Abstract: A full-dumping tremolo guitar is provided with a recess extending only part way through the body of the guitar, in which recess are located the springs for balancing the pivotable bridge against the string tension. The screws for adjusting the spring tension are accessible from the front of the guitar when the bridge is pivoted upwardly, in the direction to loosen the strings. The bridge and its supporting structure are readily removable from their connection to the springs in the recess, for adjustment or replacement, and the top bridge itself is readily removable from its supporting structure for replacement purposes. The construction is such that relatively long springs can be used with a relatively short recess. The smooth, undisturbed surface of the back of the guitar contributes to the appearance and tonal quality of the guitar. The base pick-up preferably overlies a portion of the same recess which contains the springs.

Abstract: Muting of an electric guitar is accomplished by sensing depression of a string by the player during playing, and deactivating an electrical muting circuit in response to said depression. To sense string depression, each electrically-conductive string is supplied with a voltage with respect to the metal frets of the guitar, so that upon depression of any string a current flows through that string to a corresponding transistor which turns off the normal muting of that string; upon release of the string, the current stops and the muting resumes. The muting is preferably accomplished for each string by a corresponding respective FET, normally turned on to short-circuit to ground the audio signal from that string. Resistance-capacitance circuits are provided to control how fast the muting is turned on and off.

Abstract: A stringed instrument having a body portion and a neck extending from the body portion wherein the neck includes mounting end attachable to the body portion, a distal end and an intermediate section including means for attachment of a fingerboard. An enclosed channel extends from the mounting end of the neck along a central axis to an opening at the distal end, providing a housing for a rigid bar disposed within the channel. This bar includes (i) an adjustment end positioned near the instrument body, (ii) a distal end extending toward the distal end of the neck, and (iii) a transverse pivot support coupled at an intermediate section of the bar and journaled within the neck. The height and width dimensions provide a close fit of the bar within the channel at a distal end thereof such that displacement of the distal end of the bar along a vertical or rotational axis results in corresponding displacement of the distal end of the neck in a bi-directional, controlled member.

Abstract: A stringed instrument is disclosed which incorporates improved design and performance features. An elongated body, hereinafter called the wedge, contains in itself all necessary components and parts making it a totally playable instrument with or without a pair of removable wing bodies. One purpose of the wing body attachments is to provide flexibility for modular electronic add-on components for use with new modern amplification devices. Also the wing bodies may be changed to provide a varity of instrument body designs, colors, finishes and fabrics. The sound produced by each of the strings of the instrument is enhanced by providing each string with at least one individual magnetic pickup which is individually adjustable to that string for optimum performance. Each string is also provided with its own individual bridge support which is completely separated from each other bridge support to prevent any acoustical and/or electrical cross-feed.