Stock ProCo Rat 2 - What do I need to know ?

[RouseTheBoroughs]

Just got one of these ! Fuzzy little thing ! I've read about the Texas Instrument OpAmp vs LM308, I AB'd them in the store Keeley vs Stock and couldn't tell the difference for the life of me so just went stock.

But any other mods that could make this interesting ?

 

[tremolo3]

Ruetz "mod".

To me, all the rats sound amazing just out of the box, no matter if it's a reiusse, vintage, white face, black face, chinese, 'murrica, filter, tone, lm308934n, opamp, etcétera...

 

[muddyblues45]

Ruetz "mod".

To me, all the rats sound amazing just out of the box, no matter if it's a reiusse, vintage, white face, black face, chinese, 'murrica, filter, tone, lm308934n, opamp, etcétera...

I agree...but I found each one sounds a little different. The vintage Black face one is my favorite. I have gone through four different types (Chinese, 85 RI, early 90s, and blackface). THey all are great pedals but the blackface has that grittiness that I like with music I play. It probably because its just old though...

The main thing is knowing how to tweak the knobs. When I first bought a rat I was always putting it at 2-3 oclock and got frustrated with it because it sounded too raspy. It is the most touch-sensitive pedal I've ever owned and you really got to mess around it for awhile until you get that "epiphany sound". Mine is the gain, filter, and volume all just past noon.

 

[Heady Jam Fan]

I love my 1992 Rat 2.

For years I played guitar>amp and the guys at the local guitar shop tried and tried to convince me to use a Rat. When I finally wanted one, they had stopped carrying them. I got my Rat 2 in a trade and haven't tried a ton of other ones, but its an awesome pedal.

I usually don't keep pedals that I don't 'need' and I don't need my Rat with my two TS9's, but I keep finding myself using it. Right now, my favorite setting it a mild crunch, goosed with a TS9 for a hard-rock tone.