KEP CD301 Distortion Pedal – Rat Style Distortion
The KEP CD301 Distortion Pedal is a handmade distortion pedal modeled after the ProCo Rat circuit, built around a NOS LM301 op-amp instead of the standard LM308. Durable 1590B enclosure (4.425″ L x 2.382″ W), Neutrik jacks, Cusack potentiometers. Hand-soldered, true bypass, built for reliable daily use.
Once assembled, each pedal is played through a looper pedal for several hours before it ships to confirm reliable, consistent performance. Not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by ProCo Sound.
$74.95
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The ProCo Rat Story:
The Rat circuit was born by accident. In 1978, ProCo Sound engineer Scott Burnham was modifying distortion pedals in a rat-infested basement workshop in Kalamazoo, Michigan, when he installed the wrong-value resistor in a prototype — and liked what he heard.[1] The first run, known as the “Bud Box” Rat, numbered only about a dozen units.[2] The Rat has been documented on the boards of Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Kurt Cobain, James Hetfield, Joe Perry, Andy Summers, Johnny Greenwood, and Thurston Moore.[3][4]
The CD301 is built around a well-known Rat variant that swaps in the closely related LM301 op-amp, keeping the same core clipping character that defines the circuit.
Sources:
- Guitar World — “From Jeff Beck and Joe Perry to Kurt Cobain and Thurston Moore, the Flexible ProCo Rat” — https://www.guitarplayer.com/gear/from-jeff-beck-and-joe-perry-to-kurt-cobain-and-thurston-moore-the-flexible-proco-rat-has-star-appeal-and-staying-power
- Paul Reno — “History and Versions of the Pro Co RAT Distortion Pedal” — https://paulreno.com/pro-co-rat/
- Guitar World — “The ProCo Rat pedal history” — https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/guitar-pedals/proco-rat-pedal-history
- Sam Ash Spotlight — “Brief History of Pro Co Rat” — https://www.samash.com/spotlight/brief-history-of-pro-co-rat