Abstract: An adjustable detent pair feature for a control knob assembly on a rotatable shaft. A first part of the detent pair has a component with a receptacle facing the underside of the control knob. The component is lockable in relation to a housing within which the shaft is engaged. A rotatable adjustment component is frictionally engaged with the control knob, and the rotatable adjustment component has as a second part of the detent pair a protruding feature facing and engagable with the receptacle. The rotatable adjustment component may thus be rotated against a frictional force to a position relative to the knob, such that the knob and the shaft to which it is attached may then be freely turned to any position, but will be temporarily inhibited when the second part of the detent pair catches on the first part of the detent pair.

Abstract: A saddle for a string instrument. The saddle has a main saddle piece and a spindle projecting from the main saddle piece along the same axis. A releasably locking ring is rotatably engaged upon the first spindle, and the ring has a compensation feature.

Abstract: A clamp is provided at the nut of a guitar for clamping the strings to prevent them from sliding across the nut. The clamp was a boss portion in which a bore is formed. A set screw is provided in one end as a plug. A screw with a handle is threaded into the other end of the bore and six cylindrical spacers are disposed between the plug and the screw with the handle. Slots are cut in the boss which expose the ends of the spacers so that the strings of the guitar can be slid between the ends of the spacers. Tightening the screw with the handle clamps the strings between the spacers. The clamp has a step, formed on one side of it, on which a nut is mounted. The nut is divided into three sections whose heights and orientations are adjustable to suit the camber of the fret board of the guitar and the height of the frets, so as to eliminate the need for shimming or filing the nut.

Abstract: A clamp for preventing the slippage of the strings of a guitar over the nut thereof comprises a plurality of blocks between which are disposed the strings of the instrument. A bolt passes through the blocks and is threaded into the end one thereof. Tightening of the bolt drives the blocks together causing the strings to become clamped therebetween. Means is provided for retaining the handle on the bolt in such a manner that it cannot fall off through casual handling and may be selectively reoriented on the bolt so as to obtain the optimum axial orientation of the handle on bolt when the handle is in the fully clamped position. The spacers may be formed as cylindrical members with a flattened side or a key groove.

Abstract: The bridge of a guitar includes a movable bridge plate normally pivotable relative to the body of the guitar so as to change the string tension and produce a tremulous tone effect. Alternatively, the bridge-mounting plate can be locked in fixed position relative to the remainder of the guitar. A low friction mounting for the bridge-mounting plate consists of a linear, sharpened leading end or ends of the plate received in a linear transverse groove or grooves of a mounting flange. Preferably, the pivot axis of the bridge plate lies in a vertical plane closely adjacent to the location where the guitar strings cross the bridge so that pivoting movement of the bridge plate to produce the tremulous tone effect does not result in a large change of the height of the strings above the guitar body. A separate saddle is provided for each string and gear-actuated adjustment mechanism is operable to adjust the longitudinal position of each saddle.

Abstract: The bridge of a guitar includes a movable bridge plate normally pivotable relative to the body of the guitar so as to change the string tension and produce a tremulous tone effect. Alternatively, the bridge-mounting plate can be locked in fixed position relative to the remainder of the guitar. A low friction mounting for the bridge-mounting plate consists of a linear, sharpened leading end or ends of the plate received in a linear transverse groove or grooves of a mounting flange. Preferably, the pivot axis of the bridge plate lies in a vertical plane closely adjacent to the location where the guitar strings cross the bridge so that pivoting movement of the bridge plate to produce the tremulous tone effect does not result in a large change of the height of the strings above the guitar body. A separate saddle is provided for each string and gear-actuated adjustment mechanism is operable to adjust the longitudinal position of each saddle.

Abstract: The nut of a guitar includes several separate string-clamping blocks forming a row extending laterally of the guitar strings with each string being fitted between adjacent blocks. A bolt extending through the blocks has an enlarged head engaging the block at one end of the row and is threaded into the block at the other end of the row. Turning of the bolt in one sense tends to move the end blocks toward each other, thereby clamping the strings between the blocks and preventing movement of the strings across the nut as the guitar is played. The bridge of the guitar includes a movable bridge mounting plate which can be manipulated so as to produce a tremulous tone effect. The low friction pivot mounting for the bridge mounting plate consists of a sharpened end of the plate received in a transverse groove of a mounting flange. Alternatively the bridge mounting plate can be locked in fixed position relative to the remainder of the guitar body.