Feature:
this pedal only came in a thick cardboard box, pretty minimal but not to worry because it could probably put a hole in concrete.. old school AC adapter plug on the pedal and no plug, reminds you of the old days but is different from most adaptor plugs on new pedals.. batteries is all i plan on using with this pedal as always, however. i am not an employee of proco, btw.

Quality:
the old rat is still going 26 years on, and it looks like the new pedal is ready for another 26.. the warranty says "any excuse even abuse" if anything happens i'd put it to the test, but as i don't exactly play at the bottom of a swimming pool or a demolition derby, i still wouldn't mind taking it out every time i could.

Value:
this is not a lot of money for this kind of sound.

Desirability:
i always wanted another rat.. missed out on opportunities to grab a reissue of the old pedal i had, but since i am getting my desired sounds from the new one i appreciate it more, and would get more than one.. i also dig how much more solid and compact the new pedal is.

Sound:
my experience with the rat goes back to about 1989 when i got an old 1981, small logo sheet metal rat.. that was my sound for a long time, could get a lot of really superb harmonics and very thick distortion at low and high frequencies.. i sold it to my brother, who has made it a permanent fixture in his pedalboard and still sounds awesome.. i bought a rat2 recently, hoping to get that sound back, and this sounds like the old pedal i loved.. great news since i had thought that they sounded different since the old days.

Ease of Use:
this pedal has an amazing range of dynamics, all accessible between the filter and distortion controls.. filter goes backwards so back it down to let more trebles through, same as old rat, which i like.. i like distortion which is why i like this pedal.. back off the distortion and you still have all this tone.. used with a wah pedal, even more tones can be had between the two filters of the pedals, there is no manual for this pedal, so you have to see what it will do, but results are always spectacular with old fender and marshall amps without overdrive channels.

Support:
haven't invoked support yet for either pedal.

Overall:
satisfied until it breaks, if it ever does, which would be easy to fix or replace.. this compares to a couple of other classic (made since the seventies) distortion units which i would use in case of pedal not able to be there, but i am pleased to have another one after so long without one and would wear this out.. it's my sound all over again, love it!

• User: a customer from gmail.com
• Submitted: 4/2/2008
• Style of Music: many genres and methods from traditional to futuristic
• Location: San Francisco California U.S.

Feature:
I wish I had more time to play around with it...BEFORE IT CRAPPED OUT ON ME. I should've kept the receipt and returned this, but again, I thought this pedal was going to last me forever. Lesson learned.

Quality:
This was a huge disappointment, I was looking forward to my Rat lasting me for almost 30 years like my uncle's has...how disappointing to see another brand ride the good name it earned in the past to sell high priced horrible quality musical equipment (ala gibson, marshall, vox)

Value:
Don't waste your money on this POS, it's not worth $5

Desirability:
it looked like the old ones, which I liked, just a black box with 3 knows and a switch, fine with me

Sound:
My uncle had a Rat from the early 80s and it sounded kickass, the only distortion pedal I ever liked, then I got one of the new ones for $89, it sounded so so, still a little different than most distortion units. Then it just stopped working about 2 months after I got it.

Ease of Use:
Simple, 3 knobs

Support:
I emailed them to see what I could do with my pedal, I got an email asking if I lived in the US or abroad, and I responded and never heard from them again, I tried contacting them again with no luck...D.bags, I live in new jersey not mongolia, shouldn't be too effing hard to take responsibility for the crap you sell.

Overall:
Don't waste your time, effort and money on this. If you can find an old one pre-'90s get it, the new ones blow.

• Submitted: 2/17/2008
• Style of Music: Rock
• Location: New Jersey

Feature:
simple. easy. appropriate would probably be the best way to describe it.

Quality:
i have had no problem with it but the other reviews horrify my and really makes me wonder about the problems with the inputs

Value:
I have always been kinda dissapointed with my distorions tone(my clean is amazing b/c i have a twin reverb) and if i could get the right sound i would pay much more. For me it would be better to have the right sound and have to have 2 of the same pedals because of bad quality rather than own a tank that cant do anything right. For the price i am sure there is a better pedal available.

Sound:
The sound is definitely distinct. I have never played the old one but the lower distortion levels are good at best but the higher levels get way to wild with no sense of feed back or bottom end...if u cut the filter you will loose any bited on the high but will get a good distortion for power chords. I use it with a ts 808 tube screamer...when set up right with this pedal it does give a great blues sound( like stevie ray vaughan but slightly more distorted)

Ease of Use:
easy to turn on but to find to find the tone one might have to go hunting for it

Support:
never had to use it but by the other reviews it sounds pretty crappy

Overall:
over all i am sure this distortion is decent for a stomp box but i would recomend looking elsewhere for the single fact of the sound, although i have read some really bad reviews about the quality but have had none of these issues myself

• User: a customer from shsu.edu
• Submitted: 11/19/2007
• Style of Music: rock, reggae, country and BLUES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Location: texas

Feature:
The filter knob lets me dial in whatever sound I need. What else is there to say...volume and distortion and filter...so simple I even understand it.

Quality:
I was impressed when it was delivered. Even when in the box, it felt like it was built like a tank. This pedal is gig ready to rock.

Value:
I've been looking around at other pedals, and even the ones costing twice what I paid can't touch it.

Desirability:
It's black and white. Does it look sexy? Hell no. Does it sound sexy? Hell yes!!!!

Sound:
I heard a guitarist use one when he auditioned for the band. It sounded good, so I got one 3 days ago for zz...plugged it into my blues deluxe at rehearsal...and was blown away. I've been using a POD for effects, but unless I need something exotic, from today forward, the RAT is the only pedal I'm using.

Ease of Use:
Like I said above, simple, simple, and simple.

Support:
I nine, only because I haven't needed it. Their web site, though, is great. Tone samples for every RAT. Very nice.

Overall:
This will be my go-to pedal. It will get used, abused, and used again. If it is stolen by a jealous guitarist in another band, I will hunt him down, and de-tune his guitar before his next set and take it back. If lost, bent, or mutilated, I will replace it.

• User: a customer from comcast.net
• Submitted: 7/12/2007
• Style of Music: Classic Rock, Blues
• Location: Marlborough, Massachusetts

Feature:
All you need.

Quality:
Durable as hell, small too.

Value:
Worth the price.

Desirability:
I WANT IT, I OWN IT!

Sound:
Not loaded with feedback like the metal muff, nice nice sound at any level, I never get sick of it

Ease of Use:
Takes a bit of tweaking but after you found your setting its perfect!

Support:
n/a

Overall:
It's the best i've ever dealt with

• User: a customer from hotmail.com
• Submitted: 11/7/2006
• Style of Music: Grunge, Metal, Funk, Experimental.
• Location: NY

Feature:
3 knobs. Black. Excellent for blunt force trauma.

Quality:
Everything seems just fine. Well built and constructed. The battery wiring is a little jammed in this little box, that's the only issue I have.

Value:
I was looking for a little better price, but after noodle-ing with it for a bit, it's waaay worth the price.

Desirability:
I've been shopping for a nice distorion pedal for a while, and have done my homework. (The only good kind of homework.) Check it out.

Sound:
Frigin great distortion, subtle, to very harsh. Melvins to Molly Hatchet. Full on old school rat sound. And true bypass to boot. I love it. I have a Big Muff, and this can mimic it as well, but another level of distortion that the Big Muff cannot seem to do.

Ease of Use:
plug in, turn on, be a rockstar. Simple Pedal.

Support:
Hopefully it won't be an issue. It's damn sturdy.

Overall:
Need just a little dirt or a lot of sludge? It does both. Even good on Bass.

• User: a customer from ideacircus.com
• Submitted: 10/20/2006
• Style of Music: Rock, Metal - Doom & psych
• Location: Santa Cruz, ca

Feature:
No battery included. and the battery compartment is a joke! totally frustrating and stupid! It features true bypass switching.. but i'll get to that later.

Quality:
THE NEW RAT II is the most poorly put together piece of crap i've ever owned! My first one stopped working after 3 DAYS!!! it just blocked the signal and made a bad humming noise! so i sent it back and the shop was kind enough to replace it. 2 weeks later..SAME PROBLEM! it seems unplugging a cable and then plugging it back in kills it! I have no idea what kind of switch they have put in here, but it's a joke! i can't get any sound except a faint buzz and a hint of the signal. WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY! TOTALLY UNRELIABLE AND USELESS!

Value:
Very over priced. The RAT is living off it's past reputation. The new ones are utterly CRAP! Dull, lifeless, muddy, weak sound.

Desirability:
looks ok, big and black with some glow in the dark paint. Not bad...but far from sexy.

Sound:
It sounds pretty dull and lifeless. There's really nothing to get excited about. The older rats where great. The new ones totally stick. Don't waste your money on a below average distortion.

Ease of Use:
I didn't get a manual! but it's not exactly hard to use. 3 knobs - volume, distortion and filter. you can play around with them and get a few usable sounds.

Support:
NON EXISTENT SUPPORT! PRO CO don't HAVE any support! none of my emails where returned! A WASTE OF MY TIME! When (not if) the new RAT breaks you will get absolutely no help from this company!

Overall:
I thought this would last me a long time, i'd heard about RATS being super reliable...haha! NOT ANY MORE! The new ones are terrible! If it was stolen i wouldn't care...maybe i'd actually feel a bit sorry for the thief! DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS!! IT'S TOTALLY UNRELIABLE, SOUNDS VERY ORDINARY AND THERE ARE MANY BETTER DISTORTIONS AVAILABLE

• User: a customer from hotmail.com
• Submitted: 7/30/2006
• Style of Music: Rock, Metal, Blues
• Location: Norwich, UK

Feature:
3 knobs & a footswitch, pretty standard, but it's all you'll need.

Quality:
this thing has been beaten to hell and it doesn't seem any worse for wear. it's a friggin tank.

Value:
wish it was like, 10 bucks cheaper, but whatever.

Desirability:
it's a classic & an original and people keep getting new sounds from it in all sorts of musical genres. who the hell doesn't want it?

Sound:
Great great sound, really crunchy and distinct. The amount of distortion can be set so low or so high that it can really be used for anything. I get crunchy overdrive out of this most of the time, but I will crank that knob and get some really heavy distortion that commands attention.

Ease of Use:
3 knobs and a footswitch, you'll figure it out before you even start using it.

Overall:
one of only a few pieces of gear that have become essential to my setup. i could not play a gig without it.

• User: a customer from gmail.com
• Submitted: 2/26/2006
• Style of Music: Post-Rock, Experimental, Shoegazer, Electronic
• Location: Oregon

Feature:
true bypass, need i say more.

Quality:
Built like a tank, very solid, simple construction with few things to break

Value:
Most distortion pedals cost way more than this one, and the rat2 is just flat out better anyway.

Desirability:
The letters glow in the dark, just a little feature that makes it different

Sound:
Different from other distortions, give you slight overdrive, to crunchy distortion, all the way to big muff pi harmonic distortion, very nice.

Support:
N/A

Overall:
Love this pedal, once I get my own I will play it forever, and if that one is lost stolen or broken, I will immediately get another one.

• Submitted: 5/18/2005

Feature:
It's got what you need to make it sound awesome.

Quality:
Built like a brick house.

Value:
You can't get this sound from anything else.

Desirability:
Hot.

Sound:
Nothing else can even come close to this type of distortion. The sound is so unique and...awesome! Haha, for some examples, listen to Foo Fighters. You'll notice how it can sound different whever you want. The song Stacked Actors shows how raunchy and sludgerock it can sound (really awesome) but Everlong, it's totally different, awesome none the less. This might sound stupid but, Jimmy Eat World. Their distortion is something I have always wanted but just couldn't quite get. I absolutely HATE that band now but their old album Clarity was AWESOME. Even if you don't like their old stuff, listen to them just to get a sense of this pedal's sound, it really is somethin'. Bands who use it, that I know of: Foo Fighters Jimmy Eat World (Tom Linton, Rythm) Krist Novoselic from Nirvana (Bass) The Melvins Blur Spineshank Pink Floyd If you want a longer list go to guitargeek.com and check it out.

Support:
You won't need it.

Overall:
Sweet.

• User: a customer from aol.com
• Submitted: 2/28/2005
• Style of Music: Anything.
• Location: NJ

Feature:
It isn't all that ajustable but you can turn it off.

Quality:
All steel. Jumped on it often to kill hiss. (jumped on it w/ both feet when angry at it)

Value:
This box doesn't perform as well as most of the cheaper boxes. (Were the other reviews written by Rat employees?)

Desirability:
It's utilitarian and bombproof. I like that

Sound:
Used in cunjunction w/ a Peavy or Crate solid state amp this box causes horrendous static and hiss.

• Submitted: 5/5/2004

Feature:
it didn't come with an adapter when i got it but i like the sound quality and i like the glow in the dark feature. very easy to use

Quality:
this s the best quality pedal i've ever played, it has a problem with the battery some times but it always seems to go away in a second and it doen't happen very much it's happened like 2 times and i've had it for almost 4 years so. it was used when i got it, it was 1 that was made a long time ago when they 1st came out.

Value:
i think it's kind of expensive but it's worth it.

Desirability:
i have it so yeah

Sound:
i don't really have anything negative about it but i wish the knobs wern't higher than the switch. it makes it harder to stomp on.it sounds great gives u distortion without losingt the tone

Support:
i didn't have contact with the company but there's nothing wrong with it. i don't know anything...

Overall:
i would never replace it with another pedal it's to good to replace.

• User: a customer from msn.com
• Submitted: 8/25/2003
• Style of Music: altenative punk rock
• Location: seattle, WA United States Of America