ProCo Rat guitar pedal shootout Vintage vs Rat 2 demo

[gorillazhead]

Dude should show himself on video, wonder if he looks like Jack Black too.

[hazuinf]

What's that song at the start?

[ricafrod]

Has anyone ever said you sound a lot like Jack Black? :)

[mexicanmudslide4500]

Does anybody know if this is a good pedal live? LIke, does it get lost in the mix like a Big Muff?

[RattFinkMusic]

Dig it Daddy-0 ! ! 11 Yeah, I love my vintage Rat RI The proco 2 doesn't sound nearly as smooth. Thanks for the great demo. Nice gear!

[Bergamoguitar]

what's the name of the song iat the begining?

[BrokeProductions1]

Lovin the alligator boots

[jimdandyization]

the vintage pro co rat was my first pedal when i first started playing guitar because my guitar teacher recommended it. i lost it 7 or 8 years ago and miss it dearly. i have been contemplating getting another rat pedal or maybe the new solo pedal they have. nice vid btw dude

[aleksandersucharski]

ironically, the video is distorted :D

[lukegreenhalgh225]

the guy sounds like jack black!!

[lewisgregorywilliams]

This guy sounds just like jack black. Just sayin'.

[dokterwouterkabouter]

on the first arctic monkeys album is only one pedel heard: Proco Rat 2

[javiesta]

The Rat2 fucking rules! I love mine!

[jepbueno]

Guys, I've heard some negative comments about the current rat 2 because they were made in China. In this demo, is the rat 2 here a stock made in China?

[rsoufer]

Thanks for the video , very helpful.

[mewsic156]

Another borring hard rock demostration, don't you know anything else to play to demo a distortion pedal?

[MunterE]

@mewsic156 Yes, cause jazz and reggae would work GREAT with a distortion pedal

[scottyguy92]

@MunterE Reggae yes, jazz not so much. Unless it's fusion i guess haha

[fishqwer]

@scottyguy92 Have you seen the list of jazz players who use a RAT? It's quite extensive

[nhlturtle87]

@fishqwer john scofield is known for using a rat

[scottyguy92]

@fishqwer So you contradict yourself?



[andrewvanrhoberts]

@mewsic156 yea i kno i wanna hear some smoke stack lightning

[GhostOfAE]

In all fairness, any complaints about the pedal sounding thing can be partly attributed to GMD's massively thin clean signal. Still can't stand the pedal though XD

[GhostOfAE]

@GhostOfAE *cough* Thin, I mean.

[MazingSk8ter]

Every one close your eyes..... Its JACK BLACK!!!

[PatrioticRed]

Are you Jack Black???

[Guitardemonsj]

I want this pedal so bad XD

[St9ler]

You sound like Jack Black.

[CoolParkourName]

i like the smaller one

[walterockmx]

GEar Man Super Dude Hi How are ou? I hope you are Well Hey I have a few Questions for yo about the RAT! :D 1.- Is that RAT 2 made in USA or is it made in china? 2.- is that Vintage Rat MIU or MIChina ? 3.- Does the RAT 2 has de 308 chip? 4.- Does the Vintage RAT has the 308 chip? 5,. is there a Difrence between this two pedals and a RAT made in the 80´s? I hope to have an answer from you :D (maybe 5 answers) :D Take Care Dude Gear

[mattrex2000]

jack black??

[rssnowblind0]

Are these both reissues or are any of them the originals from the 80's?

[seicheberlin]

omg they sound horrible ;(

[onlyeyesabove]

i found a really old rat 2 pedal on the side of the road no lie years ago and it has been sitting in my basement forever, its all fucked up and doesnt work right but i think im gonna fix it after watching this video

[windmilldwellers]

this is the pedal that JOHN SCOFIELD uses pure awesomeness

[rrwoodward]

GMD you should make a playlist of a lot of the songs you start your videos out with! i would like to be able to listen to all of them

[DoubleYellowLinesUzu]

what is the song at the start!?

[lute760]

Though a tad thinner sounding,the vintage sounds a litle more dynamic.

[dirtylarry69]

i bought my rat pedal the day cobain died .still have it i love the sustain on it

[Nomoresustain]

maybe a stupid question, but the power input, is this center negative, or center positive?

[CHURCHBOYRECORDS]

rAt II mY cHoIcE

[CHURCHBOYRECORDS]

Rat 2 is better. They tweaked it a little, it is louder because the music today is different vs music yesterday excellent choice for guitarist that want thier chops to cut thru the mix.

[russianspiesx]

I like this demo. Is this Jack Black though?

[Flea817]

Just ordered a RAT 2 before looking this up. I didn't know there WAS an older model.

But they both sound about the same. I think I might like the RAT 2 better, maybe.

[BananaHobo]

your guitar is beautiful > <

[PAZDE]

i want a vintage rat, love that sound, soo cool

[MrBingo9er]

@PAZDE i just sold mine i had one in 1987 not the pedal i remember them to be you could get the new one with the keeley mod it's the exact same pedal once you put the lmn308 chip in it

[TheLoneAdvocator]

@5Food It didn't sound as defined, but it was great and heavy. I liking the Rat 2 too. I want it for that mess, not a defined fuzz pedal. I want harsh.

[johnny123372]

Vintage one rules!!! johnny buckland from coldplay uses them.

[thehivpositiveshow]

@johnny123372 but Coldplay sucks ass...

[johnny123372]

@thehivpositiveshow >:\

[surferbeto]

Nice straightforward and useful test. Love the Southern Culture... tune. And your boots are about as cool as they come.

Thanks gmm. Rock on!

[joellesperance]

could you do a video of the LM308N in the rat2 vs the vintage reissue?

[tendaisitima2]

nice shoes

[vanhalenkid]

They both sound about the same, one seems to have a bit more gain, or something, but they both sound great

[roccotanto]

WHITE TRASH!!!! love that song.....

[Euphoriaman]

You, Mr. Gearmanndude, are a PiMP. Period.

[SocialistFish]

I love my Rat2. Wouldn't trade it for the world.

Best constructed pedal I've ever seen too! After the nuclear holocaust, there will be 3 things alive on this earth: cockroaches, twinkies and ProCo pedals.

[PepperoniLAB]

@SocialistFish Four things : cockroaches, twinkies , ProCo pedals and casio g-shock

[BrokeProductions1]

@SocialistFish Dont forget Lemmy

[JoeKidsofOi]

both

[picajoool]

Any chance you could make a comparisson of modded rats?

[HybridTone]

Always like your intro music!

[7eK2007]

vintage rat wins

[hdreskin]

hey, could tell me what song you used for the intro-very cool!

[snowbrdr88]

Ok, shut the fuck up. The O'Clock method is the standard, and I've never met anyone talking about anything useful that hasn't used the O'Clock method. So shut up, and just listen.

[themanonthebass]

@snowbrdr88 To quote gearmanndude himself, "these kids have worked their little fingers to the bone just to play one song for you so you just sit down shut up and listen!"

[Havranek88]

great shoes man!

[DoubleYellowLinesUzu]

I am sooo getting the Rat 2!!!

[RobGore5]

Anyone with ears can hear that the vintage is a much smoother, richer sound..

[probablytoolate]

what is the song in the beginning? I have this pedal..its freakin sick.

[rockker5]

His voice is like BLACK JACK.

[1Doz]

eheh...yeah, personal preference, that's it.

Have a nice Christmas!

[1Doz]

There's nothing confusing about the 1 to 10 scale. 5 is half way up. 10 is all the way up. 3 is about a third of the way. It's very consistent. The ends of the rotation may vary slightly from pedal to pedal, but it doesn't matter.

Also, the 10 scale is better because it directly expresses two things at once:

1) the position of the knob, and

2) the magnitude associated with the position.

The clock scale expresses 1 but not 2. You can get 2 by translation but not directly.

[1Doz]

Who cares whether the numbers are literally printed by the knob? If I say crank the drive to 10, but there are no numbers, do you become confused? Or do you turn it all the way up?

Likewise if I say set the knob on 5 or 7 or 2 or whatever.

The 0 to 10 scale universal. Everyone understands it. There's no need to translate to clock numbers.

For instance, if I want to express that an unmarked knob is set pretty low, which is clearer? To say it's on 2, or that it's on 8 o'clock?

[johnmkmu]

@1Doz yadude, that other guy is right. everybody i've worked with in studios, live engineering, etc, uses clock numbers for dial positions unless otherwise marked -- except nigel tufnel!!!

[WhiteMenJumping5]

Just to throw in my opinion on the 1-10 vs the clock way of talking about knob placement. I have always used the clock way, saying turn to 3 o'clock because I know if I say that and they look at me like they don't what I mean, I can walk away going that guy is an idiot, and I know I never want to play with them again.

[1Doz]

How about if you want the volume set low, like on 2, so you say set it at 8 o'clock, and he pauses for a second while he pictures where that is.

Wouldn't it be easier just to say set it on 2? Of course it would. In fact, the guy would probably be thinking, why didn't this idiot just tell me to set it to 2 instead of this useless clock BS.

[WhiteMenJumping5]

@1Doz Couple things with that, some pedals don't have numbers, while that's not really important if you can't figure out what number you should turn too if I say 4 o'clock, than you probably can't figure where 1-10 is on a pedal that doesn't have numbers. And if your volume is at two, chances are you aren't playing with anyone else. Also, I really only use the clock way if I'm talking about after 12 or 5 if you don't know what 12 is.

[1Doz]

I'm not saying no one can figure out the clock positions. I'm saying the clock system is less intuitive, and it's unnecessary. The only clock numbers that make instant sense are 12 and 3 o'clock. The rest you have to think about for a second -- like 4 o'clock is 3 o'clock plus 1 hour. It's not like that's impossible to figure out, but why not just say "8", especially since there's no good reason not to just say "8"?

[1Doz]

And I can see why you would use the clock way mainly for numbers beyond 12 o'clock. In fact I would guess this is what most people do. There's a reason for this -- namely that the clock numbers are counterintuitive for smaller values. I.e. if you want to specify a low volume (or gain or whatever) you have to use a relatively BIG number like 8 o'clock. This is because the clock system doesn't correlate with the magnitude of the value the way 1-10 does, which makes it less intuitive.

[dlite95]

@1Doz

... this argument is pointless...

[1Doz]

No way man. This knob stuff is highly, HIGHLY important.

[dlite95]

@1Doz

haha your right ... this may change my entire outlook on life thank you

[1Doz]

BTW, here's the guy's original statement...

"Filter anywhere past 3 o'clock with the gain set at 9"

Yeah, we all know what 3 o'clock means but what does "9" mean? Does he mean 9 o'clock or just 9? If the clock system hadn't gotten started this ambiguity never would have arisen.

BTW, this stuff is extremely important and fully worth arguing over -- lol.

[marcaster2008]

@WhiteMenJumping5 The clock way goes to Twelve.

[WhiteMenJumping5]

@marcaster2008 Ummmm thanks?

[RATM4LIF3]

For a more Metallica style distortion, or megadeth, would this or an MXR fullbore give me more grit, to me it sounds like the mxr, but whats your opinion?

[ihavenoname93]

@RATM4LIF3 if i were you i would go mxr all the way. but i just really dont like RATs. i would actually reccomend the ehx metal muff over both of them.

[RATM4LIF3]

k thanks!

[booherz]

At 3:00...thank you! No one ever does that setting on the RAT in demos. Filter anywhere past 3 o'clock with the gain set at 9 and the volume set to slight boost is the RATS low gain sweet spot. I keep my filter all the way up, actually. Only critique is that that setting, in my opinion, makes single coils shine.

[1Doz]

Whoever started the trend of using "X o'clock" to describe knob settings ought to be taken out and caned. It only confuses things. Now when someone says "gain set at 9" you can't tell if they really mean 9 or if they mean 9 o'clock, which actually means 3.

I say let's get rid of this "o'clock" business and just say where the knob is actually set -- i.e. 1 is min and 10 is max.

RE the RAT -- even the current Chinese version sounds great. Unfortunately its pots are super cheap and fragile.

[nmiguelsimoes]

The thing is, using numbers on a display without numbers is using an aproximantion. Using o'clock figures gives you the exact setting. If you say 3 o'clock I know it's horizontal right, if you say 7 I may end up setting it at 2 o'clok or 4 o'clock.

The thing about "Now when someone says "gain set at 9" you can't tell if they really mean 9 or if they mean 9 o'clock, which actually means 3.". It's not the nomenclature's fault, it's the speakers' fault.

[1Doz]

First of all, I don't think precision is as important as convenience. And really the only precise clock numbers are 9, 12, and 3 o'clock since they express right angles. All the other ones you have to estimate. So there really isn't much of an advantage in terms of precision.

True the speaker made a mistake. That's because the clock system makes it more likely the speaker will make a mistake. You have to put that cumbersome "o'clock" after every number. Forget to and you confuse people.

[nmiguelsimoes]

And what to say of those amps who go all the way to 12 instead of 10 (like for example the Bassman)? You say 10 and I turn it up to ten or twelve? o'clock is universal, 0 to 10 is not.

[PaulBarte]

I'm on your side on this. The knobs don't rotate 360 degrees like a clock. 1-10 works fine.

[bkplant]

great review. I never cared much for the rat but I love the comparison. now please do a vintage vs sovtek muff!

[booherz]

They're nothing alike....the sovtek muff is your scooped mids fuzz sound. the rat has lots of mids.

[jamesstone123]

he meant a vintage muff against a sovtek muff... i think he means a vintage muff against the reissue (russian versions). I prefer the US versions personally

[hiitsmcjosh]

i like the Rat2 more

[Thedangergirlsship]

dude that's lame.

[hiitsmcjosh]

what the fuck are you talking about?

[Sick1982]

vintage one is softer and rounder sounding, a bit muffled though, but I'd take the vintage one!

[IDM112]

I can hardly tell the difference. Both amazing pedals IMO.

[chrisandlil]

Thanks for the demo gearmandude!

Just what i was looking for.

[tiddlywinks98712]

sounds i bit rank as a pedal

[bluesfuse]

Just picked up a used 87 Rat 2 love it!

[PHAEDRIDER]

when it went up the rat 2 had a "shreddier sound" while the the rat vintage came off naturally smooth and fluffy. i'm NOT a metal fan, but i can see where the rat 2 would be some peoplle's choice ,but i like the the rat vintage more.the rat 2 sounds kind of "clinical "

[GenDoomVisser]

lovin' the kicks dude!

[9graff9]

Nachoooooooooo!! lol

nice pedals i go with the RTA2 on this one.

[xMaSTerOFtHeWicKeDxX]

I agree the originional sounds warmer but not a clear as the Rat 2 IMHO. I like the Rat 2 way more.

[bmxfreek22000]

That Rat2 seems to sound a little harsher.

[nolan83]

Nice SCOTS tune at the beginning!! FUCK YES.

[indierickenbacker]

new rat has more bawls.

[MitchGettman]

I think I like the vintage rat better. It sounds a little more clear. They're both cool though.

[PageandPlant4Life]

rat 2 sounds a hell of a lot better if you do the ruetz mod, or whatever it is called.

[yobhsiFehT]

Care to elaborate?

[Myownsound21]

hey any1 or specifically gearmandude, wat is the song at the start?

[gearmanndude]

that's a little Southern Culture on the Skids...the tune is called WHITE TRASH...think it's off of the DIRT TRACK DATE album

ROCK ON!

GMD

[philbinator1977]

Great demo, mate! I liked the vintage rat, it sounded clearer (even though i think the rat 2 had more presence or treble) and less harsh, and the lead sounded fantastic. Nice job!

[highsociey]

sounds better when the filter is cranked the volume is cranked and the ditortion is low ...... muddys it up a bit and lets you play blues

[tdawg0993]

the vintage rat doesn't sound as harsh, imo

[coal4life]

I gotta old Ratt from back in the 90's. It's the shit man. Along with an old DOD yellow overdrive pre amp just to give it some extra heat up front. Just a touch of both gives me the extra stink I'm lookin' for when it comes to doin' the jive assed stuff I played in the bars 20 yrs or so back. Can you say major hair dude?

[drmaloy]

Great gea!r:

Les Paul

2 Rats

Dr Z

....i prefer the vintage one...but the rat 2 is just awsome too... if it sounds good to you is ok for me...

[madeyes4u]

Rat II sounds way too digital to me. Not liking it.

[GunsNrosesAerosmith]

are rat pedals made in China?

[Coolumbia86]

The Rat II sounds like it has more balls.

[TheAngryLemons]

nice shoes buddy

[skaterdan31]

sounds just like a shitty rat

[marcelcruzeiro]

The Rat II is thicker, with a fair amount of low end, but without muddyness. winner.

[joesl8]

The newer one, RAT II, sounds fuller and less muffled to my ears? Both sound pretty good IMO + having gear that wreaks of pure sex doesn't hurt however!

[HjalmarGuitarMaster]

some people talk about "an old rat pedal".

What's the great difference between an old one and a new one? Please help me!!!

[Scumkill2]

As I hear in the demo the old one is more highend scooped which means that has little more highs and attack when set on all on twelve. The difference isn't that big though.

[HjalmarGuitarMaster]

thanks a Lot!!!

:D

[unseenbeach]

there's the original "the Rat" pedal and the reissue "the Rat pedal". The original used germanium parts and is true vintage. I don't know much about the reissue except that they tried to recreate it as best they could. Then there's the Rat 2 which is made overseas and gets a lot of bad rep for being cheap.

[bossmxr1]

dude, awesome demo! could you tell me the name of the song that opened  your demo?? was that acdc?? ccooll tune!!

[rul8agn]

Nice demo. Keeley mod just takes the RAT to a whole new level. Check it out.

[ericofspades]

oh, hi jack black!

[bigskymind81]

somebody pls tell me if they are a true bypass? thanks

[bridsmath]

man, the RAT 2 sounds so much better in all ways to me... I'm gonna have to get one

[Foodie88]

To my ear the vintage RAT sounds a little fatter.

[RRyyNNee]

snake skin boots...yeah! sounds good i will buy rat 2

[KickingAss24]

Do you reckon this would go well with an Epiphone Zakk Wylde running through a Roland Cube 30?

[neonknight5150]

no it wont. roland cubes dont take pedals well AT ALL. no modeling amps do for that matter

[PageandPlant4Life]

i gotta tell you, i don't hear much of a difference. I modded my rat and cut a resistor. it sounds loads better.

[ddos411]

i own 1 proco vintage rat. so warm.. love it so much.

[VonRutter]

One thing that must be mentioned is that even versions of the Rat built on the same day can sound different. Most commonly used pots have a 20% tolerance, which means it's theoretically possibly for two "identical" versions to have distortion, volume, and filter ranges that are 40% different! Most of the time the difference is less than 20%, but that is still an audible difference. Add to that the tolerances of old resistors/capacitors, and each batch can produce audible differences in tone.

[J0eW00dy]

hhmm i think i like the new rat better

[iraedivine13]

I already have the vintage RI but I'm thinking of getting a real vintage one from the 80's...I don't know if it will make that big of a change. I kinda like the louder nature of the Rat 2 after all. I'm quite undecided.

Very useful review though, no bullshit, just the facts, we need more videos like that on youtube. And yeah, very nice boots!

[ChickenRapist]

The only difference between a vintage RI (that already has the LM308 chip) and a proper 80s vintage is the price.. Tonewise they are identical..

[jgmm322]

is a rat better than a big muff?

[whynottalklikeapirat]

different pedal. I own vintage, rat 2 and muff. difference between first two is as presented but the muff has fatter tone and silky or violinlike long sustain. The rat is versatile. The muff is harder driven and can get quite muddy on . rat not big on but brighter, thinner, more defined. I play an old valley arts pro with emgs and run it into a fender deluxe amp - some times through via a boogie v-twin. these pedals have a lot of range especially combined with boosters or drivers.

[tyberh]

nice boots

[blsnewreligion]

oh man, i had an original Rat that my dad bought in the early 80s or something. I loved it, but the somebody stole it : /

[nomis101uk]

my god! Jack Black!!!

[mishoozzz]

THis "germandude" sounds like Jack Black .. :D:D i have the Proco Rat ;) it's awsome !!!!

[youztuber5000]

the rat 2 is a good pedal for a boost in a solo or something. ive got an old one and havent had any problems with it

[mishoozzz]

same here :}}}

[FrankieBaker330]

My vintage rat is broken! ARGHHHHH

[Corneilius420]

mine was acting up (rusted volume pot) I sent it to proco and they fixed it for free!!!

[Keskin1975]

The vintage screams like a tasmanian devil.

[AlfredHarker]

Hey, for the Proco Rat 2. Mine cuts off the sound when i press it. What did you do when you first got it? i use a battery. and a Circuit Breaker Cable. it might have something to do with the cable. What kind of cable do you have?

[Livitation3]

Vintage RAT rules! ya

[DogsEatPoopNdie]

Oh man. I prefer the Guitar Hero version for sure! Vintage all the way. I still love my Rat2. Sounds great thru my amp and the only distortion pedal I like with my korean danelectro guitars.

[GravenBG]

In my opinion both pedals are amazing, but i prefer RAT 2. Good playing though.... and thanks for the demo

[GiorgioV]

There's actually a HUGE difference between the two! I didn't think it was so evident, even of a youtube demo. They don't sound like two very different pedals, but it's enough to enjoy one and dislike another.

Thanks for the demo.

[costaricangeneral]

i agree... i think the vintage one has more a of low end warmth and the rat2 has a nice bite... both are great... lol i think that definition is the same thing i said about the ts808 vintage and reissue lol

[lexist7]

i love your gear. i wish i could play at your house!

[AxeTrader]

you're the man! Thanks for the video...i just saw the vintage rat on Craigslist and wanted to check the sound out and you made that much easier!

[4dan4burke4]

great video... very helpful i am shopping for a RAT... you just made up my mind... VINTAGE.... yeah

[AlanMcKennaVideos]

cool demo, good comparison

[pinkybrief]

you sound like jack black

[jghodnette]

I think he Jack Black! Ha. That explains how he explains the Les Paul.

[Foorever]

great, thanks!

[telecasterman18]

Great Vid, I found it helpful. The older one is better in my opinion. I might trade my vintage Big Muff for one now. Nice snake skins too!