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When it comes to distortion pedals, it’s hard to beat the ProCo RAT.
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Originally released in the late 1970s, the RAT has been a widely popular distortion pedal for decades – spanning genres from rock and roll to doom metal and more.
Over the past forty years, the RAT pedal has undergone multiple design iterations, with some versions changing the entire look of the pedal and others changing critical components within the pedal (the most notable change was when ProCo stopped using the coveted LM301 chip op-amp) – sparking much debate in the pedal community.
But the RAT is still widely popular today, in fact, it’s one of the most popular distortion pedals we see on pedalboards. And with that popularity comes a whole world of RAT pedal clones. Different pedal companies have created clones of the RAT distortion; Some create exact, part-for-part replicas of the RAT distortion, and others put their own creative spin on the circuit.
So what are some RAT clones that you should check out? Here’s our list of some of my favorite RAT clones.
The Best RAT Pedal Clones
| Pedal | Where to Buy | |
|---|---|---|
| Black Mass Electronics - 1312 |  | blackmasselectronics.com |
| 1981 Inventions - DRV |  | 1981inventions.com |
| Walrus Audio - Iron Horse |  | Amazon |
| Lake Effects - FVD |  | LakeEffects.bigcartel.com |
| Wampler Pedals - Ratsbane |  | Amazon |
| JHS Pedals - Packrat |  | Amazon |
| Fuzzlord - Drone Master |  | FuzzLordEffects.com |
| JAM Pedals - Rattler |  | Jampedals.com |
| Donner - Dark Mouse (Budget Option) |  | Amazon |
Black Mass Electronics – 1312
The 1312 is a pissed-off RAT clone. I purchased this pedal a while back and it quickly became my go-to pick for distortion – it is almost always on my pedalboard. The 1312 is a RAT at its core, but Black Mass Electronics has put its own spin on the circuit and it sounds great. Most notably, the 1312 features 8 different clipping modes, ranging from silicon and germanium diodes to LED clipping and more. Not only do these different clipping modes sound amazing, but they can really help you dial in your sound depending on the guitar or amplifier you are using.
The 1312 definitely sits more on the heavy distortion side of the RAT clone spectrum, but it works well as a light-to-medium overdrive too if you dial back the gain a bit. Overall, it’s an incredibly versatile distortion pedal and a personal favorite of mine.
Black Mass Electronics also donates 50% of the profits from the 1312 to various organizations working to dismantle oppression in all its forms – you can learn more about that here.
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View on BlackMassElectronics.com
Here is a demo I made for the 1312:
1981 Inventions – DRV
The DRV from 1981 Inventions has taken the guitar pedal world by storm. What was meant to be “nothing more than a re-creation of the 1985 whiteface Rat” became a massively versatile preamp/distortion pedal which can be used as a boost, a light-to-medium overdrive, or a full-on raunchy fuzz-like distortion. Its simple three-knob design makes it easy to dial in whatever tones your heart desires.
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Walrus Audio – Iron Horse
View on AmazonThe Iron Horse from Walrus Audio was one of the first RAT clones that I played, and their latest version, the Iron Horse V3, is a fantastic update to the earlier versions.
The Iron Horse features three knobs that we are all familiar with (Level, Tone, and Distortion) but they’ve introduced an interesting “Si > LED” knob which allows you to blend between silicon and LED clipping to create different distortion textures.
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Lake Effects – FVD
Another favorite of mine is the FVD from Lake Effects. Another RAT-inspired pedal that sits more within the low-to-medium gain distortion world. That said, the FVD is more than capable of getting heavily distorted if you crank the Drive knob up.
The FVD also offers two different clipping modes, Silicon diode clipping or Germanium diode clipping, which can be switched using the small toggle switch on the front of the pedal.
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Lake Effects FVD Demo
Wampler Pedals – Ratsbane
Wampler Pedals have created an entire arsenal of amazing pedals, and the Ratsbane is truly a unique take on the RAT distortion.
Aside from the standard Volume, Filter, and Distortion knobs we are all familiar with from the RAT, the Ratsbane has two unique toggle switches named “Gain” and “Voice”.
The “Gain” toggle changes between three different gain modes – the middle position is the “stock” gain sound. The left position offers a boost in gain, and the right position offers an “insane” level of distortion.
The “Voice” toggle switch changes the compression and clipping of the distortion, allowing you to tame the distortion in higher gain settings for a more modern distortion sound.
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JHS Pedals – Packrat
View on AmazonThe JHS Pedals team has managed to pack 40 years of RAT history into the Packrat pedal.
This multi-mode RAT-inspired distortion pedal features 9 different RAT circuits ranging from the original version 1 RAT from 1979 and the White Face RAT to their own PackRAT circuit. The Packrat even features the circuit of the iconic Wave Cannon pedal from Caroline Guitar Company.
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Fuzzlord Effects – Drone Master
The Drone Master is a RAT clone for all of you doom metal lovers.
This high-gain RAT clone features two toggle switches that really help dial in your tone. The left toggle switch works as a mid-range cut or mid-range boost to help shape your sound, while the right toggle switch changes between silicon or LED clipping.
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JAM Pedals – Rattler
The Rattler from JAM Pedals is an updated take on the LM308 op-amp-equipped RAT pedals of the 80s.
The JAM Pedals team has taken the time to make the distortion circuit more responsive and dynamic while still retaining that creamy distortion that we all know and love from the original RAT pedal.
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Donner – Dark Mouse
View on AmazonThe Dark Mouse is the cheapest RAT clone on the list. But don’t let its price fool you, because it is still a solid distortion pedal for its price.
The Dark Mouse features two different modes accessible via a toggle switch. The Classic mode is more akin to the original RAT pedals of the early 1980s, whereas the Hyper mode offers a more powerful distortion sound.
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Looking for more pedal shopping guides? Check out the rest of our guides here!