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As one of the hidden gems of today's market, the RAT2 distortion pedal from Pro Co will provide your guitar tone with a healthy dose of tube-like crush made for rock ‘n' roll. Available at a budget-friendly price, this stompbox utilizes basic controls only, yet still offers the player with plenty of sonic variety and more than enough room to experiment with different styles. Let's see what we have here then!
Crafted to be used a primary distortion, this pedal comes in a sturdy grey casing that's strong as a tank. There are only three control knobs, but each of them is very sensitive and responsive, allowing you to dial in anything from lighter drive to metal crunch. The zone in which the RAT2 is most comfortable in are massive rock and hard rock tones, so keep that in mind.
Apart from those knobs, we're looking at just that standard on/off foot-switch, making the pedal very clean and sleek in terms of design. As expected, it's also highly practical. The item features a total weight of one pound and dimensions of 4.8 x 4.5 x 3.3 inches. It can fit any pedal-board and is quite easy to use.
Let's dissect those three knobs we just talked about, shall we?
Distortion – This knob controls the level of gain and distortion effect. It's quite self-explanatory, and the more you increase it, the more distortion and drive you will get.
Filter – This one makes the pedal stand out a bit. While other pedals have Tone or Brightness knobs, the Filter control operates in a slightly different manner by always retaining a certain foundation of all frequencies. This means that extreme values aren't useless super-dry or super-wet sounds, but actual tones you can use.
Volume – Also known as the Level knob, this control adjusts the amount of distortion effect that gets injected into your audio output. The more you crank it up, the more distortion and less clean tone of your guitar will be included in the mix.
As far as the sound is considered, note that this is a distortion pedal after all, and a powerful one. So if you're not planning to put this one at the sonic forefront, don't bother buying it in the first place. But if the heavier crunch is what you're after, you're gonna love the tone here – it's like the manufacturer hit that sweet spot on a tube amp where it's going from sparkly clean to warm overdrive.
It works like a charm for solo boosts, as well as for rhythm chugging. The pedal is capable of covering anything from blues to metal, but it's hard rock where it's most comfortable. Additionally, the bass frequencies are never truly cut out during performance, which is a great up side for acquitting that modern sound rooted in traditional values.
When all factors are combined, this is a top-notch rock distortion pedal. It's a great product to experiment on by combining various aspects of bluesy sounds and sludge chugging, and it's pretty much indestructible. That metal casing is sturdy as it can get, and it really delivers top value for money. If the vibe we described here sounds good to you, don't hesitate to treat yourself with this bad boy as early as today!
For more info about the Pro Co RAT2, click here.
For more Distortion Pedals Currently On The Market, click here.
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