Music – Instruments – Stringed
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-13
2004-03-02
Hsieh, Shih-Yung (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Stringed
C084S31400N, C084S293000, C084S318000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06700043
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to electric guitars with tremolo units, and, more particularly, to lock devices that are attached to electric guitars to prevent strings from being shifted to offset positions.
In an electric guitar with a tremolo unit, tensions of all strings are adjusted at the same time by the tremolo unit for generating an impressive sound effect. The U.S. Pat. Publication No. 4,171,661 describes a conventional electric guitar, which maintains tuning of the guitar in a stable state even when a tremolo sound effect is used. More specifically, a tremolo unit of the electric guitar includes a saddle that locks proximal ends of strings. Further, with reference to
FIG. 6
, a lock device
30
, which is fixed near the head of the guitar, locks distal portions of the strings
15
. As locked by the lock device
30
, the strings
15
cannot be tuned by pegs. Thus, to enable the strings
15
to be finely tuned even in this state, the guitar is provided with a fine tuning device, which is located at the saddle of the tremolo unit.
With reference to
FIGS. 6 and 7
, the lock device
30
includes a nut
31
, which is fixed to an upper side of a neck
13
of the guitar, and clamp pads
32
. The nut
31
supports the clamp pads
32
. The clamp pads
32
are pressed against an upper side (a support surface
31
a
) of the nut
31
by fastening bolts
33
, such that the strings
15
are clamped between the clamp pads
32
and the support surface
31
a
. The support surface
31
a
of the nut
31
is inclined with respect to a hypothetical line L
1
, which extends along an edge of the nut
31
close to the proximal ends of the strings
15
(a contact point P
1
) and the proximal ends of the strings
15
(a contact point P
2
between the tremolo unit and the strings
15
), at angle &agr;. The angle &agr; is, for example, five degrees. A hypothetical line L
2
, which extends along the contact point P
1
and a front edge of the nut
31
(a contact point P
3
), is parallel with a hypothetical line L
3
, which extends along a contact point P
4
between the strings
15
and pegs (not illustrated) and the contact point P
1
. The head
14
is bent with respect to the neck
13
at angle &ggr;. The angle &ggr; is, for example, 10 degrees.
In the lock device
30
, the support surface
31
a
of the nut
31
is parallel with the line L
3
. The strings
15
are thus easily separated from the support surface
31
a
. In this case, tuning of the strings
15
becomes unstable. Also, the strings
15
are easily shifted to offset positions. Accordingly, to avoid these problems, the clamp pads
32
need be firmly pressed against the nut
31
by the fastening bolts
33
such that the strings
15
are reliably held by the support surface
31
a
. However, this may damage the strings
15
and decrease the durability of the fastening bolts
33
or damage the bolts
33
.
Further, to solve the problems, the electric guitar may include a retainer bar, which is located between the lock device
30
and the pegs for pressing the strings
15
against an upper side of the head
14
. However, in this case, when installing the strings
15
, the fastening bolts
33
and the clamp pads
32
must be removed from the nut
31
. The strings
15
are then passed through the space between the retainer bar and the head
14
. This complicates the installation of the strings
15
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an electric guitar with a tremolo unit that maintains tuning of strings in a stable state and prevents the strings from being shifted to offset positions.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide an electric guitar with a tremolo unit and a lock device that makes it easy to install strings.
To achieve the foregoing and other objectives and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, the invention provides an electric guitar with a tremolo unit that adjusts tensions of strings at the same time. The electric guitar includes a body, a neck, a head, a plurality of pegs, and a lock device. The body fixes proximal ends of the strings. The neck projects from the body and has an upper side that faces the strings. The head is fixed to a distal end of the neck and is bent downward from the upper side of the neck. The pegs are attached to the head. Each of the pegs is connected to a distal end of a different one of the strings. The lock device is fixed to the upper side of the neck for preventing strings from being shifted to offset positions. The lock device includes a nut, a pad, and a bolt. The nut has a support surface that supports the strings, a rear edge close to the body, and a front edge close to the pegs. The nut is located such that the front edge is located upward from a hypothetical line that extends along a contact point between the strings and the pegs and the rear edge. The pad presses at least one of the strings against the support surface. The bolt connects the pad to the nut.
Another perspective of the invention is an electric guitar with a tremolo unit that adjusts tensions of strings at the same time. The electric guitar includes a neck, a plurality of pegs, and a nut. The neck has an upper side that faces the strings. Each of the pegs is connected to a distal end of a different one of the strings. The nut is attached to the upper side of the neck. The nut supports the strings such that the strings are substantially parallel with one another. The nut has a front edge close to the distal ends of the strings, a rear edge close to proximal ends of the strings, and a support surface formed between the front edge and the rear edge. The support surface is inclined with respect to the upper side of the neck at a predetermined angle. The predetermined angle is smaller than an angle of portions of the strings between the pegs and the front edge with respect to the upper side of the neck.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4171661 (1979-10-01), Rose
patent: 4517874 (1985-05-01), Fender
patent: 4829873 (1989-05-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 5932822 (1999-08-01), Bernstein
Hoshino Gakki Co., LTD
Hsieh Shih-Yung
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