Overlooked Gibson Patent

If I were to ask what year the development of features like dual sound holes, raised fingerboards, and the snakehead headstock were conceived it might not be when you think. It also might not be by who you think. This patent is not unknown but I think it is highly overlooked.

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It was filed by L.A. Williams, and A.J. Reams (son of Gibson founder Sylvo Reams) in April of 1917.....years before a certain someone typically associated with these features would come around.

Here is the text description submitted with the patent for approval. A very interesting read. https://www.google.com/patents/US1361182

Like I said, this patent wasn't really any secret just for some reason not really discussed when the development of things like the Master Model series of instruments are talked about. I have though briefly mentioned it before in the past in an article in Fretboard Journal on an experimental Gibson guitar that turned up that is an obvious extension of the ideas directly from this patent. https://www.fretboardjournal.com/fea...cial-cats-eye/

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Phil

The patent generally gets mentioned yearly :)

https://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin...?search=patent

A past discussion is here as well.

Most companies seem to have patents they ignore. Finding the instrument that was built to display something never really used though is pretty cool.

That guitar looks Portuguese.

Like I said, it’s not unknown just overlooked both in terms of importance and authorship. Never hear of people speak of “Reams features” do you.

Phil