Abstract: An electric piano, using only one string per note and no soundboard, employs special mechanical and electrical means capable of controlling all of its various characteristics in order to duplicate the sound and other characteristics of a conventional piano. A floating bridge, floating on the strings and supported solely thereby, is used not for the pickup or transfer of string vibrations to any other device, but to control the characteristics of the string vibrations. Magnetic pickups consisting of a series of coils with adjustable permanent-magnet cores are arranged in special positions along the active lengths of corresponding strings and, in conjunction with frequency responsive capacitor circuitry, convert the vibration of each string into an electrical signal, shape the signal, and provide a composite signal output containing all the tone characteristics needed to produce a true piano sound.

Abstract: An electric piano, using only one string per note and no soundboard, employs special mechanical and electrical means capable of controlling all of its various characteristics in order to duplicate the sound and other characteristics of a conventional piano. A floating bridge, floating on the strings and supported solely thereby, is used not for the pickup or transfer of string vibrations to any other device, but to control the characteristics of the string vibrations. Magnetic pickups consisting of a series of coils with adjustable permanent-magnet cores are arranged in special positions along the active lengths of corresponding strings and, in conjunction with frequency responsive capacitor circuitry, convert the vibration of each string into an electrical signal, shape the signal, and provide a composite signal output containing all the tone characteristics needed to produce a true piano sound.