cheap RAT pedal?

[surfoverb]

Whats the deal with the Rat? I mean the whiteface, 1980s and then the 1990s Reissues? Is it a chip like the ts808? (I mean a different chip but a similarly "magic" chip?)) I heard the GFS Brown was a Rat clone for cheap...something like that for around $50.

The Rat2 is about $70, but will that get me whiteface Rat tones? (Tele>Twin reverb) Im looking for a non-tubescreamer drive that can be used low gain or mid-gain for some Zep style rock (think Lemon Song)

The Rat RI are like $200 now...wtf?

I had one of those and that with my SG and vox-style amp was Zep city! And AC/DC Town as well as Keefsville (with my MIM Tele)

 

[artdecade]

Its the chip and all the magic that comes along with it... Plus, the reissues are made in the USA. The others else are made overseas and with different chips, etc. I have a Whiteface Reissue and it sounds great, but I had a mid-90s Rat and it sounded pretty darn good as well (even with the inferior chip).

 

[surfoverb]

Its the chip and all the magic that comes along with it... Plus, the reissues are made in the USA. The others else are made overseas and with different chips, etc. I have a Whiteface Reissue and it sounds great, but I had a mid-90s Rat and it sounded pretty darn good as well (even with the inferior chip).

whats the chip? I mean are they still being made? What cheap pedal has them? (Im guessing BYOC)

I dont care where its made just as it sounds amazing and cost $50.

 

[Spool]

The Rat Reissues are fetching that sort of coin now?

 

[Agitator]

The LM308 is supposed to be the "magic" chip, but many people say that the current production models don't sound that much different.

OTOH, if you're specifically looking for Zep 2-style tones, check out the Lumpy's Lemon Drop. Not as versatile as a Rat, but it really nails that "Lemon Song" sound.

 

[surfoverb]

The Rat Reissues are fetching that sort of coin now?

they are on amazon at least

 

[imsilly]

If the chip matters to you that much you could always just pay the dollar it costs to buy a LM308 and install it yourself.

I think there is nothing wrong with a regular new production Pro Co Rat. Jerms RAT clones are supposed to be one of the best around. I've heard clips of them being compared to original vintage Rats and they are definitely very good.

Rats are dirty, fuzzy sounding distortion pedals at the end of the day. They aren't subtle or finely tuned. You just stomp on them and make things louder and nastier.

 

[blowtorch]

Get a GFS Brownie Classic . People say it's a Rat, It's got the magic chip and all. I dunno I've never owned a Rat. But it does rock, it's sturdy as hell, and it's like $40

 

[spider62]

I got an 80s Rat that I bought new! The Rat is a great alternative to all the tube screamer type pedals without being too fuzzy. The great tone control sweep is also a feature!

 

[Chiogtr4x]

Get a GFS Brownie Classic . People say it's a Rat, It's got the magic chip and all. I dunno I've never owned a Rat. But it does rock, it's sturdy as hell, and it's like $40

I have one as 'blowtorch' knows, and the GFS Brownie is a mod/Rat clone( according to 11 Gauge it has the LM308 chip in it, I don't know how to open the thing, that is how technically savy I am) - it has a 3-positon toggle switch (for clipping options) and in "comp" mode, I believe it is configured the same way as a stock Rat( clipping diodes?) . A buddy of mine has a mid-late '80's Rat (I think it is the smaller box w/o LED for those in the know) and the two pedals sounded pretty damn similar when we A/B'd the two.
This pedal impresses me in that it is very powerful (great Gain Range and those options, yet it is relatively quiet, cool! $50 @ GFS

Feel free to PM me if you want some details...

 

[surfoverb]

ok I just ordered a GFS Brownie...for some reason I thought that pedal was DC'd...duh

How does it clean up? The clips sound good, but Id like to get less compressed sounding, think Powerage ac/dc.

I had a CMATMODS Brownie which was great for the high-gain jcm900 sound but thats a little too EVH for me.

The Boss power stack is what Id get if I had $150 to blow on a pedal I may or may not ever use.

 

[artdecade]

The Rat Reissues are fetching that sort of coin now?

ProCo is charging 200 bucks for their new reissues. Made in the US to 1986 specs. They are good, but it is all in the marketing.

 

[blowtorch]

"ok I just ordered a GFS Brownie...for some reason I thought that pedal was DC'd...duh

How does it clean up? "

It's not the greatest at the cleaning up trick. However I find that leaving the switch in the middle "Power" selection, it's the least compressed and overall loudest and best-sounding to my ear.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

ok I just ordered a GFS Brownie...for some reason I thought that pedal was DC'd...duh

How does it clean up? The clips sound good, but Id like to get less compressed sounding, think Powerage ac/dc.

I had a CMATMODS Brownie which was great for the high-gain jcm900 sound but thats a little too EVH for me.

The Boss power stack is what Id get if I had $150 to blow on a pedal I may or may not ever use.

Here is my 'convoluted' answer to your cleanup question about the GFS Brownie:

It is not very dynamic as far as cleanup from the guitar is concerned IMO, BUT you can (say if you chose the "power" or "open" modes) dial in a pretty strong clean/w edge non-compressed signal that I think approaches a Hiwatt or Malcom Young kind of sound (strong clean chord definition with punch)- just trying to say the Brownie has a huge Gain range and then you pair that with the compression options of the toggle....FUN!

One more thing, I find the Tone control to be more of treble/edge control- I think it sounds better to have this control backed off at LOW Gain (as it is edgy) settings but up high at High Gain to really cut through a band

** you have to play with this thing a bit to get to know it as it has some nice shading to its distortion- that mode switch, in combo with the other controls is great

just an example:
I find in the "comp" mode (the most compressed and I think this is the "stock Rat" mode) at high Gain 3:00 clock- the Tone control at 10-11 (clock) will give me a smooth Santana saturated sound; move that Tone control to 3:00 and it gets pretty damn close to a Si Fuzz Face attitide - it has that edge- lots of sustain either way too

 

[surfoverb]

ok just listened to some youtube demos...wow! This thing reaches fuzz territory! Gearmandude gets some nasty big-muff type fuzz with his SG and Z amp...And then one guy a/b it against a RAT and they did sound similar....I think with the gain down, in open mode I can get that Jtm45 type drive (I hope) remember im going tele>twin reverb.

Im not looking for the broots lol

 

[Chiogtr4x]

^^^ This demo is what "sold" me on the GFS Brownie, and using a Tele or Strat into my BJ or DR, I get all the sounds heard in the demo

* BTW you can hear it in the demo too, "power" mode is considerably louder than other two positions and I seem to gravitate towards the folowing:

"Power" for the non-Master volume Marshall clean sound or Hiwatt clang
"open" for the dirtier Marshall/ good distortion lead tone
"comp" @ High Gain setting for fuzz-like tones; back off the Tone for smooth, and crank it up for more of a nasty fuzz jab (my "Satisfaction" tone!)
Note: I find that as this is not really a fuzz pedal, when stacking, it seemed to sound better after my OD pedal- very little tonal change, but with some great sustain!

 

[wildschwein]

GFS Brownie is supposedly the same as the "Mouse" by Biyang:

I have the Biyang unit and really dig it. Seems to get 80s style Jake E Lee and Steve Stevens distortion pretty easily. Good buy!

 

[surfoverb]

wow those are earily similar, lol. I have the Biyang Comp-great pedal!

GFS Brownie is supposedly the same as the "Mouse" by Biyang:

I have the Biyang unit and really dig it. Seems to get 80s style Jake E Lee and Steve Stevens distortion pretty easily. Good buy!

 

[Agitator]

earily similar

I see what you did there.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

GFS Brownie is supposedly the same as the "Mouse" by Biyang:

I have the Biyang unit and really dig it. Seems to get 80s style Jake E Lee and Steve Stevens distortion pretty easily. Good buy!

I have the GFS Brownie, but I love the chrome look of the original Biyangs!