Abstract: A mute is positioned beneath the strings of a stringed instrument and adjusted to make contact with one or more of the instruments strings. In this manner, the mute may be used to selectively “dampen” or restrict the normal vibration of the strings and, consequently, the sound made by the strings. The end result is that the natural vibratory sounds associated with stringed instruments may be altered, using the mute to remove some or all of the natural frequencies, subharmonics, loudness and sustain associated with the vibration of the strings, essentially “deadening” the natural sound of the instrument. Additionally, in at least some preferred embodiments of the present invention, additional devices may be used to create and introduce new and enhanced sounds from the vibrations of the strings.

Abstract: A sound capture device is affixed to an acoustic instrument to capture the natural sound output of the instrument. The captured sound signal is routed to an electronic sound augmentation system that is configured to augment the captured sound with spatial sound effects such as reverb, echo, delay, etc. The processed and augmented sound is then reproduced via a vibrating driver that has been affixed to the body of the acoustic instrument. This creates a situation where the body of the musical instrument, responding to a series of vibrations produced by the vibrating driver, acts as a speaker component, reproducing a rich augmented sound output that comprises the sum of the sound produced by the original sound production capabilities of the acoustical instrument plus the added augmented or enhanced sound effects.

Abstract: A sound capture device is affixed to an acoustic instrument to capture the natural sound output of the instrument. The captured sound signal is routed to an electronic sound augmentation system that is configured to augment the captured sound with spatial sound effects such as reverb, echo, delay, etc. The processed and augmented sound is then reproduced via a vibrating driver that has been affixed to the body of the acoustic instrument. This creates a situation where the body of the musical instrument, responding to a series of vibrations produced by the vibrating driver, acts as a speaker component, reproducing a rich augmented sound output that comprises the sum of the sound produced by the original sound production capabilities of the acoustical instrument plus the added augmented or enhanced sound effects.

Abstract: A sound capture device is affixed to an acoustic instrument to capture the natural sound output of the instrument. The captured sound signal is routed to an electronic sound augmentation system that is configured to augment the captured sound with spatial sound effects such as reverb, echo, delay, etc. The processed and augmented sound is then reproduced via a vibrating driver that has been affixed to the body of the acoustic instrument. This creates a situation where the body of the musical instrument, responding to a series of vibrations produced by the vibrating driver, acts as a speaker component, reproducing a rich augmented sound output that comprises the sum of the sound produced by the original sound production capabilities of the acoustical instrument plus the added augmented or enhanced sound effects.

Abstract: A sound capture device is affixed to an acoustic instrument to capture the natural sound output of the instrument. The captured sound signal is routed to an electronic sound augmentation system that is configured to augment the captured sound with spatial sound effects such as reverb, echo, delay, etc. The processed and augmented sound is then reproduced via a vibrating driver that has been affixed to the body of the acoustic instrument. This creates a situation where the body of the musical instrument, responding to a series of vibrations produced by the vibrating driver, acts as a speaker component, reproducing a rich augmented sound output that comprises the sum of the sound produced by the original sound production capabilities of the acoustical instrument plus the added augmented or enhanced sound effects.

Abstract: A sound capture device is affixed to an acoustic instrument to capture the natural sound output of the instrument. The captured sound signal is routed to an electronic sound augmentation system that is configured to augment the captured sound with spatial sound effects such as reverb, echo, delay, etc. The processed and augmented sound is then reproduced via a vibrating driver that has been affixed to the body of the acoustic instrument. This creates a situation where the body of the musical instrument, responding to a series of vibrations produced by the vibrating driver, acts as a speaker component, reproducing a rich augmented sound output that comprises the sum of the sound produced by the original sound production capabilities of the acoustical instrument plus the added augmented or enhanced sound effects.

Abstract: A sound capture device is affixed to an acoustic instrument to capture the natural sound output of the instrument. The captured sound signal is routed to an electronic sound augmentation system that is configured to augment the captured sound with spatial sound effects such as reverb, echo, delay, etc. The processed and augmented sound is then reproduced via a vibrating driver that has been affixed to the body of the acoustic instrument. This creates a situation where the body of the musical instrument, responding to a series of vibrations produced by the vibrating driver, acts as a speaker component, reproducing a rich augmented sound output that comprises the sum of the sound produced by the original sound production capabilities of the acoustical instrument plus the added augmented or enhanced sound effects.