There's a new Randall Smith in town

[drew]

Look: he also invented switch to make amp loud, or not so loud. Also, something about triangles and trapezoids. https://www.google.com/patents/US201402 ... CEgQ6AEwBg

[Gaz]

Think about the real engineers and innovators putting power scaling and elaborate attenuators inside their amps.

Well, that, IMO, is a piss poor example of cutting edge engineering given that regulated power supplies are probably a century old invention as well and that adjustable regulated power supplies have been used to knock down amplifier output power since what...? Well, at least the very first PATENT concerning using adjustable regulated power supplies to reduce guitar amp's output power dates way back to early 1970's. First patents for amp attenuators are probably even older. That's about 50 years worth of prior art as well. Things invented about half a century ago are hardly innovative in my book even if they are given fancy new trademark names like "power scaling".

Oh c'mon, you know what I mean. My point was not so much that power scaling and reactive attenuators are cutting edge, it's just that they take some more real engineering. Look at Kevin O'Connor's body of work regarding "power scaling." I just think that's more noteworthy, and maybe even patent-worthy, and he respectably does not play that game. Any dum-dum, can combine two functions in dual gang pot.

Look: he also invented switch to make amp loud, or not so loud. Also, something about triangles and trapezoids. https://www.google.com/patents/US201402 ... CEgQ6AEwBg

Oh dear, it's worth than I thought. I just don't get why you would waste your life going through the trouble of patenting stuff like this. I understand trademarks to protect your business of course, but it's incredibly cocky to think anyone cares enough about your shiny new amp company to rip you off. And then you'd potentially take them to court over it when your own amp is 99% Fender? I hate to be so rant-happy, but this kinda blows my mind.

[matt h]

(deleted)

[Merlinb]

This really irritates me:

https://www.google.com/patents/US20130028447

Very funny! Thanks for posting!

[Merlinb]

OK, in order to stop everyone stealing my original ideas I will be patenting this. Let this put an end to all future guitar amp patents.
[img:800:480]http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j207/ ... f6xa1j.jpg[/img]

[Leo_Gnardo]

OK, in order to stop everyone stealing my original ideas I will be patenting this. Let this put an end to all future guitar amp patents.

You need to draw in little dashed lines between all those red arrows. Then you got sumpin'.

Patent Orofice will now patent anything, just send a check. Early 2000's, a stick. For you to throw and have your dog fetch. Yes, he got a patent on it. They're way overwhelmed, can't do prior art searches, so it's up to the patent holder and purported infringer to lawyer up & duke it out. $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ for lawyers.

After a lot of negative press for the patent office, the dog play stick patent was withdrawn, an extremely rare event.

[Rogue]

So Merlin's scale control combined with a standard master volume is patentable? I think he would be unable to defend it.

[John_P_WI]

So Merlin's scale control combined with a standard master volume is patentable? I think he would be unable to defend it.

Please elaborate...

[Merlinb]

So Merlin's scale control combined with a standard master volume is patentable? I think he would be unable to defend it.

Please elaborate...

It's not my scale control, I just called it a 'pseudo scale control' in my book (I'm talking about the variable bias resistor for the LTP). The principle has been used in Mojave and other amps before.


Wait, what am I saying? I invented it! It's a revolutionary new concept in amp design which comes once in a generation. And nobody else it allowed to use it. So don't even think about it.



I can still hear you thinking about it!!!

[JMFahey]

I guess all they realistically check is that is was not previously patented by themselves and probably by Foreign patent offices with which they signed some kind of cooperation treaty, probably in Switzerland or Belgium or Luxembourg (somehow many international treatises seem to be signed in one of those Countries) .

And you know how search works, all stupid computers do is to check and match keywords, so by cunning choice of such words you may cheat.

As in: you won't be able to patent the "vacuum tube" .... but try "hot and cold metal wire and sheet in rarefied atmosphere electron potential variation multiplier" and you might score

[Blackburn]

Wait, what am I saying? I invented it! It's a revolutionary new concept in amp design which comes once in a generation. And nobody else it allowed to use it. So don't even think about it.



I can still hear you thinking about it!!!

PM me an address where I can send your royalty checks after they go into production... Wait... Nevermind.

[Rogue]

It's not my scale control, I just called it a 'pseudo scale control' in my book (I'm talking about the variable bias resistor for the LTP). The principle has been used in Mojave and other amps before.


Wait, what am I saying? I invented it! It's a revolutionary new concept in amp design which comes once in a generation. And nobody else it allowed to use it. So don't even think about it.



I can still hear you thinking about it!!!

Sorry, poor wording on my part. It is where I first read anything about it (my favorite book, btw).

Jamie Scott has that book, too. When I read about the scale control I was wondering if that was part of the hybrid master.

[jelle]

Just wait till someone patents the use of resistors in a guitar amplifier.

[John_P_WI]

There are 14 claims to the patent. With this many claims, one could easily modify a few and not be in violation of all - ie the patent.

Like this one:

"#6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein DC operating voltages are increased to levels that exceed published operational levels of affected vacuum tubes."

Furthermore, this one "#5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the variable resistor device is located in a cathode to ground path of a phase inverter portion of the circuit." can clearly be demonstrated as "prior art" and in itself should not be enforceable as a claim.

In all the patent is questionable, read all of the claims - the operational blocks of an amplifier are listed in a fair number of claims - Basically 70 years or more worth of "prior art".

I spent a large part of the 90's in patent research and defense for medical equipment, it all comes down to "How deep are your pockets and How big of a fight are you willing to put up". Not too many booteek builders have pockets deep enough to sponsor (ie engage) a "cheap" 300 dollar / hour lawyer in a fight against someone of the likes of FMC who could steam roll over the patent grantee with their high dollar legal team forcing the booteek (sic) builder into bankruptcy.

[vibratoking]

No question that Smith has abused the patent system in an effort to gain patents. Has he ever actually filed suit for infringement of any of his 'patents". I could be that the he realizes most of his patents are useless from a technical standpoint. His patents may be a marketing ploy to convince prospective customers that Mesa is a innovative company. Just wondering and thinking out loud.