Aria Lil' RAT Distortion vs Dunlop MXR M78 Custom Modified OD, also known as the Bad Ass Modified OD
The Aria Lil' RAT Distortion and the Dunlop MXR M78 Custom Modified OD, also known as the Bad Ass Modified OD are both pedals sharing full, compressed. The Aria Lil' RAT Distortion leans crunchy and harmonically rich. The Dunlop MXR M78 Custom Modified OD, also known as the Bad Ass Modified OD leans saturated and high gain.
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Blended from circuit-archetype lineage, dynamic feel, tone-signal overlap and tone-vector distance — the tone vector itself is derived from editorial description text, not a measured acoustic signal, so this reflects how similarly the catalog copy describes the two, not a lab measurement. Shown only within a gear class, and only where there's enough evidence to be meaningful.48% — somewhat different
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Genres both listings are associated with.- Alternative Rock
- Rock
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Derived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.- full
- compressed
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Citation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.The Aria Lil RAT Distortion is the ProCo Lil RAT mini distortion pedal distributed through Aria in the UK. The ProCo Lil RAT packs the full 100-percent analog circuit of the classic ProCo RAT2 into a mini enclosure just over 2 inches wide. Controls include Distortion (gain), Filter (high-frequency rolloff), and Volume, mirroring the full-size RAT circuit and LM308-based clipping character. True bypass, rear-mounted jacks. 9V battery or standard center-negative power. The RAT circuit covers heavy crunch and saturated distortion used across rock, metal, and alternative guitar for decades.
The MXR M78 Custom Modified OD, also known as the Bad Ass Modified OD, is a vintage-voiced overdrive from MXR by Jim Dunlop based on the 1978 MXR Distortion Plus circuit with additional Tone and Filter controls added to increase tonal flexibility. The 1978 vintage Distortion Plus is known for its warm, smooth clipping character and distinctive compressed saturation that works well into an already-driven tube amplifier. The M78 extends the original circuit with front-panel EQ control that was not available on the vintage unit, allowing players to shape the midrange and frequency balance without requiring external pedals. It bridges the original vintage MXR sound with modern usability.
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Genres this gear is documented as being used in.- Metal
- Classic Rock
- Blues Rock
- crunchy
- harmonically rich
- saturated
- high gain
- mid-forward
- warm
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Occasions this gear suits — judged per model, or derived from its wattage, connectivity and category.- Busking
- Live