Sci Elements having some cool RAT settings. Heard good things about the Big Ear NYC Woodcutter as well.

[HeavyXIII]

Can vouch for VFE with all the extra options in the small enclosure. Skully's stuff is also super rad.

[JamesSGBrown]

Alpha Dog all day. The germanuim setting can get velcro tones, the mosfet sounds real smooth and the vintage setting can get fuzzy at higher gain. I've got a v.2 but I'd love a newer one! If you want to hear one it's all over this song- on my tele throughout as low gain and on my tele/musicmaster on high gain at the end http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bARfOddmySA

[stratobuc]

VFE Alpha Dog. They are having a custom shop sale. If I didn't already have a V1, I'd buy one now.

[Hyphen Nation]

Lucky enough to have scored an Out Sound RAT by LaoWiz. It Rules... There's a Jerms TAR on reverb right now.

[chuckjaywalk]

I like the Ibanez attempts: Fat Cat, Slam Punk, and Black Noise.

[coupleonapkins]

VFE Alpha Dog. They are having a custom shop sale. If I didn't already have a V1, I'd buy one now.

I'm also Rat-less & made the mistake of spending way too much time on their custom pedal site & came up with this pink thing (& so can you):

Unfortunately, I wasn't too stoked on how it sounded via demos, but maybe I just wasn't meant to keep a rat? Or a dog? But a cheap Turbo Rat, on the other hand...

[frigid midget]

I'm digging the Mojo Hand Socrates demos, though I never messed with one myself.

Someone mensioned The Elements. I couldn't find any settings that nail a Rat tone, but I really really prefered all the distortion/drive tones inthere over any rat I ever tried. The bass sag just ins't for me I guess. The closest I can get to making a rat useable for me: Ruetz mod + stacking with something else for more hair/grit

[Gone Fission]

The Ruetz mod neuters the gain. There are other ways to get it fat. Dunno what Pro Co did in the Fat Rat, but the smart way is to tune the roll off, and that can be made switchable.