What's Your Favourite Proco Rat Mod?

[Brushthrower]

I know this topic's been covered before but I thought I'd resurrect it from it's untimely demise. What's Your Favourite Proco Rat Mod? (Provide schematics/layouts/photos if possible)

[bluesdevil]

How about putting the clipping diodes in the feedback loop ala "Red Fuzz" (General Guitar Gadgets site)?
http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/diagrams/red_fuzz_sc.gif

[MikeH]

Check out Beavis audio= he's got some cool Rat mods on his site.

[Brushthrower]

This is a good resource. He's compiled some popular mod info here:

http://www.kyletompkins.com/wp/?p=276

[asfastasdark]

I like the BYOC Mouse. It's a ProCo Rat, but instead of two silicon clipping diodes it had a 6-position rotary switch to switch between three different diode configurations after the op-amp, two different configurations in the feedback loop, or a pair of MOSFETs in the feedback loop. Then I haven't personally heard this mod, but Beavis Audio Research has a mod called the Reutz mod, which consists of swapping out one of the resistors in the feedback loop controlling frequency response with a pot so you can control that. I am currently building an uber-modded Rat:

Regular Rat with modern parts (metal film resistors, box caps, modern LM308N, etc.), a Mouse-style switch, Reutz mod, and a pot controlling the amount of signal going into the pedal (like a volume control just at the beginning).

[Brushthrower]

Sounds sweet! Here's a "how to" layout I found with some of the mods you were talking about:

http://www.beavisaudio.com/Projects/FKR/images/MightierMouse.gif

[FlyingZ]

If I were to ever do it again I would make the LED for diode swap permanent but avoid the pot for the 47 ohm trick.

Oh ya and hide the LED's, what starts out looking cool becomes annoying.

[kurtlives]

If I were to ever do it again I would make the LED for diode swap permanent but avoid the pot for the 47 ohm trick.

Oh ya and hide the LED's, what starts out looking cool becomes annoying.

Why is that?

[FlyingZ]

If I were to ever do it again I would make the LED for diode swap permanent but avoid the pot for the 47 ohm trick.

Oh ya and hide the LED's, what starts out looking cool becomes annoying.

Why is that?

Every time I fiddle it seems to end up back to around 47 ohms.

[petemoore]

  The one that is made specifically to do a certain somethat actually does it, under a very specific set of circumstances.
  Opting most often [since doing some mods to Rats and trying out all the DIST+ things and mods I could stand]...for modifying those circumstances: what goesinta the Rat, and what the Rat Goesinta.
  And leaving the diode swaption switch there for good measure.
  Which reminds me: where is my Rat right now...? [?]. Did I lend that thing out and forget it ?

[oldrocker]

My favorite and simple mod is this one.  I added a stomp switch to bounce btwn regular and turbo Rat.

[Brushthrower]

Thanks Randy! Do you have a diagram of how to wire the switch in?

[WGTP]

Tonda's Rat modz in the schematics section is pretty cool.  It allows for FBL or standard diode placement.   

[Brushthrower]

Here's a link for the Tonda mod:

http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/ratmod.gif

[hank reynolds 3rd]

The switchable diode/Led mod

Brushthrower...
the schematic here is the one I used (omitting the diodes above the 250K gain pot,as I didn't use this mod)...
wire up a spdt swtich so the centre/common lug is at point A,then one of the outer lugs to point B,and one to C. this'll give you the option of switching between classic and turbo rat...I didn't bother with the 'big boost' mod either,as it sounded good with just the two other options ,(although this could easily be implemented with on/off/on switch)

ack,the schem didn't show up,but you found the same one,Brushthrower

[WGTP]

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?PHPSESSID=de6beddeb1a99f224eb295d1683aa4a4&topic=72675.0

Thanks, I was having trouble with Chrome.

Some mod ideas in these Rat variants.   

[Brushthrower]

I'm curious about the pot mod metioned on the Ruetz site and the double pot mod mentioned here:

http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/ratmod.gif

but where to fit more pots in my tiny rat enclosure? (I know, I know...get a bigger enclosure). I was wondering if anyone's had much sucess with replacing these two resistors with trim pots as mentioned on the Ruetz page? Also, anyone have a wiring diagram for the mofset/LED toggle mod for a Rat II? I think I'd like to give that one a try, but where on the pcb do you place the in/out wires to the dpdt toggle?

[Brushthrower]

To answer my own question (sort of) and in the interests of keeping this thread alive here is a pertinent conversation from the archives:

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=52009.0

Unfortunately the thread is pretty old and many of the links and pictures don't work. Does anyone have photos or a diagram of the three way toggle mod that they've done? Even a description would be great. Mostly I'm confused as to where the middle lugs of the toggle connect to the pcb on a Rat pedal.

Thanks!

[grolschie]

Here's a link for the Tonda mod:

http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/ratmod.gif

I just added diodes across lugs 1 and 3 on the gain pot. I quite like it, except for the volume drop. So far I have tried a 2x Ge + 1x Ge combo.

[Processaurus]

Liking the stock rat sound, my favorite mod is making the gain knob so it doesn't go to zero, but has the nice low gain rat sound that is touchy to dial in otherwise waiting at the bottom of the pot rotation.  You just stick a trimpot in series with the gain pot wired as a variable resistor, and then turn the gain knob down and and the volume up all the way and turn up the trimpot until you get the right sound.

Have the ruetz mod as a trimpot, disliked the idea of it as an external knob because it doesn't make a huge difference in the sound, and hardly seems worth constantly fiddling with...

The last mod was to put a silver rack handle over the knobs so they can't get stomped.  That might be the handiest.