MusicRadar Verdict
The heavier end of distortion from the Rat school of dirt - at a lighter price.
Pros
- +
Variety of distortion tones - crunchy to extreme saturation. Good value.
Cons
- -
Not much.
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Taking its inspiration from a Pro Co RAT, the Dark Tale's circuitry is based around a LM308 chip, but unlike the RAT's single tone knob, you get separate control over bass and treble.
"If anything, the Dark Tale can get more extreme than a RAT"
With the volume up high and the distortion down low, the Dark Tale delivers a crunchy cranked amp overdrive that many would find useful.
Advancing the distortion knob adds more harmonically-rich dirt until you get into full-on saturation with loads of sustain, albeit retaining a sharp edge and not getting mushy - definitely in rodent territory.
If anything, the Dark Tale can get more extreme than a RAT - where a RAT's Filter knob works on the treble content and retains body, the bass knob here can thin the bottom end for a leaner sound. The Dark Tale is a rodent that delivers big distortion in a small package.
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