The Barstow Bat Distortion
Overview
The Barstow Bat is a highly versatile distortion pedal inspired by the legendary ProCo RAT circuit—enhanced with powerful modifications and expanded tone-shaping capabilities. Designed for guitar, bass, and beyond, the Barstow Bat delivers everything from searing high-gain distortion to natural overdrive, crunchy leads, and dirty boost tones.
With increased output, flexible clipping modes, and an active EQ section, this pedal goes far beyond traditional RAT-style distortion.
Super-Saturated Drive with Massive Output
The main drive section captures the signature slewy, aggressive distortion character players expect—while delivering twice the volume output of a standard circuit. This added headroom makes the Barstow Bat perfect for:
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Driving your amp into further saturation
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Pushing other pedals harder
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Acting as a powerful dirty boost when the gain is dialed back
From tight crunch to full-on distortion, the gain range is broad and highly responsive.
Active EQ for Expanded Tone Control
A custom-designed active EQ section gives you precise control over your sound. With all knobs set at noon, you’ll hear the classic stock-style tone. From there, the EQ can dramatically or subtly reshape your sound by cutting or boosting frequencies.
Dial in:
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Scooped mids for aggressive modern tones
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Boosted mids for punch and presence
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Filtered or enhanced treble
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Thick, booming bass
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Focused, crunchy coloration
No matter the setting, the EQ is tuned for highly usable results across the entire range.
Dual Clipping Modes
The Barstow Bat includes two distinct clipping options:
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Silicon Diodes (Button OUT): Maximum distortion and saturation for full-tilt standalone gain.
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Turbo Mode – LED Diodes (Button IN): Less clipping with increased midrange and overall gain, similar to a Turbo RAT-style response. Ideal for pushing preamps, pedals, or amps with searing boost and added punch.
These modes dramatically alter the feel and character of the distortion, making the pedal adaptable to multiple rigs and styles.
Why Choose The Barstow Bat?
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Inspired by the legendary RAT-style distortion circuit
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Twice the output for powerful boosting capability
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Custom active EQ for detailed tone shaping
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Silicon or LED clipping modes
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Wide gain range from overdrive to high-gain distortion
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Suitable for guitar, bass, and experimental setups
The Barstow Bat delivers classic RAT-style aggression with expanded flexibility—built for players who want powerful distortion, detailed tone control, and serious output on their pedalboard.
BOOM!
