ProCo · RAT · 1979–1990s (LM308 era)
ProCo engineer Scott Burnham built the first RATs in the company's rat-infested basement in Kalamazoo, Michigan, around 1978, and the story goes that a 47 ohm resistor where a 470 belonged gave it all that gain. Production RATs arrived in 1979 in a big wraparound box. In 1981 the Tone knob was reversed and relabeled Filter, and in 1984 ProCo moved to a smaller box with the white block logo collectors call the Whiteface, cleaned up into the Blackface in 1986. All of these used the LM308 op-amp, as did the early RAT2s. Jeff Beck, Kurt Cobain, Thom Yorke, David Gilmour and Vernon Reid all played RATs. Josh Scott of JHS, who has studied hundreds, says the circuit hasn't changed since 1981 and that the LM308 and the later OP07 sound the same, so an old RAT is about history and condition more than tone. ProCo reissued the Big Box in 1991 and the Whiteface in 2010, so make sure you know which one you're looking at.
Worn pots are the usual problem, and plenty of RATs have modded clipping diodes or a swapped op-amp. Fake and relabeled LM308 chips are common on the parts market, so a chip swap can't prove anything.
Buying guide
For an LM308-era RAT, we'd buy the 1986 Blackface from a US pedal dealer at $480 delivered, inside the $370–650 band, or the Made in USA one titled LM308N at $209 if you just want an old RAT for less. About 66 are listed, mostly from Japanese dealers asking $906–1,315 for Blackfaces and $2,708 for a Whiteface, with Vintage Reissue big boxes and the 2010 '85 Whiteface reissue mixed in. Chip claims are the seller's and fake LM308s are common, so ask for a gut shot of the op-amp, and treat a title naming OP07DP as a later unit, which JHS's Josh Scott says sounds the same anyway. Skip the zero-feedback seller's $856 Whiteface and Ishibashi's $2,708 one, about $2,060 over the band.
$152.50est. delivered
An auction for a 1986 RAT titled LM308, at $153 delivered with 8 bids and two days left, so it'll climb. We'd stop around $400, near the bottom of the band, and ask for a gut shot of the chip before you bid.
VINTAGE 1986 Proco RAT Distortio/Fuzz Effects Pedal- Lm308 Chip
$208.75est. delivered
Titled Made in USA with an LM308N for $209 delivered, about $160 under the band, from a Japanese dealer that labels its OP07DP units plainly too. The title doesn't name the version, so check the logo in the photos and ask for a gut shot.
ProCo RAT Made in USA LM308N With Conversion Cable Distortion Pedal 207665
$479.99delivered
A 1986 Blackface titled LM308 from a US dealer at $480 delivered, inside the band, while Japanese dealers ask $906–1,315 for theirs. Ask for a gut shot of the op-amp and whether all three pots turn without crackle.
1986 ProCo RAT Distortion Effects Pedal Vintage No Brackets Blackface LM308 IC
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 10, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Snapshot
Checked . Some may have sold.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 10, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Used$152.50est. delivered
$132.50 + $20.00 shipping
Auction · 8 bids · ends in 2d 1h
Good buy
Auction with 8 bids, titled 1986 and LM308. In the US.
Seller: jwoodmaska
100% positive
Used$208.75est. delivered
$184.00 + $24.75 shipping
Buy It Now$184.00
Good buy
Titled Made in USA and LM308N, with a conversion cable. Ships from Japan.
Seller: takeshiba-japan
99.8% positive
Used$479.99delivered
$479.99 · free shipping
Buy It Now$479.99
Good buy
1986 Blackface titled LM308. In the US.
Seller: boingosaurus_music
99.5% positive
Used$289.98est. delivered
$269.99 + $19.99 shipping
Buy It Now$269.99
Our take
Vintage Reissue big box titled OP07DP, so it isn't an LM308 unit. Ships from Canada.
Seller: directmusiconline
100% positive
Used$409.43est. delivered
$379.43 + $30.00 shipping
Buy It Now$379.43
Our take
Vintage Reissue titled LM308N. Ships from Japan.
Seller: digree_japan
99.8% positive
Used$825.24est. delivered
$692.74 + $132.50 shipping
Buy It Now$692.74
Our take
The 2010 '85 Whiteface reissue, titled tested. $133 shipping from Japan.
Seller: fareastsonus
99.6% positive
Used$856.03est. delivered
$850.00 + $6.03 shipping
Buy It Now$850.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Check the seller
Titled 1984/85 Whiteface LM308N, but the seller has zero feedback. Pay only through eBay checkout.
Seller: keithdebris1
No feedback yet
![PROCO RAT Whiteface [028139]](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/YBwAAeSwizZqZxcd/s-l500.jpg)
Used$2,708.00delivered
$2,708.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$2,708.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Priced high
Whiteface, about $2,060 over the band. Ships from Japan.
Seller: ishibashimusic
100% positive
Prices change daily. The live eBay search shows everything listed now, including anything new since Oct 10, 2026.
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