Abstract: The present invention is directed to a Contoured Banjo Bridge with a flat upper surface for making contact with and securing the strings present on a stringed instrument and one or more convex overall lower surfaces which makes contact with the head of said stringed instrument, to maintain a uniform pressure with the banjo head surface when the strings are tightened, whereby the convex lower portion of the banjo bridge has a curved lower surface to compensate for the stress applied onto the head of the stringed instrument when the strings are tightened. The Contoured Banjo Bridge may be constructed with one or more openings to achieve the intended purpose of this application.

Abstract: A pedal harp has an upper harp frame which is the pillar and neck parts made as a single piece and a lower harp frame which is the soundbox and soundboard and soundbox parts made as a single piece. The upper harp frame, lower harp frame, faceplates and pedal box are made from a carbon fiber material. This provides lighter weight for the pedal harp, and a stronger, more durable construction.

Abstract: Sound chests having a sound board connected to a hollow body which includes a bearing structure to which there is connected an outer shell are provided. In such sound chests the bearing structure includes a bottom wall or chest-bottom, and a top member or upper block, a central longitudinal batten or backboard, and two side battens or planks, which extend between the chest-bottom and the upper block, remote from and close to the sound board, respectively; and a plurality of longitudinally staggered, transverse stiffening members or bridges each of which is connected centrally to the backboard with its ends connected to the side planks. Methods for making such sound chests are also provided.

Abstract: A harp comprising a body, a set of strings attached to the body, an optical pickup to generate an analog signal produced by the vibration of a string within the set of strings, at least one circuit board to convert the analog signals to a corresponding digital signal, wherein the digital signal is then processed.

Abstract: A harp support assembly is provided for supporting a portion of a harp. The harp support assembly includes a rod, a base assembly and a harp support member. The rod has a first and a second end. The base assembly is positioned near the first end of the rod, The base assembly has a plurality of legs spread apart and positioned on a surface. The harp support member is positioned near the second end of the rod. The harp support member has at least one support arm providing a harp receiving space to receive the harp.

Abstract: There is provided a musical instrument for producing a harmonious scale of musical notes, said instrument having nine separate sound actuators each of which is configured to cause the musical instrument to generate a different musical tone selected from the group of frequencies comprising 174 hz, 285 hz, 396 hz, 417 hz, 528 hz, 639 hz, 741 hz, 852 hz and 963 hz, the musical instrument being configured such that physically manipulating the sound actuators causes the musical instrument to generate the musical tone corresponding to the sound actuator manipulated. The invention is also directed at a system for writing music to be played with a musical instrument incorporating the harmonious scale of musical notes as described above.

Abstract: A harp support assembly is provided for supporting a portion of a harp. The harp support assembly includes a rod, a base assembly and a harp support member. The rod has a first and a second end. The base assembly is positioned near the first end of the rod, The base assembly has a plurality of legs spread apart and positioned on a surface. The harp support member is positioned near the second end of the rod. The harp support member has at least one support arm providing a harp receiving space to receive the harp.

Abstract: A harp support assembly is provided for supporting a portion of a harp. The harp support assembly includes a rod, a base assembly and a harp support member. The rod has a first and a second end. The base assembly is positioned near the first end of the rod, The base assembly has a plurality of legs spread apart and positioned on a surface. The harp support member is positioned near the second end of the rod. The harp support member has at least one support arm providing a harp receiving space to receive the harp.

Abstract: The present subject matter relates to novel soundboard apparatus for stringed musical instruments. Specifically, the present subject matter teaches an apparatus capable of enhanced phonetic quality, improving the phonetic consistency of a stringed musical instrument, and enhancing resonance in a stringed musical instrument, all while reducing construction cost and reducing the cumbersome size associated with similarly stringed musical instruments.

Abstract: A stringed instrument (10A) neck structure adjusting arrangement includes a cantilever member (39). One end of the cantilever member is configured to be connected, in use, to a body and/or neck structure of the stringed instrument. The cantilever member is configured to be moveable relative to a free end of the neck structure of the stringed instrument. The arrangement also includes an adjustment device (30) located at or adjacent a free end of the cantilever member. The adjustment device is configured to adjust a position of the cantilever member (39) relative to the neck structure, thereby adjusting curvature of the neck structure. The adjustment is in a plane substantially perpendicular to a main axis of the neck structure.

Abstract: A string instrument includes a body portion having a first longitudinal axis, an elongate neck portion having a second longitudinal axis and first and second opposing ends located along the second longitudinal axis, and a fastener that secures one of the first or second ends to the body portion, wherein the first and second axes are misaligned from each other in a same plane.

Abstract: A harp is disclosed. The harp that allows for more simplified pitch change. The harp allows for the creation of a pitch bend effect, similar to the sound of the twang of a guitar. The harp also allows for rising half tones in the strings, wherein the pitch of a string is raised by exactly one semitone. Because of the various ways to change the pitch, each string in the harp is capable of playing up to three different notes.

Abstract: The invention provides an in-line chromatic harp including a body, a plurality of strings and a string position guide. The body is formed of a pillar, a neck and a sound box. The strings run from the neck to the sound box. The string position guide is movably installed behind the strings, with one end fixed to the pillar and the other end to the neck. This allows a harp player to quickly identify the proper string for each note and to play any chromatic scale as if playing the “C major” scale.

Abstract: A folk harp includes a foot pedal (19) sharping apparatus which allows the harpist to play semitones without removing his or her hands from the harp. The foot pedal (19) is connected to one or more cables (15) or strings (23) or other connecting devices, which, in turn cause a sharping member, such as a sharping hook (7) or lever (22) fitted with a dowel (26) to move a string (6) into contact with a tacito (1) positioned on the sound board (5) of the folk harp. The height and horizontal position of the tacito (1) relative to the contact point on string (6) can be adjusted to achieve precise semitones, while avoiding buzzing noises.

Abstract: A sharping lever for a folk harp is described which avoids detrimental aspects of prior art levers while providing simple and effective sharping of a harp string and obtaining of true tone quality. The unique configuration of the supporting base, the fret pin and the handle, in which the string rests on the fret pin which in turn rests directly on the base, providing firm contact, allows the device to sharpen the tone of a harp string in a manner which allows for true tone quality to occur. The disclosed sharping lever is mounted on the harp and when in contact with the string, the harmonic tone of the string is raised, and the pressure of the string on the sharping lever is transmitted directly through the support to the harp without vibration or distortion of the raised tone of the harp. Preferably the sharping lever will be positioned and operated such that the string's harmonic tone is raised by one-half tone.

Abstract: An electronic harp (10) of the type including a plurality of strings (22) corresponding to the diatonic scale is disclosed. Chromatic operation is achieved by selective frequency shifting of individual string frequencies in response to selection by an operator. The harp (10) includes a foot (26) and a handle (24) and is designed to provide for a minimum of mechanical vibration. A channel VSO (48) driven by strings (22) provides an audio output signal.