I certainly think you made the correct decision - and I for one have contributed to your business by buying boards off you, which are excellent quality (at least as good as, if not better than some commercial units).Īs you say, there's little short term gain in trying to hide what you do, as ultimately you'll sell it to someone at some point, and then you've effectively given away your design. It is also a way to be completely honest with your customers.ĭIY enthusiasts are not your usual guitar pedal customersĪctually, people making pedals themselves usually do not buy that much pedals: they prefer to make it themselves! (at least I do) So publishing your circuits is also a way to give back what you took from other manufacturers. You are also very honest with them and they know that you are not selling the 9999th Tubescreamer-with-a-different-name clone. Mostly the opposite: people love to know where your inspiration came from so they can also get an idea of what your pedal sounds like. My Black Hole pedal is heavily inspired by the preamp section of the Sunn Model T circuit. Most circuits are also inspired by public schematics Most guitar pedals circuits are indeed inspired by other pedal or amps circuits. So if people want to do it, they can! Moreover, it is fairly easy to trace a circuit schematic, especially if you use through-hole parts and an analogue circuit.
So there are almost no restrictions on retro-engineering and producing an existing guitar pedal. Finally, even if you have a patent, it is very difficult to use it because trials are generally long and very costly. Most patents today are more about the shape and/or mechanical features of a new guitar pedal system. Moreover, to patent a circuit you must prove its novelty and uniqueness, which is almost never the case for guitar pedasl! There are some American patents about guitar pedals (ex: BK Butler Tube Driver), but they have a limited time validity. There is almost no possible patenting on guitar effects circuits because they are so simple.
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