LR-1(Sushi Box FX Lab Rat)

[drgonzo1969]

I requested this project as a DIY pcb earlier this year when I first joined the forum. I have always been infatuated with tubes in pedals and the Proco Rat has been my go to distortion for my entire guitar life. So naturally when Sushi Box FX announced they would be releasing a DIY pcb I was over the moon excited to build it. There was a lot of discussion of various mods, clipping diode selection and IC selection in the Sushi Box portion of the forum. I decided on infrared LEDs and 4148’s for clipping and an Alfa AS301(@Betty Wont recommended) for the IC. I used an on/off/on toggle switch so I could have an option for opamp clipping. After I tried to fire it up the first time, it was a no go but after a very short troubleshooting thread I got it running. Opamp was installed backwards. I’m using lm308n instead of the AS301 right now cuz I’m an idiot and installed the as301 backwards.but I will eventually go back and try different clipping options and opamps. This Sushi Box FX Lab Rat instantly dethroned my JHS modded rat that’s been on my board forever. It’s sounds better in all aspects. This is my new favorite rat. Thanks for reading. Also I tried different knobs. Which ones do you guys like more? I’m leaning towards the slightly larger mxr style but I like the silver top ones too

 

[DailyDovetails]

I like the larger MXR style ones as well but I think the ones with metal on top aren't bad either. I'm not a big tube guy but this one and the particle accelerator(I'm planning on building with a Telefunken 12at7 I have) caught my eye. I have been messing with the rat on my breadboard for a bit now. I really like it with asymmetrical soft and hard clipping with an LED and BAT41 but I haven't explored it enough to say that's my favorite for sure.

Nice looking build. I'm sure it sounds great.

 

[VanWhy]

Great build. I also like the large MXR knobs on it.

 

[geoffrey]

I like the MXRs too and great report.

I'm just about ready to build mine and, based on my experience with the Particle accelerator, have no doubt it'll kick my current rat off the board. I'm going to use a metal can LM308H I got from out favorite "NO CHINESE BULLSHIT" dude on eBay. I can really hear the difference with those, as I've tried them in other Rats. But like you, I'll experiment. Again, nice work!

 

[drgonzo1969]

I like the larger MXR style ones as well but I think the ones with metal on top aren't bad either. I'm not a big tube guy but this one and the particle accelerator(I'm planning on building with a Telefunken 12at7 I have) caught my eye. I have been messing with the rat on my breadboard for a bit now. I really like it with asymmetrical soft and hard clipping with an LED and BAT41 but I haven't explored it enough to say that's my favorite for sure.

Nice looking build. I'm sure it sounds great.

It sounds great for sure. I will try and get a demo up on one of my next days off(my next day off is in 2 weeks).

 

[drgonzo1969]

I like the MXRs too and great report.

I'm just about ready to build mine and, based on my experience with the Particle accelerator, have no doubt it'll kick my current rat off the board. I'm going to use a metal can LM308H I got from out favorite "NO CHINESE BULLSHIT" dude on eBay. I can really hear the difference with those, as I've tried them in other Rats. But like you, I'll experiment. Again, nice work!

I have one of those “no Chinese bullshit” metal can lm308h too. I have it in my jhs rat right now but I’m going to pull it and try it in this when I give the AS301 another go.

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

I like the silver top but mostly because they give a little more space from Felix. None look bad. I let a friend borrow my labrat for the last few weeks. When I asked his thoughts, all he said was "holy shit!"

 

[Erik S]

I’ve been looking forward to seeing this since you first posted that Felix logo. So cool!

 

[PedalBuilder]

Awesome build! The silver top knobs are my favorite for the same reason that @Mentaltossflycoon mentioned, but the oversized MXR knobs look great, too.

 

[joelorigo]

Looks great! I like the silver knobs personally, but they are both good. Good to know about your opinion on this because I have not built a rat yet.

 

[drgonzo1969]

Looks great! I like the silver knobs personally, but they are both good. Good to know about your opinion on this because I have not built a rat yet.

I highly recommend this project. It’s a pretty straightforward build. This is my favorite flavor of standard rat. I want to build another one with a green ringer and boost so it will be kind of like the EQD life pedal but with a tube in it(edit: and upside down crosses for tube vents). But that’s on next years to-do list.

 

[Feral Feline]

Cool — the cat's meowbawmb!

Silver Top gives the best balance with the graphic and footswitch and is easiest to see the settings.

 

[MichaelW]

I requested this project as a DIY pcb earlier this year when I first joined the forum. I have always been infatuated with tubes in pedals and the Proco Rat has been my go to distortion for my entire guitar life. So naturally when Sushi Box FX announced they would be releasing a DIY pcb I was over the moon excited to build it. There was a lot of discussion of various mods, clipping diode selection and IC selection in the Sushi Box portion of the forum. I decided on infrared LEDs and 4148’s for clipping and an Alfa AS301(@Betty Wont recommended) for the IC. I used an on/off/on toggle switch so I could have an option for opamp clipping. After I tried to fire it up the first time, it was a no go but after a very short troubleshooting thread I got it running. Opamp was installed backwards. I’m using lm308n instead of the AS301 right now cuz I’m an idiot and installed the as301 backwards.but I will eventually go back and try different clipping options and opamps. This Sushi Box FX Lab Rat instantly dethroned my JHS modded rat that’s been on my board forever. It’s sounds better in all aspects. This is my new favorite rat. Thanks for reading. Also I tried different knobs. Which ones do you guys like more? I’m leaning towards the slightly larger mxr style but I like the silver top ones too

I used a Metal Can 308H....it's freaking awesome sounding. Between the Lab Rat and @steviejr92 's Rat Salad, it's changed my mind about Rats

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

I highly recommend this project. It’s a pretty straightforward build. This is my favorite flavor of standard rat. I want to build another one with a green ringer and boost so it will be kind of like the EQD life pedal but with a tube in it. But that’s on next years to-do list.

Your graphic could be knuckle tattoos that read "TUBE LIFE"

 

[drgonzo1969]

Your graphic could be knuckle tattoos that read "TUBE LIFE"

Haha I like that idea