Is Seymour Duncan Stealing Pickup Ideas?

Re: Is Seymour Duncan Stealing Pickup Ideas?

LOL

Nobody was making a P90 in a humbucker housing except the small winders that I could see, now Seymour's ads read like he invented the idea.

If he's refering to the Phat Cats ... LOL. I guess he's never seen the Gibson P-94. Oh well, although I was impressed with Jason Lollar's posts. Interesting about Novak doing something similar as well
 
Re: Is Seymour Duncan Stealing Pickup Ideas?

I am thinking of winding my buddy a humbucker with mismatched coils in a few weeks. Am i knocking off the duncan Pearly gates? No its just a good idea. :blackeye:

Further more I am thinking of making one coil tapped. That way if he wants the mismatched coils he has it if not he doesn't. I am pretty sure I can get this done. If anybody wants to use this idea go for it. I'm sure I'm not the first to think of it.
 
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Re: Is Seymour Duncan Stealing Pickup Ideas?

"I have an idea. We'll get two single coils - and we'll glue them together! And guess what... I'll call it a humbucker!!"

*Few weeks later, disappointed*

All these companies stole my idea! :(

:laugh2:

Just foolin'

Who is Tony T, by the way?
 
Re: Is Seymour Duncan Stealing Pickup Ideas?

To get a patent, it should not have been obvious to combine already exisiting parts and there should not have been any suggestions or motivations to combine already exisiting parts.

Until you get a patent, no one can claim the ownership thereof.

Since there is no patent, there is no ownership, hence there is no stealing.

There are a wrongfully accusing guy and a wrongfully accused company.

Time to make up, telepicker?
 
Re: Is Seymour Duncan Stealing Pickup Ideas?

Not to pick on Steven but he was also offering a Humbucker in a P90 size ... John Birch was doing that in the 70's (I believe) not to Mention Dimarzio doing it.

I think the designs are fairly fluid. Heck if Gibson had it's way no-one would be producing PAF styled Humbuckers if anyone remembers Ibanez and the 55 Classic episodes.

In correction to my previous post Novak was producing something else, but Lollar's post is still excellent IMHO. Not to mention the man's pups are reportedly top notch.
 
Re: Is Seymour Duncan Stealing Pickup Ideas?

Double creme, double creme - let's dance to the song of the double creme...

:p
 
Re: Is Seymour Duncan Stealing Pickup Ideas?

I just read what Sk wrote in his webiste saying his provisional application has been expired. This means he is no longer pursuing a patent right on the design.
 
Re: Is Seymour Duncan Stealing Pickup Ideas?

Lollar's post is still excellent IMHO. Not to mention the man's pups are reportedly top notch.

Indeed they are. Cool guy to deal with. Known best for his P90s, but his PAF clone is really, really nice. Best I've played.
 
Re: Is Seymour Duncan Stealing Pickup Ideas?

This thread is going nowhere. Maybe time to hang it up. Yes Lollar is good at what he does, very knowledgeable and a cool guy.
 
Re: Is Seymour Duncan Stealing Pickup Ideas?

telepicker said:
This thread is going nowhere. Maybe time to hang it up.

Actually, it is going somewhere, just not in the direction that was suggested by the original post. I don't think that anyone here is buying into the idea that SD "stole" anything. Plus, both Scott and Evan have directly addressed the question, and unless someone is prepared to call them liars, the question has been answered. ;)

I'd like to make one other little observation: While I'm sure that Steve Kersting is a good person, and makes a good product, I can't help but notice that he suffers a teensy bit of the "Bill Lawrence" syndrome. That is, he attempts, on his website, to "put us wise" to the marketing tactics of the other pickup makers. Both he, and BL, make jabs at SD's "marketing nonsense", then proceeed to produce their own. SK goes so far as to mention Duncan by name, albiet through the backdoor technique of using an endorsee's letter. (Ultimately, it is Steve that determines what goes on his website.)

I wonder if both Steve and Bill realize the degree to which they drive away potential customers when they promote this "spirit" on their site. You won't find any negativity towards any other manufacturer, or their marketing technique, on Seymours site. They even go so far as to openly encourage recommendations of competitors products in their forum. And, more importantly, don't run from criticism. Notice that this thread hasn't been deleted.

Go over to the Bill Lawrence forum and suggest that BL "stole" a design from someone else. See how long that thread lasts. Be sure to bring along a stopwatch. ;)

Artie
 
Re: Is Seymour Duncan Stealing Pickup Ideas?

Artie, best post since Robert's 'Comfortable life vs Guitar' thread.
Very insightful, I've noticed too that we will always promote a fair go, and let the pickups speak (or sing/scream/wail) for themselves.

A completely sweeping speech that is.

Bee
 
Re: Is Seymour Duncan Stealing Pickup Ideas?

1. I seriously doubt that if the idea was "stolen" it was done on purpose.
2. Steven Kersting as far as I understand is no longer persuing a patent for the design (somepone please correct me if I´m wrong), so he should either resume doing that or push on. MHO from a business standpoint. Scott has publicly stated that SD will honor a C&D (as they have with other "less valid" ones in the past) , so either take the steps to get one issued, including protecting the intellectual property, or live with it.;)
3. From ampge.com
Seymour's custom shop has started producing what they call a "stra-90" HB which is a copy of my DualtoneII. That was the last one....
(also a full size HB in P-90 format, but I think others were already doing that as well)
My provisional patents have already expired, but THEY better not patent it!
This set my opinion on "Lawrence-Syndrome". This is not meant as an attack, but it sounds familiar ;)
4. Evan and Scott have said their piece, until SK comes to these.....:rolleyes:

5. I would find it enlightening if SK were to come on here and reply to these comments, it would surely be interesting :)
 
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Re: Is Seymour Duncan Stealing Pickup Ideas?

Well then invite them to stop by and chat us up, everybody is welcome here.
 
Re: Is Seymour Duncan Stealing Pickup Ideas?

Will, since by his own admission SK let the patents expire he must not have thought that much of the design. Frankly, I doubt there is much truly new after 50 years of pickup making. I would imagine SD has made and tested a warehouse full of different ideas. Combining coils of different design hardly qualifies as new or patent worthy in my mind.
 
Re: Is Seymour Duncan Stealing Pickup Ideas?

telepicker said:
I'd like to read Steven's response and also Jason Lollar comments here too.

Trying to start a fire?

You'll need a lighter. I have the patent of it, and of the wheel either :D

C'mon man, that crusadee brings you nowhere. Cheers!

Miki :beerchug:
 
Re: Is Seymour Duncan Stealing Pickup Ideas?

Be gracious fellas and remember that we don't slam anyone here, especially when they are not here to defend themselves. Putting aside any claims SK might make regarding his situation I will sat this though. I know for a fact that the SD company as stated by Evan himself does not accept any pickup ideas from outside sources and they refuse to look at outside ideas as to not run into problems with other peoples intellectual property. I can only imagine that the cost and time defending themselves from claims like these are far more expensive than they are worth.

If Evan says that MJ worked on a simular idea 8-10 years ago I have to believe it, and I'm also guessing that they have some kind of documentation to back it up. You just don't stay successful in any business for 20 to 30 years, especially one driven by R&D without putting stuff on paper.

It is obvious that SK is a little upset but I'm not exactly sure why. Just because he came up with the idea before he saw it somewhere else does not mean that he was the first to think of it, and if on the off chance it was an original idea first though of by himself, he was misguided to post his idea on the internet without protection, if that was even possible in this case.

I doubt highly that SD would rip him off, but there are definately other makers/manufacturers out there that would.

There has to be a better way besides internet accusations to handle a business.
 
Re: Is Seymour Duncan Stealing Pickup Ideas?

Like BASF:

"Seymour Duncan Pick-ups...We didn't invent the pick-up, we make the pick-ups better!!!" :beerchug:
 
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