No, the type of government used before the ratification of the Constitution was not federal. The United States had a government under the Articles of Confederation. The Articles established a weak central government with most power held by the individual states. However, it is worth noting that the term "federal" can sometimes be used interchangeably with a system of government that divides power between a central government and regional governments, which would be applicable to the current United States system under the Constitution.
