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GK rails in a pedal?

#881
So where does GIVE (Gate Induced Valve Emulation) come in to play on an 800RB?

I just searched the thread and nothing came up about it (though TB's search engine isn't the best). As near as I can tell it's the "Boost" feature. [EDIT: Searched other parts of TB... http://www.talkbass.com/threads/can-someone-explain-the-gallien-krueger-boost-knob.925949/]

Also a cosmetic question: does this blush go with my complexion? Oh, sorry, wrong forum...
Q?: What colour LEDs did GK use in the vintage 800RBs? I can't find any pics that show one powered up!

Domdec's using green in the pedal, but did GK ever use red? Just curious. Was thinking of having the on/off green and the boost red.
 
#882
boomertech said:
In the early 80's I worked as an electronic tech at a photo lab. It was one of those high volume labs that would do 24hr processing for drug stores, but it also did a lot of ancillary work for reprints, enlargements, posters and such. We would to get portraits from customers that were originally shot in a professional studio or yearly school photos, where they wanted a copy made. We were not allowed to copy these portraits because the original negative was owned by the portrait studio/photographer. But, if the customer was to take their own photograph of the portrait and bring us the negative to work with, then all was OK.

So this copying of protected work for yourself only, is a grey area violation that has no teeth and is easily dismissed by legal judgment. Otherwise, every guy that has taken their old VW and put official Corvette badges on it could be sued.;)





Getting permission is the key answer.:thumbsup:

-Frank
Click to expand...

Frank, GK is not a trademark...it's just two letters put together. If those two letter are used to spell say Greater Knowledge (just plucked two words out the air) and put them on a pedal but reference the full name on the paper work then there is not copyright issues. If the fonts used are in the general public arena then that too is open. I believe that there is enough design work here to say that it's based and emulates a specific device...it is it's own design and a unique pedal in it's own right. G.K. Rails would be my vote.
 
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#883
jwr said:
I agree, but! There are some artist that are very frivolous. LOL. I've read some horror stories. I wish I could just buy rights to certain images. That would be awesome. Like good ones that everyone likes. I know there's sites you can do that, but for the most part they are pretty lame IMO. Some are cool but not that cool. haha.

OK! Enough derail!

Did anyone ever do a demo of this through a tube amp? Did I miss that???
Click to expand...

I may be able to do a small demo this sunday if I remember. I will be at my drummers house for a little practice before our HOB show sunday night.
 
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#884
Feral Feline said:
Also a cosmetic question: does this blush go with my complexion? Oh, sorry, wrong forum...
Q?: What colour LEDs did GK use in the vintage 800RBs? I can't find any pics that show one powered up!

Domdec's using green in the pedal, but did GK ever use red? Just curious. Was thinking of having the on/off green and the boost red.
Click to expand...

Here's a shot I found of one powered up:

image.jpg
 
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#885
Feral Feline said:
So where does GIVE (Gate Induced Valve Emulation) come in to play on an 800RB?

I just searched the thread and nothing came up about it (though TB's search engine isn't the best). As near as I can tell it's the "Boost" feature. [EDIT: Searched other parts of TB... http://www.talkbass.com/threads/can-someone-explain-the-gallien-krueger-boost-knob.925949/]

Also a cosmetic question: does this blush go with my complexion? Oh, sorry, wrong forum...
Q?: What colour LEDs did GK use in the vintage 800RBs? I can't find any pics that show one powered up!

Domdec's using green in the pedal, but did GK ever use red? Just curious. Was thinking of having the on/off green and the boost red.
Click to expand...
The GIVE/Boost circuit is the same thing. It can emulate mild growl at lower volume, or it can fine tune growl. Whatever you need it to do. Typically, for it to add any growl at all, it needs to be above noon. The manual suggests you start it at noon.
 
#886
GMC said:
Frank, GK is not a trademark...it's just two letters put together. If those two letter are used to spell say Greater Knowledge (just plucked two words out the air) and put them on a pedal but reference the full name on the paper work then there is not copyright issues. If the fonts used are in the general public arena then that too is open. I believe that there is enough design work here to say that it's based and emulates a specific device...it is it's own design and a unique pedal in it's own right. G.K. Rails would be my vote.
Click to expand...


Correct!

I have never said GK was a trademark. In fact, I used GK in the schematic title and suggested that the name be “GK Rails”.

I believe you may be missing the flow of the discussion, because the image of the pedal with the official GK logo and several other posts have now been deleted. The official GK logo being used is what started this crap fest… not the letters G and K.

-Frank
 
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#887
Yeah I removed everything because I thought all that nonsense wasn't as important as enjoying the pedal itself. Especially considering the amount of hypocritical comments that followed.

Can we get back to enjoying this pedals full intents and purposes now and not worrying about copyright laws. I am sure there is a lawyer forum somewhere that would love to discuss this. :)
 
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#888
Dominic D said:
Here's a shot I found of one powered up:

View attachment 624535
Click to expand...

Thanks Domdec, and indeed I ran into that photo shortly after I posted. I like Viva Analog's stuff and when that popped up in the search engine I checked it out.

So... Green and Green is the way to go I think. Maybe there are different shades of green LEDs to be had?

kleinenenten said:
The GIVE/Boost circuit is the same thing. It can emulate mild growl at lower volume, or it can fine tune growl. Whatever you need it to do. Typically, for it to add any growl at all, it needs to be above noon. The manual suggests you start it at noon.
Click to expand...

Thanks!
 
#889
More love here. Current settings - Noon, 2:30, 7:00. Boost ON (obviously!). Treble switch in middle for no cut. Gets a nice low-mid grind, great for my doomy, slow to mid paced stuff I play. Pushed by a Blower Box this thing just destroys on those songs! So glad to get GK Growl at any volume now! Thanks again to everyone involved in getting me this amazing piece of hardware!
 
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#890
boomertech said:
Correct!

I have never said GK was a trademark. In fact, I used GK in the schematic title and suggested that the name be “GK Rails”.

I believe you may be missing the flow of the discussion, because the image of the pedal with the official GK logo and several other posts have now been deleted. The official GK logo being used is what started this crap fest… not the letters G and K.

-Frank
Click to expand...

I would do a trademark search to see if the two letters put together, "GK", were indeed, trademarked. I worked for a company that successfully trademarked specific words in conjunction with their logo. Currently, the only thing I see that is trademarked is the "GK - Gallien-Krueger" wordmark. A deeper search would be necessary to determine whether or not you could use the actual title "GK" … regardless, it's such a well-used industry name, I doubt it'd fly if contested in court or without Gallien-Krueger's very specific approval.

Send it up the flagpole to Mr. Gallien. Who knows, he might just be interested in it, or he might just give approval of production under that name with specifically stated components. Stranger things have been known to happen.
 
#891
A few things about the GK trademark and trademarks generally:
  • There have been several design trademarks for the letters "GK" awarded registration. These are for businesses or products that do not complete in the same industry. So, many comaniew own "GK."
  • It appears that GK does not have a registered trademark for the letters GK alone, but it does have registered marks for GK with at lease one other term -- GK Fusion. I say "appears," because a simple search of registered trademarks is not conclusive.
  • That said, a trademark does not have to be registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or the similar authority in another jurisdiction, to establish ownership of a name or brand. Simple use can establish ownership, but registration without documented use will not create ownership. One must first establish use and claim to register for and receive a trademark. Registration, however, does establish a much stronger legal position in the event of an infringement dispute.
  • Owners must protect their trademarks to keep them. There are two ways to protect a mark. First is appropriate use. Second is enforcement. A word trademark is an adjective, not a noun. Including the term "brand" adds clarity. Claiming a trademark with a TM (a claimed trademark) or an R-ball (a registered trademark) symbol is important. Altogether, these three establish appropriate use. Pretty easy. Think "Band-Aid brand bandages" -- clumsy, but effective. Enforcement is simply legal action, meaning cease-and-desist notification and lawsuits. Pretty costly, especially for small businesses.
  • In a lawsuit, awards are made based on damages. How much monetary loss did the business suffer? A couple pedals or custom guitars may or may not establish sufficient damages for the owner to go to the effort to press action. Or it may. A certain amplifier builder, for example, may not want to be bothered with the expense or distraction of going after a small-time pedal builder. There is some risk to one's trademark ownership by not taking action. On the other hand, certain guitar maker, hypothetically, might decide to employ unreasonably aggressive tactics if, let's say, perhaps, an independent builder and much-loved contributor to an online bass community happened to construct, for personal enjoyment, an instrument resembling the maker's product. There is some risk to one's brand image by taking too strong an action. (Both examples have been conjured out of my imagination solely for the purposes of illustrating a point. Any resemblance to actual people, entities or events is purey conincidence.)
Forgive my so many words. I'm out on this. Spent. And you're tired of this, too. Let's get back to talking about pedals!
 
#892
Dominic D said:
Here's a shot I found of one powered up:

View attachment 624535
Click to expand...
Earlier 400/800RBs I've seen had:
- red LEDs, with the power LED in the black section at the bottom
- horizontal power switch
- attached gray AC cable
- some real early ones had 2 input jacks [instead of -10dB pad] and 2 output jacks for the 800's Hi amp

Not sure when they changed but all the green LED 400/800RBs I've seen have:
- vertical power switch
- power LED in the gray section next to Output knobs
- detachable AC cable
- "Gallien Krueger" printed in a larger font on the front

HTH, would love to hear this pedal!
 
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#894
How's everyone doing with their Rails Pedals? I know that @domdec314 said he could put jacks on the top now, is there a way to make this a vertical pedal? Just curious, as that's how most are and it would fit onto most boards easier that way. Still digging my Rails Pedal! Tried it out for the first time with my old beater Ibanez SR300 DX and it sounded sweet as usual. Nice and round, just a hair of fuzz. Loving that bass again, after dropping it a bit for a little project I'm working on. Keep ridin' the Rails!
 
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#895
kleinenenten said:
How's everyone doing with their Rails Pedals? I know that @domdec314 said he could put jacks on the top now, is there a way to make this a vertical pedal? Just curious, as that's how most are and it would fit onto most boards easier that way. Still digging my Rails Pedal! Tried it out for the first time with my old beater Ibanez SR300 DX and it sounded sweet as usual. Nice and round, just a hair of fuzz. Loving that bass again, after dropping it a bit for a little project I'm working on. Keep ridin' the Rails!
Click to expand...

Still very much enjoying mine. I have ben experimenting with how I like it set. It is definitely staying, might bump something else off my board :)
 
#896
nshuman said:
Still very much enjoying mine. I have ben experimenting with how I like it set. It is definitely staying, might bump something else off my board :)
Click to expand...
I feel you. It bumped off my BAT Pharaoh. This IS my fuzz pedal. It's what I've always heard in my head for fuzz, but nothing did it before. It's articulate, fuzzy, warm when I want it, and cuts no problem. It's amazing. This pretty much cured my bass GAS. I don't want anything else for my board now. Of course, there's still the guitar board... which is where the Pharaoh ended up.
 

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