Hi,
In all fairness to JHS, I had a talk with Josh sometime ago and Josh told he would no longer make Honey Bee clones nor use my company name in advertising and I gather Josh has kept his word and this unit is old.
However marketing is false because to say that this unit "absolutely nails the sound of BJFE Honey Bee" is incorrect, as it is built from an incorrect schematic.
I have one clone built from the same schematic as JHS but from a different make and show that to people, and all that has tried this next to a BJFE or Bearfoot say the clone is a different pedal.
I'd say perhaps JHS is by know a recognized brand name enough to carry its products and that it perhaps is enough for the ad to state that this is an overdrive by the famous JHS brand?
Josh did say that he'd concentrate on making his own designs and making those famous instead of cloning and borrowing other manufacturer's products and names et.c.
I wish Josh the best in that.
In fact there were a number of clones and probably still are and I know for a fact those do not sound or nail the sound of the BJFE Honey Bee, but instead I have received a lot of communication from people who wrongly believed that the clone they had bought had the sound, albeit one they didn't like and that later tried BJFE or Bearfoot and found something they liked.
This would dilute the brand, not that I have noticed any decline in sales.
I have also gone to great lengths to make sure the Bearfoot Honey Bee actually "nails the BJFE Honey Bee sound"
I have also told those that would like to experiment with the circuit to please go ahead and make something of their own and I also do not mind anyone building a clone for their own use but it gets problematic when my company name and product names are used in marketing without my permission and when I haven't been asked.
I do stand behind my products and give support, but it's really beyond that I would give support to clones.
Lastly I do understand the view of the shop as they got this item in a trade.
However the ad is false marketing
At your service
BJ