Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

KGMESSIER said:
You'd like it if it were a mint-green-to-bubblegum-pink burst.
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I would ;)
 
Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

KGMESSIER said:
You'd like it if it were a mint-green-to-bubblegum-pink burst.
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That'd be sweet.
 
Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

:9: Seriously, there are various color combinations that you don't know they're good until you see them, like that Carvin Dragonburst, they never thought it would work until a guy ordered it as an option 50 and once it was done they were rubbing their eyes ;)
 
Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

BigAlTheBird said:
I don't remember the details.

The patent only exists against big companies or something like that. Little companies/private parties can still do the double cream thing.
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It's pretty much the opposite. I talked to a few of the boutique guys like Wolfe and Lollar and they said they got some nasty threatening letters from DiMarzio when they tried putting out double-creams and they want no part of it since, not even hidden under a cover. They were pretty vehement about it too.

My suspicion is that Seymour can get away with it because DiMarzio knows Duncan has enough money not only to go toe-to-toe with them in court but that DiMarzio can't even be sure Seymour wouldn't be the last man standing. So apparently they save their threats for little guys who can be bankrupted very quickly by legal fees.
 
Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

Someone with some money and some 'nads should go up against ol' Larry in court and get that double creme BS wiped out. There were plenty of double-creme Gibson humbuckers around before DiMarzio showed up, and I'm sure quite a few people pulled the covers off for all to see.

P.S. Now that I've looked at the guitar, I can see why Gibson used PAF's. Natural maple LPs just HAVE to have double-creme pickups. I like it, but I'd like it better with a plain top. I'll give 'em tree-fiddy for it.
 
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Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

Zhangliqun said:
It's pretty much the opposite. I talked to a few of the boutique guys like Wolfe and Lollar and they said they got some nasty threatening letters from DiMarzio when they tried putting out double-creams and they want no part of it since, not even hidden under a cover. They were pretty vehement about it too.

My suspicion is that Seymour can get away with it because DiMarzio knows Duncan has enough money not only to go toe-to-toe with them in court but that DiMarzio can't even be sure Seymour wouldn't be the last man standing. So apparently they save their threats for little guys who can be bankrupted very quickly by legal fees.
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Agreed
 
Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

The whole thing is preposterous, IMO. When does a trademark run out, if at all?

I would understand if DiMarzio's public image and sales depended on double-cremes, but I can't really see that. I doubt there are players buying DiMarzios because of the colour - the sound of an after market pickup is clearly the defining factor in its purchase, not the colour. And for some reason, I think of rail pickups when I hear "DiMarzio".

Colour is secondary, which is why companies don't market their pickup models as "Zebras - Brown Sound option" or "Double cremes - vintage voiced" pickups. It's almost certainly the other way around. Anyone get what I'm saying? The colour comes in after the fact.

Hell, I'm not even a brand whore to anyone in specific, and I actually have some DiMarzios now. It seems you guys knew about this, but it's news to me.
 
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Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

Ocifer said:
The whole thing is preposterous, IMO. When does a trademark run out, if at all?

I would understand if DiMarzio's public image and sales depended on double-cremes, but I can't really see that. I doubt there are players buying DiMarzios because of the colour - the sound of an after market pickup is clearly the defining factor in its purchase, not the colour. And for some reason, I think of rail pickups when I hear "DiMarzio".

Colour is secondary, which is why companies don't market their pickup models as "Zebras - Brown Sound option" or "Double cremes - vintage voiced" pickups. It's almost certainly the other way around. Anyone get what I'm saying? The colour comes in after the fact.

Hell, I'm not even a brand whore to anyone in specific, and I actually have some DiMarzios now. It seems you guys knew about this, but it's news to me.
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I agree with you completely, but there's nothing we can do about it. I'd love to be able to look on Musician's Friend and order my double creme Duncans or go to my local music store and buy 'em off the shelf, but I don't have the money to take on DiMarzio in court or the need to do so. I know I can still get double creme Duncans if I want 'em, and that's good enough for me.
 
Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

What I don't get is how can someone trademark sth that had existed before his time.

And AFAIK no, trademarks don't run out, only patents do...
 
Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

Dimarzios Trademark on Double Cream bobbins is also only applicable in the US.

UK makers such as Bareknuckle Pickups, Wizard Pickups, Shed Pickups etc can make pickups in Double Cream and DMZ have no case against them :)

So in theory, any pickup made outside of the USA should be able to be made/ordered in double cream :)
 
Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

jmh151 said:
Actually, if Gibson chose, there is a way around the trademark issue. Dimarzio's patent only applies to pickups- i.e.- commercially, consumer available aftermarket pickups...

If Gibson decided to make a double cream PAF, and only offered it on their guitars, did not sell it aftermarket, then it could be seen as just a component of the entire guitar and would not violate any trademark.....

Buisness wise? Dimarzio could still sue Gibson. Though Gibson would win, the cost of paying legal fees to defend the lawsuit would be more than the profit of those guitars- so it's just cheaper to give in to Dimarzio.
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I guess that's how Carvin gets away with it as well. The M22's came out in 78 and were available in ONLY double cream untill 85.
They have all there pickups except the 7 strings available in double cream.
 
Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

Re: Anybody seen this weeks "Gibson Guitar of the Week"? (Double Creme Pup Content)

Ascension said:
I guess that's how Carvin gets away with it as well. The M22's came out in 78 and were available in ONLY double cream untill 85.
They have all there pickups except the 7 strings available in double cream.
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It has less to do with colour, and more with design, IMO. Carvin humbuckers have 12 pole pieces. There's no way you'd mistake them with DiMarzios, even if you didn't play guitar.

If they used normal 6-pole pickups, I doubt they'd be having an easy time. While a double-creme pickup may come built-in to a Carvin guitar, the Carvin folks would have a hard time arguing that--they offer several different pickup designs with different coil and bezel colour options. IMO it's the size of the company, and the product design is different.
 
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