No more Seymour Duncan Double Cream Bobbins??

[goodvibes]

.....unless they are covered.

I saw this add recently and was wondering if this is true; anyone know?

"A number of these vintage Seymour Duncan pickups have "double cream" bobbins. You may not know this but SD is no longer allowed to make double-cream pickups unless they are covered. This is due to a trademark infringement injunction from Dimarzio who have the trademark on double-cream pickups. Even Gibson can't make their own pickups in double cream! So these rare "pre-injunction" Seymour Duncan pickups in double-cream are highly sought after and somewhat more valuable"

Sounds kind of stupid as it is very easy to remove pickup covers anyway.

 

[Sct13]

Its stupid, and true....

DiMarzio.....just as stupid as Gene Simmons owning the patent to the initials O.J.

 

[Big John]

Yeah, I don't see how Duncan double creams would be "more valuable" either. It's not like Duncan never stopped making them. Dumb.

 

[Rock]

Yeah, I read this before and I guess it's true from what I read. Apparently, DiMarzio got the rights to it, even though Gibson was doing the double creme long before DiMarzio.

I'm most likely mistaken but I thought I also read that Gibson wanted to put a cream colored pickup in the Jimmy Page Model but they would have to go through Dimarzio to get the O.K., and maybe even have to use DiMarzo pickups (?), and Page said forget it just go with black. I'm sure if I'm wrong with that story someone here will tell it to you correctly.

Now about Seymour Duncan. I've read two different stories. The first story I read is that in order to get around this problem you would have to call Duncan and ask for the double creme and they would ship it to you with a cover so that nobody knows what is really under there. The second story I read is that the first story is wrong. Duncan will send you double creme without a cover if you call up and ask for them.

I guess in either case you have to call them and ask for double creme specifically because they will not mass manufacture double creme and sell it in stores like they do the black because of the DiMarzio trademark issue.

Again, if I'm wrong I would think someone with better info will chime in.

 

[rabidhamster]

It just takes someone with the guts, and perhaps more importantly financial backing, to tell Dimarzio to go f themselves and the patent would be overturned due to prior art.
People laying down and accepting threats is what gives these companies power in cases of "frivolous patent".

As a side note, clearly the work around for this kind of game playing is to call the pickup color "aged ivory" or something. Come up with the "real" name for it, then educate the customers that Dimarzio has been 'making miscolored "copies" for years. Their miscolored plastic was so distinctive they received a patent since it was so far off from vintage correct.'

"These ones aren't creme! Oh no, yuck - none of that beige 70s plastic like cheap Dimarzios. These are high quality "aged ivory", vintage correct like Gibson put out in the 50s."

I hereby retain all legal rights and ownership to the term "aged Ivory" in reference to vintage color correct electric guitar pickups and rings. I grant unlimited usage to anyone wishing to use my term, both freely and commercially, except to any business related to Dimarzio pickups.

 

[bsteff666]

This has been true for many years. Nothing new at all.

But if you call Seymour Duncan (the company...not the man) and ask nicely...they will make you any of their production pickups in double crème & sell it to you with an unsoldered cover. They refer to this as a shop floor custom...as its not through the custom shop.

 

[Shawn Lutz]

from what I gather SD won't even make them in dual cream if covered as people we ordering them custom, removing the covers and the legal loop hole exposed

 

[VictorB]

from what I gather SD won't even make them in dual cream if covered as people we ordering them custom, removing the covers and the legal loop hole exposed

Interesting...

I wonder if they got a cease and desist order.

 

[Danelectro]

I've owned several sets of Antiquities that are double white. All were bought used from either eBay or the forum classifieds. I just asked the sellers to remove the bottom screw to verify the bobbin colors prior to buying them. The Duncan cream bobbins have a great color that is not too white, not too pink.

 

[chasenblues]

I hereby retain all legal rights and ownership to the term "aged Ivory" in reference to vintage color correct electric guitar pickups and rings. I grant unlimited usage to anyone wishing to use my term, both freely and commercially, except to any business related to Dimarzio pickups.

I hereby claim the term "Relict Ivory" Legalese mumbo jumbo, Yada,yada,yada included.

 

[slapshot]

i just leave the SD double white pickups out in the sun ...

 

[bsteff666]

from what I gather SD won't even make them in dual cream if covered as people we ordering them custom, removing the covers and the legal loop hole exposed

I should have added that I was ordering double crème Duncans this way a few years ago. I have not ordered one like this for a couple of years...so maybe things have changed...I don't know for sure.

 

[goodvibes]

I spoke with MJ late last year (or was it early this year) if they could make my Joe B. Limited Ed. Pickups double white and she said they could. I ended up not getting them. Man it is a crazy world out there!

 

[FlameTop]

It just takes someone with the guts, and perhaps more importantly financial backing, to tell Dimarzio to go f themselves and the patent would be overturned due to prior art.
People laying down and accepting threats is what gives these companies power in cases of "frivolous patent".

The OP quote has SD stating its due to a Trademark not a Patent. Different laws and different rules regarding things like prior-art.

 

[Shawn Lutz]

I've owned several sets of Antiquities that are double white. All were bought used from either eBay or the forum classifieds. I just asked the sellers to remove the bottom screw to verify the bobbin colors prior to buying them. The Duncan cream bobbins have a great color that is not too white, not too pink.

I put a set of SD Antiquities in my R7 and they sound great in that guitar. I didnt think to take a peek to see what color the bobbins were when I installed them..maybe next string change. I had dual cream DiMarzios in there before asn like the look both ways, aged nickle and exposed creams

 

[joebonsai]

This double cream thing is an old issue of Dimarzio and Duncan
as far as I know, ALL Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Pearly Gates have double creams... I have a set



and a nice Antiquity bridge



btw....original 59 or 60 PAF....it's not shure what's under the cover

 

[goodvibes]

i just leave the SD double white pickups out in the sun ...

So does this really turn them into cream? how long? pics?