The Nouveau Riche by Freqscene Effects is a RAT-inspired distortion that earns its name by upgrading the classic rodent formula in a few meaningful ways. A voltage doubler in the power supply gives the circuit more headroom than a standard RAT, LED clipping diodes push it punchier when the gain climbs, and two extra controls let you sculpt the voice well beyond what the original three knobs allow.
Controls
The panel runs two rows of four knobs. Top left is Vol, top right is Gain. Below that, Freq sits on the left and Voice on the right. A three-way toggle handles the +/- bass mode, and a stomp switch bypasses the whole thing.
Vol and Gain are the familiar RAT pairing, but the two bottom knobs are where the personality lives. Freq is a post-gain filter: roll it down and the distortion gets warm and dark; open it up and the top end sharpens. Voice is a pre-gain EQ that adds sparkle and bite to the upper mids when you turn it up, or smooths the character back out when it’s low. In the demo I’ve set up sweeps for the Gain, Freq, and Voice knobs, plus a sweep for the +/- toggle, so you can hear each control’s range in context.
The +/- toggle cuts bass in one direction and adds low end in the other. The cut position tightens the guitar up and helps it sit in a dense mix; the boost position fattens things out, which is exactly why this pedal works well on bass.
How It Sounds
Five fixed presets map the Nouveau Riche across its range. Classic Rodent sets Gain at 8 and Voice at noon, which is a pushed, grind-forward distortion that keeps the mids intact. Chime & Cut dials the Gain back to 2 and turns Voice up to 8, leaning on the pre-gain sparkle rather than raw saturation. Mild Crunch is Gain at 2 again but with Freq opened up to 6 and Voice zeroed out, a cleaner crunch with a brighter, less mid-driven character. Straight Rock sits in the middle of everything: moderate Gain, Freq, and Voice, a workable all-rounder. Fat Distortion maxes out Gain and Voice together, pairing them with the bass-boost mode for the thickest, most compressed sound in the set.
The voltage doubler pays off most at high Gain settings, where a standard RAT-style circuit starts to compress and sag. Here there’s more dynamic give at the pick attack even when the gain is dimed.
Nouveau Riche vs ProCo Vintage RAT 1987
The ProCo Vintage RAT 1987 is the obvious reference point. That pedal has the chewy, pleasingly compressed character of a well-aged original, three controls, and not much else. The Nouveau Riche starts from the same circuit idea and adds headroom, LED clipping, and two extra controls. If you want the most direct, unmediated rodent sound and you’ve already found one you love, the Vintage RAT delivers it with less to think about. If you want to adapt the circuit to different guitars, amps, and roles without hunting for a boutique clone for each context, the Nouveau Riche’s Voice and Freq knobs and the +/- switch cover a lot of ground in a single box.
Who It’s For
This is a solid pick for players who love the RAT’s midrange grind but want more tonal flexibility than the stock three-knob layout offers. The Freq and Voice controls make it adaptable enough for single-coils and humbuckers without heavy amp tweaking, and the +/- switch gives bassists a genuine reason to use it too. If you already have a RAT you’re happy with and aren’t looking for more headroom or a wider palette, this probably isn’t a necessary upgrade. For everyone else, it covers crunchy low-gain territory through full-on distortion without ever getting hollow or fizzy.
Specs
Circuit: RAT-inspired distortion with voltage doubler for increased headroom
