Beetronics Royal Jelly Limited Edition Black Pinky

The Royal Jelly Limited Edition Black Pinky is a colorway of Beetronics' Royal Jelly, an overdrive/fuzz blender pedal. Beetronics describes it as a pedal that "can cover any ground from overdrive to fuzz, running two circuits in parallel and giving you the possibility of blending it or having them separately"¹. In other words, instead of stacking an overdrive into a fuzz, the Royal Jelly runs both circuits side by side and lets you set how much of each you hear, from all overdrive to all fuzz to any mix of the two.

The Black Pinky is a limited edition finish, and it is listed as sold out on Beetronics' product page¹. The circuit and controls are the same as the standard Royal Jelly; what sets it apart is the paint.

Overdrive and fuzz in parallel, blendable or separate

Most overdrive and fuzz pedals chain one into the other, which can smear the character of each. The Royal Jelly takes the parallel route: the overdrive and fuzz circuits run at the same time, and a blend control sets the balance between them. Beetronics says the pedal "can cover any ground from overdrive to fuzz"¹, which for a player means one box can sit anywhere on that spectrum, from a light drive edge to a full fuzz face, without rewiring the board.

The parallel design also opens up the middle ground, the mixes where a portion of overdrive tightens the fuzz or a portion of fuzz adds hair to the drive. You can also run either circuit on its own, so the pedal can stand in for a dedicated overdrive or fuzz pedal when you want it to¹²³.

A further feature is a dry blend. Beetronics notes that "it's also possible to blend in your dry signal, a great feature for bass, drums and synths or any studio use"¹. Mixing in the untouched signal keeps the low end and attack of the source intact, which matters most for bass players, where a fuzz on its own can thin out the fundament.

The controls and the Queen and King presets

The Royal Jelly's signature feature is its two blend presets, named Queen and King. Beetronics describes them plainly: "It also has two presets of the blend, called Queen and King"¹. Each preset stores its own balance of overdrive and fuzz, and switching between them gives you two distinct sounds from one pedal.

The maker also points to how the presets behave in transition: "The presets allow you not only to have two different sounds on the fly, but also make for a very natural transition betw"¹ (the product page text cuts off mid-sentence). The idea is that moving between the two blends, by mixing the overdrive and fuzz levels, sounds like one sound evolving into another rather than an abrupt patch change.

For a live player, two stored blends means a verse tone and a chorus tone, or a rhythm mix and a lead mix, available from the same pedal without bending down mid-song¹⁴⁵.

Power, size and what is in the box

The Black Pinky requires a 9V DC power supply with a center negative plug, the common standard for modern pedals¹. No power supply is included, so you need your own 9V DC center negative unit or a pedalboard power supply with the right polarity¹.

The pedal measures 6-1/8" x 5-1/16" x 2-3/4" and weighs 2 lbs (1 kg); the shipping package is 7-1/2" x 6-1/4" x 3-1/4" at 2.5 lbs (1.25 kg)¹. That footprint is on the larger side for a single-effect pedal, so plan board space accordingly.

Beetronics builds the Royal Jelly by hand in California¹ and backs it with a 14-day money back guarantee it calls the Hive Happiness Guarantee¹. The company's returns note says that on a return "there might be a modest restocking fee of 15%, or the possibility of receiving store credit instead" if the product shows wear or is missing accessories¹.

Limited editions in the Royal Series

The Black Pinky is one of many limited edition finishes Beetronics has released for the Royal Jelly, a practice the company carries across its lineup. Each limited edition carries the same overdrive/fuzz blender circuit, Queen and King presets, 9V DC center negative power requirement and hand-made-in-California build, differing in finish and, in some cases, run size⁵⁶.

Named Royal Jelly limited editions include:

The "Wonka" edition stands out for its run size: Beetronics lists it as a 5-piece edition¹³, among the smallest runs in the series. Other editions, like the Valentine Limited Edition and the 4th Limited Edition, belong to what Beetronics calls the Royal Series¹⁵¹⁶.

Because these are limited runs, most sell out and are not restocked. Players wanting the Royal Jelly circuit today are best served by the standard Royal Jelly and its OD/Fuzz pages, or by watching for whatever limited finish Beetronics releases next¹⁶¹⁷.

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