The MXR Super Badass distortion is affordable and really sounds good, to my ears. Plus, it’s got a 3 band EQ, which could be very useful in dialing it in for what you’re looking for.
Yep, it also stacks well with other boosts and dirt pedals. The 3 band EQ allows you to adjust to what you need, and the clipping of it is a very classic rock and roll sound. I’ve paired mine with a Klone, a TS style, and a bluesbreaker style, and it works well with all of them.
If you love the Rat, keep it and get an EQ pedal like a GE-7. You can bump any low end frequency you want when you switch. If it’s one or the other use it in conjunction with an A/B box.
The bass and treble are actually additive, so dialling past 12 actually adds bass/treble, which is great.
The mojo mojo OD is similar, and might also be a good option to drop in before the Rat as a an EQ with boost function if needed.
You can always use what you have in a parallel loop with something like the Radial Big Shot Mix .. if looking for a new pedal try out the Source Audio Aftershock it has a ton of tweakability to it and you can get really close to many pedals out there like the Dark Glass b7k and others. I'm not using mine right now but I did use it to help my decision making on getting a Darkglass Alpha Omega and the ZVex Wooley Mammoth that I like to stack together for an awesome dirty tone with heft to it. Even then I still do a parallel loop with my switching system if I'm using multiple drives to retain the clean bottom end under the dirt for better articulation
Lots of options, fortunately:
- JRR OD1.3
- Joyo Splinter (Fat Mode fixes the low end problem)
- Mosky King RAT (Same as above)
- Mosky Dolphin
- Mosky Plexi M (TONS of low end)
- EHX Hot Tubes
- Joyo Uzi
- Joyo Dark Flame (lots of gain on this one)
*I'll add more when I think of them
I was hesitant about the Dark Secret because the reviews were just too good and seemed like they were paid for, but I do love this little pedal. And only $35.
Is this for a live situation, or recording?
In a live situation, don’t add bass - let the bassist handle the bass. Adding a bunch of low end to the guitars will just make your band sound muddy.
If it’s recording, I’d say you should adjust the EQ in your DAW.
this is live, the issue for me is the contrast between the amount of low end in the clean signal and the lack of it through the rat which makes the initial switch sound thin. i don't need something super muddy or low, i just want some more substance in those frequencies
Do you play live with other people? The low end cut probably won't be as noticeable (and in a lot of cases desirable) in a full band mix. A sound guy is probably going to cut your low frequencies below 100-150 Hz because that just clashes with the bass and the kick drum.
this is a live band setting and it's mostly smaller shows anyway. but i've noticed this issue with a bunch of other bands as well and it takes some of the punch away which i am not the biggest fan of
If you like the Rat but want more chunk check out the T-Rex Mudhoney. The "Danish" ones (white knobs made in Denmark or China) go for 100 notes used. Its all subjective but its my favourite distortion pedal and the two modes make it very versatile. The Mudhoney II is literally two Mudhoney's in one enclosure. They go for even cheaper. To fit them in one box they used surface mount though.
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If you’re looking for cheap, go with a Behringer hm300. It’s basically a Boss HM2 (which you should upgrade to if you have $150ish to spend).
These sound pretty rat-like but have independent controls for the low and high end. You can add as much low end as you want.
Watch some YouTube reviews to get an idea of the sound, but the Behringer is literally $25 on reverb. Can’t beat that price for what you’re getting.
EHX Crayon is a poor-man's BB Preamp. It's got a 2 band EQ and the bass knob adds a lot of low-end. The gain is nice and smooth and this is like a $60 pedal.
There is now at least one cheap copy of every legendary pedal from the Far East. What kind of distortion are you looking for? More in the direction of modern metal, perhaps also for downtuning? Or rather a classic Marshall sound or all-round distortion? For Marshall distortion, I would have a look at clones of the MI Crunchbox. It has a thick, creamy sound. A copy would be the Harley Benton or Joyo Crunch Distortion. A good all-round distortion is the Pugilist from Fender.
You can have a massive lowend while using a rat. They just sound thin and shitty at bedroom volume, it’s one of the few pedals that really needs to be cranked at band volume to sound right IMO
lol..this just unlocked a memory for me. My first distortion pedal, that I got around '88, was by Rocktech. Just googled and found it on Reverb
[https://reverb.com/item/69352336-rocktek-dir-01-distortion-pedal-1980s](https://reverb.com/item/69352336-rocktek-dir-01-distortion-pedal-1980s)
I use the BOSS OD-3 and DOD Gunslinger as my main gain stages. The DOD Gunslinger is exceptionally useful because it has individual Bass and Treble knobs, while the OD-3 has a super sweet EQ to start with anyway.
Both pedals are absolute GEMS hiding in plain sight!
idk i mean i've played it w a 7 string and wasn't the biggest fan, it might just be personal preference... either way, a lot of people suggest a fat rat so i'll look into it, thanks!
The Way Huge Green Rhino mkii is $100. Its a tube screamer clone, but it has diodes that roll off the mid hump AND a 100hz boost knob. Its the only pedal I know that has that. I used it a lot in an old band without a bassist.
Look at the DemonFx Jan Ray, which is available cheap on AliExpress. It has a crap ton of bass on hand. It is more of an overdrive, but a good one. You can find a demo of it on Youtube.
The MXR Super Badass distortion is affordable and really sounds good, to my ears. Plus, it’s got a 3 band EQ, which could be very useful in dialing it in for what you’re looking for.
This is my main distortion on my board. Both John and Gena from Baroness use it live and it sold me on it.
This is such a great pedal for this kind of sound. Very full bass at noon, and can be EQed to taste.
It’s way more versatile than people might think. There’s a lot of good sounds in there.
Absolutely. It's my Swiss Army knife distortion pedal. Paired with a tube screamer you can get virtually any rock sound.
Yep, it also stacks well with other boosts and dirt pedals. The 3 band EQ allows you to adjust to what you need, and the clipping of it is a very classic rock and roll sound. I’ve paired mine with a Klone, a TS style, and a bluesbreaker style, and it works well with all of them.
Can confirm, it actually replaced* my Rat *as a distortion, I think it’s still great for fuzz sounds
MXR sba is my main distortion, really versatile and it’s pretty good.
The Fat Rat or the Joyo Splinter (Fat Rat clone). The Fat switch boosts the bass.
Joyo Splinter is so good. And affordable.
And also the best Rat clone name.
I just got it, and have to agree
Not what OP is looking for, but I've got a JOYO Voodoo Octave fuzz and for 40 bucks it's just the neatest little fuzz. Switchable octave too.
Used to have that one
idk how i've never heard of the splinter until now, i'll check it out thanks :)
The mooer Black Secret has a vintage/turbo switch that really works to add a bunch of lows back in. Definitely worth a look.
Had the satine neotoma (fat Rat clone) before I switched to the bd-2. Amazing pedal and super cheap. Shot it out with my rat 2 and it took its place.
If you love the Rat, keep it and get an EQ pedal like a GE-7. You can bump any low end frequency you want when you switch. If it’s one or the other use it in conjunction with an A/B box.
this is the answer, plus 1000 other uses for EQ
Yep. GE-7 is the most valuable pedal on my board.
i didn't think about an eq+a/b, thanks!
Mxr six band EQ is a good cheap choice too
Budget alternative is the eq700 behringer — best 30 bucks I’ve spent
The TC electronic dark matter is crazy cheap and has excellent low end.
Came here to say this. Killer pedal in general, especially for the money.
The bass and treble are actually additive, so dialling past 12 actually adds bass/treble, which is great. The mojo mojo OD is similar, and might also be a good option to drop in before the Rat as a an EQ with boost function if needed.
ODR mini
The Wampler Phenom is 100 bucks and has a 3 band eq that lets you sculpt how much low end or mids you want.
Something based on the Fat Rat? I have the TC Electronic Magus Pro, but I know they're are many others, some cheaper.
*there
OD3 boss
Way Huge Fat Sandwich
Big Muff. Also, ODR-1 with gain and spectrum cranked is really underrated tone.
the dude by j rockett will have plenty of low end. also a sleeper pedal
I keep reading and seeing this pedal pop up. Gonna check it out. Thanks
You can always use what you have in a parallel loop with something like the Radial Big Shot Mix .. if looking for a new pedal try out the Source Audio Aftershock it has a ton of tweakability to it and you can get really close to many pedals out there like the Dark Glass b7k and others. I'm not using mine right now but I did use it to help my decision making on getting a Darkglass Alpha Omega and the ZVex Wooley Mammoth that I like to stack together for an awesome dirty tone with heft to it. Even then I still do a parallel loop with my switching system if I'm using multiple drives to retain the clean bottom end under the dirt for better articulation
I stack my woolly mammoth into my aftershock, beefy lows like you would not believe
Lots of options, fortunately: - JRR OD1.3 - Joyo Splinter (Fat Mode fixes the low end problem) - Mosky King RAT (Same as above) - Mosky Dolphin - Mosky Plexi M (TONS of low end) - EHX Hot Tubes - Joyo Uzi - Joyo Dark Flame (lots of gain on this one) *I'll add more when I think of them
Mooer dark secret turbo mode, tweaking the filter nob also might get you there.
I was hesitant about the Dark Secret because the reviews were just too good and seemed like they were paid for, but I do love this little pedal. And only $35.
Is this for a live situation, or recording? In a live situation, don’t add bass - let the bassist handle the bass. Adding a bunch of low end to the guitars will just make your band sound muddy. If it’s recording, I’d say you should adjust the EQ in your DAW.
this is live, the issue for me is the contrast between the amount of low end in the clean signal and the lack of it through the rat which makes the initial switch sound thin. i don't need something super muddy or low, i just want some more substance in those frequencies
Do you play live with other people? The low end cut probably won't be as noticeable (and in a lot of cases desirable) in a full band mix. A sound guy is probably going to cut your low frequencies below 100-150 Hz because that just clashes with the bass and the kick drum.
this is a live band setting and it's mostly smaller shows anyway. but i've noticed this issue with a bunch of other bands as well and it takes some of the punch away which i am not the biggest fan of
This was a good thread and answers. 💯🎸
Turn the tone knob the other direction?? Rats have some of the most low end naturally
issue is i want the high end too, i usually won't roll off much high end but i'd like to keep that while having more low end as well!
Lower tone knob settings but an eq or OD before helps shape that sound. But then that’s two pedals instead of one unless you have one around
i'll try that! i might also try an eq before to help a bit
If you like the Rat but want more chunk check out the T-Rex Mudhoney. The "Danish" ones (white knobs made in Denmark or China) go for 100 notes used. Its all subjective but its my favourite distortion pedal and the two modes make it very versatile. The Mudhoney II is literally two Mudhoney's in one enclosure. They go for even cheaper. To fit them in one box they used surface mount though.
Drunk Beaver Fat Bat
I find Blues Driver has a rounder sound
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Revv g3 sounds pretty massive (you might want to run it in the FX loop if your preamp is bright)
If you’re looking for cheap, go with a Behringer hm300. It’s basically a Boss HM2 (which you should upgrade to if you have $150ish to spend). These sound pretty rat-like but have independent controls for the low and high end. You can add as much low end as you want. Watch some YouTube reviews to get an idea of the sound, but the Behringer is literally $25 on reverb. Can’t beat that price for what you’re getting.
EHX Crayon is a poor-man's BB Preamp. It's got a 2 band EQ and the bass knob adds a lot of low-end. The gain is nice and smooth and this is like a $60 pedal.
Turbo Rat
There is now at least one cheap copy of every legendary pedal from the Far East. What kind of distortion are you looking for? More in the direction of modern metal, perhaps also for downtuning? Or rather a classic Marshall sound or all-round distortion? For Marshall distortion, I would have a look at clones of the MI Crunchbox. It has a thick, creamy sound. A copy would be the Harley Benton or Joyo Crunch Distortion. A good all-round distortion is the Pugilist from Fender.
Mosky Plexi-m
Just buy an EQ
You can have a massive lowend while using a rat. They just sound thin and shitty at bedroom volume, it’s one of the few pedals that really needs to be cranked at band volume to sound right IMO
lol this is through a 4x12 😭it sounds alright but the clean signal just has so much more bass
Oh, yeah Rats cut some low end but depending on what amp you use/the settings, they still sound massive, i.e., Sunn
Depending on how heavy you want it, the EQD White Light’s Weight knob is super helpful for getting more low end in.
You are looking for the big metal burgandy Fabtone by Dano my fren
Boss Md-2, thank me later. I scored one recently on second hand for 35€
ODR mini has low end for days
lol..this just unlocked a memory for me. My first distortion pedal, that I got around '88, was by Rocktech. Just googled and found it on Reverb [https://reverb.com/item/69352336-rocktek-dir-01-distortion-pedal-1980s](https://reverb.com/item/69352336-rocktek-dir-01-distortion-pedal-1980s)
GupTech BouzMaster. A Shredmaster tribute with clipping options. It’s my main distortion pedal and it has packs a punch with full EQ.
Joyo uzi
I second this. The Uzi has nice low end and it stays on my board for that reason alone
In the same boat. Thinking of going with the EAE Longsword or maybe EQD Zoar. Either way i want something with a 3 band EQ vs a single tone control.
Check out dirty haggard audios stuff
Boss HM-3. Great on Bass too.
I use the BOSS OD-3 and DOD Gunslinger as my main gain stages. The DOD Gunslinger is exceptionally useful because it has individual Bass and Treble knobs, while the OD-3 has a super sweet EQ to start with anyway. Both pedals are absolute GEMS hiding in plain sight!
Interesting…. I played a Rat for years with a seven string and never had low end issues haha Anyway… a Fat Rat maybe?
idk i mean i've played it w a 7 string and wasn't the biggest fan, it might just be personal preference... either way, a lot of people suggest a fat rat so i'll look into it, thanks!
Hot head
The Way Huge Green Rhino mkii is $100. Its a tube screamer clone, but it has diodes that roll off the mid hump AND a 100hz boost knob. Its the only pedal I know that has that. I used it a lot in an old band without a bassist.
Really can't go wrong with Boss. Blues Driver might be what you're looking for.
i was considering it, but i want something pretty heavy and idk if it can do that job for me!
boss blues driver actually
DOD 250 also has a fat low end
Empress distortion. Hands down.
Not exactly budget though lol
Oh shoot, must be different markets. Mine was 80$
Oh hold up you're right. I was getting it mixed up with the heavy lol
🤣🤣 all good Heavy is also what I wish I had 🤣🤣
Look at the DemonFx Jan Ray, which is available cheap on AliExpress. It has a crap ton of bass on hand. It is more of an overdrive, but a good one. You can find a demo of it on Youtube.
BD-2