ProCo Rat 2 MIC VS. ProCo Rat 2 MIA

[yacob_acs]

Hi,

I'm deciding whether to buy a Chinese made Rat or an American made one. Not so sure which of the two should I buy. Whats the difference in sound quality etc? I've only tried an American made one once, never played with a China made Rat. Any one with experience with ProCo pedals or who can give me any advice please share.

Thanks

 

[Godspeed64]

Where it is made doesn't really matter. What matters is the ICs inside.

If it's an American made, chances are it is MOST probably a LM308 chip. This chip is found in older rats as well as boutique clones. Reason? Mojo! Well not really, but it does produce very smooth clipping, a more rounded tone that serves better as an overdrive, but also works well as a distortion or fuzz.

If it's Chinese made, it MAY be an OD07DP IC, like those in production now by Pro Co (except for the White face RAT limited run announced during NAMM 2010). These ICs have a harsher high end and tend to sound muddy at times IMO. Better used as a distortion. Found that it wasn't as smooth an OD as those LM308. One thing bad about Chinese ones. According to Robert Keeley, the QC of newer pieces are horrid, hence the reason they stop modding the newer batches of MIC rats.

My personal videos:
Comparison - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2SqSFYkwvE
LM308 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBemY-tl_c4

You can find better videos as well though..