The Hilbish Design Night Destroyer is a limited-edition two-channel preamp pedal built by Hilbish Design in collaboration with the stoner rock band Red Fang. Released in September 2020, it takes the preamp circuits of the Sunn Beta series amplifiers that Red Fang has used throughout their career and puts them into an 8x6 heavy duty, pedal-sized enclosure12. Only 150 units were made worldwide, priced at $365, and half of the money from each pedal sold went directly to the band13.
The pedal is described as covering a wide range of ground: overdrive, distortion and fuzz tones are all available, and the two channels can be used to blend in clean tones or switch between two different drive sounds1. Its enclosure carries exclusive artwork by graphic designer Aaron Draplin, a variation of the cover art to Red Fang's self-titled debut album from 200921.
A two-channel Sunn Beta distortion preamp
The Night Destroyer's circuit is drawn from the Sunn Beta series amplifiers, the now discontinued amps Red Fang is famous for using14. Guitar.com describes it as a preamp pedal based on the Sunn Beta Lead, the amp Guitar World calls the iconic guitar amp upon which the pedal is built25, while Gearnews reports it is inspired by the preamp circuit of the Sunn Beta Bass6. Either way, the design goal was the same: the sound of those amps in a pedal.
The pedal has two identical channels that can be run independently or in parallel1. Each channel carries its own controls, and three footswitches give complete control over channel switching1. A footswitch toggles between channels or engages both together2.
For a player, that channel layout is the core of what the pedal does. You can set one channel to a clean boost and the other to full fuzz, then blend or switch between them, or stack both drives for a heavier sound. As the Premier Guitar announcement put it1:
"You can easily get overdrive, distortion, and fuzz tones out of it, and use one channel to blend in clean tones, or switch between two different drive tones"1
The controls: Drive, three-band EQ and master volume
Each channel has its own set of controls, and a master volume sits after both channels25.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive (per channel) | Controls the amount of gain, from clean boost to fuzzed out3 |
| Level (per channel) | Controls the overall level of each channel3 |
| Bass, Mid, Treble (per channel) | Three-band active EQ that can cut and boost; set to center for flat response3 |
| Master volume | Output level that both channels pass through2 |
The EQ is active rather than passive, which Premier Guitar's announcement said "allows for maximum tone sculpting"1. The Drive control on each channel goes from what the announcement calls "squeaky clean to completely fuzzed out"1.
The only controls from the original Sunn Beta amps that are missing are the independent reverb controls2. The Night Destroyer is a drive and EQ preamp, not a reverb pedal, so players wanting that part of the Beta Lead sound would need to add a reverb pedal separately.
Outputs for bi-amp, line level and DI
The output section is where the Night Destroyer goes beyond a normal drive pedal. Gearnews counts five separate outputs: CH A, CH B, INST, LINE and BALANCED6.
| Output | Level and use |
|---|---|
| INST Out | Instrument level, for "effect pedal" operation into a guitar or bass amp3 |
| Line Out | Line level, for use with a power amp, mixing board, or DI3 |
| CH A Out | Line level output for Channel A only3 |
| CH B Out | Line level output for Channel B only3 |
| Balanced Out | TRS balanced out for DI applications that require long cable runs3 |
The line output can drive a power amp directly, and the TRS balanced output can send signals straight to a mixing board25. Because each channel has its own output, Hilbish suggests using them to send your low end to one cabinet and your highs to another, a bi-amp approach2. Premier Guitar's announcement lists the independent per-channel outputs as being specifically for bi-amp rigs1.
Gearnews noted that this kind of output flexibility makes the pedal particularly useful for bassists, especially in the studio6. The input itself is an instrument level input that accepts guitar, bass, synth, or whatever other noise maker you have3.
A limited edition with Red Fang
The Night Destroyer was announced in late September 2020 and was expected to ship in mid-October of that year2. It was limited to 150 units worldwide at $365, sold directly by Hilbish Design12. Outside the United States, it could only be imported directly from the USA6.
The collaboration meant that half of the money from each pedal sold went directly to Red Fang3. The artwork, by Aaron Draplin, is a variation of the cover art of the band's 2009 self-titled debut2.
The Night Destroyer was a one-time limited edition of 150 units released in 2020. It is no longer a current product, and finding one now means the second-hand market.
Hilbish Design had form with this kind of build: earlier the company released the Sol Invictus, showing a similar multi-output preamp approach in a standard production pedal.
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Questions
How many Night Destroyer pedals were made?
The Night Destroyer was a limited edition of 150 units worldwide, released by Hilbish Design in collaboration with the band Red Fang in September 2020. It was priced at $365 and sold directly by Hilbish Design, with half of the money from each pedal going to the band.
Can the Night Destroyer run both channels at once?
Yes. Its two identical channels can be run independently or in parallel, and a footswitch lets you toggle between channels or engage both together. Running both at once lets you stack two drive settings or blend a clean channel with a distorted one.
Can I plug the Night Destroyer straight into a mixing desk?
Yes. It has a TRS balanced output that can send signals directly to a mixing board, which also suits DI applications requiring long cable runs. There is also a line level output for driving a power amp, and an instrument level output for normal effect-pedal use into a guitar or bass amp.
Does the Night Destroyer have the reverb from the Sunn Beta Lead?
No. The Night Destroyer is based on the preamp side of the Sunn Beta amps, and the independent reverb controls from the original amp are the only knobs not included. It is a drive and EQ preamp, not a reverb pedal.
Does the Night Destroyer work for bass?
Yes. Its input accepts guitar, bass, synth or any other instrument-level source, and its output flexibility, including per-channel outputs for bi-amp rigs, was noted as being particularly useful for bassists, especially in the studio.
Sources (6)
- Red Fang & Hilbish Launch Night Destroyer Preamp, Premier Guitar, 2020-09-25
- Hilbish Design puts a Sunn Beta Lead in a pedal with the Night Destroyer, Guitar.com, 2020-09-28
- Hilbish Design Red Fang Night Destroyer Distortion Preamp, Pedal of the Day, 2020-11-14
- SNK Pedals CMOSludge Sunn Beta-Style Preamp, Delicious Audio, 2021-12-13
- Hilbish Design and Red Fang cram the Sunn Beta Lead into new Night Destroyer preamp pedal, Guitar World, 2020-09-28
- Get the Red Fang sound with the new Night Destroyer EQ and distortion pedal, gearnews.com, 2020-09-28
