OK... Here goes...

Kweep · Post by **Kweep** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 10:23 pm

I'm a little nervous posting this 'cause it's probably way more exciting to me than to you guys... but...

I just recieved the "Ribbon Copy" of my first ever patent (US patent No. 7,012,180 granted Mar. 14th, 2006)...

It's a bass/guitar neck that has frets that roll down to convert it from fretted to fretless...

I'm just really excited and thought that the folks here might dig the idea... and might have some comments/feedback/questions/insights.

I have a luthier friend making an all wood demonstration model and can't wait to have him (or anyone, for that matter) make me one that I can use...

** i tried to do the href thing to link to the uspto.gov site but it didn't work for me... sorry i suck at real tech... **

HeuristicsInc · Post by **HeuristicsInc** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 10:42 pm

hey, congrats. does this work?
Oddly enough, you are the 3rd person I know to get a patent in the last month (my wife just got one, and a friend and co-worker another).
-bill

Me$$iah · Post by **Me$$iah** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 11:13 pm

Congrats, is it gonaa make you a million

Is this it

sausage boy · Post by **sausage boy** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 11:30 pm

nice work.

I remember when my old boss got his patent for a display system he designed. He said it was nice to get it down on paper, like it brought validity to his product.

Kweep · Post by **Kweep** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 10:11 am

yup, those links both work... thanks!

suasage boy - it sure does... and takes away the paranoia when talkin' about it.

roymond · Post by **roymond** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 11:31 am

I plucked the frets above #5 from an old Gibson SG. This gave me plenty of rhythm guitar chords down low, and a fretless guitar up above for Snakefinger-inspired solos. It was pretty fun. It was then stolen

This looks like fun. So, the other patents in this game are pretty close, but for the specific mechanism of putting the frets in place. Has anyone marketed those instruments? Are you planning on marketing yours?

Kweep · Post by **Kweep** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 1:53 pm

roymond wrote:Has anyone marketed those instruments? Are you planning on marketing yours?

I remember reading about a production model of a bass that had swapable fretboards (like the Beckmeir patent) but don't know of any of the others being made...

I've just begun the process of contacting manufacturers and am getting cramps in my fingers from having them crossed

.

A couple things about the invention:

1) I was very conscious of limiting the 'invasiveness' of the mechanisms... i.e. keeping as much contact between frets, fretboard and neck as possible to retain tone and sustain. no one, including myself, would want to use it if it sounds like poo.

2) The idea came about at a time when I was playing bass in theater bands/orchestras which are wedged into notoriously small 'pits'... hard enough to fit a bass on yer lap, much less have another on a stand and try to switch out without pokin' the guy next to you in the eye.

3) For production, I've been focusing on contacting graphite neck manufacturers... seemed logical since they use injection molding (much easier and faster production if you can just make a new die).

roymond wrote:I plucked the frets above #5 from an old Gibson SG.

4) The prototype that my luthier friend is gonna make (after the all wood demo model) is only gonna have frets to 7 or so...

Kamakura · Post by **Kamakura** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 2:35 pm

Kweep wrote:I just recieved the "Ribbon Copy" of my first ever patent (US patent No. 7,012,180 granted Mar. 14th, 2006)...

It's a bass/guitar neck that has frets that roll down to convert it from fretted to fretless...

Wow! Brilliant. Even though I can't quite envisage how it's going to work I want one.

roymond wrote:I plucked the frets above #5 from an old Gibson SG. This gave me plenty of rhythm guitar chords down low, and a fretless guitar up above for Snakefinger-inspired solos.

What a cool idea! I also like the idea of having an 'Old Gibson SG' lying around to experiment on... If by any chance you have another one...