Bridge foot pickups and patent issues (split from Realist/treble foot thread)

[seamonkey]

Originally Posted by Ric Vice

T-Bal
Johnas Losse has these pickups on his website. They look very interesting.

http://www.jonaslohse.de/aptflex_GB.html


Unfortunately, I don't know anyone that has one, and there's
the whole Euro thing to contend with.

Ned Steinberger owns the patent on any pickup under the bridge foot,

Type in 6,018,120 in the quick search at:
http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/search-bool.html

[jonas]

Originally Posted by seamonkey

Ned Steinberger owns the patent on any pickup under the bridge foot,

Type in 6,018,120 in the quick search at:
http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/search-bool.html

yes, but this patent says "piezo". The APT-flex uses electret film instead of piezo. Electret film is a new finnish product, also used for BBand-pickups.
BTW, I'm not the maker or inventor of this pickup, I just sell them.

[Nuno A.]

Originally Posted by jonas

yes, but this patent says "piezo". The APT-flex uses electret film instead of piezo. Electret film is a new finnish product, also used for BBand-pickups.
BTW, I'm not the maker or inventor of this pickup, I just sell them.

Hey Jonas, did you A/B the realist and the APT-flex?
How does it sound the APT?
thanks

NUNO

[Ric Vice]

Originally Posted by jonas

yes, but this patent says "piezo". The APT-flex uses electret film instead of piezo. Electret film is a new finnish product, also used for BBand-pickups.
BTW, I'm not the maker or inventor of this pickup, I just sell them.

Jonas,
Does the APT-Flex have a warranty? Is it actually made in Finland?
How durable are they?

Ric Vice

[seamonkey]

Originally Posted by jonas

yes, but this patent says "piezo". The APT-flex uses electret film instead of piezo. Electret film is a new finnish product, also used for BBand-pickups.
BTW, I'm not the maker or inventor of this pickup, I just sell them.

I'm no lawyer, but this pickup would probably fall under an improvement or modification of the original patent. I hope a licensing agreement has been worked out. They look interesting.

[flatback]

This Russian pup looks just like the concept from pick up the world. I just pulled my PUTW out and instead of putting it under the foot I taped it to the table of the bass (it is made to go under the E foot an is a piezo film like this Russian pup)
It actually sounds pretty good.
If you want to try a film piezo, Pick up the world is in colorado and they make great little linebooster/impedance matching preamps and blenders.
the cables from the pup are pretty microphonic though...

[jonas]

Originally Posted by Ric Vice

Jonas,
Does the APT-Flex have a warranty? Is it actually made in Finland?
How durable are they?

Ric Vice

The sensor material is made in Finland, but the pickup assembly is made in Russia. They are quite durable, much less damagable than piezo film sensors.

[jonas]

Originally Posted by flatback

This Russian pup looks just like the concept from pick up the world. I just pulled my PUTW out and instead of putting it under the foot I taped it to the table of the bass ...
the cables from the pup are pretty microphonic though...

The electret film needs much pressure; just taping it to the body won't work. But unlike piezo film, it hasn't the disadvantage of microphonic cables.

[Ric Vice]

Originally Posted by jonas

The sensor material is made in Finland, but the pickup assembly is made in Russia. They are quite durable, much less damagable than piezo film sensors.

Have you had the opportunity to do an A/B comparison between
electrect film and a peizo film transducers? I'm certainly not expecting you to name any specific product. I was just wondering, generally, how piezo film transducers compared tonally to electret film transducers in terms of frequency response and accurate reproduction. From what I can gather from your website and posts. Electret film transducers are thinner and more durable. Are there any other favorable characteristic's?


Ric

[ToneRanger]

From another thread....

Originally Posted by seamonkey

Ned Steinberger owns the patent on any pickup under the bridge foot,
Type in 6,018,120 in the quick search at:
http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/search-bool.html

Thanks for the link. Bit of a dodgy patent, that one. All credit to Ned for putting his name on the idea first, but people were putting piezos under bridges long before he thought of it. I figured it out for myself before I ever saw a Realist because it's blatantly obvious that's where you'll get the best drive for a piezo.

The patent says "A musical instrument of the violin family which has a piezo-electric pickup installed under the foot of the bridge which is supported by the bass bar."

Interesting...
Would a solid-body instrument without a bass bar be exempt?

[Eric Rene Roy]

or if you wanna get really picky, the double bass is not a member of the violin family. It is a viol.

[jonas]

Originally Posted by ToneRanger

From another thread....
Thanks for the link. Bit of a dodgy patent, that one. All credit to Ned for putting his name on the idea first, but people were putting piezos under bridges long before he thought of it. I figured it out for myself before I ever saw a Realist because it's blatantly obvious that's where you'll get the best drive for a piezo.

The patent says "A musical instrument of the violin family which has a piezo-electric pickup installed under the foot of the bridge which is supported by the bass bar."

Interesting...
Would a solid-body instrument without a bass bar be exempt?

I wasn't able to find any German or European patent so far, so I believe that there's only this american patent by Steinberger. So beside all other questions (piezo or elektret, bass bar or not ...), the protection by patent covers only the USA, and not Europe.
BTW: when I searched the patent database, I was surprised what silly things are worth a patent. Even bass cases, or bass case shoulder straps ... unbelievable!

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by eroy

or if you wanna get really picky, the double bass is not a member of the violin family. It is a viol.

Yes, but it still falls under the category of an "obvious improvement" because the double bass is an obvious improvement over the violin.

[Eric Rene Roy]

Originally Posted by fdeck

...because the double bass is an obvious improvement over the violin.

LOL!!!

[Tbeers]

Originally Posted by fdeck

Yes, but it still falls under the category of an "obvious improvement" because the double bass is an obvious improvement over the violin.

Haha I actually laughed out loud. Cleverest post I've seen in a long while.