Precursor?

Dave Birkett · Post by **Dave Birkett** » 6 Jan 2003 10:35 pm

Has anybody ever seen one of these?
Click Here

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 7 Jan 2003 4:19 am

Very significant! That's probably one of the first (commercial) knee-levers on a guitar. If the date is anywheres close to accurate, then knee-levers came about before foot pedals! That 7th string, with it's "irregular spacing" could have been it's downfall, but the guy had the basic idea and theory right. The device says "patent pending"...does anyone know how to search to find out if the patent was official? That would nail down the date, anyway. If I had to guess, I'd say it was late '30s, as I've never heard of a hawaiian guitar with more than 6 strings before that time.

You just never know, though.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 07 January 2003 at 04:24 PM.]</p></FONT>

Gino Iorfida · Post by **Gino Iorfida** » 7 Jan 2003 4:20 am

or.... the first 'b bender' for guitar... of course, it's not on a tele, os it wouldnt count *laugh*

Bill Moore · Post by **Bill Moore** » 7 Jan 2003 6:27 am

The nice thing about this is that it
can be:

"easily learned in two hours"

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 7 Jan 2003 1:03 pm

I've been outbid by danglerhead! $200 was my limit.

Tom Olson · Post by **Tom Olson** » 8 Jan 2003 9:24 pm

Donny -- unfortunately, before the year 2001 all US patent applications were considered confidential and are not open to the public, although from 2001 on, any US application that will be filed as foreign PCT application in another country must be published in the US (not much help, I know).

But, you can search for issued patents from any year using a number of different criteria including the inventor's name. Go to www.uspto.gov and click "search patents" and follow the instructions.