Definitive Honey Bee history of circuit revisions

[colourtones]

So all pedals were tested at 12v using a Yamaha Lord Player(les paul) and a Philip Kubicki Telecaster. The pedals were run through a variety of settings on both guitars starting with nature and drive knobs full ccw, incrementally increasing volume, then nature, then gain at a wide variety of settings.

We began with the bf #483. This pedal had the most gain and brightest(still warm)eq of them all. Considering the trim pot on the deluxe was only tested in the full ccw position, the bearfoot was the rockiest standing on its own. From there the Deluxe next had more clean head room, thicker bass eq and smoother od. The BPB was never engaged but the wonderful buffer probably contributed to the overall smooth increased clarity. Next came bjfe #173. Really the middle of the road all the way. Warm bass thump, moderate but gain starting clean to pleasingly aggressive and nice headroom. Classic hbod v1 tones here. That brings me to my, from memory, recollection of the first hb I owned #133. I remember this one having slightly less gain than the previous 3 and a touch more bass. My favorite sound/feel out of those tested to this point by subtle shades. Ultimately we tested #93. This is the warmest, darkest and least gainy/grainy bee I have played. Probably a touch more cleanish headroom. The biggest difference is the overall eq range of the nature knob. It starts with a lower overall bass mids ccw and progresses to the lower part of the upper mids cw. Although it is not as wide, I prefer the ability to adjust this sweet part of the eq range. This early one has a special mid low punch not found in the latter ones. I suppose I will consider this one (as well as the rest of 6-99) part of v.75 and the first 5 v.5. I am especially interested in checking out one of the first 5.

Not sure still if there were specific #s where circuit changes were made, but my experience of generalization is as the #s increase so does the gain , ,brightness and upper range of the nature knob. I hope this helps anyone interested in these pedals. You cannot go wrong with any of them. They all sound great! It is only a matter of how you want to use them and what your tonal preferences are.

[thiscalltoarms]

By your description my HB#144 is probably in line with your recollection of #133, but I suppose it could be batched with #173. Its definitely a bit lower gain and less bright than the 400+ model I owned but not as muffled as the sub #40 models that I have tried. My #144 is the ultimate HBOD in my mind. I've tried lots of others, but mine, just, well..

[colourtones]

thiscalltoarms-
I am certain that #133 was a bit darker, yet smoother and tighter than #173. #93 is darker and smoother than #133 but looser. I would bet your #144 is very like #133. The strange thing is I hear people say is they find their deluxes to be brighter than the v1. This is not the case with my #36(2nd run). With the trim pot all the way down ccw it is almost identical in sound to my #133! I am beginning to think there may may be differences in the eqs of the various deluxes as well. Anyway, thanks for contributing. I find the development, variation and history of this amazing circuit to be highly interesting. I want to hear more people share their hb and hb dlx experiences by serial #!

[musicsoma]

I have had quite a few HBODs, but for the sake of this discussion, I will compare #68 and #71. Both are very similar as to be expected by the proximity of build. Visually 68 has more of a burst type finish, and 71 has the honey bee dance "swirls" which leads me to believe there were two different batch builds somewhere between the two.

My experience with both is similar to your descrption of the sub-100 Bees... dark, smooth, warm, and loose. They do have more headroom before breaking up. 71 and 68 are my two favorite Bees. I seem to remember Donner mentioning that, becasue of parts variance, if you find a Bee you love, keep it, as another may not quite sound the same. This era of Bees seems to have a bit more warmth and clarity. I don't know how else to describe it other than there seems to be amazing string separation. I use the Honey Bee more like an EQ at the end of my drives. I turn the Nature knob to around 8:30 with the gain set just before breakup. I then stack my other drives (primarily my beloved BBOD v1) with high treble settings. This gives me the cut in a live mix while still retaining a nice full bottom end. The result is a massive sound. For obvious reason, this tends to be more of a scooped sound but can be rounded out using a drive with a bit more mid hump (i.e. Sweet Honey or a Purple Humper).

As a side note, I have been playing Bjorn's dirt pedals almost exclusively for the past three years. With so many new overdrives on the market by other builders, I decided to take a BJFE sabbatical to explore some of the other options out there. I work with a lot of young musicians who work with a very limited budget, so it was important to find some inexpensive alternatives. After going through nearly every new dirt pedal I could find, there is absolutely NOTHING out there that beats the BJFE, Mad Professor, and Bearfoot line. The tone, clarity, and dynamic or Bjorn's work is unsurpassed. The beauty of the Mad Professor and Bearfoot line is exactly what many of us have hoped for: Bjorn's magic available for the masses.

We have many new forum members here, and if you are looking for a low budget way to experience this, my highest recommendations would be a Bearfoot Model G, Mad Professor Sweet Honey, and Little Green Wonder. You simply won't find better pedals out there.

[rockeroo]

Agreed. My HBOD is very dark and loose. It does not break-up as soon as my current issue one did. With that said, find the pedals you like and keep them -- AND PLAY THEM! It is easy to get caught up in hype, marketing and what's popular. Choose to get caught up in what your ear finds pleasing.

As for Mike's suggestion regarding the overdrive availability, I completely agree. The marketplace is filled with suitable pedals, but I have not found any that satisfy in the way BJFE, BF and MP do. They are tasty, fun, articulate, dynamic and worth every penny. Instead of searching for a new dirt box, I have more time playing and being inspired by the wide array of tones available through my Bjorn-collection. I am very proud of Bjorn's (and Donner's) efforts in spreading his vision to the masses at affordable prices, while staying true to the essence of his designs.

I am constantly in awe of the tones coming out of my amp -- if only my playing could complement them!

Cheers.

[musicsoma]

I am very proud of Bjorn's (and Donner's) efforts in spreading his vision to the masses at affordable prices, while staying true to the essence of his designs.

I am constantly in awe of the tones coming out of my amp -- if only my playing could complement them!

Cheers.

I couldn't agree more! Bjorn and Donner, we again thank you for inspiring us and designing the tools to further our creativity. It is amazing that you guys have electronically designed the sounds I hear in my head. I am so grateful!

[colourtones]

I have been having a great time with HB #93 on my board. It sounds amazing on its own as well as with every other drive(I have tried) stacked into it. Single coils, humbuckers, solidbodies, semi hollows and fully hollow archtops all keep their characteristics intact because the HB responds to the players dynamics precisely regardless of settings.

[Donner]

...thanks alot folks - lots to agree with here ..... and yes Im still just Bjorns biggest fan

Parts tolerance can easily make a 5-10% difference in pedals made an hour apart right next to each other.... yes if you find the one that fits your ear,rig and playing ~ keep it.
I personally test every single BearFoot pedal 3 at a time on a little board thru a guitar and amp, and to pass, they will all have the same sweet spots but the knobs might be in a slightly different place ....

From the beginning there has been a slight intentional drift to a 'more' sound .. the first Bees were more flavor and color boosts than dirt machines..... it is the great stackmaster of the universe

but there has also been a constant request for a Bee that didnt need to be stacked ---- and so a little more/ easier dirt and a little more treble have become the norm ....

[colourtones]

Bingo Don! You said it perfectly.
Earlier= more profound color/flavor, less gain
Later= more subtle color/flavor, more gain
Bjorns concept of the early bee brought a warm colored , light gained overdrive that did not exist. The gradual refining of the overall sound with the torch passing to bearfoot is the natural progression of the circuit. or alignment of the stars if you will.
What more would you expect out of the "stackmaster of the universe" Or SMUOD!

[colourtones]

or is it SMOTUOD?