From garage grit to doom growl — the RAT2 is your secret weapon for raw, unapologetic tone. Whether you’re into stoner rock, punk, garage, grunge, doom, or experimental tones, the RAT2 delivers gritty sustain, bite, and massive character in a compact, affordable pedal that’s stood the test of time.
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🎸 Quick Verdict: The RAT2 Isn’t Just a Distortion Pedal — It’s a Sound Legacy
The Pro Co RAT2 is more than a box of distortion. It’s an iconic, genre-busting tone machine that lives somewhere between distortion, fuzz, and overdrive — and it’s been doing that since the late ‘70s.
📖 A Little History: The Fuzzy Origins of a Legend
The original RAT pedal was designed in 1978 by Pro Co engineers in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It quickly became a favorite of guitarists who wanted something between the warmth of overdrive and the chaos of fuzz.
The RAT2, introduced in the late ’80s, added a more rugged enclosure and LED indicator. Today, it’s considered one of the most versatile and expressive distortion pedals ever made.
🎤 Who Uses the Pro Co RAT2?
The RAT2 has been used by legendary players across wildly different genres, including:
- Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) – Used a RAT in early Nirvana sessions
- Thom Yorke (Radiohead) – Known to run vocals and synths through one
- James Hetfield (Metallica) – RAT seen in early live setups
- Nuno Bettencourt, Jeff Beck, Graham Coxon, and countless more
Its appeal? Raw tone, unfiltered aggression, and stackable versatility.
🔊 What It Sounds Like: Distortion With Dirt in Its Teeth
The RAT2 isn’t a polite pedal. It’s dirty. It’s fuzzy. It cuts through a mix like a chainsaw, but still cleans up with your volume knob.
| Control | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Distortion | From warm crunch to searing saturation |
| Filter | A reverse tone knob — turn left for brightness, right to roll off highs |
| Volume | Plenty of output for boosting an amp or pushing another pedal |
💡 The “Filter” control is key to dialing it in — it shapes the character dramatically.
Use it for:
- 🔥 Stoner/Doom/Sludge – Thick, growling riffs that respond well to slow tempos and low tunings
- ⚡ Punk/Garage Rock – Raw, biting distortion with lo-fi edge
- 🌪️ Shoegaze/Alt/Indie – Stack it into reverb or delay and melt into chaos
- 🎛️ Synth & Bass – The RAT is legendary in pedalboards outside of guitar too
🔧 Build Quality
- Heavy-duty steel housing
- True bypass switching
- Powered by 9V battery or standard adapter
- Simple layout, massive tone
It’s a no-frills pedal built to take abuse on tour, in the studio, or in your basement at 2 a.m.
🧠 Pro Tips for Tone Lovers
- Stack it after a Tube Screamer for rich harmonic fuzz
- Crank the Filter for bass — it won’t kill your low-end like some distortions
- Try it on synth or vocals — this is a secret weapon for producers
- Pair it with a Monoprice 5W tube amp (like the 611705) for bedroom doom bliss
🛒 Should You Buy It?
If you want aggressive, vintage-inspired distortion with fuzz-like personality, the Pro Co RAT2 is a no-brainer. It’s rugged, iconic, and usually under $80 — an insane value for a pedal that’s been on platinum records and indie demos alike.
Whether you’re building your first board or adding another flavor to your fuzz arsenal, the RAT2 is a must-have tone tool.
🧨 Final Word: Dirty. Loud. Legendary.
The Pro Co RAT2 isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s for players who want tone that fights back — for gritty riffs, walls of fuzz, and tones that sound like they were recorded in a haunted garage with bad intentions.
If that’s you, then welcome to the cult of the RAT. 🐀
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