Most RATs over the years have also sported a glow-in-the-dark logo . In short , the RAT has always been built like a tank and designed to take a significant amount of real-world abuse and keep on rocking .
Back in 1981 , the RAT designers at ProCo substituted the tone control for a low pass filter circuit labeled “ filter ,” which has become an integral part of the RAT signature sound since that time . From a user standpoint , the filter control acts as a kind of a reverse tone knob , meaning turning it to the right rolls off brittle high-end frequencies while turning it to the left allows the natural tones of your guitar to come through . This means turning the filter knob clockwise will decrease the treble rather than increasing it as would be the case with a typical tone control . Almost all the current RAT models still feature the classic threeknob control setup , which includes filter , distortion and volume controls as well as true bypass switching .
Designed to offer the full tonal spectrum of the current RAT product range , the Deucetone ‘ s origins come from a dual RAT rack-mounted unit from the ’ 80s called the R2DU . Now housed in a floor pedal , the Deucetone RAT consists of two completely independent Pro Co RAT units . Each Deucetone RAT channel can be used separately , in stereo , or cascaded together for a virtually unlimited palette of tones , and each is switchable between three RAT settings . Channel A features the Vintage RAT , Turbo RAT and Dirty RAT , while Channel B gives you the choice of Vintage RAT , Turbo RAT , or Clean RAT tones . The Clean RAT is a clean boost , available only in the Deucetone RAT . Playing through a Deucetone RAT is like having six RAT pedals in one effect unit . Used separately or with both channels cascaded , you have fifteen RAT tones at your feet . As with all the other variations in the current RAT product line up , the Deucetone RAT pedal features the classic RAT filter control , which has been an essential part of the RAT design topology since 1981 .
At the other end of the product range sits the smallest RAT pedal to date , the Lil ’ RAT , which succeeds in distilling the essence of the RAT topology into a desktop or gig bag-friendly footprint and is available at an extremely costeffective price . The Lil ’ RAT delivers exactly what you would expect : namely a RAT pedal in a smaller enclosure . It has the same controls , tone and dynamics of the larger versions in a smaller footprint . If you are looking to get the full capability of the RAT in a smaller pedalboard-friendly enclosure , then the Lil ’ RAT may be just what you are looking for .
Having owned several variations of the RAT pedal over the years , I can confirm that the sound from the typical RAT pedal resides somewhere between a distortion pedal and a fuzz box . I really like the RAT ’ s filter control , which gives you the ability to dial back the
overall effect to almost zero and then ramp it up for some truly over the top distortion and fuzz effects . Another feature I like in the RAT is its ability to emulate the natural sag of a tube amp .
Many digital emulations of the RAT have been developed over the years . While convenient to use in as plug-in format , when compared side-by-side , the old school all-analog RAT stomp box plugged into the front end of your tube amp is still a tough combination to beat . If you have never had the opportunity to play through a RAT , check one out at your local dealer ; you won ’ t be disappointed .
$ 299.99 - Deucetone RAT $ 79.99 - Lil ’ RAT www . RATdistortion . com
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