The Beetronics Overhive Mid-Gain Overdrive Limited Edition Babee Blue is a limited edition finish of the Beetronics Overhive, a medium gain overdrive pedal. Beetronics describes the Overhive as "an extremely versatile medium gain overdrive" whose "round and warm tone respects your amp, enhancing it's best qualities while dynamically reacting to your playing"1. In the maker's words, the pedal is punchy and direct, with a warm musical break up and singing sustain1.
The Babee Blue version is a limited edition run of the same circuit in a blue finish, listed at a regular price of £177.00 GBP on the maker's store1. As of October 2026 it is sold out1.
The Babee Blue edition is sold out at Beetronics, and the pedal does not include a power supply. It requires a 9V DC center negative supply, which you must supply separately1.
What it does
The Overhive sits in the middle of the gain range: more than a clean boost, less than a full distortion. Beetronics positions it as an amp-friendly overdrive, one that works with the amplifier's own character rather than replacing it. The maker's Custom Shop description of the same circuit calls it "a versatile, medium-gain overdrive that enhances your amp's natural character with warmth, clarity, and just the right amount of bite"3.
Because the drive is medium gain and dynamically responsive, the breakup point shifts with how hard you play: Beetronics says the pedal reacts dynamically to your playing, so lighter picking stays cleaner and harder digging pushes into break up1. The Honey control is built around this behavior, as covered below.
The controls: Honey, Body and Hive
The pedal has three knobs and two switches. The knobs are a tone control and master volume, plus the Honey control, which you roll down for a smooth crunch or up for a smooth and dynamic drive where your hands dictate the breakup. The two switches are the Hive switch, which can make you sound bigger and fatter, or tighter and thinner, and the Body switch, which is useful when switching guitars on a set or for adding a low end boost1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Honey | The drive control. Rolled down it gives a smooth crunch; rolled up the drive stays smooth and dynamic, with your hands dictating the breakup1 |
| Tone | A tone control for shaping the overall brightness1 |
| Volume | Master volume for setting the pedal's output level1 |
| Hive switch | Makes you sound bigger and fatter, or tighter and thinner1 |
| Body switch | Adds a low end boost; useful when switching guitars during a set1 |
The Honey control is the heart of the pedal. Beetronics' own phrasing is that it "just adds the sugar": roll it down for a nice and smooth crunch, or roll it up for a smooth and dynamic drive where your hands dictate the breakup1. That last part is the practical point: at higher Honey settings the pedal does not clamp down on your dynamics, so the breakup follows your attack rather than the knob position.
The two switches work as a pair. The Hive switch sets the overall character, bigger and fatter on one side, tighter and thinner on the other1. The Body switch boosts the low end, which Beetronics suggests is handy when you switch guitars during a set and one instrument comes up thinner than the other, or when you simply want more bottom1. The Custom Shop Beet Skull page for the Overhive confirms the same function: the Body switch boosts low end4.
Limited editions: Babee Blue, Blackbee and Custom Shop
Beetronics has released the Overhive circuit in several finishes beyond the standard pedal. The Babee Blue edition covered here is one of them, and the maker's site also lists a Blackbee edition with the same controls and the same sold out status as of October 20262. Both editions share the identical control set: Honey, tone and master volume, plus the Hive and Body switches12.
Beyond named editions, Beetronics also builds Custom Shop Overhive units, individually finished one-offs with their own serial numbers. One example listed by the maker is the Overhive Mid-Gain OD Custom Shop OV1451, described as a versatile medium-gain overdrive that enhances the amp's natural character3. Another is the Custom Shop Beet Skull version4. Custom Shop units appear on the maker's site as they are built, so what is available changes over time.
If you are looking for an Overhive today, the Babee Blue and Blackbee editions are both sold out12, and the standard Beetronics Overhive or a Custom Shop unit would be the routes to the same circuit.
Size, weight and power
The Overhive is a compact but not miniature pedal. The bare enclosure measures 5.5" x 3.25" x 2", growing to 5.5" x 3.5" x 2.75" once knobs and switches are included1. It weighs 1 lb (0.5 kilos), and the packaged pedal comes in at 1 lb 8 oz (0.75 kilos) in a box measuring 6.75" x 5.25" x 3.25"1.
Power comes from a 9V DC center negative supply, and the pedal does not ship with one1. Any standard center negative 9V pedal supply with the right current capacity will work; the maker does not list a current draw figure for the pedal.
Questions
What does the Hive switch do on the Overhive?
According to Beetronics, the Hive switch changes the character of the drive: one setting makes you sound bigger and fatter, the other tighter and thinner. It sits alongside the Body switch, which adds a low end boost, so the two switches together let you reshape the pedal's size and low end without touching the knobs.
Is the Overhive Babee Blue still available?
No. The Babee Blue limited edition is listed as sold out on the Beetronics product page as of October 2026. The Blackbee edition of the Overhive is also sold out. Custom Shop Overhive units have appeared on the maker's site, but availability of any specific finish varies.
Does the Beetronics Overhive come with a power supply?
No. Beetronics states that the Overhive Babee Blue does not include a power supply. The pedal requires a 9V DC center negative supply, which you need to supply separately. The Blackbee edition is likewise listed without a power supply.
How big is the Beetronics Overhive?
The enclosure measures 5.5 by 3.25 by 2 inches, and the pedal is 5.5 by 3.5 by 2.75 inches including knobs and switches. It weighs 1 lb (0.5 kilos), and the packaged pedal weighs 1 lb 8 oz (0.75 kilos) in a 6.75 by 5.25 by 3.25 inch box.
Sources (4)
- Overhive Mid-Gain Od Limited Edition Babee Blue, Beetronics (beetronicsfx.com)
- Overhive Mid-Gain Overdrive The Blackbee Edition, Beetronics (www.beetronicsfx.com)
- Overhive Mid-Gain OD Custom Shop OV1451, Beetronics
- Overhive Mid-Gain OD • Custom Shop • 8-Beet Skull, Beetronics
