Abstract: An improved magnetic induction type pickup arrangement incorporated in an electric guitar having a pair of three-coil magnetic type pickup units operable to produce enhanced outputs. The electric guitar includes a switching mechanism for selectively controlling the connection of the three-coil pickup units across the guitar's electric amplifier.

Abstract: A pickup for an electrical musical instrument of the stringed type including first and second pickup assemblies, each pickup assembly including a plurality of metallic, unmagnetized pole pieces operatively associated with the strings of the instrument, the pole pieces being aligned in parallel, spaced-apart relationship, generally perpendicular to the plane of the strings, first ends of all of the pole pieces being closely adjacent to the plane of the strings, second ends of all of the pole pieces being flat and planar.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for a magnetic sensor for use with a musical instrument having magnetic vibrating elements. The magnetic sensor has two magnetic poles and comprises a flexible, electrostatically shielded coil-magnet, a cable coupled to the coil of the coil-magnet, and flexible non-conductive material encompassing the electrostatically shielded coil-magnet. The magnetic sensor may be attached to the frame of the instrument, so that one of its magnetic poles is in proximity to the vibrating elements of the instrument. Methods are also disclosed for adapting and converting an upright piano for electronic amplification by utilizing the magnetic sensor of the present invention.

Abstract: In the construction of a pickup mechanism for electric pianos, the bridge is mounted on a vibration transmitter plate of minor acoustic transmission loss and coupled to the piano plate via vibration absorbers and the pickup unit for converting acoustic vibrations into corresponding electric signals is arranged in direct contact with the transmitter plate or in contact with an intervening vibration amplifying component such as a leaf spring locally attached to the transmitter plate. Damping characteristics, especially the envelope of the tone sustain curve, is made very close to that of the natural sounds generated by non-electric pianos thanks to the damping effect and enriched sensitivity in pickup, and replacement of components out of order can be practiced very easily and simply.

Abstract: An electronic amplifying apparatus intended for electric music instruments (primarily guitar), with switchable circuitry offering an improved, specialized circuit for the enhancement of solo playing in addition to customary simple amplification. In the lead (or solo) mode of operation, the circuit will synthesize particular sustain and distortion characteristics and add them to the tone of the instrument (guitar, electric piano, microphone, etc.) to produce a more flexible and expressive sound for solo playing than the sound of the instrument normally amplified. Switching and control circuitry enable the musician to return to a conventional amplified tone which would be preferred for rhythm (or chordal) playing.

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.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a polyphonic reproduction of sounds and particularly individual notes produced by musical instruments or the sounds produced by a group of instruments. In the invention the sounds are separated across a notional aural spectrum by using audio signals which vary differentially in amplitude for the varying sound sources. The variation may be caused either electrically or by varying the positions of the transducers picking up the sound sources.

Abstract: A miniature guitar amplifier, having at least one very small (13/4 inch) speaker driven by complementary transistors connected in an emitter-follower push-pull arrangement, is made to sound very much like a large guitar amplifier having one or more large (12 inch) speakers by providing negative feedback to an operational amplifier that drives the power transistors. The operational amplifier has a differential input stage to provide a noninverting input terminal for the signal from a guitar pickup and an inverting input terminal for the feedback signal.

Abstract: In a construction of a transducer or pickup unit for musical instruments having strings, a piezo-electric element is fully embedded within a synthetic resin shield block having top crest for supporting strings while projecting electrode terminals outside of the shield block for direct connection to a printed electric circuit, thereby avoiding drawbacks caused by use of electric lead wires in the conventional pickup unit and damage by atmospheric moisture. The pickup assembly has unitary means for collectively carrying the pickup units at precisely uniform intervals, thereby simplifying registration of the pickup units at correct positions relative to the strings and printed electric circuits.

Abstract: An electromagnetic pickup for a stringed musical instrument has a plurality of magnet and coil signal generating units each associated with a respective one of the strings, and the housing which contains the signal generating units also contains an associated plurality of adjustable potentiometers whereby the contribution of each generating unit to a composite output signal may be varied. A fixed resistance connected to each potentiometer prevents each generating unit from being turned entirely off, and another fixed resistance in the main output line assures an acceptable input impedance to a tone control and amplifier, or other utilization circuit, to which the pickup is connected.

Abstract: A wireless toy musical instrument, such as a guitar, includes a body member and electronic circuitry disposed within the body for transmitting the output of the musical instrument to a separate receiver such as a standard radio. The circuitry includes an audio section having a sound transducer which converts the audio signal generated by the strings of the guitar to a varying electrical signal comprising either solely a voltage or a combination of voltage and current. The circuitry also includes an oscillator section for generating a carrier signal operating at a predetermined radio frequency, the frequency being set by an LC circuit. The converted audio signal from the transducer is fed into the oscillator, the converted audio signal being combined with the carrier signal. Depending on the type of sound transducer used, a frequency modulation of the carrier signal is effected, either by the change of voltage, or current which is generated by the sound tranducer and applied to the carrier signal.

Abstract: A magnetic pickup assembly for use with a musical instrument having a plurality of strings, each in magnetic relation with at least one polepiece of a magnetic pickup. The assembly includes means for selectively adjusting the reluctance between a polepiece and its associated string, either of a plurality of polepieces as a unit, or of an individual polepiece relative to its string. The assembly is housed in a casing having acoustic absorptive material surrounding the major portions of the assembly, to provide acoustic isolation from the environment including mechanical vibration of the instrument itself.

Abstract: The following specification describes a self-generating electrical pickup to be applied to percussion type musical instruments with vibrating elements of steel or containing ferromagnetic material. The pickup is used in conjunction with an amplifier and loudspeaker to amplify the instrument sound. The pickup makes use of a plurality of pick off coils, one of each is used in proximity to each vibrating element of the musical instrument. Each pick off coil consists of a coil of many turns of fine wire within which is placed an iron core to which is bonded a ceramic permanent magnet. The large surface area of the ceramic magnet adjacent to the musical instrument vibrating element causes large magnetic flux changes in the coil and consequently a large signal voltage which is amplified to drive the loudspeaker. The large signal available, in this design, reduces the effect of 60 Hz hum induced by stray electromagnetic fields. The use of a ceramic magnet provides for a cost effective design.

Abstract: A magnetic pickup for an electronic amplification system of a stringed musical instrument wherein the variable electrical signal produced in response to the string traversing the lines of flux from a permanent magnet is generated by a Hall effect sensor, thereby eliminating the usual inductively coupled coil(s). The invention is disclosed in embodiments employing bar and horseshoe magnets with the sensor positioned on the opposite or on the same side of the magnet as the string. The sensor is an essentially planar device which may be positioned in a plane substantially normal to the lines of flux in contact with or spaced a predetermined distance from the associated magnet or positioned in a plane non-perpendicular to the lines of flux, or adjustably positioned with respect to the direction of flux lines to achieve the desired degree of sensitivity.

Abstract: An electrical string-instrument having a plurality of conductive strings, a support member stretching the strings, electromechanical transducers respectively corresponding to the strings, magnetic field generating means for generating a constant magnetic field to cover therewith the strings, an electrical circuit for producing feedback signals from the outputs of the electromechanical transducers, and feedback signal supply means for supplying the feedback signals to flow feedback currents in the strings, and vibrate continuously in cooperation with the magnetic field.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electronic musical instrument resembling a guitar that is played like a guitar and sounds like a guitar; however, it is stringless and has a plurality of flexible actuator blade type members which are mounted on edge and are adapted to be strummed or picked. Flexing of each actuator blade in either direction closes one or more leaf type switches which controls the amplified output of an electronic oscillator whose fundamental operating frequency is further varied in accordance with finger actuation of a plurality of fret-board switches. Although the invention in its preferred embodiment is directed to a guitar-like instrument, it is also applicable to other types and classes of musical string instruments such as a violin.

Abstract: A system for the selection and phase control of humbucking coils in electromagnetic guitar pickups to permit the musician to easily select different sounds using digital memory means for storing different combinations of gate control bits to select the pickup coils to be used, the phase of the coils selected and the output level of the selected coils combined. A three-way switch is used to count up, count down or hold a memory address for selection of a combination. The address is displayed for verification. Memories may be prestored ROMs, or alterable RAMs in which write enable control is controlled by a three-way switch. Three address counters may be provided to permit the musician to quickly select from three predetermined combinations through operation of a three-way switch.

Abstract: An accessory for use on a guitar or similar stringed instruments comprises the combination of a rigid member adapted to be manually held against the strings of the instrument along the finger board, there being a vibration-responsive electrical pickup fixedly secured to the rigid member and adapted to be connected to an electrical audio amplifier.

Abstract: An electronic sensing device for use with resonating musical instruments is disclosed which includes a housing having control units, a bracket for holding the housing on the stringed instrument, an electronic sensor unit of the type such as a piezoelectric pickup, and a telescoping and pivoting arm joining the pickup to the housing.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a new and unique type of circuit control for an electric guitar. Simply stated, it varies the resonant frequency of the pickup itself in addition to filtering out frequencies which are suppressed or rolled off. The mechanism by which this is brought about includes a potentiometer connected to a center tap of the coil assembly.

Abstract: A string vibration transducer bridge for an electric string instrument including a plurality of string tension mechanism provided side by side in the bridge and which are adjustably movable along the direction of the string and includes a plurality of string supporting electrode parts which are slidably movable along the direction of the string and rotatable along a direction perpendicular to the string, a plurality of independent piezoelectric transducers which each engage with an undersurface of an electrode part, and a plurality of piezoelectric transducer pushing mechanisms for pushing the piezoelectric transducers against the electrode parts whereby the tension of the string may be adjusted by both the string tension mechanism and the transducer pushing mechanism and the vibration from each string is independently sensed.

Abstract: This invention relates to an electronic pickup system for a stringed musical instrument. The system includes three pickup coils positioned under the instrument strings and oriented one behind the other along the length of the strings. Each of the coils is wound around a coil form in a predetermined direction and has a selectively poled magnet passing through its center. The coils are selectively electrically connected, at least two at a time, to each other and to the system output. The manner in which the coils may be connected include connecting any two of the coils in a maner such that signals induced in the coils as a result of string vibration are in phase, at at least selected frequencies, and thus additive. The coils normally are also connected in a manner such that noise signals induced in the coils are out of phase and therefore cancel.

Abstract: A method and a device for picking up sounds from a piano by a microphone placed between a wall of a piano case in opposed relation with a sounding board and a surface located in opposed relation with the sounding board of a sound-absorbing member. The sound-absorbing member consists of a planar body or a hollow body having an anechoic enclosure with bidirectivity and with both open ends cut away at angles relative to the axis of the enclosure, and the microphone is placed between the planar body and the wall or in the anechoic enclosure.

Abstract: An electrical apparatus for determining the fundamental frequency of a musical note wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of means for generating and responding to pulse type signals. More particularly, first and second means responsive to an electrical representation of the musical note are provided for generating first and second pulse trains whose pulses corresponding to the maxima and minima, respectively, of the electrical representation. The aforesaid first pulse train is applied to a first input of a first logic circuit means whose second input is fed a further pulse train from the output of a second logic circuit means.The second logic circuit means provides at its output either the second pulse train or a pulse train whose pulses are delayed relative to the pulses of the pulse train at the output of the first logic circuit means.

Abstract: A metal surface electric guitar is described which incorporates a metal plate attached to the solid body of the electric guitar, this plate overlying a hollow area in the body beneath the strings of the guitar. At least one electric pickup is attached to the portion of the plate over the hollow area in the solid body. Thus, the electrical signal produced by this pickup includes both components produced by the vibrating strings and components produced as a result of the resonance of the metal plate over the hollow area, this combination producing a unique sound. While the pickup may be positioned between the plate and the strings, it also may be located within the hollow area of the body if desired.

Abstract: A plurality of sound pick-up devices are mounted between the legs and wings of a bridge for a bass viol. Each sound pick-up device comprises a brass housing in which is disposed a transducer disc. Contiguous with one side of the transducer disc is a brass shim contact. A foam damper pad is disposed between the shim contact and the housing. The housing is in the form of spaced members joined at one side and a silicon latex potting material fills the spaces remaining between the spaced members. A coaxial cable interconnects the pick-up devices and is of sufficient length to permit the mounting of the pick-up devices in the side cut-out slots between the crown wings and the legs on each side of the bridge. The coaxial cable terminates on a cable connector for connection to an amplifier through a suitable output cable.

Abstract: A pick-up for attachment to a guitar or the like is disclosed. The pick-up comprises an elongate flexible body having a thin, lower, magnetic base which affixes to the body of the guitar with an adhesive, the base comprising a sheet magnet. The sheet magnet is cut in the form of a rectangle, and it approximately matches the profile of a second sheet magnet cut in approximately the same rectangular shape. The second magnet serves as a core for supporting a coil wrapped around it on the periphery. The magnet and the coil wrapped around it are together sandwiched between opposite layers of sheet tin foil to serve as shielding. This, in turn, is placed in a plastic body which is shrink-wrapped around the turns of the coil. The lower magnet adhesively affixed to the body transfers vibrations from the body into the coil in the form of electrical signals. In addition, strings made of magnetic material co-act with the upper magnet to additionally form electrical signals.

Abstract: An electronic sound generating system is disclosed for use with a stringed musical instrument such as a guitar. An RF oscillator is connected with an electrically conductive string of the instrument and a pickup coil is positioned adjacent to the string so that RF signals of varying amplitude are induced in the coil due to vibration of the string resulting from playing of the instrument. The variable amplitude RF signals are detected and an audio signal produced therefrom that is coupled to a speaker, for example. A stereo output can be provided by placing dual pickup coils adjacent to the string with the pickup coils being positioned normal to one another. Each string of the musical instrument can be separately provided with an RF current of a common frequency or different frequencies.

Abstract: An array of magnetic pickup coils are mounted by a support assembly secured to the bridge of a stringed musical instrument. The assembly is preferably for use with a base violin or cello and is easily adjustable relative to the strings. The support assembly for the coils permits adjustment of the coils along each string, adjustment between each coil and its associated string, adjustment of the coil so as to center on the string and proper planar orientation between coil and string.

Abstract: A method of playing a stringed musical instrument of the guitar family by tapping the strings. The musical instrument has, for example, a fretted fingerboard, a plurality of tensioned strings and string tensioning means, sound amplifying means; there is a first group of melody tuned strings and a second group of bass and chord strings. The strings of the first group are tapped by the fingers of the right hand and the strings of the second group are tapped by the fingers of the left hand. The fingers of both hands are used to tap bass, chords and melody simultaneously.

Abstract: An electrical string-instrument having a plurality of strings, a support member stretching the strings, electromechanical transducers respectively corresponding to the strings, a plurality of gate means for gating the outputs from the electromechanical transducers or signals based thereon, and gate signal generating means.

Abstract: A bridge for an electric string bass or other stringed musical instrument includes a base adapted for attachment to the body of the instrument and a number of saddles for individually supporting the strings, the saddles being adjustably movable to different positions relative to the base, in the direction along the length of the strings, to adjust the string intonation. The saddles may include piezoelectric elements for providing electrical signals and, in this case, the base may further include a covered recess for housing a plurality of volume controls each associated with a respective one of the strings. The saddles are designed and arranged on the base to support the strings with a given curvature matching that of the fret board and an adjustment means is provided for raising, lowering and/or tilting the base relative to the body to bring the strings into proper height adjustment relative to the frets.

Abstract: An electric pickup for a lute-type musical instrument such as a guitar, has generally circular axial adjustment openings with internal wrench flats in unhardened steel or iron pole pieces. Two bar-type permanent magnets are disposed with like polarities adjacent and straddling one end of the pole pieces. A keeper of steel or the like bridges the permanent magnets.

Abstract: A mute mechanism for an electric string bass or other stringed musical instrument is permanently mounted on the body of the instrument and includes a rubber faced mute movable into and out of engagement with the instrument's strings by a manually shiftable slide readily accessible by a performer playing the instrument.

Abstract: An electric guitar with steel strings feeds into a stereophonic amplifier and loudspeaker system with two channels and is fitted with a pickup which senses each guitar string individually and proportions the signals from each string differently, so that each guitar string sounds from the loudspeakers as though that string is in a different position from all the other strings. For each guitar string the pickup has a respective pair of coils of varying numbers of turns and a respective permanent magnet. Electrical connections to the coils enable one channel to receive a signal from one coil of each pair and the other channel to receive a signal from the other coil of each pair, so that there are two composite signals, one per channel.

Abstract: A keyboard musical instrument comprises a plurality of juxtaposed movable key units and a plurality of juxtaposed strings, each of which has one end fixed to the corresponding key unit and the other end immovably attached to the body of the key board musical instrument and is vibrated at a prescribed frequency upon operation of the corresponding key unit, wherein each string is prevented from making vibration by a stationary damping member while the corresponding key unit remains inoperative and commences vibrations at a prescribed frequency upon operation of the key unit; and the vibrations are electrically detected by pickup devices and, after amplified, are sent forth through a loud-speaker as a musical tone.

Abstract: An electric piano having a casing provided with a frame made as a casting or the like with a plurality of strings stretched on the piano and supported at intermediate portions by a bridge member. A plurality of hammers driven by respective keys strikes the strings and pickups are provided for detecting vibrations of the strings. An amplifier is connected to the pickups and a speaker is connected to the amplifier. The bridge member is supported on supporting members attached to the frame through shock absorbing members of rubber or the like, and the pickups are constituted by piezoelectric elements mounted at any desired position in the supporting members.

Abstract: An electric guitar has a neck and body formed from a solid metal rod. Fret bars are pressed in slots cut across the rod to extend outward from the rod in its neck portion. Combination pickups and tuners are longitudinally positioned adjacent to the body portion of the rod and secured by two positioning bars and a bridge.

Abstract: An apparatus for initiating and sustaining vibrations of a string in a musical instrument. A hand-held (or permanently mounted) device senses the vibration of the string and provides an output driving signal for sustaining the vibrations.

Abstract: An electric guitar is described which provides signals from each of its electrically conducting strings by the cutting of magnetic field lines. The magnetic fields are produced by removably mounted permanent magnets which produce concentrated fields. The return wire or wires of the strings are near the surface of the neck. Various circuit configurations are used to minimize noise pickup, to combine the signals from each signal and to modify the sound produced by each string.

Abstract: This disclosure is concerned with the production of pitch variations, tone alterations and other related effects on keyboard musical instruments and the like effected through mechanisms activated by individual longitudinal finger movement along the longitudinal axis of the keys.

Abstract: A piano having a sound-enhancing system incorporating transducers, amplifiers and loud speakers, all incorporated into or upon the piano.

Abstract: A method and device for tuning each tone generating element of a musical instrument having solenoids electrically connected to an amplifier and a manually moveable magnet capable of being moved along each tone generating element individually to and from said solenoids.

Abstract: An electromagnetic pickup is provided for musical instruments, particularly of the type having vibrating magnetizable strings, which pickup device includes a permanent magnet having a configured surface adjacent to the magnetizable strings to provide a varying magnetic field effecting respective ones of the strings in accordance with their magnetizability, and a low impedance coil surrounding the permanent magnet. The permanent magnet is a rectangular bar magnet being magnetized perpendicularly to the configured surface, with the configured surface providing a cross-sectional variation of a dimension of the bar magnet, thereby varying the magnetic field effecting the different strings. Particular cross-sectional variations of this dimension are included, each of which achieves the natural tone of the respective strings and enhances the balance therebetween of the pickup output.

Abstract: An electronic music system includes a voltage controlled tone generator, or synthesizer, and an input device, in the form of a guitar or other fretted stringed instrument and associated electronic circuitry, for sequentially providing voltage signals, selected from a set of discretely different voltage levels each analogously related to a musical tone, for driving the tone generator. Each string-fret pair of the stringed instrument is assigned a given musical tone, preferably in accordance with normal tuning of the instrument, and means are provided for producing a corresponding voltage when a string-fret pair is closed by pressing the string against the fret. When two or more string-fret pairs are simultaneously closed, the output voltage corresponding to the highest frequency musical tone associated with the closed string-fret pairs is produced.

Abstract: A pickup for a musical instrument to be mounted upon the musical instrument to amplify the tones thereof. The invention consists in adding a mass significantly greater than the weight of the transducer within the pickup in such a manner as to permit the transducer to act against this mass when picking up vibrations, with the result of improving and sustaining tones produced by the instrument, and also, in significantly increasing the output of the transducer.

Abstract: An optoelectronic sound amplifier system for musical instruments such as guitars, drums and the like, which includes light reflecting means positioned on the surface of the musical instrument adapted to vibrate responsive to the musical vibrations of the instrument. Light rays originating from a remote source strike the vibrating reflecting means and are modulated thereby in accordance with the musically induced vibrations of the reflecting means. The reflected and modulated light rays are received at a station remote from the musical instrument within which the rays strike a photo-electric transducer device. The photo-electric device produces an electronic signal corresponding to the musical tones associated with the modulated light rays which may then be amplified through one or more conventional amplifier-speaker units.

Abstract: A magnetic pickup for a stringed instrument has one or two coils juxtaposed with the strings each coil having an inner polepiece disposed centrally therein. A single polarity is induced in each inner polepiece by two bar magnets, one at each side of the polepiece externally of the coil. An outer polepiece is magnetically coupled to an outside edge of each of the bar magnets and extends toward the strings. Each polepiece has a preselected shape, with an upper edge which is either continuous, or discontinuous with a plurality of pole legs, one common to each string of the musical instrument. The distance between the pickup and strings is adjustable to select a desired response. When pole legs are used, they are selectable in height by shearing off the distal end of each leg to obtain a selected pickup sensitivity for each string.

Abstract: A floor mounted electric bass instrument which generates a musical signal in response to depression of one of its strings against an appropriate fret. The instrument is compact, yet it provides structure for spacing the strings a substantial distance apart to permit quick and convenient selection and depression of a desired string by a relatively large or blunt portion of the musician's foot while avoiding operative contact with adjacent strings.

Abstract: An automatic guitar tuner for a standard six string electric guitar which includes a pick-up, a master crystal oscillator, and a tone generator for each string of the guitar. The pick-up feeds a frequency comparator for each string of the guitar and each frequency comparator is fed by a separate tone generator. A light emitting diode is positioned under each of the strings of the guitar and is connected between the frequency comparator and a source of electricity, either battery or transformer. When the frequency of the individual tone generator and the frequency of the string match, the frequency comparator will complete a circuit through the light emitting diode so that the light emitting diode indicates that the individual string is properly tuned. When the string is out of tune it is adjusted in the normal fashion until the light emitting diode associated therewith is energized.