Beetronics Zzombee Filtremulator Custom Shop 420

The Zzombee Filtremulator Custom Shop 420 is a one-off, hand painted Custom Shop unit from Beetronics, part of the Zzombee Filtremulator line of multi-effect pedals. Beetronics describes the Zzombee as "a fully analog multi-effect that fuses fuzz, filter, tremolo, and a synthy low octave into a wildly expressive tone"¹. Where the standard Zzombee is a production pedal, each Custom Shop unit is painted by hand, so no two are alike, and this particular unit is listed as sold out².

For a player, the Zzombee is several filter pedals, a fuzz, a tremolo and an octave effect in one box, with digital control circuitry layered on top of the analog signal path. Beetronics calls it "a one of a kind analog multi effect" that is "digitally parasitized," a way of saying the sound is analog while tap tempo, presets and CV control are handled digitally²³⁴.

Fuzz, filter, tremolo and low octave in one pedal

The Zzombee's effect list is long for a single pedal. Beetronics says it delivers Filter, Wah, LFO, Randomized Filter, Tremolo, Swells, Overdrive, Fuzz, Low-Octave and Cross Tremolo⁵. In practice that means one pedal can cover classic wah-style sweeps, synth-like pulsing filter modulation, tremolo and volume swells, fuzz and overdrive textures, and a sub-octave underneath the dry signal.

MusicRadar reviewed the standard Zzombee Filtremulator and described it as "a compact guitar effects pedal that has some familiar sounds," noting that its individual elements are sounds players already know, recombined into one unit⁶. The pedal's controls, as listed in that review, are:

• Parasite
• Depth
• Bee
• Mode switch
• Buzz Level switch
• Filter Router switch
• Presets switch
• Ramp/Rate footswitch⁶

The filter modes, footswitch and presets

The filter section is the heart of the pedal. Beetronics says it features three filter modes, ramp, LFO, and random pattern, that let you "sweep like a wah, pulse like a synth, or dive into unpredictable, pattern-based modulation"¹. Guitar World, covering the pedal's launch, described the modulated filter modes as something "which can be expressively controlled using the momentary footswitch"¹⁰.

That momentary footswitch is a performance control rather than a simple bypass: Beetronics says it "lets you ramp, retrigger, and perform modulation live, adding dynamic feel to your playing"¹. Holding it ramps or retriggers the filter movement in real time instead of leaving the modulation to run on its own.

The random filter mode is where the pedal gets deep. Beetronics says it "generates over 65,000 unique modulation sequences," and that "you can scroll through them and save your favorites"¹. Saved sequences go into any of the five onboard preset slots, and the pedal carries "onboard memory for up to 5 presets"⁸. External control is also covered: the Zzombee includes tap tempo, an external tap input, CV control and an expression out⁹⁷⁴, so it can be synced to other gear or driven from an expression pedal.

Custom Shop and limited editions

The Custom Shop 420 is one of many hand painted Zzombee variants Beetronics has produced. The maker is explicit about what that means: "This is a hand painted Custom Shop pedal. Every pedal is unique and it may have scars and character"²⁷. Custom Shop units carry individual serial-style designations, such as ZB2221, ZB126 and ZB027, and once a unit sells, its listing is marked sold out⁸⁵³.

Alongside the numbered Custom Shop units, Beetronics has released named limited editions of the same circuit, including the Limited Edition Apparittion, The Blackbee Edition, Limited Edition Sweet Sting, Limited Edition Taffy, Custom Shop Ouija and Limited Edition DARK^111213141516. All share the same analog multi-effect engine, five preset slots and control connections; the difference is the paint and the individual character of each hand finished enclosure.

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