MichaelW
Well-known member
- Build Rating
For someone that says they don't really care for Rat's, I've sure built a bunch..... 
.
Actually, I'm getting more and more into the Rat thing as I've been discovering some of the nuances beyond "in your face, dark and muddy distortion".
So this was a project I knew I had to build, if for nothing else than to keep my collection of SushiBoxFx's DIY projects complete.
Here's another one that @vigilante398 knocked out of the park! The layout was beautiful and easy to build.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect or how to wrap my head around the notion of a Rat with a tube output gain stage at the end.
But it all really works! There's a lot more than "just a Rat" in this pedal. Nathan's approach to the tone stack is an obvious departure from the Rat but it's got a ton of range. The trebles can get sharp enough to pierce walrus hide and the bass control dimed can make the room shake.
Speaking of which, there's a lot more bass frequencies in this pedal than a typical Rat. It's a very satisfying "chug" (if I knew how to chug that is heh)
There's a TON of gain on tap yet it can also sound nice with the gain turned down low as well.
Not too happy with the rattle can paint job I did on the enclosure. The couple cans of spray paint I have leftover from my "great rattle can era" are getting old and getting low. I didn't realize how much it was spitting until after it dried.
But it will do, as I don't feel like sanding it all back off.
I splurged on some aluminum knobs and mojo Motorola metal can LM308. I used my favorite JJ 12AX7 for the tube.
Did I mention how smooth the build went? @vigilante398 really has the build process for his DIY boards dialed in!
There's a toggle switch to toggle between a pair of red LED's and a pair of 1N4148 Silicon diodes. On this pedal I prefer the sound of the 4148's over the LED's.
I recorded a demo of the pedal with some knob turning but also comparing it with some of my other Rat variant builds.
PedalPCB Muroidea (Proco Rat)
Informat Drive (1981 DRV)
Pandora's box (Bixonic Expandora)
Rat Salad (Chicken Wing Audio)
.Actually, I'm getting more and more into the Rat thing as I've been discovering some of the nuances beyond "in your face, dark and muddy distortion".
So this was a project I knew I had to build, if for nothing else than to keep my collection of SushiBoxFx's DIY projects complete.
Here's another one that @vigilante398 knocked out of the park! The layout was beautiful and easy to build.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect or how to wrap my head around the notion of a Rat with a tube output gain stage at the end.
But it all really works! There's a lot more than "just a Rat" in this pedal. Nathan's approach to the tone stack is an obvious departure from the Rat but it's got a ton of range. The trebles can get sharp enough to pierce walrus hide and the bass control dimed can make the room shake.
Speaking of which, there's a lot more bass frequencies in this pedal than a typical Rat. It's a very satisfying "chug" (if I knew how to chug that is heh)
There's a TON of gain on tap yet it can also sound nice with the gain turned down low as well.
Not too happy with the rattle can paint job I did on the enclosure. The couple cans of spray paint I have leftover from my "great rattle can era" are getting old and getting low. I didn't realize how much it was spitting until after it dried.
But it will do, as I don't feel like sanding it all back off.
I splurged on some aluminum knobs and mojo Motorola metal can LM308. I used my favorite JJ 12AX7 for the tube.
Did I mention how smooth the build went? @vigilante398 really has the build process for his DIY boards dialed in!
There's a toggle switch to toggle between a pair of red LED's and a pair of 1N4148 Silicon diodes. On this pedal I prefer the sound of the 4148's over the LED's.
I recorded a demo of the pedal with some knob turning but also comparing it with some of my other Rat variant builds.
PedalPCB Muroidea (Proco Rat)
Informat Drive (1981 DRV)
Pandora's box (Bixonic Expandora)
Rat Salad (Chicken Wing Audio)
