JHS Pedals’ PackRat combines nine takes on the RAT distortion in one stompbox

JHS has unveiled the PackRat, which cleverly incorporates the circuit paths from nine variants of the iconic ProCo RAT distortion pedal into a single stompbox.

The pedal builder has described the Packrat as “the ultimate tribute to the 40+ years of rodent evolution.” The PackRat contains nine different ‘modes’, each of which offers their take on a sought-after RAT tone.

The pedal’s nine mode options include… 

1. ‘The OG’ (based on the early V1/V2 production RATs, built 1979-83)
2. The White Face V3 (which had a smaller enclosure, built 1984-86)
3. The Turbo V6 (introduced in 1989, using LED clipping diodes)
4. The Brat (Pro Co’s budget Guitar Center-exclusive build)
5. Dirty Rat (released in 2004, the most saturated RAT build)
6. LA (based on Ibanez’ “quirky” 1986 take on the RAT design, the L.A. Metal)
7. Landgraff MO’D (channeling the boutique 1999-2000 builds of John Landgraff)
8. Caroline (based on Caroline Guitar Company’s Wave Cannon circuit)
9. JHS Mode (the JHS mod, as performed on “thousands of RAT pedals from 2008-2018”)

The PackRat achieves all this using JHS’s Multi-Mode tech (as used in its Muffuletta and Bonsai pedals), which digitally directs analog signal paths, in this case through a reported 261 components and 40 individual switches. 

This allows the pedal to utilise a huge range of all-analog circuits, which JHS says “perfectly replicate” those of the rare RAT builds. 

The PackRat has an MSRP of $249 and is available now. Head to JHS Pedals' official site for more information.