Review of the Sterling Vermin Rat Distortion Pedal by Act Entertainment]

Way, way back, just before the dawn of the Eighties and way before the myriad of distortion pedals we now have the luxury of choosing from, you’d find that distortion — not fuzz or overdrive — as a stompbox was rather scarce. Maybe you had an early “Made-in-Japan” Boss DS-1, or rocked the MXR Distortion+ just like Randy Rhoads and others did, or possibly channeled David Gilmour’s sustained sizzle with an EHX Big Muff Pi. But the ProCo RAT, another soon-to-be-classic, was still an unknown pedal in its nascency.

Just for context, my first distortion pedal was the Boss Heavy Metal, introduced in 1983. I bought it because, duh!, the name, and also being a die-hard Judas Priest fan, I was firmly convinced I’d get that Screaming For Vengeance tone in a stompbox (close, but no cigar). However, when I finally got around to owning an original big-box ProCo RAT shortly after (a 1981 version), I had to admit it was an eye-opening experience.

Having only used amp saturation from a Peavey Bandit 65 up until then, the RAT was different; thick and hairy. Almost fuzzy, and unlike anything else I’d ever heard, but, in fact, a raw distortion. It was kinda glorious.

Since then, the ProCo RAT’s signature molten saturation has captivated countless musicians like me, from gutter-rocking punks to doom metal players, who have incorporated its unique, sludgy distortion into their music. Because of this, its enduring appeal has also led to a few boutique brands offering modern and authentic takes on the classic RAT circuit.