pro co RAT fixing

heavyfunkmachin · #1 12-23-2007, 09:08 AM

hi all, im totally new to electronics, but i´ve been allways interested in what makes things "TIC"

anyway, this is the thing i´ve got:

http://webpages.charter.net/daosmun/...0Box%20Rat.htm

the old rat circuit.

first thing i need to do its change the input and outpute "female" jacks since they are broken... but the question is... WHAT CABLE GOES WHERE???

first time i do this in a pedal... i feel like dismanteling a bomb, could someone help me out?

and also, i´ve hear and seen on the web some mods that can be done on this thing... any wise advise? im planning to use it on bass...
is there any mod better for playing bass?
how can i improve the bass tone?
besides... i would rather make a "switch" mod than a "cut" mod... so i can go back to original... any ideas?

Timi · #2 12-23-2007, 04:56 PM

There is a mod that you can do by cutting out a resistor.
http://www.diyguitaramp.com/rat.html

Theres two resistors that run in parallel and you cut the leg of one of them, or what I did was wire that resistor to a switch so I can go between modded and standard.

The modded sound has less gain and more bass, but I think it makes it fuzzier and sounds "held back".

Whats wrong with the input and output jacks? Changing broken jacks is fairly easy if you can solder, just swap them out.

heavyfunkmachin · #3 12-24-2007, 05:59 AM

whats worng it´s that they´re are made of plastic and they´ve sufered abuse... so i have to replace them...

i jsut dont know what cable goes where... trial an error??

i know the mod you´re talking about... but i dont think i can install a switch so easilly...and if you arent so happy either with the modded sound.... i could try but im afraid to damage the thing....

oh oh what can i do... maybe there´s some tutorial online like "instaling swithces and replacing jacks for dumber than dumbs"

Trevor.A · #4 12-24-2007, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heavyfunkmachin

whats worng it´s that they´re are made of plastic and they´ve sufered abuse... so i have to replace them...

i jsut dont know what cable goes where... trial an error??

i know the mod you´re talking about... but i dont think i can install a switch so easilly...and if you arent so happy either with the modded sound.... i could try but im afraid to damage the thing....

oh oh what can i do... maybe there´s some tutorial online like "instaling swithces and replacing jacks for dumber than dumbs"

...can't you just put the wires back where they are now? A switch to take out that resistor would just involve unsoldering it from the board and adding a couple wires. Another mod that gets you more bass response is changing the input/output capacitors to higher values. You could add a switch to do this also.

Timi · #5 12-24-2007, 04:20 PM

Which rat has plastic jacks?

Just remember when changing input caps you can really change the character of the overdrive/distortion of a pedal. You can get more low end but your gain character can become really farty if you go overboard.

heavyfunkmachin · #6 12-25-2007, 03:59 AM

the 83-84 rat has plastic jack inputs... unless they´ve been replaced.. wich i seriously doubt... it was some punk´s pedal before it was mine.

so, just to be sure, can i screw the pedal by replacing the input and output jacks???
i hope not...

should i have any concerns when finally doing it?

i might end finding someone that has installed this kind of switches before to do it...

if i do this, i want to put both this "improvement" on it. still looking for some more...