ACT Entertainment is North America’s leading supplier of the entertainment industry’s principal sound, lighting and video technologies to professionals across multiple end markets.
ACT Entertainment’s iconic RAT brand has unveiled the Sterling Vermin, a boutique distortion guitar pedal that blends heritage tone with modern refinement. With a new take on RAT’s unmistakable sound, Sterling Vermin delivers a new level of precision and versatility.
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“The Sterling Vermin was born from a desire for something different — something refined, with the soul of a traditional RAT pedal, but with a voice all its own,” says Shawn Wells, Market Manager—Sound, ACT Entertainment, who designed the pedal along with his colleague Matt Gates.
“Built in small batches and hand-soldered in ACT’s Jackson, Missouri headquarters, the Sterling Vermin is a work of pure beauty that honours the brand legacy while taking a bold step forward for creativity.”
The Sterling Vermin features the LM741 Op-Amp and a pair of selectable clipping diodes. Players can toggle between the traditional RAT silicon diode configuration for a punchy, mid-range bite, or the BAT41 option for a smoother, more balanced response. The result is a pedal that’s equally at home delivering snarling distortion or articulate, low-gain overdrive, with a wide, usable tonal range throughout the entire gain spectrum.
“From low-gain tones reminiscent of a Klon or Bluesbreaker, to high-gain settings that flirt with Big Muff territory—yet stay tight and controlled—the Sterling Vermin is a masterclass in dynamic distortion,” says Gates, an ACT Entertainment Sales Representative. “With premium components, deliberate design and a focus on feel, the Sterling Vermin is more than a pedal, it’s a new chapter for RAT.”
For more info, keep reading about the RAT at ACT Entertainment.
