How the Frying Pan Guitar Created the Electric Guitar
George Beauchamp's 1937 patent for the first commercially successful electric guitar, which used a magnetic pickup to turn string vibrations into electrical signals.
Original patent title: “Electrical stringed musical instrument”
George Beauchamp's 1937 patent for the first commercially successful electric guitar, which used a magnetic pickup to turn string vibrations into electrical signals. Granted to ELECTRO STRING INSTR CORP in 1937 with 24 forward citations, and it is now in the public domain.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent describes an electrical stringed instrument that captures the vibrations of metal strings using a magnetic pickup. This pickup consists of a coil of wire wrapped around a magnet, which creates a magnetic field. When the metal strings vibrate, they disturb this field, inducing an electrical current in the coil that can be amplified by an external speaker. This design allowed guitars to finally be heard clearly in loud big-band settings.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover acoustic guitars that rely solely on a hollow body for sound amplification.
- Does not cover modern digital modeling or MIDI-based guitar synthesis.
- Does not cover piezo-electric pickups that rely on physical pressure rather than magnetic induction.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
By using a magnetic pickup, Beauchamp bypassed the need for a large, resonant wooden body, which was the primary source of feedback issues in earlier attempts to amplify string instruments.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Rickenbacker A-22 Frying Pan
Modern electric guitars from Fender and Gibson
Electric lap steel guitars
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This invention fundamentally changed popular music by allowing the guitar to move from a quiet rhythm instrument to a loud, expressive lead instrument. It paved the way for the development of rock and roll, blues, and jazz as we know them today.
Filed
June 2, 1934
Granted
August 10, 1937
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Major manufacturers like Fender, Gibson, and Ibanez continue to refine the basic magnetic pickup design established by this patent. While the core technology is now public domainpublic domainThe status of an invention no longer protected by any IP rights — anyone can use it freely. Patents enter the public domain after expiration.Read more →, these companies focus on material science and coil winding techniques to alter the tonal characteristics of the output signal.
Market impact
This patent effectively launched the electric guitar industry, creating a new market for amplifiers and electric instruments. It forced a shift in musical composition and performance, enabling the guitar to become the dominant instrument in 20th-century popular music.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent describes an electrical stringed instrument that captures the vibrations of metal strings using a magnetic pickup. This pickup consists of a coil of wire wrapped around a magnet, which creates a magnetic field. When the metal strings vibrate, they disturb this field, inducing an electrical current in the coil that can be amplified by an external speaker. This design allowed guitars to finally be heard clearly in loud big-band settings.
The clever bit
By using a magnetic pickup, Beauchamp bypassed the need for a large, resonant wooden body, which was the primary source of feedback issues in earlier attempts to amplify string instruments.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover acoustic guitars that rely solely on a hollow body for sound amplification.
- Does not cover modern digital modeling or MIDI-based guitar synthesis.
- Does not cover piezo-electric pickups that rely on physical pressure rather than magnetic induction.
Patent Journey
From filing to expiry
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
28/40
Moderately cited
Claim breadth
0/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$14K – $43K
Midpoint $27K · expired or expiring · industry ×1.5
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Beauchamp, G. D. (1937). How the Frying Pan Guitar Created the Electric Guitar (U.S. Patent No. 2,089,171). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2089171/electric-guitar-frying-pan
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How the Frying Pan Guitar Created the Electric Guitar cover?
George Beauchamp's 1937 patent for the first commercially successful electric guitar, which used a magnetic pickup to turn string vibrations into electrical signals.
Who owns patent US 2089171?
ELECTRO STRING INSTR CORP owns this patent, granted in 1937.
When does this patent expire?
This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.
What is patent US 2089171 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 24 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This invention fundamentally changed popular music by allowing the guitar to move from a quiet rhythm instrument to a loud, expressive lead instrument. It paved the way for the development of rock and roll, blues, and jazz as we know them today.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover acoustic guitars that rely solely on a hollow body for sound amplification.
Patent monitoring