The 1981 Inventions DRV BASS MOD V2 is a bass distortion pedal made by 1981 Inventions, hand assembled in Nashville, Tennessee1. It is one of several DRV BASS iterations the maker has released1. The maker describes it as "a high quality and unique distortion pedal in sound and design"1, and in character terms as the cleanest of all the bass iterations so far while also being one of the most aggressive1.
The DRV BASS MOD V2 is listed as sold out on the maker's product page as of 25 October 20261.
What it does to your sound
In the maker's own description, this version is "the cleanest of all bass iterations thus far, but also one of the most aggressive. It is so clear, punchy, and i[mmediate]" that the maker says it almost does not feel like a distortion, feeling more like a boost or a fuzz1. That combination of clarity and aggression is the pitch: a bass player gets grind without losing the definition of the note.
"This is the cleanest of all bass iterations thus far, but also one of the most aggressive."
The controls: Gain and Cut
The pedal keeps the control set simple, with a Gain knob and a Cut knob.
| Control | What the maker says about it |
|---|---|
| Gain | The middle range of the knob is a sweet spot, running all the way up to nearly fuzz1 |
| Cut | Sounds cool to open it all the way1 |
The maker is direct about where the interesting settings live: "I also love the middle range of the gain knob, all the way up to nearly fuzz!"1 For a player, that means the Gain knob sweeps from lighter drive territory toward fuzz-like saturation at the top, with the middle of the dial doing much of the work. The Cut knob is described in sound terms rather than technical ones, with the maker simply noting that opening it fully is worth trying1.
Colorways and enclosure
The DRV BASS MOD V2 comes in two finishes1:
- Blackout: long point black knobs on black1. The black powder coating is slightly textured and extremely durable, and the logo is slightly raised1.
- Stormtrooper: white, with dumble knobs, which the maker also calls UFO knobs1.
Power and bypass
The pedal runs on 9V standard Boss-style power1. No battery clip or power supply is included, and the maker recommends an isolated power supply1, so it is a pedal to plan around a proper supply rather than a daisy chain.
Bypass is handled by an internal switch that lets you select true bypass. The maker's note on it is unusually candid: "Internal switch to select true-bypass (almost always worse, but sometimes better!)"1 In other words, the default is not true bypass, and the maker expects the buffered setting to suit most setups, with the switch there for the cases where it does not.
How it differs from the DRV MOD 2 HYPERFADE
Both pedals are mods of the DRV circuit, but they take different routes. The DRV MOD 2 HYPERFADE uses a considerably larger input cap for more low end, which the maker calls very noticeable, and sits "somewhere between a standard circuit and the bass mod," working on bass or guitar with a middle-ground low-end frequency pass through2. It also uses a hybrid clipping section with two different diodes, a bat41 and an LED together2.
| DRV BASS MOD V2 | DRV MOD 2 HYPERFADE | |
|---|---|---|
| Power | 9V standard (Boss style)1 | 9 to 18V standard (Boss style)2 |
| Clipping | Not specified | Hybrid, bat41 and LED diodes together2 |
| Position in the range | A bass iteration of DRV1 | Between a standard circuit and the bass mod2 |
| Status | Sold out1 | Sold out2 |
The HYPERFADE's wider 9 to 18V power range gives it more headroom options than the BASS MOD V2's fixed 9V12.
Where it is built
The pedals from this batch are hand assembled in Nashville, Tennessee by Jack, AWOL, and the maker1. The related DRV MOD 2 HYPERFADE batch was hand assembled by the maker alone in Nashville2, so this is a small in-house operation.
Ordering details
When available, the maker listed the DRV BASS MOD V2 at £190.00 GBP, shipping in 1 to 2 weeks1. International shipping was a $35 USD flat rate through UPS Expedited unless otherwise requested, and EU orders are responsible for VAT taxes1.
Questions
Is the DRV BASS MOD V2 true bypass?
It has an internal switch that lets you select true bypass. The maker's own note on the product page is candid about the tradeoff, saying true bypass is almost always worse but sometimes better, so the switch is there for players who want the option rather than as a default setting.
Does the DRV BASS MOD V2 come with a power supply?
No. A battery clip or power supply is not included, and the maker recommends an isolated power supply. It runs on 9V standard Boss-style power, so it works with the center-negative 9V supplies most pedalboards already use, but you need to supply your own.
What colorways does the DRV BASS MOD V2 come in?
It comes in two colorways: Blackout and Stormtrooper. The Blackout version has long point black knobs on black, with a slightly textured and extremely durable black powder coating and a slightly raised logo. The white Stormtrooper version comes with dumble knobs, which the maker also calls UFO knobs.
What is the difference between the DRV BASS MOD V2 and the DRV MOD 2 HYPERFADE?
Both are mods of the DRV circuit, but the HYPERFADE uses a considerably larger input cap for more low end and sits between a standard circuit and the bass mod, working on bass or guitar. It also runs on 9 to 18V power instead of the BASS MOD V2's 9V, and uses a hybrid clipping section with two different diodes, a bat41 and an LED together.
Where is the DRV BASS MOD V2 built?
The pedals from this batch are hand assembled in Nashville, Tennessee by Jack, AWOL, and the maker. The related DRV MOD 2 HYPERFADE batch was hand assembled by the maker alone in Nashville, so assembly is a small in-house operation rather than outsourced production.
What does the Cut knob do on the DRV BASS MOD V2?
The maker describes the Cut knob in sound terms rather than technical ones, saying it sounds cool to open it all the way. It is one of the two main controls alongside Gain, and the maker highlights the middle range of the gain knob, all the way up to nearly fuzz, as a sweet spot worth exploring.
Sources (2)
- DRV BASS + GTR MOD LED, 1981 Inventions
- DRV MOD 2 HYPERFADE, 1981 Inventions