GuitarDistortedRiff68% confidence
Honey Bee Guitar Tone Settings
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble · 1980s · blues
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1963 Fender Stratocaster 'Number One'
Pickups
Fender single-coil (vintage-style, stock 1960s Strat pickups)
Amp
Fender Vibroverb (Blackface, 1964, 2x10” speakers, often with one replaced by a JBL D110F)
Pickup Position
Neck pickup
Studio recording, 1984; 'Honey Bee' was recorded for the 'Couldn't Stand the Weather' album. SRV's main studio rig for this era was his 'Number One' Strat into a Fender Vibroverb, often with an Ibanez Tube Screamer for edge-of-breakup blues tone. No evidence of additional pedals or effects for the main riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass7
Gain5
Reverb3.5
Treble6.5
Presence5.5
Effects Chain
- Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer · overdrive
Guitar → Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer → Fender Vibroverb (with spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- warm and punchy
- slightly compressed attack
- touch-sensitive and dynamic
- fat midrange presence
- articulate single-coil clarity
- Texas blues crunch
- percussive and aggressive
- open, uncompressed Strat tone
- slight amp breakup on hard picking
- minimal reverb, mostly dry
Notes & Caveats
- No source provides exact knob settings for 'Honey Bee'; amp and pedal settings are estimated based on SRV's typical studio rig for the 'Couldn't Stand the Weather' era and genre conventions.
- No evidence of additional pedals or effects (delay, chorus, flanger, etc.) used on the main riff; only Ibanez Tube Screamer and amp reverb are likely.
- Pickup choice inferred from typical SRV rhythm tone and audio characteristics.
- Settings are not from a direct source for this song; based on period-correct gear and common blues amp settings.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. SRV's 'Honey Bee' riff features a thick, punchy Texas blues tone with edge-of-breakup drive, strong low end, and forward mids typical of his Vibroverb setup. Treble and presence are kept moderate to avoid harshness, and reverb is present but not dominant, matching the warm, roomy vibe of the recording.