KVR Audio

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:10 pm

BERFAB wrote: BTW, it appears that Gibson was initially successful in their lawsuit in which they defended an approved patent application that went back at least as far as 1987. On appeal, PRS prevailed.

-B

and at the expense of the customers from both companies no doubt

susiwong · Post by **susiwong** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:15 pm

Hink wrote:btw susiwong http://cgi.ebay.com/Custom-Guitar-Heads ... 45f9942fe1

Yeah, the Chinese are catching up.

One day they'll even get the spelling right ...

Lol,
susiwong

hibidy · Post by **hibidy** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:17 pm

http://www.napamusicsupply.com/results- ... endors=yes

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG! In Napa they have the charvels I'm interested in IN STOCK

Guess where I'm going tomorrow

Finally, I'll get to play one and see if it's for me or not

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:18 pm

susiwong wrote:But you were talking about that fairly recent lawsuit ...
Did he win btw ?

Yes, PRS won, that's why the Single-Cut is back. To be honest, I don't like most PRS Single-Cuts, only the one I got from hibidy.

hibidy · Post by **hibidy** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:29 pm

Uncle E wrote:
susiwong wrote:But you were talking about that fairly recent lawsuit ...
Did he win btw ?
Yes, PRS won, that's why the Single-Cut is back. To be honest, I don't like most PRS Single-Cuts, only the one I got from hibidy.

You know I didn't pay much for that thing new/out the door (hence the good price) Not even in the zip code of what they go for now.

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:29 pm

susiwong wrote:
Hink wrote:btw susiwong http://cgi.ebay.com/Custom-Guitar-Heads ... 45f9942fe1
Yeah, the Chinese are catching up.
One day they'll even get the spelling right ...
Lol,
susiwong

my warmoth actually has my signature on the headstock in Sharpie

I was going to trace it and copy it to my baritone but I never did. However as luck would have it I'm going to have both guitars destrung (but the strings will not be completely removed if I can help it so I can reuse them*

) when I build that stratoblaster so maybe I will then

* btw I have like 20 sets of strings for my guitars but only 1 spare set for the bari. When the spring comes and if I have the gas I should make an order with juststrings.com for acoustic, bari and dulcimer strings then take the ride up to New Hampshire where they are based. It's not a long ride but if I take the long way around it's a nice photo op ride for a spring day

susiwong · Post by **susiwong** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:42 pm

BERFAB wrote:I do know a bit about design patents. I'm sure most of you notice that every major legit manufacturer has their own slightly different signature look, even if they are similar to other designs. Angles might be a bit different, or a different style of cutaway is used. Headstocks are also a nice way of distinguishing your brand. The reason they're all different is that they are trying to not run afoul of the patents/trademarks/copyrights that may exist.

But I never really noticed the blatant copying like with those Chinese guitars. [I must admit though, they do look tempting.] So I was wondering if litigation was common.

BERFAB,
I see your point, on paper this is certainly true.
My question is, should it matter for us players ?
Over here in bad old Europe it's sometimes hard to understand all the legal protectionism coming from the US.
Hey, DiMarzio has a patent for double cream humbuckers ...

Over here we believe more in offering a superior product than in spending years at court.

Sure enough, the line between is often debatable, like I said before, some stuff definitely is over the top.
Personally I try to see the complete package, wood, hardware, crsftsmanship, features - and then finally looks count a bit, too.
Ymmv,
susiwong

BTW, the first lawsuits for looks happened in the late 70s, these MIJ copies were a lot closer to the real stuff than those MIC copies today, many would agree in the years between ca. '75 and '85 Ibanez and Tokai built the only serious F- and G-styles.
US quality was at an all-time low then, before folks like Hamer, Schecter, G&L and PRS raised the bar again - starting with copies.

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:50 pm

hibidy wrote:You know I didn't pay much for that thing new/out the door (hence the good price) Not even in the zip code of what they go for now.

I'm glad! Honestly, I only bought it from you because it was a cheap guitar that I thought would look good on our wall, it was only when it arrived that I fell in love with it.

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:51 pm

susiwong wrote:
BERFAB wrote:I do know a bit about design patents. I'm sure most of you notice that every major legit manufacturer has their own slightly different signature look, even if they are similar to other designs. Angles might be a bit different, or a different style of cutaway is used. Headstocks are also a nice way of distinguishing your brand. The reason they're all different is that they are trying to not run afoul of the patents/trademarks/copyrights that may exist.

But I never really noticed the blatant copying like with those Chinese guitars. [I must admit though, they do look tempting.] So I was wondering if litigation was common.
BERFAB,
I see your point, on paper this is certainly true.
My question is, should it matter for us players ?
Over here in bad old Europe it's sometimes hard to understand all the legal protectionism coming from the US.
Hey, DiMarzio has a patent for double cream humbuckers ...
Over here we believe more in offering a superior product than in spending years at court.
Sure enough, the line between is often debatable, like I said before, some stuff definitely is over the top.
Personally I try to see the complete package, wood, hardware, crsftsmanship, features - and then finally looks count a bit, too.
Ymmv,
susiwong

BTW, the first lawsuits for looks happened in the late 70s, these MIJ copies were a lot closer to the real stuff than those MIC copies today, many would agree in the years between ca. '75 and '85 Ibanez and Tokai built the only serious F- and G-styles.
US quality was at an all-time low then, before folks like Hamer, Schecter, G&L and PRS raised the bar again - starting with copies.

looks come last for me but before looks is fit, this is why I call my jackson Kelly ith the skull mural my 'little red sports car' for that very reason. My midlife ax that I bought on looks alone and because I always wanted a Kelly, but dont get me wrong I love it. However my guitars spend a lot of time in my lap while I am at my computer and it's so bulky it's just not comfortable...when I want to stand up and rip on the other hand it rox. My warmoth, esp and daion fit me well and sit nicely in my lap although the daion is a little shifted so the upper register is not as easy to get to around my gut...but that's getting smaller

susiwong · Post by **susiwong** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:59 pm

Uncle E wrote:
susiwong wrote:But you were talking about that fairly recent lawsuit ...
Did he win btw ?
Yes, PRS won, that's why the Single-Cut is back. To be honest, I don't like most PRS Single-Cuts, only the one I got from hibidy.

sssh ... don't tell anybody, coming from hibidy it has to be an illegal copy by Ibanez !

Lol,
susiwong

See, instead of PRS single cuts I also generally prefer Gibsons, if you don't mind checking out a few examples you have a chance of finding a superior guitar made by Gibson for similar money.
If you're not a Custom Shop snob you might even end up with a lowly Standard (some of them should give the CS food for thought) and have cash left for a PRS decal.

Or get an MIJ Tokai right away ...

hibidy · Post by **hibidy** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 12:17 am

Phooey! MIJ Socal baby, with the pickups I want. Er, too bad about that Floyd Rose

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 12:45 am

As much as I hate the neck and body style of them..... Get a variax, pretty tones without the pretty body. Or,,,, get one of those korean Tyler variax's With a variax you don't get one LP sound you get 6 distinctly different Les Paul models.

hibidy · Post by **hibidy** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 12:57 am

Nah, tbh I'm not expecting to buy at all. But it's the first place that is pretty close (if you call 3 hours close

) that I can go play them. I just LOVE the way socal looks. Why waste time and money on upgrading the indo ibby if this is as good as people are saying it is (I know, reviews, they are highly subjective)

They also have a USA socal, but it's slime green

Too bad they don't have the pagan gold.....which I wanted a while back.

Anyways, I'm not stopping for any wine tasting but it's been a while since I've been to napa (though it's raining like the great flood years

)

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 1:19 am

In as far as Charvel goes. Personally I preferred the San Dimas tele. They brought it back only to discontinue it again. There are still some new never been sold models around.

Have you ever thought about painting your own guitars? I used to be a professional spray painter many, many years ago. I've thought about it quite a bit given the amount of money luthiers charge round these parts. But I neither have a location for it nor would consider doing it if it were a one time thing.

hibidy · Post by **hibidy** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 1:32 am

Me? Paint?

Not a chance...... I'd love to be one of those DIY guys but trust me, after f**king this house up trying to be DIY I've realized let someone else do it

Your next guitar?