My first US Patent was granted in March 1997 and my 3rd in August 2000. These are the first Patents issued to anyone for what will become the next generation of hum-free single coil pickups using Alnico rod magnets. As of June 1998 there were no other Patents granted in this field. You don't have to be Einstein to figure out that I was the first to accomplish this kind of performance, after all, I had been at it for 16 plus years and that length of research and experience counts for a lot.