What I want right now is not a guitar. It's a RAT.
I just wrote an article about how I have five guitars.
Perhaps that is enough.
At least for now, I don't feel like I want a sixth guitar.
This is quite a healthy state of mind.
Now that I'm in my 50s, perhaps I've finally managed to keep a proper distance from material desires.
Goodbye, Great Demon of Material Desire.
Of course, that's not true at all.
What I want right now is not a guitar.
It's a RAT.
I just happened to want a distortion pedal
I've been thinking lately that I want a distortion pedal.
Writing it this way makes it sound like a very natural purchase.
I'm buying it because I need it.
It's truly healthy.
However, I already have several things in my house that provide distortion.
I have overdrives.
I have distortions.
I have fuzzes.
I even have amp simulators.
Whether inside my computer or in the real world, I have countless ways to create distortion.
So, to be precise,
it is not that "I need distortion."
It is not.
It is that "I want a new distortion."
That is it.
These two are similar, but their impact on the household budget is completely different.
The "tools of the trade" sung by Ringo Sheena
I no longer remember when I first learned the name RAT.
However, I think one of the people who made the name of the effect pedal RAT strangely memorable in Japan is Ringo Sheena.
It is "Marunouchi Sadistic."
The word "RAT" appears in the lyrics.
And not just as a piece of equipment.
As a tool of the trade.
A song where the name of an effect pedal appears in the lyrics is a strange thing when you think about it.
Ordinary people have no idea what it means.
Only those who play guitar think,
"Oh, that RAT."
That is what they think.
I was one of them.
And unfortunately, these kinds of proper nouns stick in your memory.
It is not in the category of distortion.
The name RAT remains.
I used to use a RAT a long time ago.
Actually, for me, the RAT is not an unknown effect pedal.
I used it in the past.
I used to plug a RAT into the vintage Gretsch guitar I owned at the time.
It wasn't a RAT2, but what is known as a RAT1.
This was a perfect match.
At least in my memory, it was a match.
There is a reason why I wrote "in my memory" here.
The sound of gear you used in the past gets better as the years go by.
It seems the human brain comes with a free remastering feature.
The unpleasant parts gradually fade away, and only the good parts remain.
It's like an old lover.
...I haven't had enough old lovers to say that for sure, so I don't know if this analogy is correct.
Anyway, inside me,
Gretsch and RAT go well together.
is a memory that remains.
And in my house, there is a Gretsch again.
Time has passed.
Neither the RAT nor the old Gretsch are in my possession now.
However, I recently acquired a Gretsch again.
A G5230T Jet.
It is a red Gretsch that I call Milinda.
It is not a vintage model.
It is not a high-end machine either.
But it is a proper Gretsch.
While playing this, old memories started coming back.
I wonder what would happen if I plugged in a RAT.
This kind of thinking is dangerous.
Just wondering "what would happen" is free.
But people buy effect pedals to find out the answer.
A RAT1 is, as expected, out of the question.
Then I should just buy the same RAT1 as before.
The story is simple.
It is not simple.
It is expensive.
The old RAT has, before I knew it, become a respectable vintage effect pedal.
When I was using it back then, I never imagined that my future self would be agonizing over seeing a price like this.
I should have kept it.
When talking about vintage gear, it almost always ends up here.
I wish I had kept it.
I wish I hadn't sold it.
If I could meet my younger self, there are many things I would say.
Not about life.
It would be, "Don't sell that gear."
That's it.
But I cannot go back to the past.
And right now, I don't have the luxury to spend that much money on a RAT1.
So, a realistic candidate that comes to mind is an early RAT2.
I want a RAT2 from around 1988 to 1990.
What I am aiming for right now is a RAT2 from around 1988 to 1990.
Of course, there is the current RAT2 model.
There are also tons of RAT-style effects pedals.
Pedals based on the RAT.
Pedals that have evolved from the RAT.
Pedals that allow you to switch between different eras of the RAT.
Smaller versions.
High-end versions.
Budget-friendly versions.
The more I look into it, the more I find.
The modern age is kind.
If you just want a 'RAT-like sound,' you won't have any trouble.
In fact, there are more options now than there were in the past.
And yet, here I am looking at a used RAT2.
Why is that?
Why won't a RAT clone do?
I've thought about this myself several times.
Wouldn't a RAT clone be fine?
Nowadays, there are some with excellent reputations.
If you compare them solely by sound, some might even be more convenient than the original.
They might have less noise.
The power supply might be easier to use, too.
Some even allow you to switch between multiple modes.
Some are even cheaper.
If you think about it rationally, that should be enough.
However, I probably wouldn't be satisfied.
Because it wouldn't be a RAT.
It's as blunt as that.
The sound I want and the thing I want are different.
This is the troublesome part of choosing gear.
If what I wanted was "distortion like a RAT," a clone would be fine.
In fact, a clone might even be better.
But this time, what I want is not distortion like a RAT.
It is a RAT.
A black box.
White lettering.
DISTORTION, FILTER, VOLUME.
And that name, RAT.
Having it on the floor with a cable connected from a Gretsch.
What I want is probably everything that entails.
I am not just buying the sound.
I am trying to buy the memories too.
When it comes to this, comparing specs is not very useful.
Humans do not buy things based solely on specs.
This is the same for guitars.
There are things with better performance.
There are things that are cheaper.
There are things that are more convenient.
Even so, for some reason, there are times when you just want a specific model from a specific manufacturer.
It's the same with cars, watches, or clothes, isn't it?
If we chose things based solely on rationality, perhaps half of the products in the world would be enough.
But that's not how we shop.
We buy the name.
We buy the shape.
We buy things we saw in the past.
We buy things someone else used.
And sometimes, we buy our own memories.
For me this time, I think the latter part is a big reason for wanting a RAT.
Does a 1988 RAT2 sound good because it's from 1988?
This is a point where I want to stay calm.
If I buy a 1988 RAT2, it will definitely sound better than a current model.
I cannot say such a thing.
I don't think it's superior just because it's old.
Being vintage doesn't automatically make it musical.
Since it's an old effects pedal, there will naturally be individual differences.
Parts also deteriorate.
The switch might even break.
There is no warranty like you get with a new product.
Even so, I want it.
It's a bit of a problem.
But perhaps this is fine.
You don't need to have a perfect reason for everything you want.
Of course, this isn't about buying something at the expense of your livelihood.
Within a price range you can afford.
After properly checking the market price.
And confirming the condition.
If you still want it, then you want it.
Now that I'm in my 50s, I feel like it's finally okay to admit that much.
What I want right now is not a guitar.
I have five guitars.
That is probably enough.
I wrote that just a moment ago.
And that feeling is true.
Right now, I'd rather play the guitars I already have than get a sixth one.
In particular, I want to try making all sorts of different sounds with the red Gretsch that finally came to me.
Is a RAT necessary for that?
In truth, it might not be necessary at all.
The effects pedals I have at home might be enough.
I could probably create a similar sound with an amp simulator.
A RAT clone might be cheaper.
In fact, I'm currently using a RAT clone plugin in my DAW.
Yes,
I understand all of that.
Even knowing that, I'm looking for a used RAT2.
What I want isn't a sound that's like a RAT.
It's a RAT.
Preferably from around 1988 to 1990.
I don't really care about the condition.
One that isn't too expensive.
I'm checking the used market again today to see if such a convenient unit pops up.
I have enough guitars already.
Probably.
For a while, at least.
What I want right now is not a guitar.
It's a RAT.
It seems that material desire really just changes its form.