Born as a mod of the RAT distortion circuit, the DRV by Nashville based 1981 Inventions slowly “found” its own sound during the three years it took to finalize it. The first batch of the pedal sold out pretty fast, but a second one, with a case slightly different in color, is on the horizon.
The design is a collaboration between company owner Matt Hoopes and Jon Ashley of Bondi Effects and features one distortion and one preamp boost circuit, running at 18v via an internal voltage regulator.
Matt feels like the pedal is…
“…sonically unlike anything I have ever heard, especially in the lower gain and boost settings. There is a subtlety that feels more like a vintage pedal than a modification of a classic.”
You can read more of Matt’s comments about the 1981 Inventions DRV under these videos. We added it to our article about the Best Rat-Style Distortions.
1981 Inventions DRV, Builder’s Note
A uniquely designed steel enclosure made with quality components throughout. My goal was to spare no expense. I realize that sometimes in the world of guitar gear, there isn’t always one answer in choosing the best components and designs, so I just picked my favorites. This includes Switchcraft 11 open frame jacks, and a super quiet soft touch switching system via an internal relay.
The DRV is a distortion pedal, based on another pedal with a whiteface graphic. I have been working on this project for the better part of three years, as a collaboration and with engineering by Jon Ashley of Bondi Effects. I feel that the pedal is unique in design and sonically unlike anything I have ever heard, especially in the lower gain and boost settings. There is a subtlety that feels more like a vintage pedal than a modification of a classic. There are two circuits present in the pedal, one distortion and one preamp boost, running at 18v via an internal voltage regulator. I made this pedal with the idea to create a distinction for my own sound, and what I found is that it is an extremely useful tool for capturing a lot of different types of sounds. I am most proud of the lower gain side, as I feel it is the most unique section of the pedal, but I must also include that the gain section is extremely sweet sounding throughout, especially for heavy and complex chords. There is a midrange punch that I love and a warmth and thickness that reminds me a bit of a ribbon mic. When the development of this pedal turned into something new and unique, it became the catalyst to starting 1981 Inventions, so I decided to make this the first official release.
