Music – Instruments – Stringed
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-18
2001-07-03
Donels, Jeffrey (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Stringed
C084S45200P
Reexamination Certificate
active
06255567
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a stringed musical instrument and, more particularly, to a body structure of a stringed musical instrument such as, for example, an electric guitar.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
The electric guitar comprises a body, a neck projecting from the body and strings stretched over the body and the neck. The body is broken down into a solid structure and a semi-acoustic structure. A typical example of the solidtype body is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication of Examined Application No. 55-36872. The solid-type body disclosed therein is formed of wood, and a wooden block is shaped into the complicated configuration. The body is perfectly solid, or a hollow space is formed in the body.
On the other hand, a typical example of the semi-acoustic type body is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication of Examined Application No. 55-2460. Several wooden deck plates and panels are assembled into the semi-acoustic type body. The wooded deck plates/ panels are a front deck plate, a back deck plate, side plates and a center block, and defines a resonator inside of the body. The front deck plate, the back deck plate and the side plates are, by way of example, formed of silver fir or spruce. On the other hand, the center block is usually formed of maple.
FIG. 1
illustrates a typical example of the electric guitar. The prior art electric guitar has a solid body
1
, a neck
2
, strings
3
, a bridge
4
, pick-ups
5
, a tail piece
6
, dials
7
and a power switch
8
. The solid body
1
is formed of wood, and has a unique configuration. The solid body
1
has a front surface, a back surface and a side surface. Although the neck
2
is separated from the solid body
1
in
FIG. 1
, the neck
2
is fixed to the solid body
1
, and projects from the side surface of the solid body
1
. The tail piece
6
is attached to the front surface, and is located on the opposite side to the neck
2
. The bridge
4
and the pick-ups
5
are also attached to the front surface, and are positioned between the neck
2
and the tail piece
6
. The strings
3
are stretched between pegs at the leading end of the neck
2
and the tail piece
6
, and the bridge
4
and the pick-ups
5
are under the strings
3
. The bridge
4
gives appropriate tension to the strings
3
. The pick-ups
5
detect vibrations of the strings
3
, and convert the vibrations to electric signals. Though not shown in
FIG. 1
, the pick-ups
5
are connected to a suitable amplifier, which makes a speaker system generate electric sounds. When the power switch
8
turns on, the dials
7
and the pick-ups
5
are energized. A player manipulates the dials
7
in order to regulate the volume, the tone color etc.
The solid body
1
is formed as follows. Prior to a machining, an aging is required for a wooden block to be machined. The wooden block is 40 to 50 millimeters thick. The wooden block is shaped into the unique configuration by using wood working machines. The wood work is polished, and, thereafter, is painted. A rough coating is carried out for the wood work, and a primer coating, a polishing, an intermediate coating, a polishing, a finish coating and a polishing follows. Thus, the polishing and the coating are repeated, and the prior art solid body
1
is obtained.
After completion of the solid body
1
, the bridge
4
, pick-ups
5
, the tail piece
6
, the dials
7
and the power switch
8
are attached to the solid body
1
, and the neck
2
is connected to the solid body
1
. Finally, the strings
3
are stretched between the pegs and the tail piece
6
.
FIG. 2
shows a semi-acoustic body of another prior art electric guitar. The semi-acoustic body has a built-up structure. A front deck plate
11
, a back deck plate
12
and a side plate
13
form a hollow space
14
, and a center block
15
is provided between the front deck plate
11
and the back deck plate
12
. Strings
16
are stretched over the front deck plate
11
.
The prior art semi-acoustic body is manufactured through a process similar to that of the prior art solid body. The aging step, machining steps, an assembling step, the painting steps and the polishing steps are incorporated in the process for fabricating the semi-acoustic body.
As described hereinbefore, the prior art bodies, i.e., both solid and semi-acoustic bodies are formed of wood. However, the manufacturer suffers from high production cost of the wooden body. This is because of the fact that the wood work passes the various steps during the manufacturing. The aging step, the machining steps, the polishing steps and the coating steps form the manufacturing process, and the manufacturer consumes a large amount of time and labor for the prior art body. Especially, the coating steps and the polishing steps are indispensable to the wood work, and are time-consuming. In fact, the manufacturer consumes fifty percent of the time required for the manufacturing. Thus, the prior art wooden bodies are low in productivity, and the manufacturer suffers from the high production cost. This is the first problem inherent in the prior art bodies.
The second problem is the exhaust of the forest resources due to the deforestation. It is getting more difficult to obtain the wood.
The third problem is the machinability of the wood. The wood is brittle, and the brittleness set a limit on the configuration of the wooden body.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a stringed musical instrument, a body of which is low in production cost, easy to obtain materials and high in machinability.
To accomplish the object, the present invention proposes to use a body frame formed of metal, alloy or synthetic resin.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stringed musical instrument comprising a body including a body frame formed of a first material selected from the group consisting of metal, alloy and synthetic resin and having an inner space open to a front surface and a back surface thereof, a center block formed of a second material and accommodated in the inner space and deck plates formed of a third material and fixed to the front surface and the back surface so as to confine the center block in the inner space, and at least one string stretched over the front deck plate.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4290336 (1981-09-01), Peavey
patent: 4829870 (1989-05-01), Ralston
patent: 5333527 (1994-08-01), Janes et al.
patent: 5406874 (1995-04-01), Witchel
patent: 5889221 (1999-03-01), Dejima
patent: 6114616 (2000-09-01), Naylor
patent: 55-2460 (1980-01-01), None
patent: 55-36872 (1980-08-01), None
Donels Jeffrey
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen, LLP
Yamaha Corporation
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