The Barstow Bat is a distortion pedal from Supercool Pedals, a Canadian maker, built on the Pro Co RAT circuit and announced on 4 November 2024. Where a stock RAT has one Filter control, the Barstow Bat replaces it with an active three-band EQ and adds a top-mounted Turbo button that switches the clipping stage between silicon diodes and a pair of LEDs12.
Supercool describes it in the maker's own words:
"Carefully designed to add masterfully crafted saturation, distortion, and tone"1
The maker says it covers ground "ranging from searing distortions, to natural overdrives, crunchy leads, and dirty boosts, with loads of gain and signature style"1.
A RAT with active EQ and Turbo clipping
The Pro Co RAT has been in production since 1978 and is a classic distortion pedal with a distinct boosted midrange, unlike many of its contemporaries3. The Barstow Bat takes that template and modifies it. Guitar World described it as "based on the legendary Proco RAT [distortion pedal], but with many modifications and additions"4, and Premier Guitar's news coverage said it was "designed to honor the classic RAT distortion pedal with more tone customization"5.
The biggest change is the EQ. A RAT's single Filter control is gone, replaced by a low/mid/high EQ stack, which Premier Guitar's reviewer described as "a low/mid/high EQ stack in place of a RAT's filter control"6. The EQ is active and isolated, and with all three knobs at noon the pedal delivers the classic stock RAT tone52. From there, Guitar World notes the EQ adjustments can unlock "scooped mids, to filtered or added treble, booming bass, or crunchy color"4.
The second change is the clipping switch. Where a stock RAT uses silicon diodes, the Barstow Bat lets you swap them for LEDs at the press of the Turbo button, a design idea that echoes the original ProCo Turbo RAT12.
The controls: Drive, Level, three-band EQ and Turbo
The control layout will be familiar to any RAT player, with two additions4:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the gain, from cleaned-up dirty boost to full distortion12 |
| Level | Sets the output level1 |
| Low | Active boost and cut of low frequencies1 |
| Mid | Active boost and cut of mid frequencies1 |
| High | Active boost and cut of high frequencies1 |
| Turbo button | Top-mounted switch between silicon and LED clipping14 |
With the Turbo button in the out position, a pair of silicon diodes provides maximum distortion and saturation, the classic RAT sound. Push it in and Turbo mode engages a pair of LED diodes that clip less, allowing more midrange and overall gain, similar to the famous TURBO RAT. Pedal of the Day also notes the main drive section has twice the volume output of the stock design, "which can lead to further overdriving your favourite amp or guitar pedal"2.
Cleaning up the Drive knob turns the pedal into a dirty boost, another way Supercool suggests using it2.
White and black versions
The Barstow Bat ships in two finishes. The standard white version has the control set described above. The limited edition black version has the same complement of controls but adds rare NOS Germanium 1n34a diodes, which can be activated for Turbo mode via an internal dip-switch14. Both versions were priced at $205 at launch1.
The black version is a limited edition. As of November 2024 the standard version was available to order and the black edition was on pre-order4, and Premier Guitar reported the black version would be available until 20254.
Both versions carry Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas-inspired artwork, making the name a Bat Country reference4.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day reviewed the pedal on 14 November 2024 and called it "an incredibly versatile tone shaping and distortion tool," saying it "instantly vaults it near the top of an already crowded list of wonderful dirt devices"2. Premier Guitar's news coverage highlighted the "Classic RAT Distortion with a super-quiet noise floor" and the "Active isolated 3-band EQ for a wide range of tones"5.
Videos
Supercool Pedals
Hard Clipping
Pedal of the Day and Supercool Pedals
Questions
What does the Turbo button on the Barstow Bat do?
The top-mounted Turbo button switches the clipping stage. In the out position a pair of silicon diodes gives maximum distortion and saturation, like a classic RAT. Pushed in, it engages a pair of LED diodes that clip less, opening up more midrange and overall gain, similar to the Turbo RAT, with twice the volume output of the stock design.
How is the Barstow Bat different from a ProCo RAT?
The circuit is based on the Pro Co RAT, but the RAT's single Filter control is replaced by an active three-band EQ with Low, Mid and High knobs that boost or cut. With all three at noon you get the stock RAT response. It also adds the Turbo clipping switch and, according to Pedal of the Day, twice the volume output in the main drive section.
What is different about the black Barstow Bat?
The black version is a limited edition. It has the same controls as the standard white version but adds rare NOS Germanium 1n34a diodes, which can be activated for Turbo mode via an internal dip-switch. Both versions were priced the same, $205, with the standard available to order and the black edition on pre-order in November 2024.
Does the Barstow Bat work with bass?
Yes. Supercool describes it as designed to add saturation, distortion and tone to guitar, bass, or any other instrument, and MusicRadar's coverage notes the EQ boost and cut lets you take control of an electric guitar or bass guitar. The active Low, Mid and High controls make it straightforward to shape low end.
Why is it called the Barstow Bat?
Both versions carry Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas-inspired artwork, and the name is a Bat Country reference, a nod to Hunter S. Thompson's book and the phrase made famous by the 1998 film. Barstow is a stop on the desert drive the story follows.
Sources (6)
- “Carefully designed to add masterfully crafted saturation, distortion, and tone”: Supercool Pedals unveils The Barstow Bat, a deluxe Rat-inspired distortion with 3-band EQ and switchable silicon/LED clipping, MusicRadar, 2024-11-04
- Supercool Pedals The Barstow Bat Distortion, Pedal of the Day, 2024-11-14
- David Gilmour Tone Building, Kit Rae (kitrae.net), 2022-05
- Supercool Pedals' Barstow Bat puts a new spin on ProCo's Rat, Guitar World, 2024-11-06
- The Barstow Bat: Supercool's Gonzo-Inspired Distortion, Premier Guitar, 2025-01-06
- Son of RAT: Barstow Bat Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2025-03-17
