The Beetronics Wannabee Beelateral Buzz is a dual overdrive pedal that puts two of the most copied drive circuits in one enclosure: one side is inspired by the Klon Centaur, the other by the Marshall Bluesbreaker. Beetronics describes it as "a dual overdrive inspired by the Bluesbreaker and Klon, done in a way only Beetronics could do"1. Each side runs on its own footswitch, so you can use either drive alone or both together, and a routing system lets you stack them in series or run them in parallel1.
The project was first announced on April 1, 2024, a date that landed alongside April Fool's content, though it went on to become a real release2. The regular production line unit was priced at £2453, and Guitar Pedal X listed the Wannabee Beelateral Buzz Dual Overdrive at $2994.
Two drives in one box
The two circuits are voiced to complement each other. Beetronics describes them as "two distinct circuits with complementary voices, one smooth and dynamic, the other tight and punchy"1. Delicious Audio identifies them as Circuit #0, a Blues Breaker-style circuit, and Circuit #1, inspired by the Klon Centaur5.
MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley characterized the Klon-style side as voiced for "transparent overdrive" needs, with switchable no clean blend, medium clean blend and full clean blend flavors, and the Bluesbreaker-inspired side as producing "vintage amp tones with clarity and warmth," with mid boost, flat and low end boost voicings3. He also noted what he heard in the demos as "quasi-fuzz sounds at the extremes"3.
Controls and voicing switches
Each circuit carries the same three knobs, named in Beetronics' house style, plus a three-way voicing switch and its own footswitch1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Honey | Gain for its circuit637 |
| Taste | Tone for its circuit638 |
| Volume | Master volume for its circuit93 |
| Voicing switch (Klon side) | Sets how much clean signal blends in: None, Medium, Full1 |
| Voicing switch (Bluesbreaker side) | Shapes the low-end response: Mid Boost, Flat, Low Boost1 |
| Footswitches | One per drive, so each side runs solo or together1 |
The voicing switches are where the two sides differ most. On the Klon-style side, the switch controls the clean blend, which is central to how that circuit's transparency works. On the Bluesbreaker side, it tilts the low end between a mid boost, flat, and a low boost1.
Series, parallel, and switching the order
The routing system is the feature that sets the Wannabee apart from most two-in-one drives. You can stack the two drives in series or run them in parallel, which Beetronics calls "a rare feature that opens up a wide range of tones"1. In series mode, you can also choose which circuit comes first, so the Klon side can feed the Bluesbreaker side or the other way around983. MusicRadar highlighted the switches "that allow you to switch up the order of the drives without removing a patch cable"3.
For a player used to stacking two separate drives on a pedalboard, this amounts to having both stacking orders available at the flip of a switch, plus a parallel option that keeps the two circuits from loading each other9810.
Standard and Custom Shop versions
Alongside the regular production pedal, Beetronics offers Custom Shop versions of the Wannabee as individual units, including a listed Custom Shop unit (WB0001) priced at £307.0081011. The maker's product pages have also shown the pedal as a limited edition in finishes such as purple and green1, and the Custom Shop WB0001 unit is listed as sold out112.
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson commented on the artwork: "I much prefer the original graphics layout you see on the Standard pedal, and a couple or so of the Custom Shop Editions"2.
What reviewers said
Reviewers were positive. In Guitar Pedal X's 2024 round-up of the year's best new boost and overdrive pedals, Karlsson wrote that "both circuits are among the best of those respective genres, and the additional EQ Modes really elevate this pedal"7. In a later Klon-clone round-up he called the pedal "probably the neatest form factor for Klone + Bluesbreaker to date, and therefore well worth considering"2, and added that it was "a genuine surprise that I didn't expect to be quite as good as it was"4.
"Both circuits are among the best of those respective genres, and the additional EQ Modes really elevate this pedal."
Where it sits in the Beetronics line
Beetronics is a boutique pedal company13, and the Wannabee Beelateral Buzz sits alongside its other overdrives, including the Overhive and the Fatbee, and its compact dual fuzz/overdrive, the Nectar Tone Sweetener. The Wannabee is the company's take on pairing the two most widely cloned drive circuits in a single pedal with flexible routing.
Videos
Beetronics FX
R.J. Ronquillo
Mike Hermans
Questions
Can you change the order of the two drives on the Wannabee?
Yes. In series mode a switch lets you choose which circuit comes first, so you can send the Klon-style side into the Bluesbreaker side or the other way around without touching a patch cable. A routing switch also lets you run the two drives in parallel instead of stacking them.
What do the voicing switches do on the Beetronics Wannabee?
Each circuit has a three-way voicing switch. On the Bluesbreaker-style side it shapes the low-end response, offering Mid Boost, Flat, or Low Boost. On the Klon-style side it controls how much clean signal blends in, with None, Medium, and Full settings, which changes how transparent the drive sounds.
Is the Beetronics Wannabee true bypass?
Yes. Beetronics states the Wannabee Beelateral Buzz uses true bypass switching to preserve your signal when the effect is off. Each drive also has its own footswitch, so you can run either side solo or both together.
What power does the Beetronics Wannabee need?
It runs on 9V DC center-negative power, the standard pedal power supply arrangement. Like most center-negative 9V drives, it works with a typical isolated or daisy-chain pedalboard supply.
What is the difference between the Standard and Custom Shop Wannabee?
The Standard pedal is the regular production model. Custom Shop versions are sold as individual units, each with its own serial number and its own artwork, at a higher price. Reviewers have noted the Custom Shop graphics vary, and one preferred the Standard pedal's original graphics layout.
Sources (13)
- Wannabee Beelateral Buzz • Limited Edition • PURPLE GREEN, Beetronics
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-04-09
- “It unlocks a world of possibilities by blending both circuits in the most unique ways”: Beetronics' Wannabee packs customisable Klon and Bluesbreaker-inspired circuits into one versatile drive, MusicRadar, 2024-04-03
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-09-03
- Beetronics Wannabee Beelateral Buzz, Delicious Audio, 2024-04-22
- Wannabee Beelateral Buzz • Custom Shop • 420, Beetronics
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-12-16
- Wannabee Beelateral Buzz • Limited Edition • BEE CATCHER (BEE STOCK), Beetronics (beetronicsfx.com)
- Wannabee Beelateral Buzz • Custom Shop • WB0671, Beetronics (beetronicsfx.com)
- Wannabee Beelateral Buzz • Limited Edition • DARK PURPLE, Beetronics (www.beetronicsfx.com)
- Wannabee Beelateral Buzz • Custom Shop • 8-Beet Skull, Beetronics
- Wannabee Beelateral Buzz, Beetronics
- Beetronics introduces Tuna Fuzz, Guitar World, 2024-09-17
