Hi,
Below is a composit post of two that I made on TGP recently. I have adapted just one handle to answer correctly in this forum:
Right I might buy one of those Zink a bit of Honeys for a friend that flies a lot to gigs in foreign lands because he'd need a small overdrive
I have said that I don't really mind people using the Honey Bee circuit as long as they make no reference to my name or company or my products and they might instead but their own name on their own work and really I don't see that as being much to ask......
If someone wants to build one for their own use that's just fine but I really don't want to have my name or company name or product names associated with another company as that's dillution of brand...
I just really don't want to be dragged into threads about other manufacturer's products.
I have also said that if someone wants to use the same circuit for commercial purposes then please stay clear of my name, my company name or product names or any reference to either of those and please use your own name to market.
I don't see any kind of credit I'd get from someone using my name, my company name or product names in their marketing?
Circuits have absolutely nothing to do with that.
As I recall neither Marshall or Traynor used Fender's name or company name or product name in their marketing while Fender used one of Gretsch's product names..........
There's been an online derivation of the circuit I used in the Honey Bee product, and I'd like to point out that the RAT is likely based on the MXR Distortion + by the same way of reasoning
Ah right and I did tell a little about the theory behind the circuit ........oh well.
Perhaps later I'll find the time to write also a story about the Honey Bee and how it came about.
In 2002 when I introduced the Honey Bee there was no similar product and of course it was hard to sell a product no one knew what it sounded like or felt like to play and Honey Bee also created it's own myth that there were two versions due to a Music Toyz clip where a guy played a guitar that is normally associated with single coils but that had a humbucker at bridge
I shall add that I do get financial compensation from a number of companies that do use my name and company name in their marketing and on products and this is regulated by industrial standards and good commerce conduct and I also have then insight in that the products produced are what I'd like them to be and using the exact parts I have specified............
Well ibodog: you know the worst competitor to any manufacturer is his/her own secondhand units.......
In the very first post of this thread this question is asked:
"compared to the Honey Bee what's the deal?"
Therefore valid answers to OP would be definition of this deal.
This very thread is proof that a circuit but it will need a connection to a name to sell however use of company names in commerce is regulated by law and business segment ethics
One can keep in mind that the music business consists of roughly 200 families that do get along following unwritten rules and this holds the key to tradeshows and a number of other things.....
Now I would think people in general can have opinions on trademark violations and this forum may have a rule to save the forum from involvement.........
and this thread will pop up on google and other search engines ..........
Yes I know there's also the circuitpolice promoting transperency in marketing but do they get the subtle details that seperates a competitive product from piracy?
They would come though if you make anything
Heated arguements usually result from any topic that involves $$$....
Well, they do say that there's no bad publicity as long as they spell your name right
I have in my signature an affiliation to something I don't know the name of yet:
I am in the process of launching a US operation that will produce some BJF products since I find I get less time and the mere fact that these will be made in USA will directly affect the pricepoint at which they can be retailed but not only that I'm also looking at various ways of mechanical construction that I feel will be good but that can save assembly time and that too affects retail at least within USA.
This is something time may be ripe for after ten hard years making pedals and lifting heavy weight in the marketing.
I think it will be good for many poor musician and I remember being one. It is utterly hard to try to live on your music.
What I'll further do is instruct exactly how I select components and how trimming is done so that some circuits like the Honey Bee that does require selected components to work right each time will be made just the way I make them. This is somewhat timeconsuming and will affect retail negatively but in total view retail will be competitive.
And this company will produce a product that will use the name Honey bee and that will be as exact as can be
Further I'll add that I understand Dan Zink no longer uses any reference to BJF Electronics Honey Bee or anything related and also makes his own take on the circuit which is all fine by me and I wish him well and good fortune.
Also Nick Greer is a friend of mine and while I haven't tried his Ghetto Stomp I know he's a designer that has his own thoughts and is a builder of fine pedals.
I think there was a reference to Honey Bee mostly because the Ghetto Stomp is designed for about the same purpose and that's evolution and from the soundsamples I think he caught another angle and that's cool!
Have fun
BJ
now look at my signature. 
Boutique amps might be even worse cloning Fender, Marshall and Vox.
