1981 Inventions Launches Second-Ever Pedal: LVL Full-Range Overdriver

With the many colorways and limited-edition variants of 1981 Inventions' DRV overdrive, you'd be forgiven if you thought the company had a full lineup of effects. However, that was the company's one and only pedal.

Now, the eagerly awaited sophomore effort—LVL—is officially here.


1981 Inventions LVL

From the mind of 1981 founder and Relient K guitarist Matt Hoopes, and in collaboration with the supremely talented John Snyder of Electronic Audio Experiments, the LVL is a lower gain overdrive that is decidedly "non-transparent."

As Matt describes it, the LVL is "a professional low-gain device, which achieves overdrive gain ranges with a new and unique circuit. A combination of light clipping and op-amp push gives the pedal a unique sound and gain structure. (It also works great on bass."

In fact, Matt worked on this circuit over the course of four years, while trying to perfect a tone he wanted to achieve while playing Relient K's "Forget and Not Slow Down."

He told Guitar World, "I don't know why I wanted to play that song with this pedal, but I kept tweaking it and tweaking it."

The result is a versatile OD that will no doubt help drive countless great songs well into the future.

Grab your 1981 Inventions LVL on Reverb.

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