Boosting tube amp with rat vs tube screamer?

[Kais]

I know since the 80's guitarists have been boosting their Marshall or whatever amps with Proco Rats and TubeScreamers and whatever else. I've been boosting with a Rat Deucetone using the "Clean Rat" setting, which to my research is the same circuitry as a rat2 but does not use any diodes to clip. I've been itching to get a tubescreamer to boost my amp instead. This may be a stupid question but, would there be any difference in boosting with a clean rat/rat2 vs a tube screamer? Or is it essentially the same?

 

[xxxplorer]

Re: Boosting tube amp with rat vs tube screamer?

Tube Screamer will be a bit more mid focused and tighter sounding. The Rat will be a bit more 'uncontrolled' sounding and more unrefined. That's how I heard it anyway. I didn't have a deuctone though, just a Rat. A regular rat didn't have enough volume for my tastes, and a TS worked better. Now I don't use any of those though.... I use an Aluminum Falcon II... which is supposed to be a Klon Klone.

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Boosting tube amp with rat vs tube screamer?

Slightly OT :


. . . check out this 'lil baby Rat.

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Boosting tube amp with rat vs tube screamer?

I prefer to help my amp with a RAT (grittier).

I can not yet gel with an 808 (smoother) style OD.

 

[VanDerchuck]

Re: Boosting tube amp with rat vs tube screamer?

Any good OD pedal can add some flavor. I'm not big on the Rat. But my friend sounds great when he uses his. To each his own I guess... I have the BYOC OD2 with the MOSFET mod. There's a switch to change from the opamp to just the diodes for clipping. It's perfect for a little extra. I sometimes use a Box of Rock clone in a similar manner. Mood dependent. Although they are always 1&2 in my signal line I can't choose a favorite.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Boosting tube amp with rat vs tube screamer?

I use a TS9 in the clean channel on my Shiva. I have the gain all the way down and the volume set to just give me very slight breakup. I use it more like a clean boost. But the Siva is also channel switching so if I need more gain I just switch to the dirty channel. The TS9 is an overdrive where I was always told that the Rat was a distortion box. I like the smoothness if I'd over the gainier distortion that you get with a rat. I actually own two TS9 pedals. Both have been modded to give me a but more control. But with the Shiva I rarely bring the gain up at all. I just like the slight OD effect I get with it

 

[Grenade]

Re: Boosting tube amp with rat vs tube screamer?

I use a BD-2 or a GE-7, depending on if I want a gain boost or frequency boost.

 

[p4vl]

Re: Boosting tube amp with rat vs tube screamer?

Mind you, guitarists in the 80's were using 80's Rats to boost their amps. I'm sure there are plenty of small companies that make pedals that are exactly the same as the old Rat.

 

[Kais]

Re: Boosting tube amp with rat vs tube screamer?

Sweet I have a ge-7 too, but it doesn't break up enough. The Deucetone rat is more like the old rats I suppose, that's what I read anyway. I kinda wanted to trade the Deucetone for a TS, but I'm not sure because I like the Vintage Rat setting a lot. I should just get a TS, but I don't have that much room left on the board. I'm trying to boost my amp for more of a metal tone, more like alice in chains. I think I might be okay with the gear I've got, thanks for the explanations