JHS PackRat Distortion Pedal

In 1978, one of the most versatile distortion pedals of all time was invented in Kalamazoo–the ProCo RAT. Scott Burnham and Steve Kiraly had the idea after playing, repairing, and modifying all distortion pedals on the market. They wanted something that didn’t exist yet at MXR, DOD, or BOSS, a pedal that could go from overdrive to distortion and all the way to fuzz. By 1979, Scott perfected the circuit in his rat-infested basement workshop. The rest is history.

The PackRat is the ultimate tribute to 40+ years of RAT evolution and its impact on guitar’s sound. Artists from every genre have used this iconic and unassuming black box to create their tones, including Nirvana, Pink Floyd, Metallica, REM, the Eagles, Jeff Beck, and Radiohead. 

The PackRat uses the same unique digital runway system featured in our other multimode pedals (Muffuletta and Bonsai) to direct the paths of 261 components through 40 individual switches. This means when you choose one of the nine legendary modes, you are playing fully analog circuits that perfectly replicate that mode down to the aging components. If you purchased these nine hard-to-find pedals on the used market right now, you’d pay around $4000 $6000 (updated Summer 2024). The PackRat at $249 saves you thousands!

.