The Tubesteader Beekeeper is a hand-built guitar preamp in a pedal, made by the Canadian company Tubesteader, and it was the builder's first pedal. It is a dual-channel overdrive inspired by the Dumble Special Overdrive amp: the design is inspired by the famous ODS circuit, usually associated with the signature sound of many legendary guitar players. What sets it apart from most overdrive pedals is that it features two vacuum tubes running at high voltage.1
Tubesteader describes the Beekeeper's sound as a sparkling clean tone, gradually pushed into a smooth, rich, and touch-sensitive overdrive as you crank up the gain.1
How the two channels work
The topology of the Beekeeper consists of two cascading channels, "stacked" on top of each other. The "CLN" channel is also part of the OD channel, so the Overdrive side is built on top of the Clean side rather than sitting beside it as a separate path.1
That arrangement is what the Channel footswitch controls: when you stomp on it, you are actually alternating between the Clean channel on one side and the Clean plus Overdrive channels on the other. In practice, the overdrive is the clean preamp with a second stage stacked on top of it.1
The controls
Because the channels are cascaded, the amount of overdrive can be managed not only using the OD control but also through effective use of the CLN_VOL control. Backing off or pushing the clean volume changes how hard the overdrive stage is driven, which is a familiar approach for players who know Dumble-style amps and the pedals modeled on them.1
The EQ and the toggle switches are located right after the first gain stage, so they affect both the Clean and OD channels at the same time. There is no separate EQ per channel: whatever tone shaping you set applies to both sides of the footswitch.1
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| OD | Sets the amount of overdrive1 |
| CLN_VOL | Clean channel volume; because the channels are cascaded, it also changes how hard the overdrive stage is driven1 |
| EQ | Tone shaping placed after the first gain stage, so it affects both the Clean and OD channels1 |
| Toggle switches | Located after the first gain stage, shared by both channels1 |
| Channel footswitch | Alternates between the Clean channel and the Clean plus Overdrive channels1 |
The shared EQ placement matters on a board: any tone change you make affects the clean sound and the overdriven sound together, so the two channels stay tonally matched rather than independently voiced.
Power and bypass
The Beekeeper operates off a standard 12VDC supply. That voltage is boosted inside the pedal up to 280VDC for the preamp tubes, which is how a pedal-format unit runs real tubes at the high voltages they are designed for.1
For bypass, Tubesteader states that all of its pedals use mechanical bypass switching, keeping your guitar signal unaltered when the preamp is bypassed.1
Where it sits in the Tubesteader range
The Beekeeper opened the Tubesteader range, and the builder has since expanded it with other tube preamp pedals covered on this site1:
- The Tubesteader Sunkeeper Preamp, a dual-channel tube preamp recreating Orange amps1
- The compact Tubesteader LIGHTKEEPER V2, a Dumble-style boost and overdrive1
- The Tubesteader Gainlord, a dual-channel Marshall-style tube preamp1
Players comparing Dumble-style options can also see how the Beekeeper sits alongside other pedals in the overdrive category.1
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Questions
Is the Tubesteader Beekeeper based on a Dumble amp?
Yes. Tubesteader describes the Beekeeper as a dual-channel overdrive inspired by the Dumble Special Overdrive amp, and the design is inspired by the famous ODS circuit, usually associated with the signature sound of many legendary guitar players. Delicious Audio added it to its article on the best Dumble pedals in June 2021.
Does the Tubesteader Beekeeper use real vacuum tubes?
It does. The Beekeeper is a hand-built guitar preamp in a pedal featuring two vacuum tubes running at high voltage. The pedal runs from a standard 12VDC supply, which is boosted inside the pedal up to 280VDC for the preamp tubes.
What does the channel footswitch do on the Beekeeper?
When you stomp on the Channel footswitch you are alternating between the Clean channel on one side and the Clean plus Overdrive channels on the other. The two channels are cascading and stacked on top of each other, so the Clean channel is also part of the Overdrive channel.
Is the Beekeeper true bypass?
Tubesteader says all of its pedals use mechanical bypass switching, keeping the guitar signal unaltered when the preamp is bypassed. That is the bypass arrangement the Beekeeper uses.
Was the Beekeeper the first Tubesteader pedal?
Yes. The Beekeeper was the first pedal by the Canadian company Tubesteader. The builder has since released other tube preamp pedals, including the Sunkeeper, the Eggnog, the Lightkeeper V2 and the Gainlord.
Sources (1)
- Tubesteader Beekeeper Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2021-06-08
