Abstract: The present invention relates to a musical instrument having its entire body portion manufactured by moulding the body with synthetic resin, in which the said musical instrument is an electric guitar which has the entire body 4 consisting of a base plate 1, a neck part 2 connected to the base plate 17 and a head part 3 connected to the end of the said neck part 2 to hang the strings, and in which the said entire body 4 is made of polyurethane foam having specific gravity in the range of 0.3 to 0.9. In the polyurethane foam additional porous particles sizing average diameter from 1 to 50, &mgr;m selected from a group comprising wood chips, silica or mixtures thereof may homogeneously be contained in an amount of 5 to 8% by weight. Furthermore, a piano, an exterior casing of amplifier and/or an exterior casing of electric guitar may also be made of polyurethane foam having specific gravity in the range of 0.3 to 0.9.

Abstract: A stringed musical instrument or guitar has a plastic foam body substantially covered by a shell of thermoplastic material, a wood base on the plastic foam body, a plurality of strings supported to extend above the wood base, and at least one electromagnetic pick-up at the base. Musical vibrations produced by strumming the strings are conducted via the plastic foam body and wood base are largely sensed by the electromagnetic pick-up.

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 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: An acoustic guitar having a single sound hole placed on the perimeter of the sound board for enhancing its sound generating characteristics and a novel sound board design.

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 stringed instrument such as an electric guitar has a specially designed body structure, which is configured by a body frame, a center block, at least one bridge, a front board, a back board and a back cover. The bridge is arranged between a side portion of the body frame and a side wall of the center block, thus partitioning an interior space of the body frame to provide a vacant space for arranging electrical parts. Because of the provision of the bridge, it is possible to improve rigidity of the body structure. Herein, the vacant space is reduced in size and area, and it is encompassed by the side portion of the body frame, the side wall of the center block and the bridge. The front board is used to completely cover the front side of the body frame. The back board is partially cut out and is used to cover the back side of the body except for the opening area of the vacant space inside of the body frame.

Abstract: A bonding structure is provided, which is capable of eliminating overflow of the adhesive to the outside of the body, and which is capable of eliminating generation of a shrinkage cavity. The cross-section of a rib member 10 is to have approximate H shaped cross section, which shape is formed by an internal flange 11 and an external flange 12, each connected by a web 13, and the plate members are adhered to the top and bottom surfaces 11A and 11B of the internal flange 11.

Abstract: A top member for the body of an acoustical stringed instrument includes a forward part having an interior portion spaced inwardly from the side wall of the body after the top member has been assembled to the body, the interior portion having a pair of composite material layers with a core layer bonded therebetween. The forward part further has a core free flex edge portion which borders the outer periphery of the interior portion, and is made by having the pair of composite material layers bonded in contact with each other. A skirt projects rearwardly from the rear surface of the flex edge portion and extends along the edge of the flex edge portion. When its top member is assembled with the body, the skirt slidably fits over the sidewall of the body.

Abstract: A pickup for an electric guitar includes a housing made to fill an existing cavity in an electric guitar body originally used for a dual-coil humbucking pickup. The pickup also has a single pickup coil mounted in the housing.

Abstract: A carbon fiber cello has upper, middle, and lower bouts which smoothly merge into each other, a neck, back and sides which are molded in one piece from carbon fibers in which the back and sides are joined by smooth, round corners. The interior resonant cavity is free of protusions with the exception of the bass bar, soundpost, endpin support, and endpin.

Abstract: A stringed musical instrument having an instrument body and an elongated neck along which the strings are stretched. A spring-loaded clamping device is provided by securing the neck to the body while permitting limited pivotal movement of the neck relative to the body. The clamping device includes a spring arranged to provide a biasing force for urging the neck toward a neck seating position on the body, and an adjustment member is moveably mounted on either the neck or the body so as to move in a direction opposing the biasing force of the spring in order to cause the neck to pivot away from the neck seating position, to thereby adjust the angular position of the neck relative to the body to adjust the action of the instrument. An intonation adjustment mechanism is also provided for adjusting the intonation of the instrument, and which advantageously provides for rigidity enhancement by urging the neck against a side of the neck recess to provide a firm, rigid and stable mounting of the neck to the body.

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: 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 guitar has a body, a neck projecting from the body, strings stretched over the body and the neck and a pick-up attached to the body under the strings for producing an electric signal representative of vibrations of the strings, wherein the body has a body frame of metal/alloy or synthetic resin, a center block formed of metal/alloy/synthetic resin or wood and fixedly accommodated in the inner space of the body frame and deck plates adhered to both surfaces of the body frame so that a manufacturer produces the body through a simple process.

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: 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: An electric guitar has two structurally independent components. A neck/tailpiece module (10) is set into a docking recess (14) in the body module (12). In operation, the two are simultaneously joined mechanically and electronically by an indexing pin (18) and a wiring connector (48 and 50). The two components are fastened by a single bolt (54). The structural independence of the two members makes possible the utilization of bodies which may be constructed of almost any shape, size or material.

Abstract: An improved stringed instrument soundboard system. The system includes a soundboard frame having a peripheral rim member, which extends from first and second ends of the soundboard frame. The peripheral rim member defines a peripheral shape of the soundboard frame. The soundboard system also includes an acoustic grill, which is made up of at least one grill sections, and which corresponds substantially to the shape of the soundboard frame. Each grill section has a peripheral rim, which is attached to the peripheral rim member of the soundboard frame.

Abstract: The improvement in an acoustical musical stringed instrument having a flat soundboard with opposite top and bottom surfaces employing a plurality of elongated struts secured to the bottom surface of the soundboard in spaced apart positions. The struts cause the first side of the top surface of the soundboard to function as if it were stiffer and relatively short and wide and cause the second side of the top surface to function as if it were more compliant and relatively longer and narrower. The struts are progressively graduated in width and length from shorter and wider struts secured to the first side of the bottom surface to longer and narrower struts secured to the second side of the bottom surface whereby when the strings of the instrument are plucked to produce sound, the resonant frequency is enhanced by increasing the number of harmonics of higher frequency of the resonant frequency and the richness of sound is substantially enhanced.

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 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 string musical instrument having a body portion and one or more strings secured thereto, thereby defining a stringed portion. The stringed portion being composed of a polymeric material, includes a surface which comes into contact with the strings when a musician plays the musical instrument. The surface having thereon a first composite layer being operatively engaged to the surface and including one or more intermediate layers and an outer hard and low friction diamond-like carbon layer.

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: A stringed instrument soundboard is provided, including composite structure that includes first and second opposed layers of a stiffened graphite sheet material and a low-density core material interposed between the first and second opposed layers. Methods of making the soundboard and stringed instruments including the soundboard are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention involves a stringed musical instrument having a lower portion comprised of a resonance body and an upper portion comprised of a neck and headstock. The resonance body encloses a resonating chamber and has a sound board and a bridge for fastening multiple strings. One or more sound holes are carried by the resonance body. The neck has an upper end from which the headstock extends and a lower end that is secured to the resonance body. Multiple pegs located in the headstock are connected to the strings for tightening and loosening the strings. One or more sound holes are located in the upper portion of the instrument. An elongated, hollow, enclosed passage is located in the upper portion of the instrument and communicates the resonating chamber with the one or more sound holes in the upper portion.

Abstract: A string instrument providing sound amplification without distortions by body formed of a belly and a back connected to each other by a rib such that the belly and the back are disposed at an angle relative to each other and wherein at least one sound opening is provided in the rib at the largest distance between the belly and the back.

Abstract: A solid instrument body of a stringed musical instrument is provided with a tail, disposed at the body end of the instrument, which can be extended or retracted. The tail is held in place by adjustable fastening means that allow it to extend up to about ten inches beyond the body portion for purposes of balanced feel and design, or to retract to a concealed location, to reduce the instrument to a compact size such that its total length is only slightly greater than the string length. For playing in a standing position a support strap is attached to the end of the tail. The tail may be shaped to have a slight taper and squared-off end so as to balance and complement a similar but more elongated design of the "headless" neck portion.

Abstract: The present invention is a rigid, solid bodied stringed instrument having an electrical pickup embedded in at least one predetermined position within the stringed instruments solid body to pick up the actual wood tones and resonance of the rigid solid body. The electrical pickup is comprised of a piezoelectric transducer embedded between a planar brass surface and a planar ceramic surface. In the preferred embodiment, the pickup transducer is circular in shape and embedded within the stringed instrument's solid body adjacent the strings which span the body. The embedded piezoelectric transducer requires a fraction of the area required by traditional electric coil pickups. In an alternate preferred embodiment, the pickup transducer is embedded within a transducer housing. The housing is then embedded within the solid body of a stringed instrument adjacent the strings.

Abstract: Device for Guitar Weight and Tone Adjustment is made of lead sheets sandwiched between two brass plates screwed into the back of electric guitars, designed to affect their tone by varying the mass according to the player's specifications.

Abstract: An acoustic guitar having a single sound hole placed on the perimeter of the sound board for enhancing its sound generating characteristics and a novel sound board design.

Abstract: A protective device for the rear surface of a guitar, especially an electric guitar, comprising a flat pad of protective material adapted to be removably secured to the rear surface of the guitar to protect areas likely to be scratched by a player's clothing, for example by a belt buckle. In a preferred form the pad comprises a vinyl or leatherlike material with a plurality of elastic loops sized to be secured to existing guitar strap studs on the body of the guitar, or to be looped directly over the upper and lower horns of the typical electric guitar body.

Abstract: A stringed instrument such as a hollow body guitar has a neck portion that extends under the tail of the fretboard. The body of the instrument has a pair of recesses which mate with respective tail and heel surfaces on the neck portion. Spacers are placed in the recesses in order to adjust the spacing and angle of the neck portion relative to the instrument's body. If the neck and body are connected to each other by bolts, then any misalignment between the neck and body can be cured by removing the bolts, replacing the spacers with spacers of a different thickness and/or wedge shape, and replacing the bolts. Additional structural components can be added to the neck and inside the body of the instrument in order to further enhance its structural integrity.

Abstract: A guitar neck is formed with a protruding trapezoidal heel which extends into a pocket formed at the neck end of the body. The tendency of the strings to bend the neck is counteracted by a truss rod assembly which is positioned in a contoured channel formed in the neck beneath the fingerboard. The assembly has a threaded stainless steel rod which extends through an aluminum U-channel, with one end extending beyond the U-channel beneath and adjacent the first fret of the fingerboard, where it is fixed to the U-channel, and the other end extending out of the U-channel adjacent the neck-body joint, where an adjustable hex nut is threaded on the rod which bears on a washer. Two cylindrical spacers are fixed to the rod within the U-channel at positions upward of the neck joint which serve to hold the rod in the center of the U-channel between the U-channel legs, and also spaced outwardly from the base of the U-channel to thereby cause the rod to bow away from the base into the contoured channel in 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 stringed instrument skeletal frame system is provided with an interchangeable soundboard and an interchangeable neck assembly of such an instrument. The soundboard includes a longitudinal slot. The neck assembly includes a headstock, a fingerboard, a bridge unit, a plurality of strings, and a support frame. The headstock includes a plurality of tuning peg screws. The fingerboard is attached to or may be integrally molded with the neck assembly, and may include a fretted and a fretless portion.The skeletal frame system includes a fastening device for securing the neck assembly to the soundboard.

Abstract: A stringed instrument, such as a guitar is provided. The stringed instrument includes a body, a neck mounted to the body and a headstock releasably mounted to the neck. The headstock may be replaced with an alternate headstock.

Abstract: The invention is an ergonomically constructed string instrument which is achieved by rotating both the nut and the bridge about a longitudinal axis in the direction from which the player's hand approaches, to the degree which is predetermined to accommodate a particular player. The invention addresses the high incidence of overuse or repetitive strain injuries suffered by players due to extreme wrist flexion.

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 collapsible acoustic guitar has a body divided into upper and lower halves, a detachable neck and a detachable string assembly consisting of headstock with tuning pegs, strings and an anchor member. In the preferred version, the upper body half nests in the lower body half and holds the neck and string assembly. In another version, the upper half is hinged to the lower half. The anchor member is used with a tensioning clamp and pivoting handle to loosen the strings for removal of the headstock and to tension the strings when the guitar is re-assembled.

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 silent stringed musical instrument includes a wooden body, a neck projecting from one end of the wooden body, peg screws attached to the neck, a tail piece attached to the body, strings stretched between the peg screws and the tail piece, a bridge attached to the body in such a manner as to be held in contact with the strings and an electric system for producing an electric signal from the vibrations of each string; when a player bows the silent stringed musical instrument for playing a tune, the electric system converts the vibrations of each string to the electric signal so as to produce electric sound; however, the body hardly vibrates, because viscoelastic layers are inserted between wooden plates.

Abstract: A hollow, tubular wooden musical instrument comprises a body portion of lightweight, tubular cross-section having a first and second opposite ends and at least one wooden laminate layer defining a fingerboard surface along a length of the body portion; a tuning device capable of tensioning a plurality of strings mounted lengthwise along the fingerboard surface, the body portion being capable of withstanding string tensions of up to 1200 psi perpendicular to the body portion, and defining structure for emanating sounds produced by vibrating the strings. The hollow musical instrument has a conic-section cross section, e.g., circular or elliptical, or a compound conic-section cross-section, e.g., lute shape, and may be of uniform diameter, conical, or tapered diameter formats. It may be played as an acoustic or electric instrument. The hollow, tubular instrument can additionally be of modular design having predefined sections to facilitate changes of sounds or fingerboard surfaces.

Abstract: The sound box (3) of the stringed instrument surrounds components (6, 8), as a result of which the sound vibrations introduced by the playing strings (4, 5), across the bridge (1), on the top board (2) of the sound box (3) lead to oppositely directed or phase-displaced vibrations of the bottom wall (11). Thus, the pumping and sucking movement exerted by the vibrating (15) top board (2) on the air enclosed in the sound box (3) is supplemented by the sound vibrations of the bottom wall (11). The components enclosed for this purpose in the sound box (3) essentially comprise a lever (6) engaging on the top board (2) at two positions and located below the bridge (1), a support member (16) laterally supporting said lever on the sound box (3) and a supporting arch (8).

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.