Abstract: A pickup assembly for an electrical musical instrument is dipped in a hot wax bath in order to remove air pockets from the assembly. The resultant assembly provides consistent tonal characteristics despite humidity changes.

Abstract: An improved saddle assembly for a guitar having a vibrato bridge assembly is disclosed. The improved saddle assembly has two parallel legs joined by a shoulder portion, one of the legs being longer than the other and the shoulder portion being provided with opposing string support grooves. The radius of curvature of the support grooves is larger than the radius of the largest guitar string, and the sides of the support groove are flared. The saddle assembly is reversible for positioning on the guitar so that the longer saddle assembly leg is closer to the centerline of the guitar neck, thereby providing a centering action and sustaining the guitar string upon flatting.

Abstract: An electric guitar having a body and a neck that supports a fret board is provided with a neck that removably fits into a slot in the body. The guitar neck is constructed so that the portion of the mounting portion of the neck that fits into the body slot is of constant dimension, regardless of the fret board width, while the remaining portion of the mounting end is as wide as the fret board.

Abstract: A guitar having a vibrato bridge assembly and a string lock mechanism for locking the strings at the intersection of the head and neck is provided with a fine-tuning mechanism on the bridge assembly. The tuning mechanism includes tuning knob elevator screws which are generally perpendicular to the face of the body of the guitar and which are easily accessible. Rotation of the tuning knob screws is coupled via an L-shaped rocker element to cause translational movement of the guitar strings thereby to adjust their tension and pitch. Rocker mechanisms are disclosed which minimize vibrational interference between adjacent rocker elements.

Abstract: An electromagnetic pickup for an electric guitar or similar stringed instrument incorporates a magnetic pickup assembly having pole pieces whose heads are slotted. The heads are positioned directly below the strings of the guitar. By orienting the slots so that they are perpendicular to the strings a percussive sound characteristic is obtained. By rotating the heads so that the slots are parallel to the strings, a sound characteristic typical of dual pole pickups is achieved.

Abstract: A guitar having a vibrato bridge assembly and a string lock mechanism for locking the strings at the intersection of the head and neck is provided with a fine-tuning mechanism on the bridge assembly. The tuning mechanism includes tuning knob elevator screws which are generally perpendicular to the face of the body of the guitar and which are easily accessible. Rotation of the tuning knob screws is coupled via an L-shaped rocker element to cause translational movement of the guitar strings thereby to adjust their tension and pitch. Rocker mechanisms are disclosed which minimize vibrational interference between adjacent rocker elements.

Abstract: A musical instrument neck formed from first and second elongate neck blanks, each having an inner face, the inner faces being fastened together. An elongate arcuate groove extends along the inner face of the first neck blank only. Coaxial holes are formed in the inner faces of the neck blanks, the hole in the first neck blank being aligned with and perpendicular to one end of the groove. An elongate truss rod is positioned in the groove and an anchor pin is connected to one end of the truss rod, perpendicular thereto, the pin extending into the first and second holes in the neck blanks so as to simultaneously anchor one end of the truss rod and align the first and second neck blanks during a gluing operation.

Abstract: A vibrato bridge assembly of an electric guitar is provided with a rotatable vibrato arm secured to a base plate by means of a bushing having a smooth-walled hole into which the arm fits. A set screw is provided to tighten against the arm to compensate for the tendency of the arm to become loose in the bushing.

Abstract: A humbucking pick-up for an electrical musical instrument of the stringed type including two or three primary pick-up assemblies and, in either case, a lesser number of additional pick-up assemblies are all that is necessary to provide for humbucking, the secondary pick-up assemblies not being used for signal generation. The pick-up includes an instrument mounted preamplifier. With the preamplifier in use, the signals from the primary and secondary pick-up assemblies are summed thereat. The preamplifier may be bypassed and the signals from the primary pick-up assemblies conducted directly to an amplification system. This is accomplished while maximizing the output signal and still permitting humbucking. A dual tone control arrangement is provided so that the primary and secondary coils can be balanced simultaneously. The arrangement of the primary coils is such that the operation of the secondary humbucking coils is not affected thereby.

Abstract: A pick-up assembly for stringed musical instruments including a pair of pick-up assemblies, only one of which is magnetized. The first and second pick-up assemblies are physically disassociated so that the reactance of the unmagnetized pick-up assembly does not interfere with the magnetized pick-up assembly. The unmagnetized pick-up assembly is lowered further into the body of the instrument than the magnetized pick-up assembly for the same purpose. The outputs of the two pick-up assemblies are summed at the negative input of an operational amplifier which negative input is a virtual ground so that neither coil acts as a load for the other coil.

Abstract: A musical instrument neck formed from first and second elongate neck blanks, each having an inner face, the inner faces being fastened together. An elongate arcuate groove extends along the inner face of the first neck blank only. Coaxial holes are formed in the inner faces of the neck blanks, the hole in the first neck blank being aligned with and perpendicular to one end of the groove. An elongate truss rod is positioned in the groove and an anchor pin is connected to one end of the truss rod, perpendicular thereto, the pin extending into the first and second holes in the neck blanks so as to simultaneously anchor one end of the truss rod and align the first and second neck blanks during a gluing operation.

Abstract: An electric guitar is provided with a string clamping mechanism comprised of a planar base plate and one or more planar top members for clamping the strings between the base plate and top members. The clamp is secured to the guitar on an inclined surface between the top of the neck and the head of the guitar and is of shallow design to avoid interference with the playing of the guitar. A separate nut is provided which may be filed to achieve the desired string clearance at the first fret. The configuration of the clamp is such that the strings will provide a force which tilts the top members forward and down at the front edge to provide improved clamping action. The simple design facilitates the provision of truss rod adjustment at the top of the neck of the guitar.

Abstract: A pick-up for an electrical musical instrument of the stringed type which provides better separation between the sound from each string in a humbucking pick-up. This is achieved by longitudinally offsetting from each other a pair of pick-up assemblies mounted in a housing and mounting the pick-up on the body of an electrical musical instrument at an obtuse angle relative to the direction of the strings, the angle of mounting of the housing on the body being a direct function of the longitudinal offset whereby each of the pick-up assemblies is centered under the strings.

Abstract: In a pick-up for an electrical musical instrument of the type including first and second pick-up assemblies positioned in parallel, spaced relationship, each of the pick-up assemblies including at least one pole piece operatively associated with the strings of the instrument and a coil wound around the pole pieces, there is disclosed an improved splitter switch whereby whether the coils are connected in series or in parallel, when single coil operation is desired, the coils are connected in series with a capacitor across one of the coils whereby the splitter switch effectively provides single coil operation without decreasing the overall signal level of the pick-up.