Virginia-based amp and stompbox specialist Hilbish Design has teamed up with stoner-rock outfit Red Fang to create the limited-edition Night Destroyer preamp pedal.
The Sunn Beta Lead - the iconic guitar amp upon which the Night Destroyer is modeled - originally launched back in the late-'70s, and was quickly adopted by doom, stoner and sludge guitarists. Nirvana's Kurt Cobain was even said to have used one during the band's Bleach era.
The Night Destroyer boasts two independent channels, each with its own level and gain controls, as well as a three-band EQ. Each channel passes through a master volume output, which can be dialed to adjust both simultaneously.
The original Sunn Beta Lead's input configuration was such that users could plug into either channel, or both at the same time. The new Night Destroyer means users can toggle between channels - or engage both together - using the footswitches.
The pedal features a line output that can be used to drive a power amp directly, and a TRS balanced output that's able to send signals directly to a mixing board. Each channel features its own output, and as Hilbish suggests, this can be used to send low-end to one cab, and high-end to another, for example.
Limited to only 150 units worldwide, the pedal is expected to ship mid-October. Its enclosure features artwork based on Red Fang's self-titled debut cover from 2009, designed by artist Aaron Draplin.
The Night Destroyer is available now for pre-order for $365. For more information, head to Hilbish Designs.
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Sam was Staff Writer at GuitarWorld.com from 2019 to 2023, and also created content for Total Guitar, Guitarist and Guitar Player. He has well over 15 years of guitar playing under his belt, as well as a degree in Music Technology (Mixing and Mastering). He's a metalhead through and through, but has a thorough appreciation for all genres of music. In his spare time, Sam creates point-of-view guitar lesson videos on YouTube under the name Sightline Guitar.
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