The Moskyaudio Honey Box is a compact overdrive pedal for guitar and bass, which its maker describes as a "dynamic low gain overdrive pedal". It is designed to overdrive distorted amplifiers and give dynamically controlled light overdrive on clean sounds, and Moskyaudio states plainly that it is based on the Mad Professor Sweet Honey Overdrive, a circuit with a strong reputation among players who want drive that follows their picking.1
What it does to your sound
The Honey Box sits at the low end of the gain range, in the territory covered by overdrive pedals rather than distortion or fuzz. Moskyaudio's description of the design intent is that it works two ways: pushed into an already distorted amplifier it overdrives that amp further, and on a clean sound it delivers light overdrive that responds to how hard you play.1
That dynamic character is the thing the original circuit is known for. Guitar World's review of the Mad Professor Sweet Honey Overdrive called it "Mad Professor's take on the low- to mid-gain overdrive pedal"2, and Pedal of the Day's reviewer, Eddie Heinzelman, wrote that it "is one of the most dynamic and touch sensitive pedals I've ever used"3. The Honey Box is Moskyaudio's version of that idea at a compact size.1
The controls
The Honey Box keeps things simple: two knobs, a toggle and a four-position selector1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| DRIVE | Controls the amount of overdrive1 |
| VOLUME | Sets the output volume1 |
| FOCUS | Controls how easily the circuit distorts as well as adjusting overall EQ1 |
| Toggle switch | Two voice options1 |
| 4-mode modulation selection knob | 4 different tone modulation modes1 |
The Focus knob is the one that shapes the pedal's character most. Moskyaudio gives a starting point of 11 o'clock and describes the two extremes1:
- Focus turned clockwise: a slight treble boost and earlier distortion, great for classic rock1
- Focus turned counter-clockwise: you need to play harder to get distortion and the tone is softer, great for jazz and blues1
Guitar and bass
Moskyaudio markets the Honey Box as a guitar and bass effect pedal, and it sits naturally among bass pedals for players who want light, touch-driven grit rather than a heavy distortion. Because the Focus control adjusts the overall EQ as well as the drive threshold, it is the control to reach for when setting the pedal up for bass, where a softer, counter-clockwise setting suits the low strings.1
Power, size and practical details
The Honey Box runs on 9V DC, center negative, through a 2.1mm x 5.5mm barrel connector, the standard format for pedalboard power supplies.1
The maker's page lists a power connector but no battery option and no current draw figure, so plan your supply around the standard 9V center negative input.1
The enclosure measures 11.5 x 6.5 x 5 cm and weighs 320g, so it takes up little room on a board.1 It is true bypass, meaning the signal passes through untouched when the pedal is off.1
Where it came from
The Sweet Honey Overdrive that the Honey Box is based on came from Mad Professor designer territory in Finland and was reviewed by Guitar World as a drive pedal aimed at the low- to mid-gain range.2 Mad Professor later released a limited edition Sweet Honey Overdrive with a Fat Bee mod, worked off the Sweet Honey Overdrive Deluxe, which features bass adjustment before the drive circuit.4 The Honey Box takes the original circuit's approach and puts it in Moskyaudio's compact, true bypass format with the added Focus, two-voice toggle and four-mode selection controls.1
Questions
What does the Focus knob do on the Moskyaudio Honey Box?
Focus controls how easily the circuit distorts as well as adjusting the overall EQ. Turned clockwise it gives a slight treble boost with earlier distortion, which the maker suggests for classic rock. Turned counter-clockwise you need to play harder to get distortion and the tone is softer, which the maker suggests for jazz and blues. A good starting point is 11 o'clock.
Is the Moskyaudio Honey Box true bypass?
Yes. The maker lists the Honey Box as true bypass, so when the pedal is off your guitar's signal passes through without loading the circuit.
What power supply does the Honey Box need?
The Honey Box runs on 9V DC, center negative, through a 2.1mm x 5.5mm barrel connector, the standard pedalboard supply format. The maker's page does not list a battery option or a current draw figure.
Is the Honey Box based on the Mad Professor Sweet Honey Overdrive?
Yes. Moskyaudio states on the product page that the Honey Box is based on the Mad Professor Sweet Honey Overdrive, a low- to mid-gain overdrive that reviewers have described as exceptionally dynamic and touch sensitive.
Does the Honey Box work with bass as well as guitar?
Yes. Moskyaudio markets the Honey Box as a guitar and bass effect pedal, and the Focus control's EQ shaping lets you set how the drive responds on either instrument.
How big is the Moskyaudio Honey Box?
The maker lists the enclosure at 11.5 x 6.5 x 5 cm and a weight of 320g, so it is a compact pedal that fits easily on a crowded board.
Sources (4)
- HONEY BOX_M-SERIES_Products_mosky pedal, moskyaudio
- Mad Professor Sweet Honey Overdrive review, Guitar World, 2024-01-18
- Mad Professor Amplification Sweet Honey Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2015-02-05
- Mad Professor's Sweet Honey Overdrive with Fat Bee mod boasts “bottom end tweaked to the limit”, Guitar World, 2020-05-01
