I have seen the guitars and I know that Miroslav Virtous played one their basses. Has anyone ever seen one?? I remember the fretted version in the back of an old Guitar Player mag. Any photos???
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Gittler Bass?
- Thread starter Lo end PUNCH
- Start date
A google search will turn up Gittler's current website. He goes by a different, eastern-sounding name now, though, IIRC.
Allan Gittler (Avraham Bar Rashi) died almost 3 years ago. I certainly haven't been able to find a website, don't know if his design was licensed or carried on by anyone else. If you have a link, would appreciate it if you posted it.
Kcorren,
Do you have one of these? I googled up a HC review of the guitar by you, but do you have the bass as well?
Do you have one of these? I googled up a HC review of the guitar by you, but do you have the bass as well?
Kevin, on your site I only get a flash that loads and then turns into a static picture (which is nice to see). Is there something my browser is blocking?
I've never seen a fretless one before. I would think it would be too easy to push the strings off the sides of the four tubes.
I've never seen a fretless one before. I would think it would be too easy to push the strings off the sides of the four tubes.
There were only 3 ever made, so you can't. Gittler cut off communication with the machine company that made the instruments when they let Ned Steinberger examine his tuners, and the production on the guitars in Israel was so unsatisfactory to Gittler that he pretty much disowned their work. Don't know why he only made 3 basses. It's too bad things didn't work out. I saw one Gittler guitar in real life in ~1988 or so. A guy named Alan Richardson, I think, was playing it. Had a really bell-like quality to the tone.
WOW, so Ned wasnt actually the guy who invented those tuners? I used to own one of the guitars.As the Story Goes:
The Headless tuner design was developed
in New york by Allan Gittler in the early 70's.
It was Patent Pending until 1978 at which time
it received US Patent # 4079652.
Allan then moved to Israel and changed his
name to Avraham Bar Rashi.
Ned then decided to go to the Machine
Shop in New York where the Gittlers were
made and get the plans for the headless tuners.
The Steinberger came out in 1980.
Shortly afterwards, Status Graphite/Washburn
came out with some headless basses and were
taken to court.
The lawyers for Status Graphite/Washburn presented
the Gittler Patent to the Judge and he dismissed the
case.
ps.
I also wanted to follow up on the earlier post by PILOTJONES.
The Tubes are tapered flat in the middle so the fingerboard
it almost flat in the lower positions.
You can even bend the notes about a half a step
and not slip off the tubes.
It takes a little getting use to like the Gittler
Guitars which have No Fingerboard whatsoever.
Peace
@@
\_____/
The Headless tuner design was developed
in New york by Allan Gittler in the early 70's.
It was Patent Pending until 1978 at which time
it received US Patent # 4079652.
Allan then moved to Israel and changed his
name to Avraham Bar Rashi.
Ned then decided to go to the Machine
Shop in New York where the Gittlers were
made and get the plans for the headless tuners.
The Steinberger came out in 1980.
Shortly afterwards, Status Graphite/Washburn
came out with some headless basses and were
taken to court.
The lawyers for Status Graphite/Washburn presented
the Gittler Patent to the Judge and he dismissed the
case.
ps.
I also wanted to follow up on the earlier post by PILOTJONES.
The Tubes are tapered flat in the middle so the fingerboard
it almost flat in the lower positions.
You can even bend the notes about a half a step
and not slip off the tubes.
It takes a little getting use to like the Gittler
Guitars which have No Fingerboard whatsoever.
Peace
@@
\_____/
I'm intrigued.
"I [Gittler] chose a discipline of only three sizes in milled stock-5/8", for the body, 3/8" for the pickups and tuners, 1/4" for the frets, bridge, nut, and string anchors." See Invalid Link Removed.
I bet that pilotjones could come up with a plan for building the bass based on the Invalid Link Removed and a few detailed pics.
Who wants to make a homemade Gittler?
"I [Gittler] chose a discipline of only three sizes in milled stock-5/8", for the body, 3/8" for the pickups and tuners, 1/4" for the frets, bridge, nut, and string anchors." See Invalid Link Removed.
I bet that pilotjones could come up with a plan for building the bass based on the Invalid Link Removed and a few detailed pics.
Who wants to make a homemade Gittler?
Interesting Gittler-Steinberger story. Especially seeing as they each have their own unique bridge patents. In fact, at least one of Steinberger's patents references the Gittler patent, in effect stating that "while this new item has some relation to prior art, it is unique from it." So, I'd be hestitant to say that S. went to the machine shop in order to "get the plans for the headless tuners." The plans were already on file, available to all at the patent office. Steinberger made his own invention.
As far as Washburn producing the Gittler patent in order to defend itself, with the implication that G. patent showed that the S. patent was somehow improper-- I take this story with a grain of salt. The G. patent would have been in force at the time. If you were Washburn, and you were trying to prove that you hadn't violated a "good" patent (because the patent was "bad"), would you offer a "good" patent that you had violated as proof? I wouldn't.
Or maybe I'm misinterpreting something.
mheintz, the Gittler patent is pretty detailed in it's description of the preferred embodiment- you could probably make one from the patent, without even needing a photograph. It was filed in 1976 and granted in 1978, which means that unless there was a (uncommon) term extension, it ran out in 1996.
As far as Washburn producing the Gittler patent in order to defend itself, with the implication that G. patent showed that the S. patent was somehow improper-- I take this story with a grain of salt. The G. patent would have been in force at the time. If you were Washburn, and you were trying to prove that you hadn't violated a "good" patent (because the patent was "bad"), would you offer a "good" patent that you had violated as proof? I wouldn't.
Or maybe I'm misinterpreting something.
mheintz, the Gittler patent is pretty detailed in it's description of the preferred embodiment- you could probably make one from the patent, without even needing a photograph. It was filed in 1976 and granted in 1978, which means that unless there was a (uncommon) term extension, it ran out in 1996.
Kcorren said:
I'd rather have the "Fluff Bass" on that site! LOL!
There's some interesting basses there...
