When PAFs were finally patented...Gibson got goofy

[Doug]

Here's a trivia question for ya...

When Seth Lover's PAF humbucker was finally patented, a patent number replaced the "Patent Applied For" stamp on the pickup. But the patent number Gibson placed on Lover's humbuckers was not the patent number for his pickup.

What Gibson guitar part was the number placed on Lover's humbucker really for?

[dezb1]

No idea tell us oh wide sage...

[tenderstems]

Was it the patent for Deez Nutz?

[Chris Fleming]

the banana bridge temporarily used as a scent based based lure thang for monkey's and it turns out... man

[Joey]

[quote="tenderstems"]Was it the patent for Deez Nutz?[/quo

Dont like that attitde no0bie

[paul_]

The useless trapeze tailpiece that appeared on early '52 Les Pauls.

I remember my first heroin too bro

[sunshiner]

Paul was first...It is the number of the old odd trapeze bridge which used to be placed on first Les Pauls. This patent number has been stamping on all Gibson humbucking pickups including mini humbuckers(both Firebird and Les Paul Deluxe models). It is very strange that they continue to do it up to now.

[paul_]

The patent wasn't actually granted to that tailpiece while it was being used on Les Pauls (they were engraved with the Les Paul script and stamped pat. pending). With a flip of the bar it was the bridge for ES-295s, though in that same configuration the string action on an early '52 LP (which did not have the same pitched necks as later Les Pauls) would've resulted in sky-high action on higher frets and required a shimmed bridge pickup.

Les Paul hated that early bridge because you couldn't palm-mute with it (and dampened arpeggios/low note rhythms were a huge part of his sound), so he modified all the earliest goldtops Gibson sent him with separate tailpiece/bridge combos like they'd tried on the prototypes.

[Doug]

The useless trapeze tailpiece that appeared on early '52 Les Pauls.

I remember my first heroin too, bro

Well, that's a well-functioning memory all things considered. Yep, it was the useless tailpiece patent number that was put on Lover's humbuckers...perhaps to make it hard for competitors to find the useful drawings on file in the US Patent Office.

Congratulations!

[tenderstems]

Was it the patent for Deez Nutz?[/quo

Dont like that attitde no0bie

Was it though? Did you check with the patent office? I could be right.

[Doug]

...I could be right.

...in yer wet dreams.

[Joey]

good point, googling it as we speak