The Drunk Beaver Chernihiv Sonic Distortion is a distortion pedal built around the Maxon SD-9 Sonic Distortion circuit, released in February 2026 as Drunk Beaver's Pedal Drop #36. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson described it as "Essentially a slightly more expansive take on the Maxon / Ibanez SD-9 Sonic Distortion in a similar neon green enclosure"1. Like the original, it is a distortion pedal; the SD-9 was the "black sheep" of Maxon's 9-Series, and its maker describes it as offering "the best characteristics of transistor and op-amp circuits in one compact unit"2.
The SD-9 circuit it comes from
The Ibanez SD-9 Sonic Distortion is a hard-clipping distortion: back-to-back 1N914 diodes clip the signal to around 0.6V on both sides of the waveform, and the signal path runs from an input buffer through an adjustable gain boost, into the clipping diodes, then a tone control and a volume control with an output buffer3. GuitarPCB's build document for the circuit describes it as offering "saturated distortion perfect for screaming leads and thick rhythms"4. TONEHOME lists the Ibanez original's availability as good and its collectibility as high5.
The Chernihiv keeps that architecture but upgrades components and adds switching mods, as designer Vitalii Bobrov has done on previous Drunk Beaver releases1.
Controls
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Volume | Output level |
| Tone | Treble shaping |
| Drive | Amount of distortion |
| EQ Mod switch | Modern / Flat / Stock |
| Clipping Mod switch | Modern / LED / Stock |
The EQ and clipping mod switches are the additions that set the Chernihiv apart from the stock SD-9 layout, letting the player move between the original voicing and altered EQ and clipping options1.
Availability and price
The Chernihiv was a limited release: 30 units went up for sale on the Drunk Beaver Rocks webstore when Guitar Pedal X's article went live on 17 February 2026, priced at $150 / €150 / 559 PLN1. Guitar Pedal X noted that there was no accompanying demo video at release, pointing readers instead to demos of the source SD-9 pedal and its derivatives1.
With only 30 units made, the Chernihiv is a limited-run pedal. It sits in a line of Drunk Beaver limited drops alongside the Mykolaiv Broadcast Attack and the Druzhkivka Grunge.
Questions
What pedal is the Drunk Beaver Chernihiv Sonic Distortion based on?
It is based on the Maxon/Ibanez SD-9 Sonic Distortion. Guitar Pedal X described the Chernihiv as a slightly more expansive take on the SD-9, carrying the circuit forward in a similar neon green enclosure while upgrading key components and adding extra mods to the EQ and clipping sections.
Who designed the Drunk Beaver Chernihiv Sonic Distortion?
The pedal was designed by Vitalii Bobrov, who builds pedals under the Drunk Beaver name. Writing in Guitar Pedal X, Stefan Karlsson noted that, as with his other releases, Vitalii upgraded key components and added a couple of extra useful mods to the source circuit.
How many Chernihiv Sonic Distortion pedals were made?
The Chernihiv Sonic Distortion was released as Pedal Drop #36, a limited run of 30 units. They went up for sale on the Drunk Beaver Rocks webstore when Guitar Pedal X's article went live on 17 February 2026.
Where was the Drunk Beaver Chernihiv sold?
It was sold through the Drunk Beaver Rocks webstore. The 30-unit run was listed at $150 / €150 / 559 PLN when the pedal launched in February 2026.
What op amp does the Chernihiv Sonic Distortion use?
The Chernihiv carries a vintage SGS MC4558 op amp, with BC414B transistors in the input and output buffers, according to Guitar Pedal X's coverage of the release.
Sources (5)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-02-17
- SONIC DISTORTION (SD-9), Godlyke Distributing, Inc.
- Meteor Vintage Distortion / Ibanez® SD-9, Aion FX, 2021-10-22
- Microsoft Word, GuitarPCB, 2025-08
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME
