Music – Instruments – Stringed
Patent
1997-02-24
1998-11-03
Gellner, Michael L.
Music
Instruments
Stringed
84317, G10D 300
Patent
active
058311890
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a device for facilitating the playing of stringed instruments, e.g. guitars, of the type comprising a plurality of strings located along a neck on which there are interspaced crossbars for determining the tone-decisive length of individual strings.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
To learn to play the guitar or other stringed instruments is associated with difficulties not only for beginners but also for people having a handicap, for instance in the fingers of the hand. Further, many people do not have the ambition of wanting to master the playing technique in a perfect or masterly manner, but are content with being able to perform a few simple chords. However, also in the latter case elementary fingerings have to be practised and this is often time-consuming and tedious, in particular for people with stiff and/or handicapped fingers.
OBJECTS AND FEATURES OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims at providing a device by means of which also the entirely unlearned shall be able to play stringed instruments of the type initially referred to, without any manifest practice. The device shall even enable people who wholly or partly lack fingers to play on, e.g., a guitar.
The object of the invention is attained by a device of the type as defined in the characterizing clause of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are further defined in the dependent claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE APPENDED DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a partly cut, simplified perspective view showing a device according to the invention applied upon the neck of a guitar,
FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial cross-section through a pressure plate comprised by the device,
FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a second, alternative embodiment of the device, and
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a third, alternative embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
In FIG. 1 reference numeral 1 designates a guitar neck on the top side of which there are on one hand a number of strings 2 (more specifically, six), and on the other hand a number of axially interspaced crossbars 3 of conventional type. A device according to the invention, which device in this case is constructed as a detachable attachment unit, is designated 4 in its entirety. This device comprises on one hand a pressure plate 5, and on the other hand a stand designated 6 in its entirety, which comprises two lateral pieces 7, 7 ' between which extend a number of cross-pieces 8 which form a shape-stiff unit with the lateral pieces. To the stand also belong one or several holding devices 9, by means of which the stand can be mounted on the guitar's neck. The pressure plate 5 has a length that is larger than the distance between at least three crossbars 3 and a width that is larger than the distance between maximally separated outer strings. The internal distances between the three cross-pieces 8 shown in the example substantially correspond to the internal distances between adjacent crossbars 3.
The pressure plate 5 is axially displaceable in relation to the stand 6 and is also possible to press down against the force of springs 10, more specifically from an upper initial position in a direction downwardly towards the guitar neck. According to the embodiment schematically shown in FIG. 1, the plate 5 rests upon rims 11 carried by the springs 10, the plate being displaceable axially relative to the rims. A number of abutment elements 12 protrude from the underside of pressure plate 5, which elements according to the example have the shape of pins. According to the exemplified embodiment, the pressure plate comprises equally many (i.e., six) rows of pins as the number of strings, each row in practice being capable of comprising ten to thirty pins. As may be seen in the detail cross-section in FIG. 2, each individual pin 12 is adjustably movable between on one hand an inactive position introduced into a hole 13 and on the other hand an active position protruding downwardly from
REFERENCES:
patent: 1094038 (1914-04-01), Weaver et al.
patent: 3422717 (1969-01-01), Roussel
patent: 3568560 (1971-03-01), Chang et al.
patent: 3568650 (1971-03-01), Chang et al.
patent: 3776088 (1973-12-01), Jones
patent: 4228718 (1980-10-01), Smith
patent: 4428273 (1984-01-01), Favron
Gellner Michael L.
Hsieh Shih-yung
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