The BBE 427 Distortion is a compact distortion pedal from BBE built around the circuit layout of the ProCo Rat. Josh Scott of JHS Pedals, writing about the BBE range, describes its range of sounds as "Thick fuzz, cutting distortion, and it even does some nicer clean tones," and adds, "It's based around the Rat topology and it's great."1
Controls and sound
The pedal carries the classic three-knob layout of a Rat-style distortion: Level, Tone and Gain2. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson, listing it among compact Rat-style pedals in 2024, summed it up as "Your classic 3-knob Rat - pretty decent, but pretty standard too - decent budget version though!"2
Josh Scott of JHS Pedals is more emphatic about where it sits in BBE's line: "Out of all the BBE pedals, this is for real, my absolute favorite distortion pedal they have."1
Price and versions
The 427 has appeared at different prices over its life. JHS Pedals' 2020 piece on pedals worth a look described the clone as $60, smaller than the original, and blue3. By August 2024, Guitar Pedal X listed it at $89, or £69 in the UK2.
The FD-427P
BBE also made a larger version, the BBE 427 FD-427P, which Guitar World reviewed in June 2013. The review found that "At higher gain settings, through an amp's clean channel, it delivers on the promise of massive, fat distortion, replicat[ing] dimed preamp tubes and an American tube power section." It also credits engineer Paul Gagon as one of the first to realize that LEDs, commonly used for light emission, can be used to create tube-like signal clipping4.
Videos
Guitar World
Terry Smith
Eugenio Torres
Questions
What is the BBE 427 Distortion based on?
Josh Scott of JHS Pedals describes the 427 as being based around the Rat topology, the circuit layout of the ProCo Rat. In his words it is a great circuit, and he calls the 427 his absolute favorite distortion pedal of all the BBE pedals. Guitar Pedal X places it among compact Rat-style distortion pedals, calling it a classic three-knob Rat and a decent budget version.
How does the BBE 427 FD-427P differ from the 427?
The FD-427P is the larger sibling in BBE's range. Guitar World's 2013 review found that at higher gain settings, through an amp's clean channel, it delivers massive, fat distortion replicating dimed preamp tubes and an American tube power section. The review credits engineer Paul Gagon with using LEDs, commonly used for light emission, to create tube-like signal clipping.
Sources (4)
- WHY BBE PEDALS ARE AMAZING, JHS Pedals
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-08-30
- $70 PEDALS THAT DON'T SUCK, JHS Pedals, 2020
- Review: BBE 427 FD-427P Distortion Pedal, Guitar World, 2013-06-20
