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My Proco Rat.

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HoarasaurusHoarasaurus Frets: 110
So.

Today I decided to look into the age of my Proco Rat. I've had it since around 1995, she it's always sounded rather sweet, or nasty depending on the knob tweaking. 

It's definitely a USA made Rat 2 (Glow in dark, Red LED, 3.5mm power socket)
The serial no. is RT-128064.
It has a LM308N chip, and was assembled by "Vikkie" 
The date stamp on the distortion pot is 578943. And it has the black "X Wing" DPDT switch. 

From what I've read, that puts it as being an 89/90. 

Are there any RAT aficionados out there who could verify my thoughts? 

And no, it's not for sale. Never will be!! 
Lots of Nice Guitars, and not enough pedals!
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Comments


  • I've had serial number 128052 pass through my hands as part of my RAT geek info gathering process. It had a Motorola LM308N, pot codes R1378943, silver screw on the battery cover, green PCB. 89/90 all the way. 

    Consider your thoughts verified :)



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  • Marvellous. Thank you kindly. With serial numbers that close, I'd imagine they may well have been assembled on the same day. Small world, this internet.....
    Lots of Nice Guitars, and not enough pedals!
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  • Quite probably :)

    The latest serial number I've had with the LM308 chip is 228747. There's a gap from there to 255436 which was a USA made pedal with a Texas Instruments  OD07DP op-amp. I got a bit obsessed with them when trying to figure out if the vintage Rat reissue serial numbers fitted in with the Rat 2. 

    Off to look at my collection of spores, moulds, and fungus now... 







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  • beed84beed84 Frets: 2403
    THREAD REVIVAL

    I've just received a ProCo RAT 2, which appears to be a '97 model. I've never had a RAT before and I have to ask myself why. It's truly amazing and quite easily the best £59 quid I've spent on anything let alone music related. 

    I don't think it has the LM308 chip, but I'm super happy regardless. Like the OP it's going nowhere!
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  • Excellent :)

    Rats are the best distortion pedal by miles in my book. They get a lot of shit but my favourite is an early-MIC from 2003. Granted the pots are knackered and need replacing but it’s a brilliant sounding pedal.
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • beed84 said:
    THREAD REVIVAL

    I've just received a ProCo RAT 2, which appears to be a '97 model. I've never had a RAT before and I have to ask myself why. It's truly amazing and quite easily the best £59 quid I've spent on anything let alone music related. 

    I don't think it has the LM308 chip, but I'm super happy regardless. Like the OP it's going nowhere!
    Welcome to the Club. It's a dirty loud one. You'll never want to leave!
    Lots of Nice Guitars, and not enough pedals!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • steersteer Frets: 1160
    Is a Rat a distortion Pedal or a Fuzz pedal? I have one, but I don't know the answer.

    Its not my favorite fuzz and not my favorite distortion, but I would not be without it. 
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  • steer said:
    Is a Rat a distortion Pedal or a Fuzz pedal? I have one, but I don't know the answer.

    Its not my favorite fuzz and not my favorite distortion, but I would not be without it. 
    I would say it's both, definitely gets into fuzz territory further up the gain dial. Absolutely love a Rat, would never be without one, ProCo or clone.
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  • danodano Frets: 1568
    So.

    Today I decided to look into the age of my Proco Rat. I've had it since around 1995, she it's always sounded rather sweet, or nasty depending on the knob tweaking. 

    It's definitely a USA made Rat 2 (Glow in dark, Red LED, 3.5mm power socket)
    The serial no. is RT-128064.
    It has a LM308N chip, and was assembled by "Vikkie" 
    The date stamp on the distortion pot is 578943. And it has the black "X Wing" DPDT switch. 

    From what I've read, that puts it as being an 89/90. 

    Are there any RAT aficionados out there who could verify my thoughts? 

    And no, it's not for sale. Never will be!! 
    This old Rat is probably a piece of crap and likely to  break. It might even go in fire.

     Let me give you £20 for it:)

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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    steer said:
    Is a Rat a distortion Pedal or a Fuzz pedal? I have one, but I don't know the answer. 
    In terms of circuit type it’s a distortion - it uses an IC gain stage and clipping diodes to ground. But that doesn’t always tell the whole story in terms of sound - the EQ in particular can make a big difference, and despite having a very simple tone control, the Rat can do everything from overdrive to fuzz depending on that and the amount of distortion.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • SassafrasSassafras Frets: 30273
    I use mine as a low gain sustaining overdrive for slide playing.
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  • dano said:
    So.

    Today I decided to look into the age of my Proco Rat. I've had it since around 1995, she it's always sounded rather sweet, or nasty depending on the knob tweaking. 

    It's definitely a USA made Rat 2 (Glow in dark, Red LED, 3.5mm power socket)
    The serial no. is RT-128064.
    It has a LM308N chip, and was assembled by "Vikkie" 
    The date stamp on the distortion pot is 578943. And it has the black "X Wing" DPDT switch. 

    From what I've read, that puts it as being an 89/90. 

    Are there any RAT aficionados out there who could verify my thoughts? 

    And no, it's not for sale. Never will be!! 
    This old Rat is probably a piece of crap and likely to  break. It might even go in fire.

     Let me give you £20 for it:)

    Ha! Still plenty of life left in the old girl yet.

    These things; there ould be a nuclear war, and all of humanity wiped out. the only two things that would survive would be Cockroaches and late 80's early 90's Rat pedals; their glow in the dark logos refreshed to blaze for another millenia!

    And as for selling old gear? I learnt not to do that when I part exchanged my Roger Mayer Voodoo Vibe for a Line 6 MM4.

    Yes. I gave Electro Music in Doncaster my pedal, and £100 in cash for that.

    I am still ashamed of myself to this day.....
    Lots of Nice Guitars, and not enough pedals!
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  • Love my Rat. It can also make some nice sounds at low gain settings too.

    Serial no.  is RT-076827  think it's a Rat 2, USA, glow in the dark, I'll have to open it up and check out the pot codes.

    I think I bought it in the early 2000's, because Graham Coxon had one.
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  • beed84beed84 Frets: 2403
    Excellent :)

    Rats are the best distortion pedal by miles in my book. They get a lot of shit but my favourite is an early-MIC from 2003. Granted the pots are knackered and need replacing but it’s a brilliant sounding pedal.
    Pound for pound I don't think I've heard or played much better. They seriously got it right from the get-go. Same with Tube Screamers tbh.

    beed84 said:
    THREAD REVIVAL

    I've just received a ProCo RAT 2, which appears to be a '97 model. I've never had a RAT before and I have to ask myself why. It's truly amazing and quite easily the best £59 quid I've spent on anything let alone music related. 

    I don't think it has the LM308 chip, but I'm super happy regardless. Like the OP it's going nowhere!
    Welcome to the Club. It's a dirty loud one. You'll never want to leave!
    Trust me, I have already thrown away the key  ;)
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  • CryptidCryptid Frets: 406
    So.

    Today I decided to look into the age of my Proco Rat. I've had it since around 1995, she it's always sounded rather sweet, or nasty depending on the knob tweaking. 

    It's definitely a USA made Rat 2 (Glow in dark, Red LED, 3.5mm power socket)
    The serial no. is RT-128064.
    It has a LM308N chip, and was assembled by "Vikkie" 
    The date stamp on the distortion pot is 578943. And it has the black "X Wing" DPDT switch. 

    From what I've read, that puts it as being an 89/90. 

    Are there any RAT aficionados out there who could verify my thoughts? 

    And no, it's not for sale. Never will be!! 

    RT-128097 here  ;)  
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • Cryptid said:
    So.

    Today I decided to look into the age of my Proco Rat. I've had it since around 1995, she it's always sounded rather sweet, or nasty depending on the knob tweaking. 

    It's definitely a USA made Rat 2 (Glow in dark, Red LED, 3.5mm power socket)
    The serial no. is RT-128064.
    It has a LM308N chip, and was assembled by "Vikkie" 
    The date stamp on the distortion pot is 578943. And it has the black "X Wing" DPDT switch. 

    From what I've read, that puts it as being an 89/90. 

    Are there any RAT aficionados out there who could verify my thoughts? 

    And no, it's not for sale. Never will be!! 

    RT-128097 here  ;)  
    Ahh... Another Rat from possibly the same day.

    Bless, two little 30year old Rat siblings, finding each other through an online forum. Filthy things!
    Lots of Nice Guitars, and not enough pedals!
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  • beed84beed84 Frets: 2403
    Fml these pedals are good. So good I’m honestly thinking of buying another. One for low gain overdrive and another for flat out distortion. After that I might buy two more. One for fuzz and another as a treble booster. After that ...
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  • MattayusMattayus Frets: 122
    beed84 said:
    THREAD REVIVAL

    I've just received a ProCo RAT 2, which appears to be a '97 model. I've never had a RAT before and I have to ask myself why. It's truly amazing and quite easily the best £59 quid I've spent on anything let alone music related. 

    I don't think it has the LM308 chip, but I'm super happy regardless. Like the OP it's going nowhere!
    It should have the chip, but even if it doesn't, I've come to realise that the chip has precisely fuck all to do with the tone. I think people put far too much stock in that little op amp, which isn't a tone-shaping component by any stretch. They merely have minor EQ properties as a byproduct of their efficiency.

    My friend has an 88 model Rat2, which I borrow from time to time as I absolutely bloody love it.
    I must qualify this by stating that I don't use them for their distortion. I use them Nuno style; as an overdrive/filter for the guitar before it hits a high-gain amp, to tighten things up and give it character. I've come to prefer it over the typical Tube Screamer circuit, which always feels bland after I've been using a Rat.

    However, you simply can NOT do this with the Chinese ones. Which I had. I swapped out the stock OP07 for a NOS LM308, thinking it might bring me a little closer to what I was after, and besides the most ridiculously minute change in frequency response, A/Bing between my pedal and my friend's '88 model yielded the exact same results as before - His was still smoother, still more subtle, with a massively more usable range on the Distortion and Volume pots.

    The Chinese ones are fizzy, harsh, and the Distortion is either so little that the pedal sounds like it's off, or, with a hair's width turn clockwise, has too much distortion to use it how I'd like.

    Opening them both up and checking the component count and their tolerances, I realised that there are far more differences between the two than the LM308. People claim the circuit is the same, but I'm afraid to say that there's a bit more to it than the older ones just having that "vintage mojo".

    I'm currently on a mission to get a USA one now, but don't fancy spending the asking price. There's one for sale for a very reasonable price but the guy won't post it :'( 
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    ^ This. The chip makes no difference, or so little it doesn’t matter. One of the big differences is the pots - the Chinese ones have the wrong taper, and for some reason that makes it impossible to get the same sounds at *any* setting, even with the knobs set to give apparently the same resistance division - the pots must interact with the rest of the circuit, possibly due to their internal capacitance.

    Other good examples of this are the Boss OS-2 and the Mesa Lone Star amps, where different pot tapers change the actual sound as well as the control sweep.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • Another aggreance with the views on the LM308 chip, it's the same with Tubescreamers and the JRC4558D chip.

    No matter your opinions on Josh Scott, but he has done some good work debunking the myth around this.

    I find it amazing at how many RAT Clones and variants are out there now, never flet the need to get one, what with having my '89. But i have heard very good things about T-Rex Mudhoney (and it's relative the 
    TC Electronic Vintage Distortion), the JAM Pedal Rattler, and even the Mooer Black Secret. And that's without getting into the wold of the small UK Builders. 

    And there's another Rat hole to disappear into! 
    Lots of Nice Guitars, and not enough pedals!
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