Pro Co RAT

The ProCo RAT is a distortion pedal produced by ProCo Sound for use with electric guitar. The RAT has become one of the industry's most popular effects pedals due to its tone and versatility, producing an aggressive style of distortion that can cross over into overdrive or fuzz depending on the pedal's settings. Prototypes were designed by ProCo engineer Scott Burnham in the company's rat-infested basement in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with early units made to order for customers and full production starting in 1979. The current production model, the RAT2, was released in 1988 and multiple variations of the circuit have since been released by ProCo, such as the TurboRAT and You Dirty RAT. Many other pedal companies produce clones of or homages to the RAT circuit. Guitar World credited the RAT with creating "the template for what distortion sounds like to this day."