The 1981 Inventions LVL is a low-gain overdrive pedal and the second pedal the brand has released, following the DRV. The maker calls it a "FULL-RANGE OVERDRIVER for guitar, bass, or any electronic instrument," built around a new circuit that reaches overdrive gain ranges without the higher clipping of a distortion pedal1. Where the DRV leans into distortion territory, the LVL stays in the subtle end of the gain spectrum, and the maker describes it as a device that "loves to slam low wattage amps" and interacts with every other pedal on a board1.
The circuit is a combination of light clipping and op-amp push, which the maker says gives the pedal its unique sound and gain structure1. It was a four-year development, a collaboration between Matt Hoopes of 1981 Inventions and John Snyder of Electronic Audio Experiments, with the enclosure designed by Karen Schierhorn of Big Ear Pedals1.
A low-gain, full-range overdrive
The LVL sits at the low-gain end of the drive spectrum. Hoopes told Guitar World that "it's just a lower gain overdrive, and as I was developing the circuit, I kept wanting more and more gain so that I could" play the parts of Forget and Not Slow Down, the Relient K album the pedal's later editions commemorate4. Even so, the finished pedal stays a low-gain device by design.
The "full-range" part of its name is about bass. The maker states plainly that it "works great on bass, which is what FULL-RANGE refers to," so bass players get the full fundamental of the instrument rather than a mid-focused, bass-cutting overdrive1. The same page makes broader stacking claims: the LVL "stacks with anything, makes most fuzz better if you put it after, makes most overdrives better if you put it before"1. Hoopes himself plays in Relient K, and the maker's page for the Deluxe Box Set notes he can play an entire live set with the band using only this pedal, and that the LVL is used for the intro of Be My Escape5.
The controls: LVL and VOL
The control surface is about as minimal as a drive pedal gets: two knobs, LVL and VOL3.
Guitar.com's reviewer noted that "the LVL takes minimalism even further, with just two: LVL and VOL," and found that the simple control section hides a lot of range3. Pedal of the Day made the same point: "Don't let the simple 2-knob control section fool you: you'll spend hours twisting and tweaking, finding your perfect sound"6. The chassis itself carries no model designation, just the company logo, on a box roughly two thirds as wide as the DRV3.
How it differs from the DRV
The DRV is the higher-gain, distortion-leaning sibling; the LVL is the lower-gain overdrive4. The two share a family trait: Guitar.com's reviewer found that the LVL "retains note definition as gain is wound up," calling it a trick repeated from the DRV, where that clarity at high gain was one of its hallmarks3. Physically, the LVL is the smaller pedal, at roughly two thirds the DRV's width, and it drops to two knobs where the DRV carries more3.
History and limited editions
The LVL was announced in April 2023, when Hoopes revealed it to email newsletter subscribers, and the first subscriber-only batch sold out42. The pedal was officially released on June 7, 2023, priced at $229 for that batch, with buyers advised to allow up to four weeks for shipping24. By the time of Guitar.com's review in August 2023 the price was listed at $239 / £2393. The pedal got its first demo from Josh Scott of the JHS Show on YouTube around the June release2.
Since then the LVL has appeared in a series of small runs and colorways3:
- The initial black/white drop3
- A limited edition "stormtrooper" white/black option3
- A white "no3" edition with a tri-color logo3
- A black and white "Hyperfade" pink-blue scheme3
- The Forget and Not Slow Down edition, commemorating Relient K's album, priced at £174.00 GBP and now sold out1
- A Deluxe Box Set edition, priced at £190.00 GBP, also sold out5
The Forget and Not Slow Down editions were made to order, with the maker noting he already had most components in hand, and shipped with a high quality photo print or card plus album artwork and 1981 stickers1. The Deluxe Box Set added a photo print signed by M@ and Matt, a hand-built laser-etched wooden box, a custom album-themed tote bag, and the stickers5. Both editions use the same artwork printed on a smooth powder coating, on an enclosure with a curved side on two sides and a flat side on the other two, with "Forget and Not Slow Down" and "LVL by 1981 Inventions" text on the bottom side1.
The Forget and Not Slow Down and Deluxe Box Set editions are both marked sold out on the maker's site15. 1981 Inventions pedals are released in small made-to-order batches, and the first LVL drop was offered only to email newsletter subscribers4.
What reviewers said
Guitar.com reviewed the LVL in August 2023 and rated it 10 out of 103. Reviewer Jason Mays found the pedal had more gain on tap than its low-gain billing suggests, writing that "it's remarkable just how much gain this pedal has on tap, even with the knob barely at the four o'clock position" when testing with humbuckers3. His verdict was that the LVL is a unique drive pedal that sounds great on its own but plays especially well with others, one a player might never turn off3.
That stacking strength was the review's central finding: Mays wrote that "the LVL is at its very best when accenting other dirt boxes, doing a wonderful job of accentuating and highlighting each" pedal's own tonal character3. Pedal of the Day, reviewing it in November 2023, framed it as "the culmination of a 4-year process" and echoed the range hidden inside the two knobs6.
Videos
JHS Pedals
Demos In The Dark
Ambient Endeavors
Questions
Does the 1981 Inventions LVL work on bass?
Yes. The maker describes the LVL as a full-range overdriver for guitar, bass, or any electronic instrument, and says the FULL-RANGE part of its name refers specifically to how well it works on bass. There is no bass-cutting filter in the circuit, so low notes keep their fundamental.
How is the LVL different from the 1981 Inventions DRV?
The LVL is the lower-gain pedal of the two. Designer Matt Hoopes said he kept wanting more gain while developing it so he could play the DRV's parts, but it remains a low-gain device. Its chassis is roughly two thirds as wide as the DRV, and it carries only two knobs, LVL and VOL.
Who designed the 1981 Inventions LVL circuit?
The circuit was a collaborative effort between Matt Hoopes of 1981 Inventions and John Snyder of Electronic Audio Experiments, the culmination of a four-year process. The pedal's enclosure design is by Karen Schierhorn of Big Ear Pedals.
Where can I buy a 1981 Inventions LVL?
1981 Inventions sells the LVL in small made-to-order batches through its own site, and the first drop in April 2023 was offered only to email newsletter subscribers. Several editions, including the Forget and Not Slow Down and Deluxe Box Set versions, are marked sold out.
Does the LVL stack well with fuzz pedals?
The maker says the LVL stacks with anything, makes most fuzz pedals sound better placed after them, and makes most overdrives sound better placed before them. Guitar.com's reviewer agreed, finding the LVL at its very best when accenting other dirt boxes.
Sources (6)
- Forget and Not Slow Down LVL, 1981 Inventions
- 1981 Inventions highly-anticipated LVL pedal is officially here, Guitar.com, 2023-06-07
- 1981 Inventions LVL review, Guitar.com, 2023-08-21
- 1981 Inventions debuts eagerly awaited second pedal, the LVL, Guitar World, 2023-04-20
- FANSD LVL DELUXE BOX SET LTD, 1981 Inventions
- 1981 Inventions LVL Full-Range Overdrive Preamp Boost, Pedal of the Day, 2023-11-09
