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THIS is why every bass player needs a RAT

#121
I would never call either the Iron Pig or the Rat Tail a cheap imitation. They both are trying to get the sound of a rat and add in quite a few useful features without having to buy a separate blend pedal or eq. I'll take an improved circuit designed to work better with bass over an old circuit designed mainly for guitar that could, through a bit of work, be made to work with bass.
 
#122
sbpark said:
So if I were to pick up a Boss LS-2 should I also pick up an EQ pedal dedicated for the RAT to dial it in better? Would be cool to be able to get those same sounds that Melvin Gibbs used to get with Rollins Band, or tones like Unsane and Quicksand.
Click to expand...

if you get the Boss GEB7 Bass eq, you wouldn't really need the LS-2, it would be nice to have though so that you could turn the RAT and EQ on and off with one switch (the LS-2).

you could also just get a simple true bypass loop pedal to do the same thing because you wouldn't really need the bells and whistles of the LS-2.
if you get just an LS-2 and no eq, you caould use the second channel of the LS-2 to clean blend.
I'd suggest getting both an eq and the LS-2 because then you'd have the option of eq, blend, or both.

I think I prefer eqing the RAT to clean blending, just gives you more tonal options.
 
#123
taurus1 said:
if you get the Boss GEB7 Bass eq, you wouldn't really need the LS-2, it would be nice to have though so that you could turn the RAT and EQ on and off with one switch (the LS-2).

you could also just get a simple true bypass loop pedal to do the same thing because you wouldn't really need the bells and whistles of the LS-2.
if you get just an LS-2 and no eq, you caould use the second channel of the LS-2 to clean blend.
I'd suggest getting both an eq and the LS-2 because then you'd have the option of eq, blend, or both.

I think I prefer eqing the RAT to clean blending, just gives you more tonal options.
Click to expand...

How would using the RAT and an EQ pedal eliminate the need for the LS-2? I thought the whole point of the LS-2 was to be able to blend the two different signals of the RAT and the clean sound since the RAT totally kills the bottom end? I think the LS-2 is most likely the way to go for me. I've recently picked up bass after playing guitar for a while and have been trying to use some of my guitar pedals with bass, like the RAT and also have an original SMall Stone phaser that would probably benefit from this type of blended set up as well. I could run the RAT through A and run the Small Stone through B. This would allow me to retain the bottom end of the dry signal and still blend in the pedal.
 
#124
I use a 82" big box rat and have both the boss eq and the line selector and the ls-2 works better for me only because my eq distorts my clean sound when i boost the low mids no matter if the eq volume is all the way up or halfway. Not sure if its how i place it in the loop or what but yeah ls-2 all the way :)
 
#125
sbpark said:
How would using the RAT and an EQ pedal eliminate the need for the LS-2? I thought the whole point of the LS-2 was to be able to blend the two different signals of the RAT and the clean sound since the RAT totally kills the bottom end? I think the LS-2 is most likely the way to go for me. I've recently picked up bass after playing guitar for a while and have been trying to use some of my guitar pedals with bass, like the RAT and also have an original SMall Stone phaser that would probably benefit from this type of blended set up as well. I could run the RAT through A and run the Small Stone through B. This would allow me to retain the bottom end of the dry signal and still blend in the pedal.
Click to expand...

the point of using an eq with the RAT, is to put some bottom end back into the signal, therefore you wouldn't need the LS-2 because there'd be no need to clean blend.
if you take the LS-2 route, you have to choose preset A+B, and stick the RAT in A or B and leave the other channel clean, then blend to taste.
the Radial Big Shot Mix pedal (similar to an LS-2) has a phase switch on it, it's amazing how much fatter the tone is when in proper phase (of course), I prefer it if I do clean blend, the LS-2 works great as well though.
 
#126
Jawbone said:
Doesn't say so in this 2011 interview: Classic Rat and Bluebeard. I doubt, but could be wrong, that he'd replace the classic rat with a rat clone. Those things are like gold.

And have you ever noticed: no matter how hard these clone builders try to duplicate the electronics and tone of the ORIGINALS they're always off. Why can't they be original like the first wave. We don't need cheap imitations.

http://gearnerd.info/post/3367928862/six-questions-with-nick-thieneman-young-widows-black
Click to expand...

For a small company, a couple hundred RT/RK owners must mean we've done something right...we actually tried to keep it as close to V1 as we could, paying attention to what mods/upgrades would make it more useful, not detract from what made vintage RATs great.
Nick's interview with Josh Newton was right before we hooked up. Nick has had a RT on his board pretty much since that interview and he now owns a RK as well (pictured in the attachment).
 

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#127
I will attest that the Rat Tail is capable of replacing a classic Rat. Better low end retention, more clipping options, sturdier build, better bypass and more readily available than the old Pro Co.

The Rat Tail can cop any tone the original one can and then some.

When my band opened for Young Widows, I talked to Nick and he loves the Rat Tail. The last 4 times I saw them, Nick was using the RT and sounded like Nick.
 
#132
BullHorn said:
I don't even know if I like the sound and you're already making me GAS... What does the 'Feedback loop' do? And '2nd distortion' allows you to have two sounds available instantly?
Click to expand...

Feedback loops feed the signal through the circuit creating glitches and noise.
2nd distortion bounces b/w two separate distortion settings.
 
#133
Back in the Rollins Band days in was using the "green" Big Muff pedal for my full "thick" distortion and was using the Mesa Boogie V Twin for my "blues" half distortion. At times I used the built-in distortion on the Ibenez WH 10 wah-wah pedal.

I personally have never found the Rat useful for bass because of its extreme low-end roll-off. Big Muff-style pedals, and the boutique "grunge" style distortion pedals tend to work best for bass imo.
In this vid I'm using a Metal Muff through the Moogerfooer MF 1 low pass filter.

[youtube]PDHKFDGdj7E[/youtube]
 
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#134
Melvin Gibbs said:
Back in the Rollins Band days in was using the "green" Big Muff pedal for my full "thick" distortion and was using the Mesa Boogie V Twin for my "blues" half distortion. At times I used the built-in distortion on the Ibenez WH 10 wah-wah pedal.

I personally have never found the Rat useful for bass because of its extreme low-end roll-off. Big Muff-style pedals, and the boutique "grunge" style distortion pedals tend to work best for bass imo.
In this vid I'm using a Metal Muff through the Moogerfooer MF 1 low pass filter.

[youtube]PDHKFDGdj7E[/youtube]
Click to expand...


I love your playing on the old Rollins Band stuff.

Funky, bluesy, metal, etc.

It's just fantastic.
 
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#135
Melvin Gibbs said:
Back in the Rollins Band days in was using the "green" Big Muff pedal for my full "thick" distortion and was using the Mesa Boogie V Twin for my "blues" half distortion. At times I used the built-in distortion on the Ibenez WH 10 wah-wah pedal.

I personally have never found the Rat useful for bass because of its extreme low-end roll-off. Big Muff-style pedals, and the boutique "grunge" style distortion pedals tend to work best for bass imo.
In this vid I'm using a Metal Muff through the Moogerfooer MF 1 low pass filter.

[youtube]PDHKFDGdj7E[/youtube]
Click to expand...


Wow!! Great to see you on here Melvin! I'm a huge fan of yours, and must have listened to Come In and Burn about a million times.

You've probably got this question about a million times, but what distortion is On My Way to The Cage? Did you blend your distortion with clean at all?

Thanks!!
 
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#136
"On The Way To The Cage" by Rollins Band
bass signal path:

Black Tobias (made by Tobias, not Gibson) Bass
into Ibanez LS 2 line selector

Channel A:
Big Muff
into
Mesa Boogie 400+ w 1x 18" and 4x10" cab

Channel B:
Ibanez WH 10 wah 1/2 open w/ built -in distortion on low setting
into
Mesa Boogie 400+ w 1x 15" and 4x 10" cab

wah off on B sections
 
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#138
Melvin Gibbs said:
"On The Way To The Cage" by Rollins Band
bass signal path:

Black Tobias (made by Tobias, not Gibson) Bass
into Ibanez LS 2 line selector

Channel A:
Big Muff
into
Mesa Boogie 400+ w 1x 18" and 4x10" cab

Channel B:
Ibanez WH 10 wah 1/2 open w/ built -in distortion on low setting
into
Mesa Boogie 400+ w 1x 15" and 4x 10" cab

wah off on B sections
Click to expand...

Thanks you very much! That's awesome getting that info from the source.

Sorry for the thread derail myself, but did you use blended signals for the bulk of your tone?
 
#140
Melvin Gibbs said:
Back in the Rollins Band days in was using the "green" Big Muff pedal for my full "thick" distortion and was using the Mesa Boogie V Twin for my "blues" half distortion. At times I used the built-in distortion on the Ibenez WH 10 wah-wah pedal.

I personally have never found the Rat useful for bass because of its extreme low-end roll-off. Big Muff-style pedals, and the boutique "grunge" style distortion pedals tend to work best for bass imo.
In this vid I'm using a Metal Muff through the Moogerfooer MF 1 low pass filter.

[youtube]PDHKFDGdj7E[/youtube]
Click to expand...


Whoa! I still remember seeing you guys at the Trocadero many times back in the day and also at the Tower Theater in Philly. Amazing shows and I almost swear I remember seeing you with a 6-string once with the Rollins Band, but I was a guitar player back then and in high school, so I could be mistaken!

I have a Mogoerfooger LPF sitting next to my board at home...now I need to try that out with my bass.
 

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