1988 ProCo Rat 2: Andy's Vintage Picks | Reverb Tone Report
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2025
- What do Cobain and Scofield have in common? The ProCo RAT. The second iteration (RAT 2) emerged in the late '80s and continues to be a popular pedalboard staple for both guitarists and bass players with its characteristic jagged gristle. Watch as Andy takes this faithful stompbox for a spin in today's edition of #AndysVintagePicks.
Read more on Reverb: goo.gl/DiTDBn
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Andy's Set-Up:
Amp: Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb RI
Guitars: Gibson Les Paul Traditional, Redtail Custom "T"
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THANK YOU for not just playing antiquated blues licks and overused classic rock style playing in this. It’s good to see diversity in how a pedal sounds for different kinds of music.
he didn't "even" play antiquated blues licks
@@skaboosh why are you quoting “even”?😂 he never said that word and second that’s the entire reason he’s thanking them, cause they didn’t use that style. Are you okay?
Andy has always been a tasteful player
@@skaboosh go wipe your butt
43 years and I finally got a Rat. So many sounds in that pedal. I'm loving playing with it. It's rare you can get a low gain sound out of a high gain pedal.
punk? Personally I want to get close to the sound Life sentence had from Chicago back in 86. I elaborated on where they were from because it’s hard to find their songs since they weren’t a big band. My favorite song from them is peacetime death.
I love andys style, and the fact he uses a invisible pick
Andy is one of my favorite players of all time. Never thought I'd say that about a guy who does demos. Greg Koch and Pete Thorn are also aces. Kudos to Andy for being the best demo guy in the world.
Sounds better than most high gain boutique pedals 🙌🏻
sounds like shit
Vanguard wrong
Haha “Vangaurd Wrong”
Agreed but I still think the walrus audio iron horse sound better
Vanguard - you seem bitter that you spent a grand on your pedalboard but it didn't make you play any better
This was also my very first distortion pedal. Bought it off a friend in 9th grade for $20 in 2001. The best distortion pedal I've ever used. Nothing comes close. Still use it to this day.
Just at the point where I thought "didn't Graham Coxon rely on the Rat for a lot of his tone?" you came in with a nice slice of Mr Robinsons Quango! 👌
I gave mine to my then 20 year old son. He's had it for six years now and loves it.
Andy does the absolute best demos on the web hands down. Good call bringing him onboard Reverb!
Andy and a RAT, it's just like when Pacino met De Niro in Heat. It's perfect, and it makes perfectly sense.
Not a great movie. Not a great pedal. Don't buy a Rat. You will be disappointed.
That is an excellent movie. That's A nice comparison.
Vic and his Ferrari probably plays Nirvana covers through his Boss distortion pedal
@@declankelly8964 Thank you my dear.
@@vicferrari89 Heat is one of the greatest movies of all time
Ah shit the Rat. Hands down the greatest IC Distortion made, and honestly my first love. This pedal is perfect, especially the Rat 2 98’ and previous, so much cut and with all the ones I’ve had with some drifting you can get some hot fire gems. The Reissue is the same circuit as the WF and OG Black Rat which is softer but sounds damn amazing through a bright JMP. Rats are love, Rats are life.
An old coworker of mine said that every guitar player must go through a rite of passage. That is when they buy a TS9, sell their TS9, and then buy another TS9 because they feel like a “dumb chode” (his exact words) for selling it.
I think the same applies to the Rat, because I sold mine and feel like a “dumb chode” for doing so.
I had fallen out of love with the rat.. I think I finally like it again. damn you andy
Man every time I play my Rat I'm reminded how awesome it is. This is such a great showcase of it. Great video!
Holy S*%& man! When he plugged in that Tele, I nearly fell of my chair!
No matter what you play through (or with), you have one of the best tones I've ever heard! Your a truly amazing player! And this pedals cool to! ;) Thank you for yet another stellar vid Andy!!! :-)
I love it when andy gives that little smile like "soooooo yeah that's nice"
I just picked up a Rat2. I think it is fantastic, especially for the money. It plays really nicely with my vintage Mesa Subway Blues. While the amp can do a nice Fenderish clean, the way the circuit is designed with the EL-84 output tubes being asymmetrically driven by the preamp makes the distorted sound really lush, with lots of lovely overtones. The combo has none of that hard edge nastiness you can get running a hard clip pedal into a Fender.
This is classic rock crunch. Perfect lead tone w/ distortion cranked. Sustain for days. It turns my little single channel amp into a rock monster. If I want 'edge of breakup' at low volume, I can use my Fulltone F2 I don't like the Fulltone pushed hard, but as clean boost it's great.
I'm just a hobby guitar player, but I ran pro FoH sound for over a decade. I think it's important to find a distortion pedal and amp that work together. In other words, just because a pedal doesn't work with you amp, doesn't make it a bad pedal. You have to use your ears and test gear in your setup. I used to search for used pedal bargains (and still might by if something cool and really cheap) but now I tend to buy new, just to know I can return with no hassle if thing don't work out. (I got a cheap volume pedal from GC recently. Well cheap for a reason, it has no usable 'sweep'......seems like off or on) It goes back tomorrow. Time to pony up for a Morley, or Vox, or Mission, etc. You usually get what you pay for. But....with the Rat, if you have right amp, you get more.
was about to sell my turbo rat until i saw this. well you know what they say "if its good enough for andy, its good enough for me"
Vigie Rivera I know this too well.. I was about to pass up buying a 1988 rat2 for $50 but then I saw this and was like.. fuck.. if Andy has one I should have one
or maybe learn to think for yourself...
N P that’s an insanely good deal
@@sonictitan5604 what brand shoes are you wearing? OR hey, Yer typing English! That’s cultural appropriation!
@@peterwelsh1932 👍
Finally.. I was waiting for your "first pedal ever" 😀
I own a ProCo Turbo Rat from 1989 (with LM308 chip), it's my main distortion and it nails the early Foo Fighters sound. Great pedal.
This man was doing pedal demos in the womb. Always leaves us wanting for more ❤
I remember when they came out everyone in the NYC punk,hardcore and metal scene switched to one... very rock n roll, never too much bass filtering through to muddy stuff up, but it needed another pedal to boost it, a common combination was the yellow Turbo Overdrive pedal.. I had a couple of buddies using that combination with a LP and Marshall..
classic 80’s metalcore crunch...
Yeah, the high-gain sponge is cool. It reminds me a bit of the sponge you get from amps with tube rectifiers, especially when you don't remove any low end prior to distortion. To me, the magic of the RAT is that the op-amp clips on its power rails long before hitting the hard clipping diodes, so it can take advantage of that rolloff in high end as gain is increased (gain-bandwidth product of the op-amp) and allow for that sponge (slew rate and recovery time from hitting the rails).
I didn't understand what any of what you said but I agree
I bought a Vintage Rat new in the late 90s. Didn’t use it much but when I dug it out a few years ago, I realised it was just epically good.
Also sounds great on bass guitar - it saps some of the low frequencies but for a dirty Stoner / Doom sound it's perfect.
My first distortion pedal when I was 17..
Rat, 65 Deluxe Reverb and a MIJ White 70's reissue Strat.
Been through a few over the years and never go without one.
The true Desert Island pedal.
Yes!
I have a 1988 Rat 2 on my board (dated from the pots) sitting next to an original Marshall Guv’nor. Distortion/Hi gain sounds covered!
Thanks Andy. Great, accurate review of a sometimes overlooked classic. Cheers.
I'd get some sort of TS style circuit and Klon style circuit on the board and you've got the gamut covered, my friend. Using them to boost either the Rat or Guv'nor would sound awesome, not to mention they sound great by themselves as well.
I have a original Guv'Nor as well! 70' s Thomas Conn Crybaby Wah-Keeley Java Boost then Guv'Nor, EVH Phase- 71/72 Echoplex EP-3 into 78 Marshall JMP 50 watt head and 71 cab! My retro rig!
This is the best sounding demo you've ever made! Sounds so thick !
Hey you mentioned playing though a solid state amp with a RAT! That;'s what I did back in the day.... bought a RAT about 1984 or so, not sure if that would make it a Ver 2 or not but it didn't have the little Red LED light... I put it through a H/H 100 watt solid state amp....It gave the H/H a nice thump to it...
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong....think I read somewhere the rat 2 came out in 1987 or 88. The first rat debuted in 1979.
What an amazing guitar player is Andy.
Hes ok, not great
He's great @@anthonydavella8350
It was my first Distortion pedal bought from a store in Denmark Street in London (Circa 1989), and I was able to colour my guitar tones, immediately, and I veered away from other distortions because they all sounded less than. The Marshall Guvnor was my other noise pedal. which had more controls, I've grown to like it, but still the go to is the 80's Pro Co Ratt 2
Andy, you make some of the best straight forward videos, thank you for all you bring to the community!!! Cheers brother! And just my two cents, the way you play without a pick is always impressive man :) keep up the awesome vibes!
The sound of skipping class to smoke dope behind the high school gymnasium for three entire decades worth of reprobates.
feel you bro
Swine Horde best comment haha
Swine Horde excellent, yes.
Absolutely... let’s go!
@@oinkooink No, the west is failing because the young are socialists
The bass player of my band from 89 to 92 had this pedal and I started using it with my 78 all tube Peavy 4x10 Vintage which I used to power two Hiwatt 4x12 cabs. I also used it powering the same two cabs with a 50 watt Marshall head too. To this day, my bass player says it was the best sound I had.
I was using an 89 Strat (that I still have) so the thick distortion really helped fatten-up the single coil pickups so they didn't sound thin at all. My tone was considered quite heavy even with the single coils. I've been using rackmount gear, but plan to get this pedal again when I restore the vintage tube amp that I also still have.
I think the bass player in Dinosaur Jr. has a similar amp setup with the old school Peavy amp head. Check out their Ron Rundown.
Gain at 9 o’clock and give it a clean boost with a ts9. Sounds amazing through my vox ac30 and Gibson studio.
Andy has the calm, understated demeanor of the cool highschool English teacher that you found out absolutely rips at guitar.
I've been watching Andy review stuff since I was in highschool myself, and he ALWAYS does a killer job getting great tones and really showcasing what a pedal is best at. Plus his playing style is so unique! Proof that you don't need to shred to be an outstanding guitarist.
I've got a 1989 Rat 2 and it sounds huuuuge. Became my favorite pedal ever.
My favorite distortion/ drive/ fuzz pedal, but the octave fuzz is pretty great too voodoo labs proctavia awesome. But nothing beats the vintage RAT !
Andy rules! I really dig these vintage episodes - Andy is coaxing some awesome (and conspicuously non-boutique) tones out of these pedals.
Can we vote to hear Andy on a Boss Metal Zone, MXR Dist+ or maybe an old EHX DMM?
HM-2! The mightiest of mighty metal pedals.
I'm enjoying the more Andy stories and insights than in the old PGS days. #moreandy
I got one from 1989 on my board. Thing is a beast!
Pro Co Rat was my first distortion pedal. Used it to push my Laney 100 watt.
That's the best sounding dirt pedal I have ever heard! Honestly!
pulls out the tele and goes straight to playing blur. epic lol
Man what a demo. Great playing.
Damn what a demo, Andy played incredibly, definitely getting this pedal!
How can you not LOVE Andy?! What a champ!
Nice , i like your style too. When I picked the guitar up again after a decades long hiatus , I couldn't get the tone i wanted. I went from a Danelectro Cool Cat Distortion to a DS-1 then my brother gave me an EH Metal Muff but it still lacked the crunchiness I was after. I got the Blackstar HT Dual Distortion a few months ago because I watched a video Gus G and his tone was nearly spot on for my taste. Not sure what it was but I'm still on the hunt. Im learning how to build effects now and maybe one day I'll DIY on a tube amp but the Rat and the MXR are two that are definitely on my list of potentials. Thanks for the video. It was helpful.
My main distortion is a Rat2 and I love it!
These vids are great, thank you Andy!
Had one, sold it. Still.miss it. One of the three.pieces of gear I wish I still had.
Awesome review. one of the best ive ever seen for a dirt pedal =)
Woah I didn't expect Blur's M Robinson's Quango to be in this video. I absolutely love the guitar on that track.
Love this new segment. I set my BF 2 to the vibe like setting after the flange one and added it to my mini berd.
It seems that Andy's favourite album is The Great Escape.
This pedal sounds insane if you boost it and tone-shape it with an overdrive like the ts9!
I just got one from 1989. Sounds incredible
Andy and his disappearing guitar picks
Dude I think he does fingerstyle! He’s crazy good
no really, where the heck does the pick go?
He plays with fingers only. He explains it more in-depth here:
ruclips.net/video/sf24m4xF-Ro/видео.html
@@MrValBar2 r/wooosh
A Rat boosted with a TS pedal is glorious. I set my distortion to where it can still clean up a little then boost it for solos
Always good to see classic pedal videos.
Have an 88 for sale
I play the reissue through a jc40 and I’ve got say it’s just insane how good it sounds I use a orange rockerverb for distorted sounds usually but to my ear there’s not a lot in it
Andy could plug his guitar into a coconut and make it sound great. Love his demos!!
All dials between 2 and 3 and it sounds awesome!
that old LesPaul standard still rocks
Legendary pedal.
Thanks Andy...recently picked up the Lawrence Petross Design VRMN Limited...a take on the ProCo RAT...going to put it through its paces tonight! 😎🎸
The best thing about these Reverb videos is that little Data action figure.
5:25 Mr. Robinson's Quango - Nice!
Got about 15 distortion/overdrive pedals...always come back to the RAT
One of the coolest guitar sounds I heard in the 80's was my friends old stereo, I think a radio shack wired to a 15 Speaker, It had awesome fuzz from clipping. I would compare it to the innagattadavita fuzz tone.
Yessssss currently borrowing one! Playing one tonight in fact!
I already have a Rat2, so I won't rush out and buy this pedal like I did with the bf2
Except now you need a Turbo Rat to use as a boost in front of the Rat2.
Throw a IC socket in place of the OP07 and install a LM308, youll love it if you like this tone. The original Rats "glitchy" nature is due to the LM308's poor slew rate. Makes a big difference and you can switch it back an forth between the LM308 an the OP07 easily if you install a IC socket first. Just a recommendation, i did it with mine and immediately got rid of the thin bright sounding OP07.
Michael Inglis could I pay you for this service?
@@shawnmann Sure but theres probably a few people who could do it for you who live near you. Where do you live? That or i could walk you through the process a little more in depth for free.
Michael Inglis I live in WA State (Wenatchee right now). I’m definitely game for a free education!
It sounds great! I picked up a 1986 back in ‘98 for $35. It seems they’ve gone up in value. 😀
I think I just realized Andy reminds me of Mark Lynn Baker from Perfect Strangers
"Sometimes the tone sounds perfect; nothing you'd rearrange. Sometimes you just, get a feeling like you NEED TO ADD SOME GAAAIIIIINN!"
Doan be reedigulous
Love the new set. The vintage series very cool.
All the distortion and OD pedals I've accumulated over the decades, the Trusty Rat always winds up back on the board..
It just does so much, it is a very versatile pedal for most applications.
I'll Sometimes run my Bjfe Honey Bee in front of it for a little frattyness.
Andy you're the man and it's great that you're on Reverb, but can you keep saying "Hi this is Andy from Pro Guitar shop" just to keep it vintage acurate? Thanks
I have one. It gets a really great Hendrix tone, stacking it with an OD doesn’t hurt either. c:
Any song in particular?
I have one of these(1988 woodcutter) I modded the shite out of years ago and just looked those up on reverb and almost cried because they command decent tube combo level money.
Bought one in late ‘85 or early ‘86 and still use it. I also had a Turbo Rat at one point, and for awhile preferred it. But in the end I came back around. Love the cocked wah-ish sounds you can get by cranking the Distortion and backing off the guitar’s volume.
punk? Personally I want to get close to the sound Life sentence had from Chicago back in 86. I elaborated on where they were from because it’s hard to find their songs since they weren’t a big band. My favorite song from them is peacetime death.
I jammed a Proco Rat through Peavey Special back in 80's. One of the loudest amps I've ever owned.
Dude, I have had a peavey special 112 for a few years now, and I haven't cranked it past like 3 ever. Seriously loud and a cool clean tone too.
@@previn yeah I have a backstage 110 hurts my ears past 2
@3:55 for a second I think Andy forgot he was making a review video and just enjoyed playing.
Is the black background on vacation?
sunlounger29 he's at the reverb office I think
This is my home studio, I wanted to change up the set for these vintage demos.
He forgot to ring the gong?
AndyDemos aaaaandddddyyyyy... do you even freakin' realize that you're a hero for some of us, new generation bedroom guitarist staring at their youtube screen??? Not only giving tone tips by demoing pedals, you also teach us many songs
Good thinking as those vintage demos have a more personal touch to them.
Great sound...perfect for hard rock!
Sometimes Andy just cant hide that wide grin on his face that tells you just how much fun he's having..
Best ProCo review ever
Best distortion of my life.
came to listen to the good old Rat..great demo. Exactly for the reason you mentioned , it sounded great with solid state amps. not all distortions do. I'm building one as part of preamp for solid state practice amp I'm building. Thinking, i could maybe tame it though, by dropping the distortion pot from 100k down to 50 or even 25. Could even leave the 100k, and add dpdt switch with a 100k resistor (or greater) across the outside pins of the distortion pot, which would be in paralell and with the flick of a switch, could drop the pot down to 50k. Long time since i owned that Rat, but when the distortion was dialled up on my cheap fender frontman it was too over the top, i always liked it better for blues dialled back. Anyways sounds great in this demo. Don't have any lm308..will use a tl071..see how that goes. Mine will be less Rat, more Mickey mouse :) Think i read somewhere that the Turbo rat, was basically a rat with led as clippers..yes definitely will socket the diodes and experiment. gonna be a fun weekend
Graham Coxon riff = 1 like!
I Had the Rat, in front of THAT TS7 tonelock Tube Scream. Set HOT, was a Beast, through ANY amp.
Andy is just the coolest.
Interesting review. I currently have a Rat 2, not sure the age (it has sloping sides, if that tells anything). This 8s probably my 4th “distortion” pedal, and I can’t seem to find one I like. This Rat seems to have too much midrange, along with being very bright. I don’t like mid range and I wish I could pull more low end out of.
On either side, though, I have a Klon Klone (OD) in front of the Rat and a JHS Muffeletta (Fuzz) after. I love both of those pedals a great deal. I should also point out that I only play at home, these days, and have sold my bigger Fender And Vox amplifiers. I now play thru a 1965 original blackface Fender Champ tube amp, which I’ve had for 20-something years and dearly love. While that is a small amp, and I’m aware some pedals work very differently depending on the amp, it gets plenty loud and sounds great with all my other pedals.
Any thoughts, Rat Fans? Maybe I still haven’t found what I’m looking for (sorry 🤣) or I else All distortions have similar tonal characteristics, so I need to live with it.
Killin it as always
I have the original first big box rat. It truly turns any amp into a marshall. I sold my marshall because it was just to damn loud and a pain in the ass to haul around. Bought a deluxe reverb and a rat pedal and and it was on.
Sounds the best with the Les Paul. Nice and beefy
I´ve just build my RAT with RAT 2 specs and it sounds amazing.
and to think... i always looked at the rat as a joke. now i want one!
You can tell he really likes this pedal. Try putting an overdrive in front of it with singles coils and you can get into 'bucker sounding territory.
Andy has the hardest invisible pick ❤
I have an 80's Rat 2, and I'll never part with it. This vid made me want to pick up my single coil guitars again!!
Excellent vid, got to ask what that lap steel type guitar with the coloured frets is though? Looks awesome!