Abstract: Improved bridges and tailpieces for stringed instruments, such as guitars and banjos. The bridge and tailpiece each include a void at each end of their respective base pieces, near the vertical hole or slot, into which is fixedly set a permanent magnet. The magnet attracts to the ferromagnetic metal bridge posts or tailpiece posts to retain the bridge or tailpiece on the posts and keep them from falling off when the strings are removed from the instrument.

Abstract: A saddle for a stringed instrument comprising an elongate member having a string support surface and a base that abuts the stringed instrument. The elongate member has at least one internal cavity and a pickup element received in the internal cavity, the element being dimensioned to provide an airspace gap between the element and the base of the elongate member to provide a separation between the element and the instrument. The airspace gap between the element and the base of the saddle means that no pressure is applied to the bottom of the element, thereby eliminating string imbalance due to uneven pressure between the saddle and the instrument.

Abstract: Improved bridges and tailpieces for stringed instruments, such as guitars and banjos. The bridge and tailpiece each include a void at each end of their respective base pieces, near the vertical hole or slot, into which is fixedly set a permanent magnet. The magnet attracts to the ferromagnetic metal bridge posts or tailpiece posts to retain the bridge or tailpiece on the posts and keep them from falling off when the strings are removed from the instrument.

Abstract: A saddle for a stringed instrument comprising an elongate member having a string support surface for supporting strings of the instrument and a base that abuts the stringed instrument. The elongate member has at least one internal cavity and, in some embodiments, an insert made from a resonant material is received in the internal cavity, the insert being dimensioned to provide an airspace gap between the insert and the base of the elongate member to provide a separation between the insert and the instrument. At least one piezoelectric crystal is embedded in the insert to faithfully and reliable capture the vibrational energy of the strings. Alternatively, a transducer or pickup element is directly received in the internal cavity and is dimensioned to provide an airspace gap between the transducer element and the base to provide a separation between the transducer element and the instrument.

Abstract: A message display system for a stringed instrument comprises a plurality of bridge pins, each bridge pin being formed with a top surface marked with indicia. The top surfaces with indicia are viewable when the plurality of bridge pins are installed into a bridge of the instrument, and the bridge pins are arranged to display a message to a viewer. Trademarks, band names and short political or personal messages may be displayed. The indicia formed on the bridge pins are not limited to those of the Latin alphabet. The text and symbols of other writing systems or languages, for example, Japanese, Arabic, Chinese, or Korean, may be formed on the bridge pins. For beginner guitar players, the bridge pins may be used to mark the names of the strings (e.g. E A D G B E).

Abstract: A message display system for a stringed instrument comprises a plurality of bridge pins, each bridge pin being formed with a top surface marked with indicia. The top surfaces with indicia are viewable when the a plurality of bridge pins are installed into a bridge of the instrument, and the bridge pins are arranged to display a message to a viewer. Trademarks, band names and short political or personal messages may be displayed. The indicia formed on the bridge pins are not limited to those of the Latin alphabet. The text and symbols of other writing systems or languages, for example, Japanese, Arabic, Chinese, or Korean, may be formed on the bridge pins. For beginner guitar players, the bridge pins may be used to mark the names of the strings (e.g. E A D G B E).

Abstract: A saddle for an electro-acoustic stringed instrument is provided having a string supporting member supported by a plurality of pillars. The pillars have bases and are separated from each other by gaps which are relatively large in comparison to the bases. The saddle has a total base area, defined by the combined area of the bases, which is relatively small compared to the total base area of a saddle with a continuous base surface, such that a biasing force applied to the string supporting member is applied to a relatively smaller area. Furthermore, all of the bases have substantially equal surface areas such that force applied to the string supporting member is transmitted to each base equally. Each of the pillars has constant cross-sectional areas along its length so that adjusting the height of a pillar does not change the surface area of its base.