Rocking Patents: The Tech Behind the Guitar Revolution
Modern rock and roll guitar owes as much to inventors and engineers as to iconic musicians. From the first electrified strings to today’s digital processing, key U.S. patents have marked turning points in how guitars sound and play. Each breakthrough – pickups, amps, effects, and even playing techniques – expanded the instrument’s sonic vocabulary. Let’s journey through the most seminal guitar-related patents and their impact on rock music, with a nod to the technical artistry behind the noise. Sadly, Nigel Tufnel never filed for a design patent on his amplifier that goes to 11, so we’ll have to skip Spinal Tap’s innovation.