Abstract: The ribbon harp is a mouth-blown musical instrument consisting of a thin ribbon-like textile or polymeric object. When held between the thumbs and blown on by mouth, the ribbon harp vibrates in the audible frequency range and produces a musical note. The player may vary the tension in the ribbon in order to vary the fundamental frequency with which the ribbon harp vibrates, thus producing higher or lower pitches. Various methods may be used to provide lengthwise strength. Dampening properties can be tuned by varying properties in the crosswise direction. Aerodynamic surface treatments are provided so that the ribbon harp commences to vibrate immediately on being blown across. A wrist harness or gauntlet and a thumb cot are described as aids to the player.

Abstract: An improved clamp structure for cymbal fixing comprises an externally threaded sleeve with a pivot hole for a pull lever to penetrate and extend. The threaded sleeve is provided in sequence from top to bottom with a clamp, two isolating pieces, two cotton blocks, and a fixing nut. An upper cymbal is to be place between the cotton blocks, and a base block beneath the clamp having a through hole is screw-jointed with the threaded sleeve for the pull lever to penetrate and extend. A fixed wing block and a movable wing block located on top of the base block are clamping at the pull lever with two corresponding valleys, so that the threaded sleeve and the upper cymbal can be positioned on the pull lever stably to move after the latter with excellent response.

Abstract: The invention relates to a drum hoop holding device for a drum pedal, and the drum pedal includes a pivotal pedal plate. The holding device includes a hoop clamp body with a front part that supports a jaw that clamps the drum hoop against a support base of the pedal. The support base includes an inclined elastic material surface against which the hoop is clamped. The clamp body is oriented so that the front part is below the pedal while the rear part is laterally out from under the pedal. The clamp body has a hole through it, a spring that pushes the clamp body up, a bolt that passes through the hole with a seat atop the clamp body that receives the tightening nut and the curvature of the seat in the top of the clamp body cooperates with the curvature of the surface of the nut to permit orientation of the clamp body according to the thickness of the drum hoop to the clamp. A tightening bolt at the rear of the clamp body tightens the jaw at the front of the clamp body against the drum hoop.

Abstract: A brass instrument having a mouthpiece connected by a pipe to a valved body which is in turn connected to an output bending and a bell thereby defining an air duct. The bell and the output bending are formed of separate and detachable parts. The brass instrument has an intermediate section between the output bending and the bell and a coupling member for detachably coupling the intermediate section to the output bending and to the bell respectively. The intermediate section has a plurality of subsections in telescopic relation to one another and parts for adjusting an overlap between the plurality of telescopic subsections so as to change a length of the intermediate section whereby to alter a tone of the instrument.

Abstract: A guitar pick having a body terminating at an edge, with a tip defined along a portion of the edge, includes first and second faces with first and second wear indicators disposed thereon adjacent the edge and spaced inwardly therefrom. The wear indicators provide a fixed reference against which the wear experienced by the tip can be ascertained. The wear indicators can be either lines imprinted on the first and second faces or can be raised ridges extending outwardly therefrom.

Abstract: A valve cap apparatus is provided for use with a musical instrument having a valve case configured to receive a valve. The apparatus includes a main end cap having a first attachment portion configured to be removably coupled to an end of the valve case, and a secondary end cap having a second attachment portion configured to be removably coupled to the main end cap.

Abstract: An keyboard assembly for an electronic musical instrument is mainly constructed by a key frame, a key, a key switch and an assembly guide member. A fixing portion of the key is supported by the key frame such that a front portion of the key can be freely rotated up and down. An actuator is attached to and projected downward from a lower side of the key. The key switch (or a key-depression sensor) has an elastic projecting portion at its upper end. This key switch is provided on the key frame and is driven by the actuator, which depresses down the elastic projecting portion of the key switch when the key is depressed down. The assembly guide member guides the key when the key is moved in an assembling direction (i.e., a longitudinal direction of the key) in order to carry out an assembling operation to assemble the key and the key frame together.

Abstract: A ligature for use on a mouthpiece of a woodwind musical instrument. The ligature has a flexible or semi-flexible body and can be fastened to encircle the mouthpiece and reed assembly. A cradle is connected to the inside of the body and an insert is removably received in the cradle. A plurality of inserts are provided for selection of a needed insert. Flaps are positioned over or under the cradle as needed to produce desired tonal effects.

Abstract: In order to enable the instruments of a percussive instrument assembly to be located where desired and to prevent the instruments from moving away from the player, anchoring devices are disposed in clamping relationship with a removable rug on which the instrument assembly is disposed. The devices have opposite edge surfaces one of which in concave and preferably has a notch or undercut. The devices are located were desired by the player through the rugs and receive the legs or other appendages of the percussive instruments thereby anchoring them permanently in place and preventing movement when the instruments are struck or are foot operated by foot pedals the operation of which results in forces pushing kick drums and cymbal assemblies (hi-hat) away from the player. The anchoring devices may be called "Drum Ruggers".

Abstract: Clamping tool especially suitable for guitar repair which can be inserted into the sound hole of a guitar, with tensioning means spaced from the point at which force is applied to the instrument.

Abstract: A stringed musical instrument having a neck assembly, a body portion, and a plurality of strings, the neck assembly having a composite central structure made of a composite material which is sufficiently strong to withstand the entire load imposed on the neck assembly by the tension of the strings without deformation or the need for structural reinforcement. The neck assembly also includes at least one non-structural, non-load bearing wooden insert carried by the composite central structure and extending substantially along the length of the neck assembly, for enabling the stringed instrument to have the response and tonal coloration of stringed instruments with traditional wooden neck assemblies, a fingerboard carried by the composite central structure, and a non-structural, non-load bearing truss rod assembly for relief adjustment of the neck.

Abstract: A circuit and method for controlling the speed of a universal motor driven by an AC source is disclosed. The method includes the steps of measuring a value of a temporal property of a current through the motor and determining a speed of rotation of the universal motor using the temporal property. The method for controlling the speed of the universal motor further includes comparing the determined speed of rotation with a desired speed of rotation and adjusting the current through the motor so that the speed of the motor approaches the desired speed of rotation.

Abstract: A stringed musical instrument is provided wherein each string has two critical points. A fulcrum tremolo is mounted on the instrument for varying the tension of the strings and the distance between the two critical points. The strings are attached to a plurality of intonation modules mounted on the fulcrum tremolo. Each intonation module is adjustable so that the strings can be adjusted from an untensioned state to a proper playing pitch. A bearing assembly is also included to facilitate pivoting of the fulcrum tremolo.

Abstract: A control mode changing over method for a servo control system, which is capable of reducing a shock occurring in changing over a control mode from a torque control mode to a position/velocity control mode. In the torque control mode, a value of an integrator in a velocity loop for the position/velocity control mode is rewritten into a torque command value for torque control so that the value of the integrator is always set to the same value as the torque command. When a control mode is changed over from the torque control mode to the position/velocity control mode, a torque command value for a servo motor is obtained based on the value of the integrator rewritten in the torque control mode. Thus, a continuous torque command value is given to the servo motor in changing over the control mode.

Abstract: A guitar effects pedal system is provided including a base and a pair of ports mounted on the base for receiving an input cord to a guitar and an output core to an amplifier, respectively. An actuation pedal is situated on the pedal for actuating the system. Next provided is a control mechanism mounted on a top of the base for being easily manipulated by a foot of a user for altering a guitar signal passing from the input cord to the output cord.

Abstract: The invention relates to a circuit and method for sensing inverter current in a motor drive power train for purposes of detecting overload and fault conditions, based on the use of simple low cost ac current transformers and/or a low cost current-viewing resistor with non-critical inductance characteristics. The invention employs a current-viewing resistor in the negative dc bus of the inverter and a current transformer, connected in series with the current-viewing resistor, which is coupled to detect the current in the smoothing capacitor of the inverter circuit. If a motor braking circuit is included, the voltage developed across the braking resistor is summed with the inverter current signal to obtain a signal indicative of the total current in the inverter circuit. In accordance with another embodiment, a respective current transformer is coupled to each leg of the ac input line and a further current transformer is coupled to sense the filter capacitor current.

Abstract: The instrument includes a support structure formed of telescoping legs enabling height adjustment of the bed supporting the bars. The bars are strung on lines supported on bar mounts having resilient material in engagement with the lines preventing transmission of vibration from the bars to adjacent bars and to the support structure. A dampening rail including a fluid-filled bladder extends the length of the instrument in underlying relation to the adjacent inner ends of the two rows of bars and is spring-biased into engagement with the bars. A pedal, selectively displaceable along a longitudinal support bar, is used to engage and disengage the bladder relative to the bars. The pedal includes a fulcrum assembly for adjustment of the feel of the pedal.

Abstract: A bongos holder includes a U-shaped holder base having a mounting rod fastened to a tripod, a packing plate coupled to one vertical side wall of the holder base, a holding down device driven to force the packing plate in holding down the block between the two drums of a bongos in the holder base, a clamping plate fixed to the holder base at the desired elevation by a wing nut to top the block of the bongos from upward movement, and a supporting member fixed to the mounting rod at the desired elevation by a tightening up wing screw to support the drums of the bongos.

Abstract: A combination side-drum holder includes a mounting unit having a mounting plate fastened to the shell of a base drum to hold a sliding bar and a holding down block for fixing the sliding bar in position, and a holder unit fastened to an upright support rod at one end of the sliding bar to hold a pair of side drums, the holder unit including two ball socket halves fastened together, two balls rotatably mounted in between the ball socket halves and held down in position when the ball socket halves are fastened tight, and two supporting rods respectively connected to the balls and extended to the outside for holding a respective side drum.

Abstract: A system for fixing the neck onto the body of a stringed instrument in which the truss-rod (9) of the neck is seated in a corresponding milled portion (8) formed in the body (3) in the region of the foot, the bushes (4) are seated in suitable countersinks (6) formed in the upper side of the neck (2) underneath the fingerboard (1) and are connected to corresponding bushes (11) seated in suitable countersinks (10) formed in the underside of the body of the instrument (3).