Abstract: A bridge assembly having a saddle plate with a first aperture, and a tremolo block with a second aperture aligned with the first aperture. A bushing extends through the first and second apertures and is rotatable relative to the tremolo block. The bushing has an internal bore with a longitudinal axis and being substantially concentric with the tremolo block's second aperture. An engagement member extends through the bushing and is partially disposed in the internal bore. A tremolo arm has an engagement section with a partially cylindrical shape and a flat engagement surface that defines a plane substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the engagement section. The engagement member is perpendicular to and laterally disposed from the internal bore's longitudinal axis. The engagement member is in frictional engagement with the flat engagement surface when the engagement section is disposed in the internal bore.

Abstract: A vibrating piece manufacturing method includes: (a) preparing a supporting body having first and second surfaces, the first and second surfaces defining a thickness while being directed toward opposite directions, the supporting body including a base and a plurality of arms, the arms extending side-by-side in a direction orthogonal to a direction of the thickness from the base, a lower electrode film being disposed on the first surface of each of the arms, a piezoelectric film being disposed on the lower electrode films, at least one upper electrode film being disposed on the piezoelectric film, at least a part of the second surface of each of the arms being an exposed area; and (b) etching the exposed area of the second surface so as to reduce the thickness to reduce flexural rigidity of the arms with respect to the thickness direction.

Abstract: A quartz crystal oscillator has an amplifier, a capacitor, a resistor and a quartz crystal unit comprised of a case, a quartz crystal tuning fork resonator vibratable in a flexural mode and a lid connected to the case. At least one groove with a first surface opposite a first side surface and a second surface connected to the first surface through a third surface is formed in each of first and second main surfaces of each of first and second quartz crystal tuning fork tines. The width of each groove is greater than a distance in the width direction of the groove measured from an outer edge of the groove to an outer edge of the corresponding tuning fork tine. A first electrode is disposed on the first surface of the groove and a second electrode is disposed on the first side surface so that the first electrode has an electrical polarity opposite to the electrical polarity of the second electrode.

Abstract: The present invention is a variable mechanical acoustic resonance component for a musical instrument and a method for producing a variable mechanical acoustic resonance component comprising of at least two segments, each segment having distinct resonance and tone properties dependant on the properties of the segment as specified in a resonance index.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a quartz crystal unit comprises the steps of forming a quartz crystal tuning fork resonator having a quartz crystal tuning fork shape, forming at least one groove in at least one of opposite main surfaces of each of first and second quartz crystal tuning fork tines so that a spaced-apart distance between the first and second quartz crystal tuning fork tines is greater than or equal to a width of the at least one groove, determining the dimension of each of the quartz crystal tuning fork shape and the at least one groove so that a capacitance ratio r1 of a fundamental mode of vibration of the quartz crystal tuning fork resonator is less than a capacitance ratio r2 of a second overtone mode of vibration thereof, mounting the quartz crystal tuning fork resonator on a mounting portion of a case, and connecting a lid to the case to cover an open end of the case.

Abstract: To provide a method for manufacturing a piezoelectric resonator which can conduct frequency matching with high reliability when performing rough adjustment of the frequency by adjusting the shape of a piezoelectric oscillating piece before forming an electrode film, and thereby it becomes possible to avoid reduction of the yield. Etching for forming the shape of a piezoelectric oscillating piece, and etching for forming grooves are conducted simultaneously, and after forming the grooves, the shape formation of the piezoelectric oscillating piece is started again from the same depth as the groove in a state of covering the groove with a metal film, and after the shape formation, matching of frequency is conducted by etching the side surface of the piezoelectric oscillating piece in succession. By composing such a structure, it is possible to conduct rough adjustment of frequency at a low etching rate so that the frequency matching can be performed with no due difficulty and with high accuracy.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric resonator element from a substrate made of piezoelectric material is provided. The method includes forming a first dry etching mask in a first masking region of a first surface of the substrate in a first mask forming process and performing a first dry etching process to remove a portion of the substrate in areas between the first dry etching mask after the first mask forming process. The method further includes maintaining a first un-etched portion of the substrate between the first dry etching mask after the first dry etching process and removing the first dry etching mask in a mask removing process after the first dry etching process. A wet etching process is performed to remove the first un-etched portion of the substrate after the mask removing process, thereby forming the piezoelectric resonator element.

Abstract: A percussion instrument may include a plurality of coupling device for operatively connecting a first hoop member, which may be configured to hold down a head arranged across a first end of a shell, with a second hoop member, which may be arranged on a second end of the shell. A sensor adjacent the head configured to detect vibration of the head may be operatively connected to the second hoop member.

Abstract: In an exemplary method a profile outline of a desired piezoelectric vibrating piece is formed on a surface of a piezoelectric wafer. The piece includes a base and at least two arms extending from the base. On a surface of the wafer within the profile outline, a first metal layer is formed comprising at least one of Cr, Ni, and Ti. A second metal layer, of Au and/or Ag, is formed on at least one selected region of the first metal layer. An electrode pattern is formed on at least one selected region of the second metal layer. From at least one selected location within the electrode pattern, the second metal layer is peeled away to form an electrode on the piezoelectric vibrating device comprising the first metal layer but not the second metal layer.

Abstract: A manufacturing method produces an angular velocity sensor element easily with a high degree of accuracy. The manufacturing method includes forming a number of tuning fork shaped crystal elements on a single crystal wafer by a photo-etching technique, the crystal elements having protrusion ridge line sections in the lengthwise direction of +X faces of the crystal, caused by etching anisotropy. A step is included for forming a metallic film on each side face including both principal planes and said +X face of said tuning fork shaped crystal element of the single crystal wafer. The method also includes dividing the metallic film of the +X face along the protrusion ridge line section and forming first and second sensor electrodes.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are various systems and methods for providing a neck assembly for a stringed instrument. The neck assembly can include a fingerboard structure having a well configured to receive a light-emitting device and permit light transmission from the light-emitting device to the top surface of the fingerboard structure, the well being located to represent a finger position of the stringed instrument. The neck assembly can further include a wooden neck structure attached to the fingerboard structure and have a lower surface substantially covered with a polymeric coating.

Abstract: A tuning fork vibrator includes a long plate-shaped vibration unit having a first principal surface and a second principal surface, a base disposed at one end of the second principal surface of the vibration unit in the longitudinal direction, and a slit for dividing the vibration unit into two legs defining a tuning fork along the longitudinal direction symmetrically in the width direction of the vibration unit. The slit is formed so as to include a portion of the base in the vicinity to the vibration unit.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a saxophone mouthpiece that has a complex interior chamber with tolerances of 0.005?. The present invention aims to make a mouthpiece in two parts via CNC machining, solder them together, and further CNC machine the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece is machined to have complex inner shapes that have tolerances of 0.002? and 0.005? over all other surfaces.

Abstract: A metal shell is composed of a trunk portion and a pair of reinforcing portions provided at opening ends of the trunk portion. The trunk portion is formed of a metallic cylinder, the reinforcing portion is formed of a metallic ring having the same diameter as that of the cylinder, and the ring is joined to at least an opening end of the cylinder.

Abstract: A method for producing an airtight terminal having an annular stem, a lead passing through the stem and formed of a conductive material, and a filler for fixing the lead in the stem includes (1) a lead contour formation step of disposing a base and a lead formation portion on a plate- or strip-shaped conductive material and forming a contour of the lead on the lead formation portion with at least one end of the lead connected to the base, (2) a filler shaping and sintering step of filling the lead having a contour with the filler in a predetermined position and shaping and sintering the filler, (3) a stem mounting step of mounting the stem to a perimeter of the sintered filler, (4) a firing step of heating, melting, and cooling the sintered filler in the stem and bringing the lead into close contact with the stem to fix the lead to the stem through the filler, (5) a metal film formation step of forming a metal film on a surface of the lead, and (6) a cutting step of separating the one end of the lead from the

Abstract: A flute attachment which improves and enhances the harmonic capability of a flute by lengthening the resonant chamber of the standing wave. The instant invention ‘fine tunes’ the harmonic range of the flute by taking into account the end point of the fundamental length of the sounding oscillations of an air column without negating the frequency which has been predetermined by the original terminus of the physical scale length of the flute. The sound wave length within a flute terminates slightly beyond the physical length of the flute tube and this difference in length is known as the ‘end correction’. The instant invention captures the node which extends beyond the flute tubing and balances and reinforces the propagation of upper partials throughout the sounding range of the instrument.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a quartz crystal unit and an electronic apparatus having the quartz crystal unit, each of the quartz crystal unit and the electronic apparatus having the quartz crystal unit, comprising the steps of forming a quartz crystal tuning fork resonator capable of vibrating in a flexural mode of an inverse phase, and having first and second quartz crystal tuning fork tines by etching a quartz crystal wafer; disposing an electrode on each of two of side surfaces of each of the first and second quartz crystal tuning fork tines so that the electrodes on the side surfaces of the first quartz crystal tuning fork tine have an electrical polarity opposite to an electrical polarity of the electrodes on the side surfaces of the second quartz crystal tuning fork tine; mounting the quartz crystal tuning fork resonator on a mounting portion of a case; and connecting a lid to the case to cover an open end thereof, the quartz crystal unit comprising the quartz crystal tuning fork resonator with a piez

Abstract: A bell is described having the first at least three or more frequencies substantially in harmonic sequence. A method for designing such a bell is also disclosed. An optimization procedure is described wherein an initial bell shape is modified until the first at least three or more frequencies are substantially in an harmonic sequence. An asymmetric bell is also described wherein a meridonal cross-section of the side portion is substantially geometrically similar to a cross-section having: 1) an outer line formed by fitting an arc of a circle to the three described points of the nodes and an inner line formed by fitting a line to the described points of the nodes; or 2) having an outer line formed by joining a straight line to the two described points of the nodes and an inner line formed by fitting a line to the described points of the nodes.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a quartz crystal unit, a quartz crystal tuning fork resonator is formed by etching a quartz crystal wafer to form a quartz crystal tuning fork base, quartz crystal tuning fork tines connected to the quartz crystal tuning fork base, and a groove having stepped portions in at least one of opposite main surfaces of each of the quartz crystal tuning fork tines. A first electrode is disposed on at least one of the stepped portions of each of the grooves and a second electrode is disposed on each of side surfaces of each of the quartz crystal tuning fork tines. A frequency of oscillation of the quartz crystal tuning fork resonator is adjusted at least twice and in different steps. The quartz crystal tuning fork resonator is then mounted in a case and an open end of the case is covered with a lid.

Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device includes a pair of mutually opposing thin plate sections, a movable section, and a fixation section for supporting the thin plate sections and the movable section. One or more piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements are arranged on the pair of thin plate sections. A hole is formed by both inner walls of the pair of thin plate sections, an inner wall of the movable section, and an inner wall of the fixation section. At least one thin plate section of the pair of thin plate sections is previously bent in a direction to make mutual approach so that it has an inwardly convex configuration to the hole.

Abstract: A method of producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive (P/E) device includes the steps of providing a first substrate, securing metal plates to the first substrate to form a second substrate, and subjecting the second substrate to at least one cuffing treatment to form one of the movable section and the fixation section. The metal plates define the thin plate sections and one of the movable and fixation sections has mutually opposing end surfaces, a distance between which is not less than a length of the movable section.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device comprises a pair of mutually opposing thin plate sections, a movable section, and a fixation section for supporting the thin plate sections and the movable section. Piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements are arranged on the pair of thin plate sections. A hole is formed by the inner walls of the pair of thin plate sections, an inner wall of the movable section, and an inner wall of the fixation section. A through-hole having a rectangular cross section is formed over a range from a forward end surface of the movable section to the hole to realize a light weight of the movable section.

Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating a piezoelectric vibrator without degrading vibration characteristics. The piezoelectric vibrator has a vibration plate formed with a piezoelectric vibration portion and a frame portion integrally connected with a base portion of the piezoelectric vibration portion and surrounding the piezoelectric vibration portion. Opposite surfaces of the piezoelectric vibration plate are provided with a pair of lid members bonded to hermetically seal the piezoelectric vibration portion without interfering with vibration thereof. To achieve the bonding, a metal film is coated over substantially the entire area of opposite surfaces of the piezoelectric vibration plate. The metal film is patterned to form oscillation electrode films on opposite surfaces of the piezoelectric vibration portion and to form bonding films on opposite surfaces of the frame portion for bonding the frame portion to the pair of lid members.

Abstract: A method of mounting a plate in a grand piano is provided for ensuring an appropriate bridge pressure in accordance with an actual amount of swelling of a soundboard and its distribution in a simple manner without requiring bridge pressure setting and re-adjustment. The method comprises the steps of measuring the heights of a bridge from a reference plane at a plurality of predetermined positions of the bridge on the back assembly; attaching a plurality of plate bases at a plurality of positions along the outer periphery of the top surface of the back assembly at heights corresponding to the measured heights of the bridge; and carrying the plate on the plurality of plate bases, and fixing the plate carried on the plate bases to the back assembly.

Abstract: Guitars have traditionally been manufactured from a variety of wood combinations to produce the best sound possible. The advent of modem day CNC machining has allowed for the construction of a hollow, lightweight, metallic stringed musical instrument body. This body can be constructed as a hollow body or solid body, as are traditional wood guitars, with or without the incorporation of sound amplification devices. This construction technique allows for unlimited body designs and modifications to produce a sound customized for the customer.

Abstract: Process for the formation of a Caribbean steel pan using a hydroforming press and the resulting pans.