Pro Co Fat Rat

^# 72

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$167.00 to $271.00 Price Tier: Standard

5.0 (4)

2 Reviews

Find out who is using Pro Co Fat Rat

11 community setups

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RAT Distortion Pedal Guide: Settings & Top 2026 Picks

10 wishlisted

30 saved

Page last updated Jul 05, 2026

Pricing and availability

We compare 600+ stores and found this item at 9 stores. Prices updated July 4, 2026.

Store

Reviews

Price

5.0 (20)

$178.00 $175.00 $3.00

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5.0 (3)

$179.00

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4.2 (48)

$167.00

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5.0 (19)

$167.00 29 available New

$112.00 11 available Used

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5.0 (2)

$179.00

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$179.99

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$179.95

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4.6 (11)

$273.00 $271.00 $2.00 · All time low

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£279.00

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Average Price: $179

Standard/Professional

$80

$181+

Price Tier

In the Distortion Effects Pedals category, Pro Co Fat Rat is priced in the upper end of the Standard/Professional range. This is quality gear at a fair price point, suitable for beginners, hobbyists, and pros alike.

Budget

Standard

High-end

Price History

Based on price data from 6 merchants for "Pro Co Fat Rat". Prices shown reflect NEW condition. Tracking began Apr 2, 2026.

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Description

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Meet the Pro Co Fat Rat, a dynamic distortion effects pedal designed to take your guitar's sound to a new level of intensity. Building upon the revered '85 Whiteface Reissue RAT, the Fat Rat has been engineered with an added bass enhancement circuit and a switchable clipping section, offering you an expanded range of tonal possibilities.

This pedal is equipped with a MOSFET/germanium clipping section, a first for the RAT line. This feature provides a subtle scoop and smoothing in the upper mids throughout the entire gain range, making the pedal sound more amp-like and natural.

For those who like to experiment with their sound, the Fat Rat comes with a socketed opamp, allowing for quick and simple, solder-free modifications. The large, CTS pots offer a smooth and even sweep across the distortion, filter, and volume controls, opening up a wide range of tonal sweet spots.

The Fat Rat also includes a Fat Switch, providing a significant bass boost and simultaneous high cut, making it an ideal choice for bass guitars, lower tunings, and enhancing low-gain settings. Lastly, this pedal offers 9-18V operation for increased headroom and fidelity.

Key Features:

Silicon and MOSFET/germanium switchable clipping sections
Socketed Opamp for easy, solder-free modifications
Large, CTS pots for smooth control sweeps
Fat Switch for bass boost and high cut
9-18V operation for increased headroom and fidelity
True bypass to preserve your signal when the pedal is not in use
Durable metal enclosure for long-term use
Rugged on/off footswitch and status LED for easy operation

Product specs

Pedal Type	Distortion
Analog/Digital	Analog
Inputs	1 x 1/4"
Outputs	1 x 1/4"
True Bypass	Yes
Controls	Distortion, Filter, Fat Switch, Clipping Style Switch
Power Source	9-18V DC power supply (sold separately)
Batteries	1 x 9V

FAQs

What type of distortion does the Pro Co Fat Rat provide?: The Pro Co Fat Rat offers a versatile distortion that ranges from classic overdrive to thick fuzz, making it suitable for a variety of genres such as rock, punk, and metal.
Can the Pro Co Fat Rat be used with a bass guitar?: Yes, the Pro Co Fat Rat works well with bass guitars, providing rich, full-bodied distortion without losing low-end clarity.
What power supply is required for the Pro Co Fat Rat?: The Pro Co Fat Rat requires a 9-18V DC power supply, which is sold separately. It can also be powered by a 9V battery.
How does the Fat Switch on the Pro Co Fat Rat affect the sound?: The Fat Switch on the Pro Co Fat Rat adds more low-end and midrange content, resulting in a thicker, more aggressive tone.
What is the purpose of the Clipping Style Switch on the Pro Co Fat Rat?: The Clipping Style Switch allows you to select between different clipping modes, including MOSFET clipping, for varied distortion textures and dynamics.

Videos

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shnobel

1986 Pro Co RAT vs FAT RAT

shnobel

FAT RAT Demo

shnobel

Sweetwater Pro Co Fat Rat Distortion Pedal Demo - Sweetwater Sound

Sweetwater

PROCO FAT RAT | ENOUGH GAIN FOR YOU? | #ratdistortion

All Music X'cess AMX

NAMM '14 - Pro Co Fat Rat Demo

Premier Guitar

Testing a Fender Stratocaster with the Pro Co FAT RAT GERMANIUM/MOSFET CLIPPING Distortion Pedal

Music Bliss Malaysia

PROCO - FATRAT - NAMM 2014

THE MUSICIAN NETWORK (TMNtv)

Proco Fat Rat

Smithman

Reviews

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PROS

Less compression, more clarity at 18V
MOSFET option provides open, big-amp sound
Fat switch adds bass and tames harsh highs
Handmade in the USA, quality craftsmanship
Versatile with different power supplies (9V/18V)
Compatible with various music styles and instruments
Customizable tone with stock, MOSFET, and Fat settings
Socketed op-amp allows for easy modifications
Consistent sound quality across units
Larger knobs and switches for ease of use

CONS

Price higher than some competitors and clones
Larger size than some players prefer
Some users find the MOSFET and Fat modes underwhelming
European price significantly higher than US price

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Pro Co Fat Rat.

Comparisons

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Budget alternatives like the DemonFX Fat Mouse, Joyo Splinter, and Satone Neotoma offer similar features at a lower price, with the Joyo missing only the 18v mode.
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Some users recommend exploring older Rat models from the late 70s or 80s for potentially superior sound quality.
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The Drunk Beaver Bat v2 offers 36 sound varieties, including turbo and vintage/modern OP-Amp modes, in a compact enclosure.
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The Mooer Black Secret is praised for versatility, though some gigging musicians question its reliability.
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The Walrus Iron Horse is recommended for those seeking a thicker RAT sound, with a note of regret from a user who sold theirs.
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Use cases and applications

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The ProCo Fat Rat's FAT and MOSFET switches may not provide enough distinct advantage for users primarily sticking to stock modes.
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The Jam Rattler is noted for its grunge tones and overdrive-like cleanup, while not being ideal for metal.
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Value and pricing

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The ProCo Fat Rat is considered pricey, prompting some to suggest exploring high-quality clones like the Earthquaker Devices Life pedal for enhanced performance.
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Users note the Fat Rat's higher price is justified by superior components compared to Chinese-made Rat pedals.
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Features and functionality

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The Fat Rat's MOSFET clipping and Fat switch are highlighted for their suitability in Doom Metal and mellow heavy music.
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The Fat Rat's stock chip with the FAT switch engaged retains better low-end response on bass compared to the stock mode without it.
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Harder clipping from the stock chip results in a slightly less open, more treble-focused distortion sound compared to softer clipping options.
Source

Mods and upgrades

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While the LM308N chip can be swapped, the audible difference between it and the stock chip is minimal, with only a slight increase in clipping hardness.
Source

User experience

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Some bassists find the Fat Rat causes excessive low-end loss, even when compensating with increased volume, leading to engagement volume dips.
Source

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5.0 out of 5

Based on 2 Reviews and 4 Ratings

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1 star

h_pr

1359

over 3 years ago

Classic RAT tone with extra options and better quality control

It's the classic RAT tone in a bigger box with bigger buttons, a bass boost switch, silicon diode or mosfet clipping, 9V or 18V operation, and a socketed opamp that can be replaced with a different opamp of your choice. The pedal is made in USA rather than China, which explains much of the price difference.

Apart from the added options, the main differences to the cheaper RAT 2 are:

I haven't tried too many Fat RATs, but overall, my impression is that there is much less difference in sound between individual pedals. While some RAT 2s sound great and others not quite as great, all Fat RATs I tried sounded great. It appears that ProCo pay better attention to parts tolerance than at the Chinese factory and not use components (especially capacitors) that are too far off the actual specs, resulting in more consistence.
The sweep of the Distortion pot allows more shades of clean and low-gain sounds. It may not be what most people buy RATs for, but it adds versatility. On my RAT 2s, I have about three millimeters between no sound and fairly crunchy distortion, whereas my Fat RAT has an area between 8 and 10 o'clock that goes from clean boost via light overdrive to crunch. Definitely better quality components here too.
The larger knobs feel nice, and the pots move smoothly. Good quality feel.
18V operation offers a bit more headroom, but not a radically different sound. The socketed opamp caters for those who want the mojo of the LM308 chip (which, for all intents and purposes, sounds near identical to the supplied OP07. BTW, if you shop for LM308s, beware of counterfeits and only buy from reputable dealers).

Is it worth the extra money? In the US, the Fat RAT ($199) costs twice as much as the RAT 2 ($99), which seems okay for the better build quality and extra options, but in Europe, the Fat RAT is currently sold at €268, which is a fairly ridiculous price tag and more than three times the price of the RAT 2. I only got mine because a local dealer was offering a substantial discount to clear out old inventory, and I wouldn't have bought it a the regular European price as I dont think it's three times better than the RAT 2.

Preferred Settings + Usage:

Using this with both switches at Stock position, Distortion at 11 o'clock, Filter at 2 o'clock, Volume at 3 o'clock. Replaced the opamp chip with a Motorola LM308.

Roles:

Guitarist Composer

Genres:

Dark ambient Electroacoustic music Musical improvisation

From Gear Setup

freezeetch

1539

over 7 years ago

The best RAT

Needed a distortion and was pleased to find this beefed up RAT. Classic sound, solid construction, big ol knobs... awesome! about $100 more than a regular RAT, but worth it in my opinion. Like that you can run it at 18V for more headroom/higher fidelity, as I am mainly using this in the studio.

Roles:

Guitarist Bassist Keyboardist

Genres:

Electronic Techno Electro

From Gear Setup