The Steel Guitar Forum

Who's got the scoop on this fine bit of news?<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ron Whitfield on 14 January 2005 at 11:40 AM.]</p></FONT>

Their patent expired many, many years ago ...

They have not put "real" horseshoe pickups in a guitar since the late 60's (bass) ...

They put "faux" horseshoes in their re-issue basses later on ... the earliest of these re-issues apparently were equipped with NOS steel magnets.

They applied for a "Design Trademark" for a horseshoe magnet pickup ... Dec of 2004 ...

There has been some "exchanges" between attorneys ...

That's about the "gist of it" ...

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<font size=1> Aiello's House of Gauss</font>

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My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield</font>

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 14 January 2005 at 02:43 PM.]</p></FONT>

Oh, for crying out loud!

To the execs at Rickenbacker (not that they'll even see this, but what the heck):

Why don't you spend your time more positively, by making steel guitars again, instead of engaging in just the kind of petty behavior and foolishness that gives corporate america a bad name?

You should be flattered that some consider your original horseshoe design superb. The steel guitar market is extremely small. It's a waste of time, money, and effort for you to spend funds toward an effort to stop a small group of folks from the enjoyment of their hobby, who in no way, shape, or form interfere with the success of your company.

We can all see that you really cared[/] about "the horseshoe", since you haven't manufactured them for close to 40 years...not to mention the inattention in keeping the patent up to date.

Please stop raining on the parade of a small group of musicians who are no threat to you. Perhaps the money you would save on legal fees could afford you to lower the prices on your current products, as a benefit to your customers. I'm sure they wouldn't mind.

It's really all about the bass guitar ...

Here is a NOS ... Faux Re-issue Bass Pickup ...

Your words should be heard by the 'bakers and their lawyers, Jeff.

To show how concerned the exec's have been about their precious former product-

a prominate user of the 'horseshoe' PU in Hawaii called the Co. a few years ago and went thru 5 layers of executives trying to find someone knowledgeble (at all) in their own historic PU's and 'frypans', with no luck.

Seems like they've been given bad advice on this venture.

And why didn't they (or did they...) go after Rick Turner a decade ago for his 'horseshoe' PU design?

The best solution may be for these 2 parties to join up, and once again make (some of) the best steels ever made.

Several different luthiers ... who either use their own "versions" or ours ... are getting involved.

Sounds like some "Branding" consultant scared somebody and there we go in the hopper.

Between Ric, Monster Cables and Fred Gretsch...makes me glad I'm "just" a musician.

I hope I didn't start something that gets us in trouble. I also hope that some lawyers will be able to tell Rickenbacker to shove it where the sun don't shine. I have no intention of backing off from making a fwe magnets now and then.
The aircraft engine parts industry went through this some years back, and the engine manufacturers got sued themselves by aftermarket suppliers in order to make replacement parts available for engines.
I guess I'm not very tactful when it comes to my take on something like a corporation getting excited by a handful of magnets.

Next thing you know, they will want a design patent on the frypan shape, and I wonder how Shot Jackson and Excel got around that. The more I think about it, the more irritating it gets.
I'm still of the opinion that type of body material of the bakelites and frypans is where the tone is. A wood bodied Ric never got anyone too excited with it's tone compared to the metal and bakelite.
I'm thinking about putting a 7 string DiMarzio pickup in my frypand just to see how it sounds (not permanently of course, that would be sacrelige) So I can't spell either)

I think we have Gibson to blame for this kind of crap. They recent went after PRS after they came out with their Les Paul knockoff, Gibson decided after all these years that they own the single cutaway design.
Like the man above (no, not THAT man above, Jeff Strouse) said, it's a shame that Gibson, ric, et al. don't try to compete by making a better product rather than throwing money and lawyers at somebody who actually contributes.

I don't have a guitar in mind for one yet but as soon as I can I'm ordering a 'Shoe' and putting some money to a good cause.

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Half-assed bottleneck and lap slide player. Full-assed Builder of resonator instruments.

I agree. Gibson came out with the LP in 1952, and it's taken them all this time to decide to patent the body style. The PRS single cut isn't even close to being a knockoff. Why not go after Heritage for their LP-style guitar? At least that guitar looks like an LP. They didn't because Heritage doesn't put a dent in Gibson's bottom line. PRS does. With Gibson's success against PRS for a guitar that looks nothing like a LP, Heritage is screwed as well anyway (how ironic is it that Heritage may be forced to stop building LP-style guitars built in the same factory where the original Gibson LPs were built)? So is Hamer, who builds a more consistently good guitar than Gibson does. And so are countless independent luthiers who make great guitars. There are only so many designs that one can come up with that will appeal to the buying public. I haven't heard anything about an appeal on the PRS decision, but I'm sure that one is forthcoming. Don't even get me started on the Gibson/Guitar Center/Musician's Friend nonsense.
Fender is no better. They're attempting the same with their body styles.

I heard Chevy is suing Ford because the handles that roll the windows Down turn clockwise and to roll them up is counterclockwise. This is only on the drivers' side, the passenger side is the oppisite and neither can decide who stole the idea from Packard.
Mike

.....and then there was Harley-Davidson's attempt to prevent other motorcycle manufacturers from duplicating the "potato potato potato" exhaust sound of HD motorcycles!

Common sense finally prevailed!

www.genejones.com

Recently, I was asked by Gibson (well, someone who worked for Gibson) to perform at a holiday party. For Free! Is that a slap in the face or what? Well, they did offer 60% off on their products. If you know me, you know what my answer was.

We can't post your answer here, Mike. This is a family forum....

http://forum.rickresource.com/

Click Basses ... then ... Q's on Horseshoe's Vintage vs. Re-Issue (Bass)

<SMALL>and I see references to "cottage industry" type folks who attempt to re-create the actual Horseshoe</SMALL>

Attempt ....

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<font size=1> Aiello's House of Gauss</font>

<font size=1>
My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield</font>

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 19 January 2005 at 10:50 AM.]</p></FONT>

I can believe Rickenbacher would try to stop fabrication of horseshoe magnets that looked just like their design. I think they put a stop to 'Rouge' guitars copies a couple years ago. I remember seeing cheap 360 models in Musician's Friend catalogues for a couple of issues, then they were gone.
If I were making those cool pickups, I would quit calling the Horseshoes, fill the gap between the mag with a non conductive material and re-name them something new. The pickups Jason Lollar and Rick Aiello are making are light years ahead of the oldies anyway.
Let's call the new gapless pickups Magnums.

After my buddy's cartoon character
"Monster Magenets"
It fits.

( & yes referencing of other thread )

Loni ...

I'm so happy with my new "MRI" ... that to me personally ... its kinda a "moot point" now.

But I understand that folks like the look of the horseshoes ... <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 17 January 2005 at 08:45 AM.]</p></FONT>

<SMALL>Let's call the new gapless pickups Magnums</SMALL>

You can't. There's a product available in drug stores with that name already........