History ► Gretsch Memorabilia
Patents
Synchromatic Stairstep Bridge
Patent #02190475, assigned Feb 13, 1940 to Fred Gretsch Jr., for the Synchromatic Stairstep Bridge
Rancher triangular soundhole
Patent #129478, assigned September 16, 1941 for a new, original, and ornamental Design for a Guitar or Similar Musical Instrument
Miracle Neck
Patent #02469582, issued May 10 1949, for the design of the Synchromatic “Miracle Neck”
Bigsby design
Patent #0169120, granted to Paul Bigsby March 31, 1953, for the Bigsby vibrato design.
June 30, 1959: FilterTron
Patent #2892371, assigned to Ray Butts, for what would become known as the FilterTron humbucker
Space Control Bridge
Patent number 02918837, assigned to Jimmy Webster for the Space Control bridge on Dec. 29, 1959
Project-O-Sonic Stereo
Patent #2964985, issued to Jimmy Webster December 20, 1960, for the design of the Project-O-Sonic stereo system.
Electrotone body and back pad
Patent number 196,609, assigned to Jimmy Webster for the Electrotone body and back pad Oct 15 1963
Flip-up mute
Patent #3134288, issued to Jimmy Webster May 26, 1964 for the Gretsch flip-up mute system.
Floating Sound Unit (tuning fork bridge)
Patent #3353433, assigned to Jimmy Webster for the Floating Sound Unit, also known as the “Tuning Fork Bridge”, Nov. 21 …
April 22, 1980: Super Axe
Patent #254792, assigned to Clyde E. Edwards, for the design of the Super Axe
Committee
Patent #257727, assigned Dec. 30, 1980 to Thomas Kimble for the design of the Committee line.