Music – Instruments – Stringed
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-12
2001-10-02
Hsieh, Shih-Yung (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Stringed
C084S319000, C084S307000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06297435
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
(Not Applicable).
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
(Not Applicable).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the modulation of tone and wavelength, and producing other effects, manually, on either acoustic or electric stringed instruments, particularly on guitars, by the use of a manual “slide” or “steel”.
2. Description of the Related Art
(Not Applicable).
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Whereas manual slides are commonly used on guitars, they are used in conjunction with the fingering hand of the player on the finger board or neck of the guitar, to contact the strings in appropriate locations for selecting the notes to be played. In accordance with the present invention, however, the manual slide is used on the strumming or picking hand of the guitar player, and it is positioned adjacent and in front of the bridge of the guitar. This enables the player to introduce a vibrato or tremolo, or otherwise to affect the voice and texture and wave properties of the notes being played, or to introduce other effects. These effects are facilitated by the fact that the slide is manipulated by the strumming hand, independently of the fingering action and note selection, and movement or oscillation of the slide over the strings toward and away from the bridge, has a direct effect on the length of the string(s) subject to strumming or picking vibration. The present invention enables one to obtain in an entirely manual instrument, many of the effects that have heretofore been limited to auxiliary mechanical and electrical devices, giving the musician much greater expressive control of the music being produced.
Since in the practice of the present invention the slide is associated with the picking or strumming hand, the fingering hand can function without restriction, allowing it to perform all manipulations previously made in normal guitar playing. Furthermore, since the slide is positioned to hover directly above or in close proximity to the bridge, subtle effects resulting from the controlled contact of the slide with the strings, such as buzz, vibration, and wavelength modulation, which would be inaudible or too quiet to be of any value if created by use of a slide elsewhere on the instrument, become audible and controllable, because of the immediate proximity to the bridge.
Also, because the slide is being used adjacent to the bridge of the stringed instrument, it is desirable that the bridge be designed to accommodate the use of the slide. First, it is most desirable that the bridge support the strings in a straight line, or lying in a flat plane, particularly in the direction transverse to the length dimension of the strings, or across the guitar, so that the slide can contact all strings simultaneously. Second, it is important that the slide not contact the bridge per se, to avoid any such contact sounds. To this end, it is desirable that each string rest on the top of an individual bridge pinnacle, with the bridge recessed into valleys between pinnacles. Further, it is desirable that any portions of the bridge extending beyond the first and last strings be cut back below the level of the strings.
It is accordingly one object of the present invention to provide musical effects in a stringed instrument, by use of a manual slide adjacent to the bridge of the instrument.
Another object of the present invention is to provide musical effects in a guitar, by use of a manual slide adjacent to the bridge.
A further object of the present invention is to provide musical effects in a stringed instrument, such as a guitar, by use of a manual slide adjacent to the bridge of the instrument, wherein the bridge is designed to accommodate the slide and to avoid contact between the slide and the bridge.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, had in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like or corresponding parts, and wherein:
REFERENCES:
patent: 1649376 (1927-11-01), Bacon et al.
patent: 2184733 (1939-12-01), Burgien
patent: 2248542 (1941-07-01), McDaniel et al.
patent: 2493698 (1950-01-01), Schwartz
Haskell Boris
Hsieh Shih-yung
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