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Pro Co Turbo RAT distortion pedal, top view with Distortion, Filter and Volume knobs
Effects pedals

Pro Co Turbo RAT Guitar/Bass Distortion Effect Pedal

The Turbo RAT is the hottest pedal in Pro Co’s RAT line: classic RAT grind with more output for pushing a tube amp. This one came with its original box and manual, and the seller explains why it works as well on bass as on guitar.

eBay item
#7348630953
Auction ended
Starting bid
$1, no reserve
Shipping
$4.75–$9.00 USPS Priority
See all 5 photos Find one on eBay

Archived listing · this auction ended in September 2005 and the item is no longer available.

The seller’s write-up

History

I purchased this pedal from my friend (he was the original owner) for $95 sometime in the late ’90s. You’ll see in the photos that the original price on the box reads “$95”. I guess I am not a very good bargainer!

Sound

This is a great distortion box — IMHO, one of the better sounding ones available for a distinctive yet versatile rock and roll tone. If you’ve heard or played a classic RAT or one of the others in the RAT series, this one has a similar sound — you could say a RAT on steroids. The harmonically rich… well, “ratty” tone is definitely there. In addition, the Turbo RAT offers a very high output, which is ideal for overdriving the input stage of a tube amp. The sustain you can get with this pedal when cranking the “Volume” and/or “Distortion” knobs is excellent. There is a lot of flexibility available for rhythm or lead work just by tweaking the knobs.

On bass and guitar

I have used this pedal for both guitar and bass. I’ve heard that other bass players like the Turbo RAT, and even the Pro Co literature says this is the “RAT of choice” among bass players. For bass, I sometimes like a lead/boost with a little bit of dirt and the Turbo RAT delivers well. If so inclined, you can get pretty crazy with this pedal (distortion-wise) without sacrificing the lower end of your bass tone. Same thing applies to guitar — if you like your tone with heavy low end, this pedal can deliver distortion without cutting that low end off.

Condition

This thing is built like a tank and has received minimal gigging use. Cosmetically excellent, no issues, works great! Pedal ships with a new 9V battery. If you are the winning bidder, check the bottom of the shipping box in the packing materials for the battery.

Why it was for sale

Mostly financial and time considerations. I don’t have much time to play guitar anymore. When I do play out, it is only on bass and even that doesn’t happen very often. As they say, I am “thinning the herd” and minimizing the gear I have on hand to the bare essentials.

Anyway, my loss is your gain. At $1 starting and NO RESERVE, you can’t go wrong! Current new retail price is around $90. Whether you are a metalhead, a classic rocker, a punk, whatever… I think you will love this pedal.

Original auction terms (2005) Shipping, payment and feedback policies from the original listing.
  • This is a NO RESERVE, NO “Buy it Now” auction. I normally do not terminate an auction early and I will definitely let the auction go to completion (i.e. finish normally) if the bid price is low.
  • This item was described with as much accuracy and detail as possible. Images shown are of the actual item up for auction unless otherwise noted. Opinions and subjective observations reflected in the auction listing may not match your own. I cannot offer refunds or returns for my auction items.
  • Please contact me with any and all questions before you bid. Please don’t bid unless you intend to follow through. If you have any problems with the terms of this or any of my other auctions, please contact me about it before bidding.
  • Shipping will be, depending on your location, between $4.75 to $9.00 USD for USPS Priority Shipping within the United States ONLY. I will insure your package for the purchase price of the item at no cost to you. I ship with a delivery confirmation (if applicable to the carrier) and I will email the delivery confirmation/tracking number once the item ships.
  • I charge actual shipping costs. The figure quoted above is a reasonable estimate given the weight of the item and the dimensions of the box. I will let you know how much your item cost to ship after it has been sent. If you overpaid, then I will issue you a refund for your overpayment amount via PayPal or by personal check — your choice. If you have underpaid, then I will eat the cost. I believe this is a pretty fair deal. I am a regular Joe — I have to package and ship the items myself. I hate feeling gouged for shipping costs too!
  • Shipping carrier, carrier options, etc., are generally non-negotiable — unless you want expedited delivery. I have haggled with several bidders post-auction about a few dollars (or less) difference between First Class vs. Priority, UPS Ground vs. FedEx Ground vs. Parcel Post, etc. I choose the most cost-effective way of getting the item to you as quickly and as safely as possible. Depending on the package size, the slowest shipping method may not be the cheapest. Again, if you have overpaid for shipping, please see the previous point.
  • Most items ship within one or two business days.
  • I accept payment via PayPal, money order, cashier’s check, and personal check (though your check will have to clear). My preference is for PayPal. I do not charge you for my PayPal transaction or auction fees — some sellers may.
  • Local (Eugene, OR) pickup of the item is available, though I will not have the facilities to demo the item for you, and my schedule varies. Please contact me if you are interested in local pickup.
  • Please send any questions about this auction to me through eBay’s “Ask seller a question.” I will contact you following the completion of the auction, so please make sure that you can get my email. (The seller’s email address has been removed from this archive.) You may want to trust this address in your spam/bulk filter folder, or at least look for it in your junk mail if you haven’t heard from me post-auction. More often than not, legitimate email ends up getting marked as spam. Some folks have an aggressive “delete-on-flag” type of filter which can present a lot of communication problems.
  • I give positive feedback immediately upon receipt of payment. If you paid, you get positive feedback from me.
  • I have been an eBay member since 1998. Bid with confidence.

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From the same 2005 sale

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