Music – Instruments – Stringed
Patent
1984-07-30
1986-10-14
Franklin, Lawrence R.
Music
Instruments
Stringed
84267, 84291, 84293, 84313, G10D 100
Patent
active
046165509
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to stringed musical instruments such as, for example, guitars (acoustic, electro acoustic, electric, classical, multi-necked, Hawaiian, bass, etc.), mandolins, banjos, violins, and the like. The invention also relates to the manufacture of new types of musical instruments operating with strings which are tensioned between two supports, one support generally being referred to as the body and the other support generally being referred to as the head.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Additionally, all stringed musical instruments of the neck type comprise one or more necks (located between the head and body of the instrument) whose role is to support the tension of the strings, to permit the selection of the vibrating lengths of the strings under the action of the fingers of the hand of a user, as well as to transmit vibrations to the body of the instrument.
The surface of the neck on which the strings are pressed by the fingers of a musician is called the finger board. This finger board can be formed from a material different from that of the neck. In the case of tempered instruments, frets (i.e., metal bars) are located on this finger board.
Due to their mechanical function, these necks are solidly attached to the body and support the head of the instrument. They are always thick and often wide, which results in numerous difficulties during playing (limited speed and dexterity, fatigue and cramps), poses numerous manufacturing problems, and limits the number of octaves per string. In the case of a musical playing of the "Hawaiian" or "bottleneck" type of instrument, the finger board and the frets are a hindrance during play.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The device, according to the invention, offers new solutions to all of these problems and opens the way for the creation of new stringed musical instruments. The invention consists in freeing one or more necks from their usual mechanical stresses by virtue of the action of one or more exterior arms.
The instruments to which the present invention is directed have a plurality of necks and a plurality of heads. It should thus be understood that when a neck or head is referred to it can also be generalized as referring to a plurality of necks and a plurality of heads.
In the same way, to facilitate the explanations herein below, the types of necks to which this invention is directed are referred to as "thin necks", in comparison with present necks which are referred to as "conventional necks".
The one or more arms permit connecting the head and body of the instrument, which are situated in such a way that they free the space necessary for the artist to play around the thin neck and the strings.
As a function of the different embodiments of the present invention, the one or more arms can have a number of characteristics as enumerated below.
The arms can be of any shape but must ensure the positioning of the head with respect to the body so as to appropriately locate the strings and possibly the thin neck.
Each arm can be divided into several parts, e.g., and can be journalled, telescopic or extensible to permit attachment of the thin neck to the body and head.
Each portion of the arm can be solid or hollow and can be made from conventional or new materials, e.g., metal, carbon, plastic or other materials. The arms can also function as resonators.
The arms can be used to mount internal or external sympathetic strings.
The arms can themselves function as conventional necks, both tempered and non-tempered, thus permitting the creation of mixed instruments having both thin and conventional necks.
The arms can aid a musician during five finger playing of the instrument from above the instrument, by providing a support point for the wrist or arm of the musician which will be parallel to the thin neck of the instrument.
The one or more thin necks can have the following characteristics:
They can have new dimensions and shapes; e.g., the thin necks can be made very thin which can give them, as a
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Argant Yves
Lacroix Roger
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