Honey Bee...What Comes Close?

[KDSI44]

hey everyone, i am wanting to know if there is a pedal similar to a honey bee.....i used to own one, and i miss it so much.....but i was thinking of picking something else up....so...what comes close?

thanks, patrick

 

[leumasjames]

I was able to get really close with my Ethos. However, I was stupid and didn't write down the setting before I sold my HBOD.

:NUTS

I've found the high cut knob on the side to be very useful in getting an array of different tones.

 

[erksin]

IMO - nothing.

That Nature knob and the inherent dynamic qualities are unlike anything else I've tried.

 

[The Whiz]

IMO - nothing.

That Nature knob and the inherent dynamic qualities are unlike anything else I've tried.

Great...and they're next to impossible to find now...and you pay through the nose.

 

[erksin]

Great...and they're next to impossible to find now...and you pay through the nose.

Yeah, kinda sucks.

 

[stratofied]

IMO - nothing.

That Nature knob and the inherent dynamic qualities are unlike anything else I've tried.

I agree. If you want that tone you'll have to pay for it. Quite different than anything else I've found.

 

[Ben C.]

While it's a little different, I found that a Box of Rock can be used for the same application. It's warm, full, dynamic, and used as a low gain pedal I preferred it to the Honey Bee. The HB is a little more boxy and the gain a little more fuzz-like than the BoR. Note that on earlier versions of the HB, the "Drive" knob was labeled "Fuzz".

-Ben

 

[BluesHarp]

Saw one sell on TGP for $390.. and thats cheap... it went fast too.

I want one to compare to my burst Eternity...

 

[rewog]

IMO - nothing.

That Nature knob and the inherent dynamic qualities are unlike anything else I've tried.

IMO, I agree with Erksin's HO.
Nothing else like it...

 

[thiscalltoarms]

when i play crap crap bars sometimes i tweak a keeley bd2 and get it close... after a few drinks... if you are really conservative with the tone knob...


i prefer not to take my babies into scummy bars... fulldrive into keeley bd2- leave the Zen and HBOD at home...

 

[rewog]

when i play crap crap bars sometimes i tweak a keeley bd2 and get it close... after a few drinks... if you are really conservative with the tone knob...

i prefer not to take my babies into scummy bars... fulldrive into keeley bd2- leave the Zen and HBOD at home...

How many drinks are we talkin' ? ....

 

[thiscalltoarms]

just enough to loosen up a bit and fudge on the picking dynamics- which no other pedal does like a bjf. the tone knob on keeley's can get you ballpark for a few select settings, but the nature knob is unique for sure. that fizziness of the honey bee is there on the bd2 though. hmmm. theres the missing compression on the bd2 also.

its not really ideal, but it will make do on occasion. basically its cheaper and sounds ballpark gritty overdrive and with keeley its more bass conscious and tonally, but lacks some of syrup-y compression of hbod. dynamics are decent, but having any pedal company try to compete with the mad prof's picking dynamics is madness itself.

 

[jazzandmetal?]

I tried to sell one here for $350 a few weeks ago and had 0 takers. Gone now, but I tried. Nothing sounds like the HB....except a cranked tweed amp. My fender champ turned all the way up sounds just like one.

 

[Teahead]

I'm with erksin and rewog, the Honey Bee has a character all of it's own. There is the Supreux kit or something I've seen mentioned, also gets that small, congested amp thing apparently, but BJ has looked at that and the idea behind it isn't related to the HB at all in his words.

 

[BmoreTele]

My fender champ turned all the way up sounds just like one.

BINGO!

This may sound blasphemous, but why not get a Vibro Champ XD for $250 and mic it?

 

[leodiditright]

just enough to loosen up a bit and fudge on the picking dynamics- which no other pedal does like a bjf. the tone knob on keeley's can get you ballpark for a few select settings, but the nature knob is unique for sure. that fizziness of the honey bee is there on the bd2 though. hmmm. theres the missing compression on the bd2 also.

its not really ideal, but it will make do on occasion. basically its cheaper and sounds ballpark gritty overdrive and with keeley its more bass conscious and tonally, but lacks some of syrup-y compression of hbod. dynamics are decent, but having any pedal company try to compete with the mad prof's picking dynamics is madness itself.

Lovepedal can compete with BJF in term of dynamics, the Woodrow for example has unbelievable dynamics, but does not sound like the Honey Bee. The Lo Driver is closer to the Bee.
Just my 2 cents of €

 

[erksin]

Nothing sounds like the HB....except a cranked tweed amp. My fender champ turned all the way up sounds just like one.

Well maybe I'm the exception (though I think DonneR holds the same opinion), but through my rig the HBOD sounds like a big '60s Ampeg V-4. I never understood the whole 'sounds like a cranked Supro/tweed/whatever' comments myself - unless you're cranking the gain on it or something.

 

[BluesHarp]

The sound is based off a old supro, huh?

How does the greer relic drive compare? ( never tried either )

 

[emjee]

As an owner for just a couple weeks now, I have to agree with T-Head, rewog, erskin. I have owned many, MANY OD pedals in the last ten years, and there is just NOTHING like this pedal. It has a smooth warmth to it, not a bit of harshness. A very round sound, with oomph.
The Nature knob is the secret to this pedal. I truly do hate to use this term, but to me it has a tone somewhat reminescent of an amp made by
a guy whose name rythyms with "Humble". JMHO.

MG

 

[the_Chris]

With the Honey Bee being so popular, why not just make it as a standard production Mad Professor pedal??? Seems like it would be a no brainer to me. I don't buy the "it takes extra magic so it has to be custom shop" garbage. Make it available and it'll be sure to sell well, especially if it's priced alongside the other Mad Professor pedals.