1981 Inventions rolls out limited Third Man Hardware Black Squirrel Mod of its DRV for EarthQuaker Day

This post arrives a little late, but I tend to cover Third Man / Jack White releases - so at the very least this continues that tradition. The above pedal was specially released during the EarthQuaker Day event this Saturday just gone. Only 65 units were made, and those not sold on the day were supposed to end up on the Third Man Hardware Store - which hasn’t happened - so presumably those all sold out on the day!

Karen and Grant from BIG EAR pedals are responsible for the artwork, and this iteration of the DRV is a lot closer to a stock Rat - as the most immediate, aggressive and thick sounding DRV to-date. I’ve always considered the stock DRV as a somewhat de-fanged / milder take on a Rat Distortion - bringing it closer to hard-clipper overdrive territory.

The artwork is inspired by Northeast Ohio’s black squirrels, Northeast Ohio also being where EarthQuaker’s HQ - Akron is situated.

I personally have just landed a killer superior rat distortion in the form of the latest NRG Effects Gnawer - first of the 2026 Editions. So I don’t feel like I’ve missed out here! For those in Akron on the day - this Black Squirrel DRV would have served as the most excellent souvenir for the day - I’m sure it made a lot of people happy.

Only 65 were made, priced @ $279 - and as I said - well worth picking one up on the day for those who attended EarthQuaker Day.

Somewhat moot for us Europeans - who have slim-to-no-chance of getting their hands on one of those.

A very cool variant though - really like the artwork on this one! There’s a tonne of extra low-end on this variant too - which means bass-heads and bass players should really enjoy it!

I can’t see any accompanying video or sound samples for this release - will off course updated this feature if one materialises.

In the meantime - for just in case - you can keep checking the Third Man Hardware Store in case there actually were some left-overs.