RAT Pedal Help Needed

[mattpas]

My old bass player mailed my old RAT pedal we used to have around the rehearsal room back in the mid 90s to me.
I plugged it in and it works except for one thing.
When the gain is at 2 o'clock to maxed out and you play the low strings it sounds like it is choking itself out. Kind of like an old germanium transistor fuzz pedal maxed out.
What could be wrong?

[tboy]

My first suspicion would be a weak battery. 

[ubersam]

If it hasn't been used since the mid-90s, I would also look at the capacitors, particularly the electrolytics (something to do with their shelf-life).

[mattpas]

I have been asking around and it seems that is the characteristic of the RAT pedal.
I just don't remember it much because I don't think I ever used it that much back then.

[petemoore]

When the gain is at 2 o'clock to maxed out and you play the low strings it sounds like it is choking itself out.
  Mine is a clone, but does exactly that, it can be cool, but...not desirable for 'generic' use. I fiddled around with it some. Haven't played with it since then.

[grolschie]

Mine is a "bought one" and the gain knob on it has no use for me after about 2 o'clock on the dial. The useful range is just above lowest setting all the way to 2 o'clock.