I think a rat and almost any rat does a better overall sound than fuzzface/tonebender

[popinvasion]

I just pulled out a wf rat and a turbo rat.

I then pulled out several really great fuzzfaces and tonebenders.

with my amps, guitars and ears it just seemed like the rat was better in every instance.

Either rat could be tuned in to sound very much like a fuzz and could also clean up quite well, much but than a good tonebender. The fuzzface cleans up better by not by a wide margin.

The rat had a much better sustain seemed much more stable and less farty and had generally a very defined low end comparatively. I could definitely get the rat to sort of mimic the fuzzface or tonebender so its not much of loss to choose a rat over a fuzz.

The rat also sustains forever and could feedback at will in an extremely musical way.

Anyone else agree? Maybe it is just my gear, which is essentially some cool guitars with voxes and tweed deluxes.

[apeape]

I agree, but it still cant pull of a Triangle muff, or an Astrotone, or a Peppermint fuzz, or a... Well... It is good for certain applications, but i much prefer it as a low/med gain od.

[wgs1230]

Good that you like your Rats, but if they could really cop a germanium Tonebender sound there wouldn't be a market for $300-plus Bender clones. Not everyone likes Benders b/c they vary a lot from circuit to circuit and take some work to get the sound. But when you get a good one... no Rat I've ever heard could be mistaken for it in a blind test.

I had an early small-box Rat, pre-LED/glowpaint, for almost 20 years (bought it new in the late '80s) and they were as close to a hotrodded Marshall preamp as you could get from a pedal at the time. Now there are lots of options. Some of them are even reasonably priced.

[popinvasion]

Good that you like your Rats, but if they could really cop a germanium Tonebender sound there wouldn't be a market for $300-plus Bender clones. Not everyone likes Benders b/c they vary a lot from circuit to circuit and take some work to get the sound. But when you get a good one... no Rat I've ever heard could be mistaken for it in a blind test.

I had an early small-box Rat, pre-LED/glowpaint, for almost 20 years (bought it new in the late '80s) and they were as close to a hotrodded Marshall preamp as you could get from a pedal at the time. Now there are lots of options. Some of them are even reasonably priced.

Ive got a couple DAM and dig em.. still

[goodhonk]

for chords i agree.

[jgyn]

I love my Rat, but the sound's too focused for 60's sounding stuff- blurriness's essential for that period psychedelia.

[Windup 43]

I love my Rat, but the sound's too focused for 60's sounding stuff- blurriness's essential for that period psychedelia. Exactly.

[Purplexi]

The means by which one gets their guitar to distort is entirely subjective, not a matter of efficiency.

[popinvasion]

I love my Rat, but the sound's too focused for 60's sounding stuff- blurriness's essential for that period psychedelia.

Sure I understand this.. I am not saying one should not have a true fuzz in their arsenal.. but for a majority of the time a rat will suffice.

[Stratobuc]

I think just the opposite - I'll take a tonebender over a mouse, in any situation.

:beer

[critter74]

Good that you like your Rats, but if they could really cop a germanium Tonebender sound there wouldn't be a market for $300-plus Bender clones.

Um, there's no reason for $300 Tonebender clones now. So while I agree with the sentiment you are trying to get across, this piece does not hold true.

$300 Tonebender do not exist because they are some miracle, unique pedal. $300 Tonebender exist because people are willing to pay $300 for a Tonebender pedal.

And because a Tonebender is more expensive than a Rat does not mean the Tonebender is by any means better, as better is subjective. I know plenty of people who hate Tonebenders, much less $300 Tonebenders.

[timsmcm]

[QUOTE=Stratobuc;11540025]I think just the opposite - I'll take a tonebender over a mouse, in any situation.

I myself think it matters what amp you are using it with. but for me I like the rat in more situations. There are a lot of instances where the tone bender just wont work.

[LOGANTEXASBLUES]

RAT BETTER THEN FUZZFACE, thats madness. No to be honest I have never even tried a rat but I love a good fuzzface right now im running a keeley fuzz head

[AXXA]

I'm not sure why this strikes me so oddly, but I just realized I have NEVER played a rat or a tonebender, in any variation. I am very familiar with their sounds, so it just seems weird to me that I have no hands on experience with them. I really want to pick up the soulbender now, and a mk1 sometime. I've never really wanted a rat, but I need to at least play one, ya know?

[popinvasion]

I'm not sure why this strikes me so oddly, but I just realized I have NEVER played a rat or a tonebender, in any variation. I am very familiar with their sounds, so it just seems weird to me that I have no hands on experience with them. I really want to pick up the soulbender now, and a mk1 sometime. I've never really wanted a rat, but I need to at least play one, ya know?

I love rats. I love my turbo and my wf but the turbo is just a great pedal. Cheap too I paid $40 shipped for it via ebay

[Steven]

The rat had a much better sustain seemed much more stable and less farty and had generally a very defined low end comparatively.



Maybe you just dont like fuzz?

[popinvasion]

Maybe you just dont like fuzz?

I do like them, a lot actually but I just seem some overlap and the rat is more versatile. In the studio I will use the fuzzes from time time.

[Lolaviola]

I have had the same thought as you, and in a pinch a rat will stand in for a fuzz. It is well known as a fuzzy distortion. Versatile is cool, but the rat and a fuzzface FEEL totally different when you reduce gtr volume and go for those in-between shades.

[wgs1230]

And because a Tonebender is more expensive than a Rat does not mean the Tonebender is by any means better, as better is subjective. I know plenty of people who hate Tonebenders, much less $300 Tonebenders.

That was not actually my argument at all. You're familiar with the concept of a "strawman"?

The argument, to reiterate: if a $100 Rat could cop the sound of the Tonebender, the boutique market for the latter would not be strong enough to support a plethora of $300 clones.

Having built a couple of germanium fuzz clones for myself, I agree with you that $300 is not an amount anyone needs to spend to acquire a decent Tonebender- but that position is the result of having taken the time to learn about them as circuits. Not everyone has that time, and some apparently do have the money.

Note, btw, that since starting this thread, the OP has posted a "WTB" ad in the pedal emporium for fuzz pedals including Tonebender clones.

[Bluedano1]

I have had the same thought as you, and in a pinch a rat will stand in for a fuzz. It is well known as a fuzzy distortion. Versatile is cool, but the rat and a fuzzface FEEL totally different when you reduce gtr volume and go for those in-between shades.

I Have a newly accquired GFS Brownie Classic which is from what I understand a Rat/modded Rat type or clone and I came to this fuzz conclusion as well-

With the Tone knob and Gain at about 3:00 (my pedal has a more trad clockwise Tone control, not the Rat's "Filter") I can really get a very close "fuzz face"-like tone including some sputter/voltage sag like sound going along plus great sustain- it is not perfect at this but the pedal offers versatility too, it's like a "distortion factory"

[chuma007]

Never played through a rat, myself. But I have an Analogman Sunface, NKT original white dot, and I haven't found a better lead tone anywhere. I just can't stop playing through it. I'm pretty sure something that is supposed to come close to emulating one isn't going to give me anywhere near the feel I get playing through this thing.

[sanhozay]

i just picked up my first authentic rat; whiteface RI. always had knock offs. have borrowed a few real ones along the way and while i agree they can achieve virtual muff & fuzz attributes, at the end of the day they don't clean up as well as the very best germanium fuzz faces and are way more predictable & "vanilla" in comparison to the very best tonebenders.

also, the rat isn't as compressed or gated to eliminate or totally satisfy a true fuzz lovers appetite, but could easily be a sorbet before the main enchilada.

[100JH]

Ive got a couple DAM and dig em.. still

Glad to hear that! I got my first one enroute now, Solasound Tonebender inbound this week hand built by Mr. Main hisself.

[gravy]

fuzzy rat into musicman hd130 w/strathttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-24wYEPZDmg

[ERGExplorer]

Note, btw, that since starting this thread, the OP has posted a "WTB" ad in the pedal emporium for fuzz pedals including Tonebender clones.

But wouldn't that undermine his whole point? *laugh*

The OP did say he likes fuzz, but weirdly did back off of his strong first post.

I do like them, a lot actually but I just seem some overlap and the rat is more versatile.

In spite of the overlap of some areas, the ad shows that however versatile he found the RAT, the overlap wasn't enough, and the fuzz goes places his RATs do not. But that raises the question... why start a discussion at all when one doesn't agree with one's own main contention?

The most logical explanation to me is that this thread was a clever psychological trick, making people want to dump their fuzz for a RAT, and thus getting him one at a lower price. *laugh*

----

Funny... I've owned RATs over the years, and have gotten rid of them more often than not. Even the vaunted Beavis Audio Four Knob RAT didn't stay more than a year, so I'd say it's just a matter of personal taste.

[popinvasion]

But wouldn't that undermine his whole point? *laugh*

The OP did say he likes fuzz, but weirdly did back off of his strong first post.



In spite of the overlap of some areas, the ad shows that however versatile he found the RAT, the overlap wasn't enough, and the fuzz goes places his RATs do not. But that raises the question... why start a discussion at all when one doesn't agree with one's own main contention?

The most logical explanation to me is that this thread was a clever psychological trick, making people want to dump their fuzz for a RAT, and thus getting him one at a lower price. *laugh*

----

Funny... I've owned RATs over the years, and have gotten rid of them more often than not. Even the vaunted Beavis Audio Four Knob RAT didn't stay more than a year, so I'd say it's just a matter of personal taste.


That would be a lot of effort but funnily enough I did just purchase another tonebender from the emporium. lol