Audio Patent Collection

Guitar Effects and related circuits

Patent Sample 01	This is an audio noise gate patent by Tom Scholz, who is the founder and guitarist of the rock band BOSTON. It is one of numerous patents he filed while he was manufacturing guitar effects and accessories in the 1980s.

Patent Sample 02	Another Tom Scholz patent - this one is a combination distortion and compressor.

Patent Sample 03	Whirlwind patented this direct box circuit.

Patent Sample 04	This patent from Japan is a variation of the traditional wah-wah circuit.

Patent Sample 05	The Scholz Power Soak was probably based on this patent.

Patent Sample 06	Roland patented a chorus effect back in 1979.

Patent Sample 07	A diode clipping cricuit which doesn't load down the signal source.

Patent Sample 08	More diode clipping ideas from Dolby Labs.

Patent Sample 09	A different type of guitar tone control from Peavey.

Patent Sample 10	Tom Scholz' improved compressor circuit..

Patent Sample 11	This looks to have been the basis for the Scholz Rockman. You'll find interesting ideas on guitar EQ in this one.

Patent Sample 12	A Scholz distortion sustainer patent.

Patent Sample 13	The Scholz stereo reverb unit using BBD chips.

Patent Sample 14	The original 1967 patent that become the wah pedal!

Patent Sample 15	Someone patented the pedalboard?!?

Patent Sample 16	Another Scholz constant-volume distortion design.

Patent Sample 17	A noise eliminating circuit that looks a lot like a clipper.

Patent Sample 18	A phase-shifting vibrato. Uni-vibe?

Patent Sample 19	Another phase shifter, this one from Robert Moog.

Patent Sample 20	Brent Butler's tube direct box design.

Patent Sample 21	The pocket protector. An essential geek accessory.

Patent Sample 22	The push pin. No, really... someone patented the push pin.

Patent Sample 23	It may look like a bipolar mini-booster but it's more of a cascode design.

Patent Sample 24	Series energized transistor amplifier.

Patent Sample 25	Complementary jfet amplifier.

Patent Sample 26	Vacuum tube clippers by Fender.

Patent Sample 27	A bandpass driven phase shifter... interesting.

Patent Sample 28	The envelope-controlled filter. Looks like the precursor to the Mu-tron.

Patent Sample 29	An amp with built-in effects from Kustom.

Patent Sample 30	Transistor stabilizing circuit.

Patent Sample 31	Temperature stabilizing transistor circuits.

Patent Sample 32	Transistor tone control circuit.

Patent Sample 33	A T-network tone control.

Patent Sample 34	A 3-transistor distortion pedal.

Patent Sample 35	A soft knee diode clipping circuit.

Patent Sample 36	Transistor limiter - looks a lot like the Big Muff.

Patent Sample 37	Butler's Tube Driver patent.

Patent Sample 38	A grid-output tube amplifier from Korg.

Patent Sample 39	Zener diode clipping circuit.

Patent Sample 40	Scholz Power Soak further refined.

Patent Sample 41	A low distortion push-pull tube amp design.

Patent Sample 42	A simple diode voltage-controlled element. This method was actually used in some old Paia modules.

Patent Sample 43	R. Aspen Pittman's loudspeaker simulator for direct console input.

Patent Sample 44	The original patent for the mosfet transistor.

Patent Sample 45	Phantom powered direct box.

Patent Sample 46	Electric guitar voicing circuit.

Patent Sample 47	Moog Distortion Circuit.

Patent Sample 48	Peavey Distortion Circuit.

Patent Sample 49	Miniature Guitar Amp.

Patent Sample 50	Dynamic Distortion Device.

Patent Sample 51	As a bonus... the Pignose Amp.

Patent Sample 54	Maestro Fuzztone

Update: Some Recent Patents

Patent Sample 52	Phantom powering pedals

Patent Sample 53	Reverb using the PT2399

If you are interested in more information about audio signal limiting and diode clipping methods, be sure to check out the articles in the Lab Notebook section of this site about Tone Clippers and Warp Controls!

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