The Pine Box Customs Motel Distortion is a compact distortion pedal built on a familiar foundation: Delicious Audio describes it as "a RAT-inspired circuit that aims at widening the palette of tones produced by that popular" distortion. Rather than copy the RAT outright, the Motel was "designed with a cleaner, more overdriven feel versus the original, but we decided to reel back in a little bit" of the traditional rodent character, according to the maker's product page as published by Delicious Audio1. It was the first distortion pedal Pine Box Customs released1.
What it does to your sound
The Motel sits between the overdrive and distortion camps. The maker calls it "a versatile overdrive/distortion circuit based on a certain rodent that we all know and love"1. The headline feature is the Transmitter toggle switch, which offers two distinct voices: one compressed and hard clipping, closer to the original RAT, and the other more open and uncompressed, overdriven in character1. That switch is how the pedal covers both the traditional rodent sound and its own cleaner take.
Another departure from the circuit it draws on is internal. The Motel's circuit features an internal voltage doubling circuit that doubles the incoming 9 volts to 18 volts, which the maker says allows for wider headroom and dynamics1.
The pedal runs on standard 9V negative ground power, but the circuit internally doubles that to 18 volts for headroom1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| VOLUME | Controls the overall output volume of the pedal1 |
| Transmitter toggle | Selects between two voices: compressed and hard clipping, or more open and uncompressed overdrive1 |
Build and power
Pine Box Customs builds the Motel from start to finish in the USA, with enclosures milled, powder coated, and printed by Pine Box, and high quality Rean jacks on the outside1. Power is standard 9V negative ground, and the pedal is true bypass1.
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Questions
Is the Pine Box Customs Motel a RAT clone?
Not exactly. Delicious Audio describes the Motel as a RAT-inspired circuit that aims at widening the palette of tones produced by that popular distortion. It was designed with a cleaner, more overdriven feel than the original, and the Transmitter toggle reels some traditional rodent sounds back in for players who want them.
Is the Motel Distortion true bypass?
Yes. The pedal is true bypass, so when it is switched off your guitar's signal passes through without the circuit loading it. It runs on standard 9V negative ground power.
What does the Transmitter switch do?
The Transmitter toggle switch offers two distinct voices. One is compressed and hard clipping, closer to the original RAT, and the other is a more open, uncompressed overdriven voice. It is how the pedal covers both traditional rodent territory and its own cleaner character.
What voltage does the Motel run on?
It takes standard 9V negative ground power, but the circuit includes an internal voltage doubling circuit that doubles the voltage to 18 volts, which the maker says allows for wider headroom and dynamics.
Where is the Pine Box Customs Motel made?
It is built from start to finish in the USA. The enclosures are milled, powder coated, and printed by Pine Box, and the pedal uses high quality Rean jacks.
Sources (1)
- Pine Box Customs Motel Distortion, Delicious Audio, 2020-10-28