Lower-gain Rat alternative?

[Maggieo]

Try a TurboRAT!

[MrShake]

Try a TurboRAT!

Wholeheartedly agree. Maybe not THE answer, but lower clipping and fuller EQ gets rid of the low-gain "thinness" some people don't like about Rat Classic. Yes, the Si and LED diodes differ a bit, but it's the same family, just a slightly different flavor that fills out better at lower settings.

As I always suggest, try a Donner/Sonicake/et al for a cheap trial of the Turbo setting and upgrade IF necessary.

[panoramic]

I use my rat on a lower gain setting all the time, I am not sure this is totally needed per se. I have 4 of them and they are all set differently but i use my main one almost like a lower level klon type of gain and YUP it can actually do that and you can mimic other sounds with them too.

My favorite NON rat pedal that totally does the lower gain thing superb is the EQD Dunes, also the Lovepedal jmp 11 is killer though not a rat sound.

I had a clone that was made by a guy on here years ago that had a midgain switch on it, basically halved the dirt of the pedal and that was cool. Pretty sure it was a common mod though.

ALSO yes to the turbo rat, i have a lovely 91 version that is PERFECTO

[distressed]

TC Electronic Dark Matter. Cheap as chips and will not chug

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usX6GKvYkAI

[guitarsammy]

So I think I’ve found the answer.

I bought a Klone (Nux Horseman) and have been using that as my main drive for the past few days (volume set to unity, gain and treble/tone each around 12 o’clock). That seems to get me where I want to be - a much fatter, rounder clean-ish tone. And then I kick in the Rat (stacked with the Klon, with Rat first in the chain) when I want to get more raucous.

So far, seems to be what I was looking for….

[Johno]

I lalso ike to run a Rat as a low gain drive, I find I also have to turn the vol down on my guitar to about7 or 8 to get the sweet spot , digging in/ dynamics.

[Soniqfreq]

EAE Longsword would be worth looking at. Dialed in, it can definitely pull a Rat-like core tone at lower or higher gain settings while keeping the low end. I use a Longsword for a lower gain push and hit the boost switch for heavier rhythm, while I use a Rat set up like a mid-gain fuzz to cut through on leads.

The longsword is really versatile and covers a wide range. I’ve been using it on my board in place of my Rat.

[hulakatt]

It's not fancy or expensive but the humble DS-1 happily covers a wide range of gain, keeps the bass and has similar character to a Rat. Similar circuits IIRC. If you want a fancier one, get a pre-2016 and send it to AnalogMan for tweaks or get a really old one. The nice thing, the more beat they are, the better they look!

[sal paradise]

It's not fancy or expensive but the humble DS-1 happily covers a wide range of gain, keeps the bass and has similar character to a Rat. Similar circuits IIRC. If you want a fancier one, get a pre-2016 and send it to AnalogMan for tweaks or get a really old one. The nice thing, the more beat they are, the better they look!

The DS-1W sounds really cool in the custom mode. A bit easier to source, although not sure if it works well at low gain.

[hulakatt]

It's not fancy or expensive but the humble DS-1 happily covers a wide range of gain, keeps the bass and has similar character to a Rat. Similar circuits IIRC. If you want a fancier one, get a pre-2016 and send it to AnalogMan for tweaks or get a really old one. The nice thing, the more beat they are, the better they look!

The DS-1W sounds really cool in the custom mode. A bit easier to source, although not sure if it works well at low gain.

Oh yeah, forgot about the Waza one, I've heard that was pretty good. Doesn't it have the Keeley mods? I really like my AM modded one, it's clearer than it was and sounds just lovely as a low gainer. I have a couple of 80's ones too that just sound wonderful! I think '92 or '93 is around when they revised the circuit and anything before that just sounds more natural and just right. I haven't played a long dash model though and I think I'm ok with that, I like the ones I have well enough.

Edit: Boss moved production from Japan to Taiwan in 1990 and a circuit redesign known as DS-1a in 1994. The 90-94 MIT models are the same circuit as the earlier and more sought after MIJ versions. I have an '92 MIT and an earlier MIJ and you would be very hard pressed to tell the difference.

[JSett]

I haven't played a long dash model though and I think I'm ok with that, I like the ones I have well enough.

I'm not normally much of one to subscribe to the 'this era is unbeatable' stuff that comes with pedals but the long-dash DS-1 I owned was definitely deserving of it. Massively different in response and natural sound on low gain settings, very very amp like. I'd have kept if had it not been for some lunatic offering me wild money for it during the Pandemic used-gear frenzy.

[hulakatt]

I'd have kept if had it not been for some lunatic offering me wild money for it during the Pandemic used-gear frenzy.

I sold my Fulltone TTE for kinda stupid money when Fulltone shut down on top of that gear feeding frenzy. The TTE was amazing but if I'm really being honest, just a Boss delay gets me 90% of the way there and actually setting it up and using it was such a hassle that it was a wash.