By: Mel R. Quintos
- In a musical instrument of the type which comprises
- a keyboard secured to a guitar body and a neck, said neck further comprising a playing surface in which said playing surface is substantially rigid, the improvement comprising
- a means for producing musical tones from said playing surface in which a musician is able to contact and smoothly slide a finger relative to said playing surface in order to produce and change said musical tones thereby
CLAIM 1 OF
U.S. PATENT APPLICATION
Claim 1 (shown above) was rejected by the examiner as being anticipated by Figure 5 of a „Ludwig reference“ (also shown above). The applicant, Mr. W.Y. Guess, appealed to the USPTO Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences. The Board affirmed the examiner’s rejection of claim 1 based on the above-shown Figure 5 of the Ludwig reference, „which depicts a stringed guitar with a keyboard built into the guitar body.“ Mr. Guess appealed the Board’s decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.–click here to read more—
