In 1978, the most versatile and influential distortion pedal of all time was invented in Kalamazoo, MI: the Proco RAT from a desire to create a pedal that could go from overdrive to distortion and then all the way to fuzz. By 1979 Scott Burnham had perfected the circuit in his RAT-infested basement workshop. The PackRat is the ultimate tribute to the 40+ years of RAT pedal's evolution via nine legendary or rare modes that are all fully analog circuits perfectly replicating that mode, even down to the aging components. JHS Pedals have tracked down 45 different RAT specimens for study, and I've interviewed numerous ProCo employees about the circuit design, evolution and production of this pedal series over the decades, in order to understand the exact production differences over the years, so we disassembled and analyzed the units, measured individual components, built comparison charts, traced each circuit and closely examined the branding, logos and other identifiers of change. The PackRat modes: 1. The OG V1 (1979-83) The OG is a perfect recreation of the first production Version 1 Big Box/tone control RATs ever made. This is the model that started it all. 2. White Face V3 (1984-1986) The “White Face” is the first Small Box RAT and is recognizable for its white filled block logo across the top of the pedal. This model has the more traditional reverse Filter control instead of Tone. 3. Turbo V5 (1989) The Turbo RAT introduced the world to a different type of distortion by introducing LEDs to the RAT’s clipping section to produce a more powerful distortion sound. 4. BRAT V6 (1997) In the late nineties, Guitar Center launched an exclusive “budget RAT” with big tone and some unique modifications. The BRAT is the most unique RAT variation ever made by ProCo. 5. Dirty V7 (2004) What happens when you replace the stock silicon diodes with germanium? It gets even dirtier. 6. LA (1986) Japanese pedal companies loved the RAT circuit and used it throughout the 1980s disguised as their latest and greatest “original” circuit. The LA Metal is one of the most interesting takes on the circuit from this era. 7. Landgraff MO’D (1999) Swirl paint jobs and point-to-point wiring made Landgraff a father of the nineties boutique era. The MO’D distortion is one of the greatest RAT-style distortions ever made. 8. Caroline Wave Cannon When I started the PackRat, I knew immediately what friend I was going to invite to the party. The Wave Canon is Caroline Guitar Company’s stab at making this classic circuit even better. I bought the version 1 back in 2012 and immediately fell in love. 9. JHS Mode The JHS Mode is the discontinued “PackRAT” modification that I did to RATs for over ten years. It takes everything I love about this circuit and elevates it!
Brand reference number:
JHSPRAT
