The 1987 Distortion is a versatile distortion pedal, part of the Rat-style circuit family, designed to offer a wider and more usable gain range than traditional distortions of this type.
It delivers a structured and musical grain, with strong definition and precise high-frequency control, while remaining usable at moderate gain settings.
Rather than focusing only on aggressive saturation, the 1987 was designed as a flexible gain tool, capable of covering both driven crunch tones and denser, more assertive distortion sounds.
Musical intent & use cases
The 1987 Distortion stands apart from traditional Rat-style distortions thanks to its significantly broader usable gain range.
Where many circuits in this family are most comfortable at higher distortion levels, the 1987 remains balanced, defined, and musical at lower gain settings.
At low to medium gain, it can be used as a gritty and articulate overdrive, capable of delivering edge-of-breakup and pushed-crunch tones — ranges that are often difficult to achieve with a classic Rat.
As the gain is increased, it transitions smoothly into a thicker and more sustained distortion, without abrupt changes or loss of clarity.
The CUT control plays a central role in shaping the pedal’s response.
It allows precise adjustment of the high-frequency content, ranging from darker and more compact tones to a more open and biting distortion, making it easy to adapt the pedal to different amplifiers, guitars, and playing contexts.
Thanks to this structure, the 1987 can function as a single gain stage, both for rhythm and lead playing, or as a primary distortion paired with a lighter overdrive.
Who this pedal is for
The 1987 Distortion is intended for guitarists looking for a versatile and controllable distortion, capable of covering multiple gain levels without being limited to heavy saturation.
It is particularly well suited to players who enjoy the character of Rat-style distortions but want a pedal that is more usable at low and mid gain, with greater nuance and control.
This is not an ultra-modern or specialized high-gain distortion, but a character tool, designed for rock, alternative, punk, hard rock, and any context where expressive and well-defined distortion is required.
Closing note
The 1987 Distortion is a Rat-family distortion reworked to provide greater versatility, control, and musicality, from articulate crunch to dense distortion, in a simple and effective format.
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