Honey Bee Deluxe

[Donner]

Can Bjorn make a regular HBOD with the trimmer? I don't have room for a deluxe, but with Strats having the more gain option would be very nice!

No I wanted the same thing

the 'trimmer in this case isnt just a variable for a parameter like the EGDMs ... it actually controls a unique predrive gain stage that takes up additional circuitry space .... and then the BPB after is post drive boost ...

so you could say the HBD is really 2 1/2 pedals and the HB just barely fits in its case now - the extra 1/2 is too much ... ..... for now

[colourtones]

Wonder if the users of the Honey Bee Deluxe find they typically keep the BPB side of the pedal on?

I run my HBOD into an always-on Catalinbread Super-Chili Picoso, usually set to unity gain, to add a nice presence boost. Does the DeLuxe perform similarly?

I usually keep the bpb side on all the time. Im running around 10-12 in the chain and the helps out with my clean sound too. I dont necessarily use it just to boost the HB for solos.

not sure how it compare to the ChiliPicoso never having owned one,,but I find even with the level set all the way down the BPB stand alone unit gives me a slight boost in vol. when on,,, where as the BPB in the HBDel I can dial in below the unity volume level.

Just got my HBOD Deluxe a few days ago. I have run it through the paces maybe 4 times for 1 hour each session. I also have a Buster Jangle which has the ChiliPicoso boost. Now the ChiliPicoso is a very nice clean boost. Super nice. The BPB side of the HB DLX has a pinnacle quality that is far and away the most organic, evenly EQ'd and ultra smooth boost I have ever heard period. Now I also have an original gold, centaur logo'd Klon that I love for what it does. There is nothing quite like the Klon. But make no mistake, it has a mid hump. A beautiful one, but one all the same. None of that to be found in the BPB. Just truly a bigger version of what you put in very even across the board. Plus there is something sweet about it I cannot at this time even describe in words. You just have to hear it.

So a few words about the HB side of the deluxe pedal. This HB has more headroom, is brighter and rocks harder from the lowest settings than my regular HB. It is still the loose Bee OD yet louder, more aggressive and more high end. I love the sound yet for my personal taste I prefer the darker, smoother, less gainy tone and gain structure of the original. I like the volume increase of the DLX considerably more. I know that in the nature of all hand made pedals there is variance from one to the other within the same model. My HBOD DLX picks up at about the top 75% of the EQ and gain of my original HB #133. In my opinion, the extra headroom and sheer volume of the deluxe is brilliant. I do wish I could have the EQ darkened up. I also wish the gain level was brought to the early original HB retaining the internal trim pot to get the drive up maybe half over the top parameter of the deluxe circuit now. This may seem excessively picky. My reasoning is two fold: 1. From a tonal perspective when I want to brighten, tighten and drive the original HB circuit I used the Donner suggested stack of the EGDM run at 18 volts with glorious results. All the gain, top end and muscle I would ever need on tap. 2. From a real estate and financial perspective. I can't just run every single conceivable stack in one live rig.(or own every pedal under the sun)
Right now my setup is:
one of many humbucker and single coil equipped guitars>EGDM@18v>HB@12v>HBDLX@12v>SIB BLUE ECHODRIVE> KLON>ONE OF MANY TUBE/SOLID STATE Amplifiers.
My hope is that BJ will be able to mod my HBOD DLX and that I can eliminate the HBOD from the chain. I realize many may not share my sonic opinion and make no mistake I totally dig the HBOD DLX. It kills deader than a door nail. For a player whose primary style interest are jazz/fusion the original HBOD with it's low gain and dark EQ does something no other BJFE pedal does. To my ears the DLX still has the Bee feel yet with enough more bite, bright and aggression to get further away from the original and closer to DRD land. Which is a whole other fantastic story. Who knows. Maybe I just need to have someone sell me a SYOD v2. Thoughts?

[melodichaotic]

Congrats CT,the Deluxe Bee does indeed rock hard(or not if you want it to)...the extra brightness you're hearing is because of the buffer in the BPB since that side of the pedal, because of the buffer, is not true bypass
.
Understand the pedal board real estate thing, but before you think of modding, play around with it more as you JUST got it, AND, yes, you answered your own question...every Bee is different, so as well, dig it for what it is(and the EGDM stack).

I have TWO Deluxe Bee's because they're that good, and I've had my first one for over a year and 1/2, and still IMO it needs nothing.

If you want it darker, run the Nature closer to the CCW side as you know, and play around with the trim pot and how it affects not only the gain, but the range of the drive knob, and where the compression kicks in at higher settings.
Also, if you want darker, maybe think about getting a SBEQ

And yes, I completely agree, the BPB booster is TREMENDOUS...my favorite booster period because of how well it works as an enhancer, and the higher setting boosting qualities that command what you run it into to give up the goods, with little added noise for what you're getting to boot! The best...I had a Gold Klon Centaur years ago..sold it..cool for what it does, but $600-$1000 aftermarket price?!? Uhhmmmm.......no.

[colourtones]

Congrats CT,the Deluxe Bee does indeed rock hard(or not if you want it to)...the extra brightness you're hearing is because of the buffer in the BPB since that side of the pedal, because of the buffer, is not true bypass
.
Understand the pedal board real estate thing, but before you think of modding, play around with it more as you JUST got it, AND, yes, you answered your own question...every Bee is different, so as well, dig it for what it is(and the EGDM stack).

I have TWO Deluxe Bee's because they're that good, and I've had my first one for over a year and 1/2, and still IMO it needs nothing.

If you want it darker, run the Nature closer to the CCW side as you know, and play around with the trim pot and how it affects not only the gain, but the range of the drive knob, and where the compression kicks in at higher settings.
Also, if you want darker, maybe think about getting a SBEQ

And yes, I completely agree, the BPB booster is TREMENDOUS...my favorite booster period because of how well it works as an enhancer, and the higher setting boosting qualities that command what you run it into to give up the goods, with little added noise for what you're getting to boot! The best...I had a Gold Klon Centaur years ago..sold it..cool for what it does, but $600-$1000 aftermarket price?!? Uhhmmmm.......no.

MC. I appreciate your words. I need to experiment more. I do need to mess more with the nature for sure. In addition, I need to experiment with the internal trim pot. Finally, there are always the volume and tone controls on any guitar I am using and onboard sculpting may be a utility I am not exploiting enough to get the desired results I am looking for. Soon I will do more with all of these concepts and report back. The SBEQ has been on my wish list for a while and I have wondered...... is there a point I take the money and run on the Klon? But enough about that. HBOD DLX w/ BPB. Holy Moly.

[colourtones]

Congrats CT,the Deluxe Bee does indeed rock hard(or not if you want it to)...the extra brightness you're hearing is because of the buffer in the BPB since that side of the pedal, because of the buffer, is not true bypass
.
Understand the pedal board real estate thing, but before you think of modding, play around with it more as you JUST got it, AND, yes, you answered your own question...every Bee is different, so as well, dig it for what it is(and the EGDM stack).

I have TWO Deluxe Bee's because they're that good, and I've had my first one for over a year and 1/2, and still IMO it needs nothing.

If you want it darker, run the Nature closer to the CCW side as you know, and play around with the trim pot and how it affects not only the gain, but the range of the drive knob, and where the compression kicks in at higher settings.
Also, if you want darker, maybe think about getting a SBEQ

And yes, I completely agree, the BPB booster is TREMENDOUS...my favorite booster period because of how well it works as an enhancer, and the higher setting boosting qualities that command what you run it into to give up the goods, with little added noise for what you're getting to boot! The best...I had a Gold Klon Centaur years ago..sold it..cool for what it does, but $600-$1000 aftermarket price?!? Uhhmmmm.......no.

User error alert. My HBOD Deluxe shipped with the trim pot adjusted all the way clockwise! Everything I read said the pedal shipped with the trim pot adjusted all the way counterclockwise. After readjusting to taste this is the most amazing BJFE I have experienced. I have not had long to try it out adjusted but right away, once the trim pot was dialed in, I had the sweetest HB tone with increased volume and(with the properly adjusted trim) much wider EQ possibilities! This does not even take into consideration the lift, with and without the HB engaged, the BPB gives the whole package. This pedal exceeds my expectations, was completely worth the wait and needs to be thoroughly tested. I will take time this weekend to run it through the paces in my rig(with the EGDM in front of it as well) and give a full report.
Stay tuned.