The following U.S. Patents are available for licensing. Click Here for the index page, and click on the links below to reach each patent. They have all been modified upgraded from the standard uspto.gov download to include drawings and properly formatted equations and tables.
U.S. 9,401,134, Baker, 2016 – Acoustic-electric stringed instrument with improved body, electric pickup placement, pickup switching and electronic circuit
Abstract – An electric-acoustic stringed instrument has a removable, adjustable and acoustic artwork top with a decorative bridge and tailpiece; a mounting system for electric string vibration pickups that allows five degrees of freedom in placement and orientation of each pickup anyplace between the neck and bridge; a pickup switching system that provides K*(K-1)/2 series-connected and K*(K-1)/2 parallel-connected humbucking circuits for K matched single-coil pickups; and an on-board preamplifier and distortion circuit, running for over 100 hours on two AA cells, that provides control over second-and third-harmonic distortion. The switched pickups, and up to M=12 switched tone capacitors provide up to M*K*(K-1) tonal options, plus a linear combination of linear, near second-harmonic and near-third harmonic signals, preamp settings, and possible additional vibration sensors in or on the acoustic top.
U.S. 10,217,450, Baker, 2019 – Humbucking switching arrangements and methods for stringed instrument pickups
Abstract – This invention develops the math and topology necessary to determine the potential number of tonally distinct connections of sensors, musical vibration sensors in particular. It claims the methods and sensor topological circuit combinations, including phase reversals from inverting sensor connections, up to any arbitrary number of sensors, excepting those already patented or in use. It distinguishes which of those sensor topological circuit combinations are humbucking for electromagnetic pickups. It presents a micro-controller system driving a crosspoint switch, with a simplified human interface, which allows a shift from bright to warm tones and back, particularly for humbucking outputs, without the user needing to know which pickups are used in what combinations. It suggests the limits of mechanical switches and develops a pickup switching system for dual-coil humbucking pickups.
U.S. 10,380,986, Baker, 2019 – Means and methods for switching odd and even numbers of matched pickups to produce all humbucking tones
Abstract – This invention discloses a switching system for any odd or even number of two or more matched vibrations sensors, such that all possible circuits of such sensors that can be produced by the system are humbucking, rejecting external interferences signals. The sensors must be matched, especially with respect to response to external hum and internal impedance, and be capable of being made or arranged so that the responses of individual sensors to vibration can be inverted, compared to another matched sensor, placed in the same physical position, while the interference signal is not. Such that for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 sensors, there exist 1, 6, 25, 90, 301, 966 and 3025 unique humbucking circuits, respectively, with signal outputs that can be either single-ended or differential. Embodiments of switching systems include electro-mechanical switches, programmable switches, solid-state digital-analog switches, and micro-controller driven solid state switches using time-series to spectral-series transforms to pick the order of tones from bright to warm and back.
U.S. 10,810,987, Baker, 2020 – More embodiments for common-point pickup circuits in musical instruments
Abstract – This invention refines and expands the use of mode switches in common-point connection circuits for matched pickups on musical instruments. For example, on a 3-coil S-type electric guitar, where the common-point connection circuit with a single-ended output provides three humbucking pair outputs and three humbucking triple outputs, a 4P2T mode switch can ground the common point and provide both all of the standard non-humbucking 5-way switch outputs, as well as adjusting the tone capacitor to make both humbucking and non-humbucking tone outputs more compatible. On an electric guitar with three dual-coil humbuckers, mode switches of one 6P2T, one 2P2T and three 1P2T can choose between dual-coil and single-coil operation modes, humbucking and non-humbucking modes, and partially simulate the effect of flipping single-coil magnets at will, by choosing which coil of each humbucker is used.
U.S. 10,847,131, Baker, 2020 – Modifications to a lipstick-style pickup housing and core to allow signal phase reversals in humbucking circuits
Abstract – This invention discloses a pickup based upon the core of a common lipstick pickup for an electric stringed musical instrument with a core and housing, the core comprised of a magnet, coil form, and a wire coil connected to electrical contacts on the coil form, and a separate housing providing mounting to the body of the instrument and mating electrical contacts for that core, such that the core can be removed from the housing, flipped so as to reverse the magnetic field towards the strings, and reinserted into the housing, such that any humbucking circuit constructed with other matching pickups will remain humbucking.
U.S. 10,878,785, Baker, 2020 – Stringed instrument pick holder with adaptation to pick guard
Abstract – This invention uses a simple, decorative and effective way to hold picks to a guitar body, especially a solid electric guitar body or the head of a neck. It comprises a flat plate, which can be conveniently included in the design of a pick guard, using at least one mounting screw, one or more fingers to hold down individual picks, each tensioned by separate screw, and a thin shield under the pick holder to keep each pick from rubbing on the body finish. The parts can be cut, carved or printed to decorative designs.
