RE: Hohner Vintage Tricell Vamper

["G." <gigs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

<quote>
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 11:06:54 -0500
From: "Marcio Marchini" <mqm@xxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Hohner Vintage Tricell Vamper

Hi G,

Does this mean that other manufacturers can actually issue something like
that without running into patent problems ? I mean, the XB-40 is (I believe)
covered by recent patenets, but maybe not that very old model ?

It's just that it would be nice to see something like that manufactured by
Hering for example but costing say 1/4 or 1/3 of an XB-40...

marcio
</quote>

Hi Marcio
    They cannot copy Hohner's design, but the concept itself isn't patented.
Both Will Scarlett and Brendan Power came up with the idea
independantly of each other, and apparently there are at least four others
who also came up with the idea independantly of each other.  There are
limitations and problems to the original idea where only one extra reed per
hole, and valves are placed over certain reeds.

Hohner/Rick Epping own the patent, not for the concept of using a single
auxilary or enabler reeds to allow bending of all notes, but on the specific
design that Hohner now sell (four reeds, 3 chambers per hole) - U.S.Patent
Nos US5182413 and US5367937.
No company other than Hohner have the right to fabricate and sell that
specific design.   The Harp-L archives contain a thread where this was
discussed in full. subject "Re: New Hohner All-Bending Harp" in 2001.

What is interesting is if things had gone differently we could quite
probably be playing Suzuki's version of the instrument with Brendan Power's
name stamped on the covers.
Whatever the case, it XB-40 design is currently patented and therefore
legally protected from any other company copying and producing it.
- -- G.