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RAT question.....

blastjv

blastjv

Jan 8, 2010
1,465
20
Philly Area
#1
OK,

I honestly have searched here and elsewhere and checked out any demos I can find, but it seems that opinions are all over the place on this.....It seems like every thread tells a totally different story about which is the 'go-to' RAT for bass...

I'm interested in checking out a RAT pedal. I'm not shooting for a particular sound with it, just responding to times I've heard a RAT used that sounded good to me, and interested to see if it would fit in with my style/rig. I understand the dude from Young Widows relies heavliy on one for his gnarly tone (which I really dig), and I know Krist Novaselic used one on "I Should Have Known" (you can see it breifly on the Back and Forth DVD). Just seems like a lot of times I've said "Wow, what a bad ass nasty tone!" it's turned out to involve a RAT of some kind...(though I totally get that it's only ever one piece of the puzzle)

There is a big box Vintage Reissue available here locally for a good price that I'm thinking of grabbing to check out, but I wanted some more clear opinions on what to expect, or if a different version would make more sense.

I guess what I want to know is, from a bass perspective, how do the different (common) versions stack up tonally? Can someone with experience with multiple versions break it down in a clear manner?


Thanks,

-JV

PS - I'm really not interested in doing any kind of clean blend or splitting, etc to get it to work. I just want to try a RAT and see if I like the flavor...
 
#2
There are quite a few things on YouTube. I know this only because I've previously searched for a RAT myself, and wasn't sure where to start. Search for "Turbo RAT LM308N" and you should find a guy that does a comparison between a modded and unmodded turbo RAT on bass...I think it's a relatively telling video as far as what to expect from a tone perspective.
 
#5
The turbo rat uses l.e.d rather than silicone diodes,this gives it a more high gain crunch.the Rat is more mellow and less harsh.
Bolth are good.
I use the turbo version,this paired with tube overdrive is monster. I have not used the regluar Rat,but I've heard it.It's a little cleaner.My turbo rat can get messy.There are some other versions around that might be cool too.
 
#7
I have a turbo rat that needs some work due to the gain knob cutting out for the first 1/3 of the volume range. I'm wondering if you guys know who does the LM308N mod for bass?
 
#8
rratajski said:
RAT 2 - nasal, nasty, very brash, most bass loss

Vintage - milder but still nasty, warmer tone

Reissue - verrrrry similar to vintage

Turbo - loud, brash, open sounding due to led clipping
Click to expand...

Thanks! THAT'S the type of breakdown I was hoping for!!!

If I want the sound of the Vintage ones, do I have to go with the big box one way or another, or is there a small box version that sounds the same? Will any of these have an LED indicator?

-JV
 
#10
I use a Turbo one and Im very pleased. But the bass loss is huge imo. So I always have a Boss Equaliser pedal running after it, so I have a really nice fat/growly sound. Using it without any Eq or boost sounds cheap imo.

Im into Justin chancellor a lot, when it comes to effects. He was the one I saw with this TurboRat+EQ combination running into his GK 2001 and Mesa 4x12 cab :)
10000 days album is full of TurboRat(s)
 
#12
kuys said:
Been reading more about this, I think I have a rather old turbo rat. Bought it in 98 used and I'm wondering how I can find out if it has the original LM308 chip?
Click to expand...

Real simple. Just remove the four retaining screws (located inside the feet) on the bottom, and slide the bottom casing off. That will expose the circuit board. The chip is usually in the center of the board, next to the LED. You might need a flashlight and/or magnifying glass to read the chip. Sometimes they can be hard to read.
 
#15
blastjv said:
Thanks! THAT'S the type of breakdown I was hoping for!!!

If I want the sound of the Vintage ones, do I have to go with the big box one way or another, or is there a small box version that sounds the same? Will any of these have an LED indicator?

-JV
Click to expand...

Big box or find a company who makes a clone or clone with upgrades. They will have led indicators.
The vintage and reissues don't have led indicators.
 
#17

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