Supercool Pedals The Barstow Bat

Slewy, Saturated, and Seriously Savage

From the dust-blown distortion dreams of the desert comes The Barstow Bat — Supercool Pedals’ tribute to the searing fury of the RAT, but refined, expanded, and ferociously tuned to claw into your amp’s soul. This isn't just a RAT-style distortion — it’s a high-output, EQ-flexible beast with twice the volume and attitude, custom-built for players who demand both bite and nuance.

At its core, The Barstow Bat delivers the slewy, saturated, mid-snarly filth that made the original RAT a punk, grunge, and metal legend. But Supercool didn’t stop at imitation — they elevated it. The gain section offers that classic tearing distortion, but now with the power to push your amp harder, or clean up into a gritty boost that still cuts like broken glass under moonlight.

And the EQ? It’s a secret weapon. At noon, you’re in familiar RAT territory. But start turning knobs and you can scoop the mids for a chainsaw chug, push treble for searing leads, or dial in low-end doom without mud. It’s active, it’s musical, and it’s nearly impossible to make this thing sound bad.

Want even more range? The two-stage clipping switch lets you choose your weapon:

• OUT gives you silicon diode clipping — tight, compressed, and raging with saturated grit.

• IN activates TURBO mode, swapping in LED clipping for a louder, looser distortion with fatter mids and more raw output — a nod to the infamous Turbo RAT, but even more unruly.

If you’re into tones like Kurt Cobain’s chainsaw rhythm tracks, Nels Cline’s controlled chaos, or Jeff Beck’s gnarlier moments, you’ll feel right at home on the back of The Barstow Bat.

Specs

• Main Drive Section: Inspired by RAT-style distortion; higher saturation with double the volume output

• Custom Active EQ:

  • Delivers classic RAT tone at noon

  • Wide range of tonal shaping: scoop mids, enhance treble, thicken bass

• Clipping Modes:

  • OUT: Silicon diode clipping for max distortion and saturation

  • IN (TURBO mode): LED diode clipping for more gain, midrange, and punch

• Controls:

  • Drive

  • Volume

  • Active EQ (Treble, Bass, Mid – interactive and dynamic)

  • Clipping Mode Button (OUT = Silicon / IN = LED Turbo)

• Bypass: True bypass switching

• Power: Standard 9V DC, center negative

• Current Draw: Minimal — optimized for pedalboard efficiency

• Construction: Hand-built, rugged enclosure with custom graphics

Whether you’re after velcro-smooth sustain, gnarled-out punk grit, or a snarling mid-forward lead tone, The Barstow Bat brings the claws.