Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein describe keyless locking tremolo systems and methods for musical instruments that are configured to tune and restrain strings for a musical instrument without an external tool. Embodiments are configured to adjust the vertical positioning of a tightening post and string clamp without an external tool.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a Simplified Banjo and Drum Body where the body section of the instruments will consist of an upper compression ring with grooves on the lower surface, a shell having mating compression grooves on the upper edge surface and the banjo head material. An optional tone ring can be added on the inner surface of the shell. The unique feature of this application is that when the compression ring is tightened down on the shell of the instrument the head material is automatically tightened over the instrument.

Abstract: A playing aid for a stringed instrument comprises an alignment means arranged in use to be located on the neck of the instrument. The alignment means comprises a linear alignment element arranged in use to extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the neck of the instrument. The aid further comprises a glider comprising having a collar arranged to receive a part of the player's hand. The aid further comprises a coupling means arranged to couple the glider slid-ably to the linear alignment element of the alignment means.

Abstract: A method of adjusting the effective thickness and/or shape of the neck of a string instrument involves use of spacer device consisting of a precisely molded or shaped material such as wood, metal, or plastic that covers the palm of the hand between the thumb and index finger including the web, thenar compartment, central compartment and hypothenar compartment as well as distal and proximal palmer area used to precisely thicken and modify the shape of the neck of a stringed musical instrument. The spacer device may be bonded to a holder such as the palm area of a fingerless glove or to a strap device covering the palm of the hand using hook and loop bonding material or an adhesive. Alternatively the device may be directly attached to the neck of the instrument or attached to the palm of the hand or held in place by the pressure of the palm on the neck of the instrument. The wooden spacer has a low enough coefficient of friction to slide freely along the neck of a string instrument.

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed that relate a stringed instrument having a fingerboard support disposed between a fingerboard and a neck base. For example, one disclosed embodiment comprises a body, and a neck structure extending from the body, the neck structure comprising a neck base, a fingerboard support coupled with the neck base, and a fingerboard coupled with the fingerboard support, wherein the fingerboard support comprises a support surface configured to contact an underside of the fingerboard and a raised side that at least partially covers a lateral side of the fingerboard.

Abstract: A guitar top includes a sound hole, a neck end that is configured for attachment to a guitar neck with a longitudinal axis, a heel end, a transverse axis normal to the longitudinal axis, and a bottom surface. The bottom surface of the guitar top includes a pair of longitudinal braces that are attached to the surface. The pair of longitudinal braces extend primarily along the longitudinal axis from the heel end toward the neck end and terminate at a point beyond the sound hole toward the neck end. Each of the longitudinal braces is positioned on an opposing side of the sound hole such that a distance between the longitudinal braces exceeds the diameter of the sound hole.

Abstract: Provided is a keyboard musical instrument such as an acoustic piano or an electronic piano having an appearance and design similar to an acoustic piano, in which a fall board is made of a resin plate-shaped body, and hollow portions are provided inside the plate-shaped body. In addition, the plate-shaped body includes a plate-shaped resin foamed plate portion, and the hollow portions are made of plural air bubbles contained inside the resin foamed plate portion.

Abstract: The present invention is a novel variable tension string instrument that relies on a kinetic shape to actively alter the tension of a fixed length taut string. A mathematical model was derived that relates the two-dimensional kinetic shape equation to the string's physical and dynamic parameters. With this model, an automated instrument was designed and constructed to play frequencies within predicted and recognizable frequencies along with programmed melodies.

Abstract: An interchangeable drum slip that may be quickly installed to change the appearance of a drum and to provide protection to the drum shell. The drum slip is a rectangular piece of material that is pre-cut to precisely fit specific models of drums. Openings are cut into the material that correspond with hardware that is attached to the drum shell. A user installs the drum slip by placing the drum slip around the drum shell and securing the ends of the drum slip together. The openings in the drum slip fit over and around any hardware that is attached to the drum shell and any apertures formed in the drum shell. The ends of the drum slip are pulled together and secured with an adhesive. For some drums, the drum slip may be installed without disassembling any parts of the drum. For other drums, one or more drum heads and retaining hoops must be removed to install the drum slip.

Abstract: The support comprises a board provided with multiple grooves on the upper face thereof, along which attachment brackets can be fitted for the movable control devices, pedals and similar devices on the board, allowing the different control devices to be attached by previously fixing the brackets on the grooves of the board at the required places and the subsequent fixed positioning of the control devices and pedals on the brackets, by means of attachment elements thereof. The grooves of the board have flanges along the upper edges thereof for holding the attachment elements of the brackets.

Abstract: This is an improved pivot hinge for a collapsible stringed musical instrument providing for easy collapse and assembly of the instrument, such as the neck to the body of the instrument, collapsing into a sturdy, compact, and portable package, without altering the basic industry standard shapes and acoustics, and without twisting, or crimping the instrument's strings.

Abstract: A white key of a keyboard instrument includes: an upper wall elongated in a front and rear direction; and a pair of side walls extending downward respectively from right and left edges of the upper wall and each elongated in the front and rear direction. The upper wall and the pair of side walls define an inner space opening downward. The upper wall and the pair of side walls include: a narrow portion and a wide portion wider in a right and left direction. The white key has right and left portions with respect to a center line of the narrow portion. The right and left portions are different in construction to adjust a balance of load between the right and left portions with respect to the center line.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improving the decibel level decay characteristics of excited strings for stringed musical instruments.

Abstract: A drum tensioning device is provided. The drum tensioning device can include an insert having a flange and a shank. The shank can be configured to engage a tension rod. The tensioning device can also include a casing having a mount configured to receive a connecting member to secure the casing to a shell of the drum. The casing can further include an opening formed in the casing through which the shank of the insert extends and a recess formed on an inner surface of the casing configured to retain the flange of the insert while permitting for radial and axial movement of the shank relative to the opening.

Abstract: An adjustable and foldable shoulder rest for a violin or viola includes a shoulder-engaging body having first and second foldable forks at first and second ends of the body for attaching to the violin or viola, first and second slidable end members for supporting the first and second forks, the first and second slidable end members being slidable between retracted and extended position. In the extended position, the end member is cantilevered beyond its respective slot. The shoulder rest may have a foam cushion with openings attached to the shoulder-engaging side of the shoulder rest. The end members may define rotational housings for receiving respective rotatable drums that receive threaded stems of the forks, thereby enabling the height of the forks to be adjusted and further enabling the forks to fold.

Abstract: A guitar neck joint routing system. The system includes a probe and router assembly comprising a gantry, a probe, and a plurality of routers, and a guitar neck and body nest comprising clamps and vacuum grips for holding a guitar neck and guitar body in place for taking measurements and routing a dovetail joint.

Abstract: A stringed instrument can be manufactured with a neck that contains a back-side soft surface layer and optionally also a front-side soft surface layer, whereby the soft surface layers can increase comfort and enjoyment, and prevent, reduce or alleviate injury during play of the instrument. Alternatively, a stringed instrument can be retrofitted with an installable soft surface component, which can be fitted on top of the surface of the back-side of the neck of the stringed instrument. Further disclosed is a method of using a neck mounted soft surface layer with a stringed instrument.

Abstract: A guitar pad is designed to support a guitar or similar stringed instrument on the lap of a seated player, and the body portion rests on the pad when it is draped over on one of the player's legs. This facilitates the player maintaining proper posture and positioning when playing the instrument. The guitar pad is formed of a single-thickness piece of a flexible non-adhesive grip material formed of a woven scrim on which beads of a low-slip resin are positioned to alternate with open spaces; and a frame or border affixed onto the edge of the grip material. The frame or border may be formed of a narrow strip or strips of a low-stretch flexible material, e.g., leather or synthetic leather.

Abstract: A tuning mechanism (1) for a stringed instrument (2), including: a body (3); a neck (4) extending from the body (3); strings (5) secured to a headstock (6) by a headstock string retainer (7) and to the body (3) by a tailpiece (8). The strings (5) are tensioned over a span formed between a first (10) and a second string supports (11), respectively located on the body (3) and at, or adjacent, the headstock (6). The tuning mechanism (1) includes a manually adjustable tensioning mechanism (13), locatable on the body (3) and connected to at least one movable string deflector (14), contacting a string (5) between the first string support (10) and the tailpiece (8) along a deflection path (28) co-incident with the longitudinal axis of the string (5) between the first string support (10) and the tailpiece (8).

Abstract: A musical instrument is disclosed which comprises a tubular member having an inlet end, an outlet end having a circumferential lip, an exterior surface; and an interior surface having a rib, a movable stopper member having an indentation and a rod connected to the movable stopper member, the movable stopper member and the rod for insertion within the tubular member and the movable stopper member movable between the inlet end and the circumferential lip of the tubular member along the rib.