DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Aalfs.
Aalfs discloses the use of a stringed instrument (10), comprising: a neck (14) having a first end and a second end, with a head (not shown) formed at the first end, the neck (14) including a flat fingerboard (30) having color- coded and/or numbered finger indicia (claim 20) and divider markings (42) arrayed thereon; a body (12) joined to the second end, the body (12) having a front surface and a rear surface (see figures 1 and 2) with a cavity formed therebetween (see figure 2), the cavity communicating with an aperture (see the openings in figure 1) formed through the front surface; wherein no fret is present on the neck.
Aalfs does not disclose the use of a single string instrument.
A single-string fretless electric bass guitar created by Scott F. Hall turned up to 11, July 2019 - YouTube discloses a fretless one-stringed musical instrument (see figure 1).
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Figure 1
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the device as disclosed in Aalfs to include a single string in order to provide a musical instrument with a monophonic sound.
Regarding claim 2, Aalfs discloses a tuning key (32) extending through the head (32) to which the single instrument string can be attached, the tuning key (32) having a knob formed thereon, wherein the tuning key (32) is fastened to the head with a nut (not shown).
Regarding claim 3, Aalfs does not disclose the use of a strap.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date to modify the device as disclosed in Aalfs to include a straps as an attachment means is conventional and well known in the art.
Regarding claim 4, Aalfs discloses wherein the head (32) further comprises a string guide (16) and the front surface further comprises a bridge (18), and wherein the single instrument string abuts the string guide (16) and the bridge (18).
Aalfs does not disclose the use of a 5. The fretless, one-stringed instrument (10) of claim 1, wherein the rear surface
(40) is removably fastened to the front surface.
Regarding claim 6, Aalfs discloses wherein the divider
markings (42) are level with the flat fingerboard (30) (see figure 3).
Regarding claim 7, Aalfs discloses a device that allows a student to play guitar, comprising: providing the fretless stringed instrument and a guide (16) correlating the color-coded and/or numbered finger indicia (claim 20) to musical notes; grasping by the student the fretless one-stringed instrument (10) in a predetermined position; placing fingers of a first hand of the student on a selected sequence of the finger indicia as indicated in the guide; and strumming the instrument string (28) with a digit of a second hand of the student.
Aalfs does not disclose the use of a single string instrument.
A single-string fretless electric bass guitar created by Scott F. Hall turned up to 11, July 2019 - YouTube discloses a fretless one-stringed musical instrument (see figure 1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIMBERLY R LOCKETT whose telephone number is (571)272-2067. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-5:00 pm M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dedei Hammond can be reached at 571-270-7938. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KIMBERLY R LOCKETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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