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Basicaly there are two types of feedback: Microphonic, and Harmonic.
Microphonic feedback is that annoying squeal that happens when you
stop playing for example, it has no musical value, unless you're in a
noise band. Harmonic feedback on the other hand is sweet and violin
like, very musical since it consists of harmonized notes. If you
master the ability to control it, it adds yet another ingridient to
your musical stew. As for the Rat, I think it's one of the best
fuzztones ever made and has tons of applications. Yes it compresses
the signal, but then again so does every tube amp when driven at
optimum level. The Rat isn't harsh sounding like other fuzz boxes,
yet it has a pretty wide tonal range. I've used one for about 15
years and it's not let me down yet. Of course since I play a tube
amp full up, I rarely use the Rat. I only use it on a couple of
songs where I deliberately want a fuzz sound. The best part about
the Rat is it only costs $60, not $300 like some of those boutique
pedals. Davie Allen uses one, and so does Jeff Beck, what better
endorsement than that? By the way, anyone ever hear Jeff Becks'
version of Walk Don't Run? Believe it or not, He does it pretty
respectfully and close to the original!
Well, to each his own. I personally have 2 rats now and have had 3 over the
course of my musical career (I bout them each for between 10-15 bucks and
they're worth every penny, except for the two that are paper weights now). Now
that I have 2 handmade pharaoh pedals class A boost ($69 mail order) and a
custom made "DevilSurf" pedal ($139 - custom paint and extra toggles), I never
use the rat (handmade is different than boutique - My pedals look very road
warrior - IE beat to shit, built-by-hand, customized, various sizes and shapes -
none over 150 bucks), . I have a toggle to turn on and off the gain circuit
because I hate compression, excpet for recording and extra high gain situations.
Once I got a booster and a different kind of distortion without the compression
diodes (or at least I can turn on or off the compression) I just couldn't go
back to the thin sound of the RAT. Keep in mind when I use my RAT I crank it to
about 3 max on the distortion and turn the level way up (countour kinda
depends). But overall, I'd say that the RAT is great for alot of applications
and surf isn't one of them, unless you use alot of gain or are Man or Astroman
in their early years. However, I really doubt that they still use one . . . is
StarCrunch still in that band? . . . unless they use it without switching it on
and off (when that pedals on you have limited dynamics with respect to volume)
Damon
As for the Rat, I think it's one of the best
fuzztones ever made and has tons of applications. Yes it compresses
the signal, but then again so does every tube amp when driven at
optimum level. The Rat isn't harsh sounding like other fuzz boxes,
yet it has a pretty wide tonal range. I've used one for about 15
years and it's not let me down yet. Of course since I play a tube
amp full up, I rarely use the Rat. I only use it on a couple of
songs where I deliberately want a fuzz sound. The best part about
the Rat is it only costs $60, not $300 like some of those boutique
pedals. Davie Allen uses one, and so does Jeff Beck, what better
endorsement than that? By the way, anyone ever hear Jeff Becks'
version of Walk Don't Run? Believe it or not, He does it pretty
respectfully and close to the original!
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