Abstract: A music and percussion system is described including a fully functional stringed hollow-body electric musical instrument, a floor unit, an interface unit, and connecting cables. The instrument includes a microphone, a pickup, and a plurality of transducers, also known as acoustic drum triggers, that are mounted on selected interior surfaces within the instrument neck and body. By using a playing technique that combines strumming with tapping on the instrument neck or body, an instrumentalist is able to play the instrument strings and to simultaneously trigger sounds stored within a percussion synthesizer. Two transducers, each within a housing, are included in the floor unit. The instrumentalist may tap his or her feet on the housings to trigger additional sounds stored within the percussion synthesizer. Output signals from the instrument microphone, pickup, instrument transducers and floor unit transducers are transferred by appropriate electrical connections to the interface unit.

Abstract: An end block for the structural integrity of a body of the stringed instrument is a substantially hollow block having an open face on a body side of the end block, a receiving member projecting inwards from an end wall of the end block, and a plurality of bracing members reinforcing the receiving member to the end wall. The end block provides a larger hollow, a stronger attachment, a lighter instrument and improved sound quality. The end block is a single piece of rigid molded material. Various features on the end block key with corresponding features located in the body of the stringed instrument.

Abstract: A tuning means for a stringed instrument having one or more strings comprising detection means to provide a signal in response to vibration of the or each string and actuating means to vary the tension of the or each string under the control of an analysis means in response to said signal.

Abstract: An acoustic guitar is broken down into a body, a neck and a head, and the neck and the head are differently finished, wherein a panel already coated with paint for bright finish is attached to an incomplete head formed at the heading end of the neck, which has been already treated with oil so that any mask is not required in the finishing work.

Abstract: A guitar including a neck including a head and an opposing end attached to a sound box and strings extending between the head and a bridge carried by the sound box, the sound box having a sound hole leading to a sound chamber that is defined by an inner surface including opposing generally concave faces that meet at a substantially continuous and parabolic face.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a stringed musical instrument with a modified bridge and acoustic damper. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the modified stringed instrument is a guitar. The guitar has a face and an interior compartment. The guitar comprises a bridge, two acoustic dampers, and a pivot rod. The bridge is attached to the face of the guitar and comprises a mounting plate and a riser. The riser is attached to the mounting plate by at least one sound post and comprises a width and at least one pair of opposing angled string recesses across the width of the riser. The string recesses are rounded. The bridge has a plurality of string pegs attached to the mounting plate. Each string peg corresponds to a string recess and is attached to the mounting plate at an angle offset from a line extended from its corresponding string recess. The acoustic dampers comprise a first acoustic damping side attached to a second acoustic reflective side.

Abstract: An acoustical stringed instrument includes a body, which has a top member having a generally flat forward part. The body also has a back member which includes a side wall with an upper section and a lower section and an inner side wall surface generally perpendicular to the forward part of the top member. A neck member of the instrument has an elongated upper portion extending upwardly from the upper section of the body side wall. Additionally, the neck member has an elongated lower portion extending through the interior of the body between the upper section and the lower section of the side wall and spaced rearwardly of the forward part of the top member. The elongated lower neck portion has an upper mounting means fixed to the inner side wall surface at the upper section of the body side wall, and a lower mounting means fixed to the inner side wall surface at the lower section of the body side wall.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a percussion addition for a stringed instrument, such as a guitar, comprised of a hollow disc with a face, and a hollow support adapted for connection to an off-set sound hole in a stringed instrument. The percussion addition may be provided as a kit with interchangeable percussion additions. Alternatively, the kit may include percussion additions with the discs that are removable from the support and allow different discs to be received by the same support. Further, this invention includes a combination stringed and percussion instrument comprised of a stringed instrument with one or more percussion additions affixed to select off-set sound holes.

Abstract: A stringed instrument with a plurality of strings arranged in a non-size sequential order to achieve new string arrangements. This invention teaches a tuned string arrangement for a stringed instrument or guitar with the tuned string arrangement utilizing a tuning sequence of ‘high e’, ‘high a’, ‘d’, ‘g’, ‘low B’, and ‘low E’. The standard prior art sequence of four guitar strings are reversed with ‘low E’ string and ‘high e’ string reversed in position, and the ‘low A’ string and ‘high b’ string reversed in position. The ‘low A’ string is tuned to a ‘low B’ note one tone higher than the original ‘low A’ note and the ‘high b’ string is tuned to a ‘high a’ note one tone lower than the original ‘high b’ note. Thus, a non-size sequence of strings is taught for new musical intervals between the strings.

Abstract: A stringed instrument has an instrument body, a neck pivotally attached to the body so as to allow rotation of neck from an operative position to a folded position and a string mount rotatably secured to the instrument body. At least one string has a first and a second end, the first end is attached to neck portion and the second end is attached to the string mount. A drive mechanism is also included for rotating the string mount in direct response to pivotal movement of the neck towards said body so as to wind the at least one string onto the string mount when the neck is pivotally moved between the operative position to the folded position. In a preferred embodiment rotation of the string mount preserves tension in the at least one string when the neck is pivotally moved from the operative to the folded position. When the neck is in the folded position the at least one string is stowed substantially wound on the string mount.

Abstract: A neck block system for securing the neck of an acoustic stringed instrument to a body of the stringed instrument has a substantially hollow block having an open face on a body side of the neck block, a receiving member projecting inwards from a neck wall of the neck block, and a plurality of bracing members reinforcing the receiving member to the neck wall. The neck block system provides a larger hollow, a strong attachment, a lighter instrument and improved sound quality. The neck block is a single piece of rigid molded material. A binding strip having a strip key is configured to key with the neck block such that the neck block system is suitable for both a right cutaway and a left cutaway stringed instrument. Dowel members protrude from the neck wall for keying with a corresponding aperture located in a neck of the stringed instrument.

Abstract: A stringed instrument intended to be alternately played in a fretted mode or an unfretted mode by raising a separate fingerboard to the tops of the frets for the unfretted mode and lowering it for the fretted mode. A pair of meshed rack-and-pinion assemblies are driven back and forth by a lever the motion of which racks are translated to rails that cam the separate fingerboard up and down through pins protruding inwardly from the rails into slide slots in flanges of the fingerboard.

Abstract: A combination guitar and bass guitar and method of playing is provided in which the bass strings are distributed between matched guitar strings so that adjacent bass and guitar strings can be plucked substantially simultaneously by a player, resulting in the simultaneous playing of bass and guitar by a single player. Various combinations of bass strings interspersed in or between guitar strings are disclosed. The guitar and bass can also be played independently of each other in the normal manner.

Abstract: A stringed musical instrument including a soundbox. The soundbox has a back, a side adjoining the back to define a hollow interior, a soundboard covering the hollow interior, and a soundboard support structure including a plurality of kerfing members for securing the soundboard on the side opposite the back to cover the hollow interior and a plurality of bracing members for reinforcing the soundboard. The soundboard support structure includes a plurality of adjoining members selected from the group consisting of the plurality of kerfing members and the plurality of bracing members. The plurality of adjoining members are integrally formed as a single piece of polyurethane containing a plurality of half inch glass fibres.

Abstract: A tuner, such as for an electric guitar, is integrated with a connector or plug. The plug is a standard size that fits popular models of electric guitars. Thus, the tuner is mounted proximate to the instrument and is always within reach of the musician. The tuner does not require a separate cord to connect to the guitar. A preferred embodiment uses a compact display and lightweight battery. The tuner provides modes for inhibiting the sound of the instrument while tuning, or tuning while permitting sound from the instrument.

Abstract: An adjustable bridge for stringed instruments that utilizes a wedge mechanism seated on a base that in turn is seated on the top surface of a stringed instrument, with the wedge mechanism supporting a saddle member engaged by the strings of the stringed instrument. The wedge mechanism having an adjustment screw for displacing a pair of wedge members which raise and lower the saddle member.

Abstract: A fingerboard for stringed musical instrument having a series of predetermined grooves located at every position in which a series of consecutive frets would have otherwise occurred, in accordance with a predetermined tonal scale, providing the facilities of a fretted fingerboard and maintaining the characteristics of a fretless fingerboard.

Abstract: A stringed musical instrument, preferably an electric guitar, is made with separate neck and body portions. The neck and body portions are connected together via screws, bolts or the like that are preferably located underneath a cover plate on the front side of the instrument. The cover plate is most preferably a sound pick-up that is located within a pick-up cavity. The instrument includes no other visible securing members, such that separate neck and body portions can be connected together while maintaining a one-piece aesthetic quality of the instrument.

Abstract: A guitar construction having a complete body, neck, and head, formed as a single, integral wooden carving with tuning pegs, fingerboard, bridge, nut, and strings mounted thereon. The body portion is in the usual bell-shaped outline. Conventional pick-up means for an electronic amplification system may be mounted to the body.

Abstract: An electric stringed instrument, e.g. an electric guitar, featuring a body having a rectangular shaped, through-the-body cutout between the neck and bridge, and having a connector in a portion of the cutout. Pins on the connector are wired to electronic control components that are permanently fixed in the body. A rapidly interchangeable pickup assembly containing one or more pickups, in any combination of single and dual coils, fits into the cutout. Many and varied pickup assemblies, each with different characteristics of tone, strength, and frequency range emphasis can be interchangeably installed into the cutout. A connector on the pickup assembly mates with the body connector, thus accomplishing an electrical connection between the pickups in the assembly and the control electronics. The pickup assembly, having no control electronics on it, is light, compact, and easily maneuvered with one hand into and out of the cutout from the rear of the instrument.

Abstract: An electric cello has a frame body, a stretchable frame of which is changed between a stretched position spread from a trunk and a shrunk position in close proximity of the trunk so that a cellist easily carries the electric cello in his arms.

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: A stringed instrument, such as a guitar is provided. The stringed instrument includes a body and a neck adjustably and releasably mounted on the body so that the action of associated strings can be customized to a user's liking and then locked into a selected position.

Abstract: A guitar soundboard assembly is comprised a plurality of internal braces attached to an inner side of a soundboard for resisting warping. The soundboard is relatively thick for a longer useful life. The braces include two cantilever braces extending between opposite sides of the soundboard. Each cantilever brace is comprised of an elongated bar supported in a spaced position behind the soundboard by a pair of mounting blocks at its ends. Although the soundboard is relatively thick, the portions between the mounting blocks of the cantilever braces are free to vibrate, so that it can vibrate as much as a thinner conventional soundboard. The bases of the mounting blocks of the cantilever braces are slightly angled relative to each other to arch the soundboard forwardly for further increasing stiffness and resisting cave in.

Abstract: A guitar construction having a complete body, neck, and head, formed as a single, integral wooden carving with tuning pegs, fingerboard, bridge, nut, and strings mounted thereon. The body portion is in the usual bell-shaped outline. Conventional pick-up means for an electronic amplification system may be mounted to the body.

Abstract: A stringed musical instrument including a bowl portion having an open upper end and a closed lower end. The bowl portion has a pair of diametrically opposed openings therein downwardly of the open upper end. The open upper end has a cover secured thereto. An elongated rod extends through the pair of diametrically opposed openings of the bowl portion. The elongated rod has opposed ends disposed outwardly with respect to the bowl portion. A first opposed end is disposed in proximity to the bowl portion. A second opposed end is disposed remotely with respect to the bowl portion. A bridge is secured to the cover of the bowl portion. A length of steel wire is provided having a first end secured to the first opposed end of the elongated rod. The length of wire has a second end extending over the bridge for coupling with respect to the second opposed end of the elongated rod.

Abstract: A self-contained tremolo for a guitar or other stringed instrument provides exceptional ease of setup and operation. The tremolo has a base plate fastened to the guitar over a small cavity. A bridge is pivotally connected to the base plate by means of bridge pins that enter blind slots in the base plate. String tension is counteracted by a spring mechanism that includes studs received in the bridge and passing through holes in the base plate and entering the guitar cavity. Compression springs act between the studs and the base plate. Identical intonation blocks are held on steps in the bridge such that the contact points between the intonation blocks and the strings lie along a curved line that matches the curve of the guitar frets. Fine tuners have plugs with V-grooves that contact the strings. The plugs are held in threaded shanks, but they do not rotate with the shanks during fine tuner adjustment, thereby eliminating the tendency of the strings to twist or slip off the ends of the fine tuners.

Abstract: A stringed instrument, such as a guitar is provided. The stringed instrument may include a tuning system in which harmonic and pitch tuning are simultaneously obtained. A bridge assembly is provided on the stringed instrument which includes a force conversion assembly capable of converting nonlongitudinal forces into longitudinal forces such that selective adjustment of a tuning knob or similar control by a user results in slidable movement of saddle members.

Abstract: A body for a guitar or other musical instrument includes a molded plastic rim, a wood center block attached within the rim, a metal sustain bar attached to the center block, top and bottom pre-finished phenolic laminates attached on either side of the rim and center block, and a cover plate attached over a cutout in the top laminate. The wood center block extends longitudinally across the rim and attaches at each end to a portion of the inner surface of the rim. The laminates are then adhered to the center block and rim and are thereafter beveled along with the edge of the rim to create a finished, multicolored angled edge. The cutout in the top laminate is formed by a routing operation that is also used to machine away a portion of the center block to a depth suitable to accommodate the pickups and other electronic components mounted to the cover plate. The top laminate, center block, and rim are also machined away at one end to form a recessed portion that receives a guitar neck.

Abstract: A stringed musical instrument having a neck assembly, a body portion, and a plurality of strings, the neck assembly having a composite central structure made of a composite material which is sufficiently strong to withstand the entire load imposed on the neck assembly by the tension of the strings without deformation or the need for structural reinforcement. The neck assembly also includes at least one non-structural, non-load bearing wooden insert carried by the composite central structure and extending substantially along the length of the neck assembly, for enabling the stringed instrument to have the response and tonal coloration of stringed instruments with traditional wooden neck assemblies, a fingerboard carried by the composite central structure, and a non-structural, non-load bearing truss rod assembly for relief adjustment of the neck.

Abstract: Bamboo fibers uniformly extend in the longitudinal direction of a bamboo stem so as to impart good acoustic properties to bamboo plates formed from bamboo strips, and the bamboo plates are available for a component parts of a body and a neck both forming part of an acoustic guitar, because the bamboo is easily economically obtainable.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an acoustic guitar having a pre-finished resin laminate soundboard, sidewall and backboard. The contoured sidewall of the guitar is provided by a relatively flexible strip of the laminate material which is formed into a loop-shaped preform before being positioned within a multi-part fixture. The fixture is closed on the preform to conform the shape of the preform into a contoured shape. Subsequently, ribbon linings, a soundboard and a backboard are adhesively secured to the preform to complete the assembly of the hollow body portion of the acoustic guitar. Since he laminate material is pre-finished, numerous time consuming finishing steps typically preformed in known methods are eliminated.

Abstract: A detachable neck for a guitar allows guitar strings to remain in place and a lever action pivoting the neck to the body about a pivot point under the strings allows full string tension to be obtained. The neck joint attachment may be incorporated in new guitars or retrofitted to existing guitars. The attachment for detaching a guitar neck from a guitar body comprises anchor blocks, one attached to the neck, the other to the body, contact surfaces on the anchor blocks position the neck on the body, and a latch plate on the neck, spaced from the anchor blocks and a latch mechanism for attachment to the guitar body to fasten the latch plate and hold the guitar firmly to the guitar body with the contact surfaces engaged.

Abstract: A stringed instrument having a solid body constructed of albizzia wood that is lightweight, durable, offers an aesthetically pleasing appearance and is capable of demonstrating good tonal quality over a broad range of pitches played acoustically or amplified. The body of said instrument is formed from a single piece of albizzia or from a plurality of pieces, arranged longitudinally, and joined using splines in conjunction with adhesive or by other known methods. Albizzia, having a high tensile strength and low specific gravity, allows for the production of light weight solid body instruments without the cost, complexity and degradation of sound quality of solid body instruments having composite body construction. A thin veneer can be added to cover the solid albizzia body for added strength and aesthetic variation.

Abstract: A stringed musical instrument, such as a guitar, mandolin, or a violin, has an elongated frame to which modular components such as necks, electronic pick-ups, electronic control boxes, bridges, tail pieces, decorative components, or body parts can be adjustably placed and clamped. This not only allows the position of many such components to be customized, but also allows different components to be easily substituted for each others; allows the instrument to be quickly taken apart for more compact storage or shipment; and allows the instrument to be changed so as to produce a different sound or look. Preferably some the components, including the body parts, are rotatably mounted relative to the frame, so their angle relative to the plane of the fingerboard can be adjusted to suit a user's tastes or physical disabilities, such as carpel-tunnel stress syndrome.

Abstract: An electrical musical instrument in the form of an electric violin 1 comprises an instrument body 2 comprising a body member 6 comprising an upper convex member 7 and a lower convex member 8 attached to each other by means of screws at the upper and lower ends thereof. An aperture 4 is defined in the upper convex member 7 and is adapted to receive a bridge 5. A reinforcing member 11 extends along the length of the rear of the violin body 2. The violin 1 further comprises a wooden neck 3 extending from the body 2.Electric pick-up means 10 supported by the instrument body 2 and provide an electrical output signal representing vibration of at least one tensioned string extending in use substantially along the length of the instrument 1 and passing over the bridge 5. The reinforcing member 11 in use opposes torque applied to the instrument body 2 and neck member 3 as a result of the tension in the or each string.

Abstract: A system for fixing the neck onto the body of a stringed instrument in which the truss-rod (9) of the neck is seated in a corresponding milled portion (8) formed in the body (3) in the region of the foot, the bushes (4) are seated in suitable countersinks (6) formed in the upper side of the neck (2) underneath the fingerboard (1) and are connected to corresponding bushes (11) seated in suitable countersinks (10) formed in the underside of the body of the instrument (3).

Abstract: A musical instrument is comprised of a hollow sound box having a sound board with a first opening and a second opening, and an elongate neck that is attached to the sound board. The sound box is preferably formed out of substantially flat, trapezoidal components, and the neck is attached to the sound board in overlapping fashion. The neck has a string attachment for attachment of one or more strings, and a bridge is attached to the sound board between the neck and the first sound opening. The bridge has a top edge with at least one groove defined therein to receive at least one string. At least one tuning key is attached to the outside surface of the sound board adjacent to the first sound opening and extending through the sound board to the inside of the sound box. One end of each string is attached to the string attachment on the neck, and the other end is attached to one of the tuning keys inside the sound box.

Abstract: A combination guitar having a full acoustical hollow body with the standard neck, head and strings supported between tuners on the head to a bridge on the top panel of the guitar's acoustical body with a solid electric guitar body structurally attached to the side wall of the acoustical hollow body with a second neck, head and strings supported over electronic pick up devices to transmit to the amplifier with volume and balance control mechanisms for the electric portion of the guitar to balance with an acoustical pick up inside the hollow body for transmission to the amplifier.

Abstract: A musical instrument sound quality enhancement device comprised of a circular shaped planer sound hole cover adapted by opposingly positioned underside sets of spaced angularly outward and downward projecting pliable affixment fingers to thereby enable insertably installed occlusive attachment of the cover within the circular shaped sound hole opening of a guitar, banjo, ukulele, dulcimer or any similar such stringed instrument the use of which eliminates feedback interference otherwise common to an amplifier equipped instrument of the type described, or with a ported variably occlusive sound hole cover version thereof not only accomplish amplifier feedback interference elimination when employed in a port fully closed configuration but when employed in a port variably set occlusive sound hole cover partially open configuration alternately effect instrumental tonal variations.

Abstract: A mute of soft, flexible sound-absorbing material, located adjacent the exterior of each sound-hole in a stringed instrument to form a substantially complete closure for the same, imparts a new and distinctive sound to the instrument.