The Bee Baa was released in 1972, the first
year Roland was in business (also released
that year were the AS1 Sustainer and a trio
of drum machines, including the company’s
official first product, the Roland Rhythm 77).
Many fuzz boxes from the early years of the
guitar effects industry had a reputation for
viciously buzzing treble-heavy tones that,
while interesting in the appropriate context,
were extremely limited in general musical
usefulness, and could all too easily erupt
in hideous, uncontrollable feedback when
used at typical stage volumes. The Bee
Baa, on the other hand, was notably more
versatile and surprisingly forward thinking
in its function. It could certainly sting just
as viciously as the most gnarly sixties fuzz
on the appropriate setting, but it also had
a tone selection switch that kicked in a fat,
grungy roar reminiscent of a Big Muff, but
with more mid-range. It was also outfitted
with a dedicated Tone control and a lovely
sounding foot-selectable treble booster
circuit. This kind of versatility was unheard of
in the early ‘70s and stands out even today.
The Bee Baa’s feature set was quite
uncommon, as was the wide range of tones
it could achieve. The independent treble
booster was excellent and useful for pushing
the amp with a little saturation and high-end
enhancement, while the dual fuzz modes
were superb for anything from heavy lowend riffing to wild, raspy, single-note wailing.
Despite these unique capabilities the Bee
Baa never really took off commercially
for Roland. Over the years, however, this
vintage fuzz powerhouse would become
a coveted find for collectors and other
discerning dirt enthusiasts. In the modern
day, a good example will fetch upwards of
500 dollars, making it way out of budget for
many players. Luckily, there is a handful of
really good Roland Bee Baa clones, as well
as other pedals that take the fundamental
character of the circuit and do their own
thing with it. Here are a few of our favorite
Roland Bee Baa-inspired stompboxes.
ToneReport.com
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