My RAT Died

AudioAUnderdog · 05-03-2009, 11:19 PM

No this isn't spam, and it's not a lament over a dead animal.

Actually, I have some pedal related questions.

1 - I have a ProCo Vintage RAT pedal that I use at least twice a week with my band. It's been iffy lately, and today it finally kicked the bucket. What happened is that it keeps fading in and out irregularly. Sometimes it's the volume that fades in and out, and sometimes it's just the distortion that fades in and out. It's not the cables and it's not the battery, I checked both. Any ideas on what's going on and whether or not it worth trying to fix?

2 - If it can't be fixed, I need some distortion pedal suggestions. There's so many out there, I could use some suggestions. I'd like one that sounds like a RAT, fuzzy with a sort of vintage quality that still has what it takes to be used for higher gain modern rock. I'm already having trouble justifying the money to fix my RAT with my parents, so if I do need a new pedal it needs to be in the $100 or less range. If it were a really, really nice pedals with great reliability and quality that sounded perfect and that I'd use all the time, I might be able to up it to about $150. But I really don't want to have to go that high.

S.B.Nichols · 05-04-2009, 12:05 AM

There's no reason why it wouldn't be fixable. From what you describe, I'm imagining either a cold joint near the opamp, or a bad opamp. Looking at the schematic, I can't imagine what else would cause what you're describing.

metropolis4 · 05-04-2009, 08:38 AM

If you can't fix it you can buy a kit from BYOC that will be about the best option out there for reliability and tone in a new rat for under $100.

It's unfortunate, it seems like there are a lot of people making good overdrive pedals, but not a lot of great distortion pedals. I've heard the new rats are having reliability and build quality issues.

**Rainer.** · 05-04-2009, 09:52 AM

Contact ProCo about it?

**thesteve** · 05-04-2009, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rainer.

Contact ProCo about it?

Agreed. I had a RAT2 that was completely useless. I contacted ProCo about it and got excellent customer service from them. It took them about a month to fix the pedal and they apologized for the delay, realizing that if I was a professional the wait would've been completely unacceptable.

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 05-04-2009, 10:29 AM

If you were to replace it... My suggestion would be a ds-1 and do a keeley mod to it, and have switchable Ultra and SEM. All said and done, that would not cost more than $50 if you picked up a ds-1 and bought a kit on ebay.

Heck, if anybody wants to do that, I can roust up a few used ds-1s and make a few for cheap... By cheap, I am meaning around the $50 mark, for a pedal that will go head to head with pretty much anything out there in the marshallesque camp.

LesPaulPlayer · 05-04-2009, 02:50 PM

It may be a bad pot, also check the connections to the pots and footswitch

also I build pedals, and if you would like to buy one here is my website
http://oldskoolguitar.com/

the "landslide has a DOD250s circuitry with the LM308N IC chip used in the RAT

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 05-04-2009, 04:24 PM

another marshallesque suggestion is the BSIAB2 from General guitar gadgets. Its around $60.

LesPaulPlayer · 05-04-2009, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billgamesh

another marshallesque suggestion is the BSIAB2 from General guitar gadgets. Its around $60.

Great pedal.

But if you really want a MARSHALL sound go to indy guitarist. com and find the super plextortion. shell out the 12 and you won't be dissapointed

AudioAUnderdog · 05-04-2009, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rainer.

Contact ProCo about it?

I don't think that would work, since I'm not the original owner. My Dad got it used (and probably abused) off of a bass forum for around $25 about 5 years ago, before I even played guitar. He let me try it and I liked it, so it's been used quite a bit since then for the last six months or so. Whatever warranty there was on it is more than likely expired or perhaps voided, if the previous owner(s) did any tweaking.

LesPaulPlayer · 05-04-2009, 05:09 PM

http://www.wamplerpedals.com/plextortion

here is that link

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 05-04-2009, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LesPaulPlayer

Great pedal.

But if you really want a MARSHALL sound go to indy guitarist. com and find the super plextortion. shell out the 12 and you won't be dissapointed

Actually, I preferred the BSIAB2. IMO, the best marshallesque pedal is the crunchbox v4 that me and El Cabong have traded off a few times. That pedal slays. But for under a hundred, the BSIAB2 is a solid pedal.

Personally, while indyguitarist has some nice pedals, I preferred the sound of the pinnacle 2 to the plextortion, though I am on the list for the DIY kits of both when they become available. I think I have played most of his pedals, and for my own case, my soldano has cured me of wanting marshall style pedals. I keep a keeley modded ds-1 around for use with ye old princeton for when I need a marshall sound on the go. Mostly because if anything happens to it, I will ask for another free ds-1 at the shop and mod another one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AudioAUnderdog

I don't think that would work, since I'm not the original owner. My Dad got it used (and probably abused) off of a bass forum for around $25 about 5 years ago, before I even played guitar. He let me try it and I liked it, so it's been used quite a bit since then for the last six months or so. Whatever warranty there was on it is more than likely expired or perhaps voided, if the previous owner(s) did any tweaking.

Thesteve was not either IIRC. Proco was under no obligation to fix it. http://www.christianguitar.org/forum...d.php?t=171141

LesPaulPlayer · 05-04-2009, 05:15 PM

The crunch box was good, also I personally really like the plextortion, just an opinion though

lol at the soldano curing your marshall wants. I'm hoping to grab a splawn Quickrod or competition later this june or july, Scott Splawn was really a nice guy. off topic though sorry.

yes the BSIAB is good solid pedal for a marshall sound. but I thought he wanted a RAT sound not a marshal sound

EDIT: also listen to the guy with 30k posts and a Soldano not me first.

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 05-04-2009, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LesPaulPlayer

The crunch box was good, also I personally really like the plextortion, just an opinion though

Thats why they make both.

The crunch box is the one marshall pedal I miss.

Quote:

lol at the soldano curing your marshall wants. I'm hoping to grab a splawn Quickrod or competition later this june or july, Scott Splawn was really a nice guy. off topic though sorry.

Right now I am trying to go from Hot Rod 50 to SLO 100. Dream amp right there, in reach, if anybody would actually sell their slo. People have this nasty habit of giving it one last play and refunding my money lately...

One is on Soldano's bench that hopefully I will have by next week though. But never judge a player by their gear. I am decent, but a hack.

Quote:

yes the BSIAB is good solid pedal for a marshall sound. but I thought he wanted a RAT sound not a marshal sound

I have always considered the RAT a marshally sound, others may disagree. But it's more in the marshall camp than any other from my time on a rat... But then again, which RAT? If you know what I mean.

I still think for cost to quality level its hard to beet keeley modding a ds-1. You can have one for about 20 bucks if you source your own parts...

Quote:

EDIT: also listen to the guy with 30k posts and a Soldano not me first.

Nah, its all good. I agree, there are some mighty fine pedals out there, but I am trying to stick under budget... ...and I really don't think this is going to be necessary.

**thesteve** · 05-04-2009, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AudioAUnderdog

I don't think that would work, since I'm not the original owner. My Dad got it used (and probably abused) off of a bass forum for around $25 about 5 years ago, before I even played guitar. He let me try it and I liked it, so it's been used quite a bit since then for the last six months or so. Whatever warranty there was on it is more than likely expired or perhaps voided, if the previous owner(s) did any tweaking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billgamesh

Thesteve was not either IIRC. Proco was under no obligation to fix it. http://www.christianguitar.org/forum...d.php?t=171141

Yep. That's exactly my story Bill. I didn't even buy the RAT2, I found it at church. It had been abandoned there by a kid because it didn't work right. At least three people (including myself) tried to fix it with no luck whatsoever.

So I contacted ProCo with my problem and was told that even though it was more than likely no longer under warranty they would fix it. Now, almost a year passed between the time they told me they would fix it and when I finally sent it in. I sent in a copy of the email exchanges between Bill Eaton (ProCo's "Resident RAT Answer Man") and myself and everything was taken care of, no questions asked.

I would definitely try sending an email to ProCo before giving up. The worst they can tell you is no, and if the same thing happens to you that happened to me, you'll get your pedal fixed for the cost of shipping it to Kalamazoo, MI.