Gibson is offering double cream pickups now

[GuitarBilly]

They're calling it "double classic white" but yeah,it's double cream

https://www.gibson.com/en-US/Product/57 ... e/PU57DCW2





I wonder how they got around the DiMarzio trademark.

[facefirst]

Keisel has done to for decades. Dimarzio can fuck off.

[eyeball987]

Saw that about an hour ago. They look good!

[GuitarBilly]

Keisel has done to for decades. Dimarzio can fuck off.

[BroSlinger]

Stew Mac has some double cream pickups now as well. I wonder if the 50 year trademark ran out or something.

[GuitarBilly]

Stew Mac has some double cream pickups now as well. I wonder if the 50 year trademark ran out or something.

Trademarks don't run out unless the owner abandons it.

Patents run out after 20 years.

[TurboPablo]

Either Gibson is licensing the color or they are telling Larry to GFY.

[greatmutah]

Either Gibson is licensing the color or they are telling Larry to GFY.

Someone should. I’m not a DiMarzio hater by any means (I have a few guitars with their pickups) but if the success of their business hangs on a dumb ass color trademark maybe they shouldn’t be in business. And I can get double cream pickups elsewhere but it’s a hassle to do so as I basically have to order stuff manufactured outside of the USA to get it in most cases (see BKP).

[GuitarBilly]

Yeah I highly doubt the success of their pickups depend on it. They have so many highly successful models.
But also, no one wanted double cream pickups until DiMarzio started selling them. They did exist but people kept them covered and the only exposed look that was popular was double black. It wasn't a thing until DiMarzio. So they did create the demand for them.

So I can see both sides of the argument. I don't care either way. I like plenty of DiMarzio pickups that it wouldn't be a problem for ime. But it's cool to see other companies finally being able to offer them too. Options are a good thing.

[Devin]

Some of the new Wolfgangs have them too

[greatmutah]

It may be as simple as a small change to the pigment of color being used and a different name. Boom - double classic white.

[Dave]

I always thought it was fucking dumb that Dimarzio locked down a pickup color scheme based on Gibson fucking pickups.

Fuck DiMarzio. What a loser.

[fretless]

Glad they got it sorted out. I expect we’ll see a new model now with those in it.

[Dave]

I hope it’s called “fuck everyone named Larry but especially Larry DiMarzio”

[GuitarBilly]

It may be as simple as a small change to the pigment of color being used and a different name. Boom - double classic white.

Yeah that's probably it.

[Marc G]

I hope it’s called “fuck everyone named Larry but especially Larry DiMarzio”

[Marc G]

I always thought it was fucking dumb that Dimarzio locked down a pickup color scheme based on Gibson fucking pickups.

Fuck DiMarzio. What a loser.

only thing dumber that thinking you could patent or trademark a colour of pickup is the Gov't agency that agreed to it...... that being said... I don't really hold it against Larry, bro took his shot and idiots went along with it

[GuitarBilly]

I always thought it was fucking dumb that Dimarzio locked down a pickup color scheme based on Gibson fucking pickups.

Fuck DiMarzio. What a loser.

only thing dumber that thinking you could patent or trademark a colour of pickup is the Gov't agency that agreed to it...... that being said... I don't really hold it against Larry, bro took his shot and idiots went along with it

Companies trademark color of specific products or services all the time. When you see a brown delivery truck, what company is that? It's a normal part of branding.

I think it's unnecessary for dimarzio to keep that trademark after all these years, I don't think double cream even represents the majority of pickups they sell, I bought many dimarzio pickups and only one set was double cream. So it's silly, but there's nothing inherently wrong with it.

[Devin]

[GuitarBilly]

:fap:

yeah that looks great

[EndTime]

Those WGs do look pretty cool.

After reading the recent Dimarzio little “pat on the back life story” article recently he wrote. Lol. He made a pretty big deal about how EVERYTHING he did back in the early years was cream. Cream marketing everything. Cream logos or some shit. He really try to sell it that it was more than just a pickup color but his brand. But I agree, MAYbE that made sense back in the day where his aftermarket pickups were cream so if anyone saw a pro playing a cream pickup they knew it was a Dimarzio, but those days are clearly long gone. I know it wasn’t covering overseas. Which I know you still couldn’t SELL em here as doible cream but Stew Mac for years has offered double cream under the cover for their “Golden Age” pickups. Not sure what EVH is doing, but clearly brands have either found the workaround or are somehow licensing it. But I did think calling it something else may be simple enough to dodge the patent. Hard to think no one thought of that sooner but clearly it’s happening from a few places

[screamingdaisy]

The little bit I understand about trademark is that the company that holds it needs to defend it rigorously or you loose the right to it.

My guess is someone tested the water and DiMarzio didn’t litigate for a set period of time, so others are now stepping in.

[facefirst]

Those WGs do look pretty cool.

After reading the recent Dimarzio little “pat on the back life story” article recently he wrote. Lol. He made a pretty big deal about how EVERYTHING he did back in the early years was cream. Cream marketing everything. Cream logos or some shit. He really try to sell it that it was more than just a pickup color but his brand. But I agree, MAYbE that made sense back in the day where his aftermarket pickups were cream so if anyone saw a pro playing a cream pickup they knew it was a Dimarzio, but those days are clearly long gone. I know it wasn’t covering overseas. Which I know you still couldn’t SELL em here as doible cream but Stew Mac for years has offered double cream under the cover for their “Golden Age” pickups. Not sure what EVH is doing, but clearly brands have either found the workaround or are somehow licensing it. But I did think calling it something else may be simple enough to dodge the patent. Hard to think no one thought of that sooner but clearly it’s happening from a few places

Definitely not licensing the color. That would legally have to be disclosed.

[GuitarBilly]

Definitely not licensing the color. That would legally have to be disclosed.

You're right. But filing the license agreement with the USPTO is considered enough disclosure since the USPTO database is public.

When I was at Line 6 they licensed the modelling to Vox for their original Valvetronix amps. The obit disclosure was the USPTO filing and that was legally enough. Most people still don't know those amps used Line6 modeling but it was officially disclosed.
The company's lawyer instructed us to confirm if asked but to not bring it up without being specifically asked.

[Diddlybo]

Having a trademark on a color is very common and it serves a purpose. Start a lawnmower business and paint them green and yellow, see how long until John Deere's attorney comes calling. There are many examples of a color trademark.

The Dimarzio thing may seem unnecessary in 2023 but it wasn't in 1973. I can remember those days and you could tell a player was using Dimarzios from 100 feet away. It was their billboard. I saw Ace Frehley using double creams and knew they were Dimarzios, I didn't have to ask anyone. That was huge in those days when the only pickups available were Dimarzios and whatever came stock in your guitar.