gear giveaway

RAT-Style Distortion

RAT Sterling Vermin Distortion

Act Entertainment is the pro audio company that owns the venerable RAT Distortion brand, and the Sterling Vermin is their new boutique distortion pedal that reimagines the classic RAT sound with modern refinement and versatility. The pedal blends vintage-inspired tone with thoughtful enhancements for today's players, designed by Shawn Wells…Click on the title for more

RAT Sterling Vermin Distortion

Jam Pedals Rattler Mk.2 Distortion

The Jam Pedals Rattler Mk.2 is an updated version of the company's highly regarded RAT-style distortion pedal. While Mk 1 featured the legendary (and now almost impossible to find) LM308 chip found in the vintage RATs, for this new version the Jam team designed their own custom op-amp that delivers…Click on the title for more

Jam Pedals Rattler Mk.2 Distortion

EarthQuaker Devices Sunn O))) Life Pedal V3

It should come as no surprise that EarthQuaker Devices’s aesthetic dabbles into the occult from time to time, and the brand’s collaboration with Sunn O))) cemented that fact. The pedal, dubbed “Life Pedal” in conjunction with the release of Sunn O)))’s Life Metal features a presentation like not much else,…Click on the title for more

EarthQuaker Devices Sunn O))) Life Pedal V3

RAT Pedals and Best RAT Clones in 2024 | A Buyer’s Guide

With its origins dating back to 1978, the RAT is one of those simple yet unique pedals that are at once legendary, widespread, and affordable. There have been many different variations of the circuit from the original builder, Pro Co, but overall, the line has remained fairly true to the…Click on the title for more

RAT Pedals and Best RAT Clones in 2024 | A Buyer’s Guide

Isolate Audio RATATATAT

Hailing from Australia, the Isolate Audio RATATATAT is a modern take on a classic distortion circuit with a similar name but fewer "A"s and "T"s, and some intriguing new features. Besides featuring a Bass and a (low-pass) Cut knob foreign to the classic Rat pedals and vaguely reminiscent of the…Click on the title for more

Isolate Audio RATATATAT

PastFX Mischief Distortion

Australian builder PastFX has gotten us used to tweakable variations of classic pedal circuits, and a RAT-style distortion couldn't be missing from its roster. The PastFX Mixchief fills in that gap through a circuit featuring the original LM308 op-amp found in the vintage RATs, with a series of useful additions.…Click on the title for more

PastFX Mischief Distortion

Airis Merciless Drive V2

The Airis Merciless Drive V2 is an updated version of the Canadian company's hybrid and metal-oriented dirt box including a clean boost, a Rat-based ultra high gain distortion, and a boosted HM-2 EQ section, which can be all combined to taste. The EQ section is particularly useful including a Low and…Click on the title for more

Airis Merciless Drive V2

Keeley Super Rodent Ovedrive/Distortion

Dropped within a release including three pedals adopting the same form factor as the Noble Screamer (a hybrid overdrive mixing the character of a TS and a Nobles ODR-1), the Keeley Super Rodent embeds in the same pedal two circuits inspired by two other classic stompboxes: the Rat and the…Click on the title for more

Keeley Super Rodent Ovedrive/Distortion

Idiotbox Redrum V2 Distortion

Born as a one-knob hybrid Rat/HM-2 circuit (with the distortion of the former running into the tone stack of the latter), the Idiotbox Redrum - with its Kubrick-inspired name and graphics - was recently updated to V2, which provides more control without losing any of the original murderous tone. The Drive…Click on the title for more

Idiotbox Redrum V2 Distortion

New Pedal: NRG Effects Gnawer Distortion

The NRG Effects Gnawer is a RAT-inspired dual-channel overdrive by a small British builder that has built a reputation for solid and tweakable pedal designs. Unlike original RATs and many of its variations, it has a very usable range of tones also at lower gain. Based on a NA5534P op-amp…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: NRG Effects Gnawer Distortion

Crazy Tube Circuits Motherload Drive

The Crazy Tube Circuits Motherload is an intriguing take on the hybrid distortion/fuzz pedal that borrows from two iconic circuits (the Muff and the Rat) to offer at once some old and new sonic flavors. This is not a dual-channel pedal, but rather a one-channel dirtbox with a range of voices.…Click on the title for more

Crazy Tube Circuits Motherload Drive

Oneder Effects Red Ryder Distortion

The Oneder Effects Red Ryder is a RAT-inspired, made-in-Michigan distortion pedal with a few tricks up its sleeve. Hosting the LM308 chip found in the vintage RAT pedals, its compact case sports a series of controls that allow expanding the venerable distortion's tone in various ways. The pedal has a…Click on the title for more

Oneder Effects Red Ryder Distortion