In the pantheon of guitar pedals, the ProCo Rat sits alongside the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff and Ibanez Tube Screamer as one of the true archetypes of guitar and bass dirt. Like those other pedals, the Rat pedal has spawned countless variations and imitations over the decades, and anyone seeking its searing brand of distortion has more than a few options to consider on today's pedal market.

The Pro Co 'The RAT' is a distortion pedal produced by Pro Co Sound. The original RAT was developed in the basement of Pro Co's Kalamazoo, Michigan facility in 1978. Numerous variations of the original RAT pedal are still being produced today. The pedal has changed in appearance over the years, but its tone has remained largely the same. The Rat This was the first RAT pedal manufactured in large numbers. To give the RAT a unique look, a custom 20 gauge wrap-around enclosure was designed. The white RAT logo was silk-screened on black, painted metal. The “EQ” on this pedal is labeled Tone. The pedal has had some rust on the pedal switch, so I brushed out the circuit board for fun. The Circuit Board has the number ‘2492’ stamped onto it, including RAT RE-ISSUE 1991. Dating this by serial number seems to be a trivial effort by the looks of the boards out there. This item: Pro Co RAT2 Distortion Pedal $69.99. Sold by Quantum Networks and ships from Amazon Fulfillment. D’Addario PW-CGTP-305 Classic Series Patch Cable – Right Angle 1/4” Plugs – Low Capacitance and Pure $9.87. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

Dating back to 1978 and the work of Scott Bruhan and Steve Kiraly, the life of the Rat began, as is the case with many other pedals, as a custom order project. And since then, the main production Rat has been updated and altered many times, with new enclosure styles and various component swaps. A notable change, for example, came in the form of a switch from a LM308 to an OP07DP op amp chip in the early 2000s.

Through every iteration, this classic stompbox has maintained its well-earned reputation for being diverse enough to deliver everything from metal-primed distortion wallop to a more subtle overdrive and thicker, fuzz-like tones.

If you're considering adding a distortion pedal to your rig, the Rat is a great starting point. Take a look at our guide below for an overview of the various old and new Rat options currently available on Reverb.

The prodigal…pedal…has returned. The Proco Vintage Rat Pedal

The Prodigal Pedal

As in the story of the prodigal, this pedal has been in some filthy places… Although this is not the pedal that was stolen from me in 2002 (That one was in pristine condition, made in 1995 (LM308), I found this similar ProCo Vintage Rat Reissue at a steal of a price on the e-bay.

I spent the first moments feeling the weight of the steel, and looking inside at the circuit board. They don’t make them like this anymore. I missed the pedal, even if there is no LED to the reissue.

Hardware

Without even playing it, I took it apart and cleaned off every surface. It smelled like old dude.
The pedal has had some rust on the pedal switch, so I brushed out the circuit board for fun. The Circuit Board has the number ‘2492’ stamped onto it, including RAT RE-ISSUE 1991.

Dating this by serial number seems to be a trivial effort by the looks of the boards out there. I did run across some great resources here and here that helped me to find out exactly which model and year this was made by considering the date of the potentiometers. The number on the pot is R1379227, and as the 4th and 5th numbers are the date of manufacture, this one was made in 1992.

LM308 & Woodcutter

The LM308 chip is snugly placed on the board (Looks like a Motorola).

Rat Distortion Pedal Review

Across the potentiometers there is a sticker with the Dot Matrix Printed name “WOODCUTTER *”
Apparently the WOODCUTTER was the nickname of the person who assembled it.

The board itself holds an inscription:

PRO-CO SOUND INC KALAMAZOO MICHIGAN U.S.A.
FUZZTONES FOR THE CONNOISSEUR THE RAT TYPE B
REV. C CC1 2-0

Interesting.

I’m going to replace the Carling True Bypass footswitch with the same type, and the jacks must be changed as well. Maybe.

Sounds

The sound of this Rat, when I played it back in 2000 was something else. Gain at 9 o’clock, and volume at 2 o’clock, I would push the preamp tubeys into breakup, as any self respecting overdrive/distortion/fuzz pedal should. I loved i…and looks like I have another chance to love it again!

Conclusion

[usrlist Hardware:5 “Sounds:5” “Vibe:5″ Value:5 avg=”true”]

Best Rat Distortion Pedal

Love, love, love this pedal.

Get your own Proco Vintage Rat Reissue Distortion Pedal today! It’s updated!

Rat Distortion Pedal Serial Number