Dunlop MXR M104 Distortion+ vs ProCo RAT 2
The Dunlop MXR M104 Distortion+ and the ProCo RAT 2 are both pedals sharing gritty, sustaining, mid-forward. The ProCo RAT 2 leans low gain and full. Current prices: $97.11 vs $88.
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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.47% — somewhat different
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Genres both listings are associated with.- Rock
- Metal
- Hard Rock
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Derived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.- gritty
- sustaining
- mid-forward
- fuzzy
ProCo RAT 2
Proco · pedal
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Citation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.$97.11via Reverb
$88via Reverb
The MXR M104 Distortion+ is a classic, simple distortion pedal first introduced in the 1970s, famous for its warm, slightly fuzzy hard clipping distortion and just two controls, Output and Distortion. It produces a smooth, compressed, vintage distortion that ranges from gritty overdrive at lower settings to a singing, saturated lead tone when cranked. Closely associated with players like Randy Rhoads and Dave Murray, it helped define late 1970s and early 1980s hard rock and metal lead tones. Its straightforward, mid friendly voice and easy sustain make it a go to for classic rock, hard rock and players who want a no frills, characterful vintage distortion that pushes an amp into singing leads.
The ProCo RAT 2 is a classic hard-clipping distortion pedal whose circuit dates to the late 1970s, built around an LM308 op-amp and silicon diode clipping. Its three controls are Distortion, Filter, and Volume, with the distinctive Filter knob acting as a reversed tone control that runs from bright and cutting to dark and warm. Capable of far more than its name suggests, it spans gritty low-gain overdrive, thick midrange distortion, and nearly fuzz-like saturation while keeping notes present and clear even at high gain. It is a staple of punk, grunge, garage, stoner, doom, and alternative rock, and has been used by players from Jeff Beck and Thom Yorke to countless heavy and experimental guitarists. Dynamic and harmonically rich, it cleans up with guitar volume and stays articulate rather than overly compressed.
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Genres this gear is documented as being used in.- Classic Rock
- Alternative Rock
- Experimental
- Punk
- Grunge
- low gain
- full
- dynamic
- saturated
- transparent