Claims
- 1. An improved fret system for incorporation into a stringed musical instrument having a neck/fingerboard providing a fingerboard surface, said fret system comprising:
a plurality of like elongate fret bars of durable material each having a cross-sectional shape characterized by first and second facets adjoining each other at a first corner, forming an angle within a range of 80 degrees to 120 degrees, designated to be a fret tip; and a corresponding plurality of fret channels each configured transversely in the neck/fingerboard forming a gap of designated width in the fingerboard surface at a desired fret location and each shaped cross-sectionally to conform to a corresponding portion of the cross-sectional shape of said fret bar, and to thus accept a corresponding one of said fret bars inserted longitudinally, and to retain said fret bar with a portion of each of the first and second facets disposed and retained beneath the fingerboard surface, and with a remaining portion thereof extending through the gap, including the fret tip at the first corner located at a designated fret height above the fingerboard surface, thus constituting a fret for playing strings of the instrument.
- 2. The improved fret system as defined in claim 1 wherein each fret channel is configured so as to orient the first and second facets of the fret bar symmetrically thus forming equal angles with the fingerboard surface.
- 3. The improved fret system as defined in claim 2 wherein, in the cross-sectional shape of the fret bar, the first and second facets are made to form substantially a right angle with each other, thus forming angles of substantially 45 degrees with the fingerboard surface.
- 4. The improved fret system as defined in claim 1 wherein the cross-sectional shape of the fret bar is further characterized by a second corner and a third corner defining extremities of the first facet and the second facet respectively.
- 5. The improved fret system as defined in claim 4 wherein said fret bars are made to have a cross-sectional shape that is substantially square having the first and second facets as two adjacent sides thereof.
- 6. The improved fret system as defined in claim 3 wherein said frets bars are made to have a cross-sectional shape characterized as a major portion of a square including the first, second and third corners, the first and second facets being full sides of the square, third and fourth facets being partial sides of the square extending from the second and third corners to fourth and fifth corners, and a fifth facet extending between the fourth and fifth corners, thus interfacing a bottom channel surface beneath the fingerboard surface,
- 7. The improved fret system as defined in claim 6 wherein the fifth facet is made to be flat and substantially parallel with the fingerboard, the third and fourth facets being substantially equal in width and the fourth and fifth corners each having an angle of substantially 135 degrees.
- 8. The improved fret system as defined in claim 1 wherein, in each of said frets bars, the first and second facets are each made to be substantially {fraction (3/16)} inch in width.
- 9. The improved fret system as defined in claim 6 wherein, in each of said frets bars, the fifth facet is made be substantially 0.150 inch in width.
- 10. The improved fret system as defined in claim 1 wherein said fret bars are made from stainless steel.
- 11. The improved fret system as defined in claim 1 wherein said fret bars are secured in place in said channels by pre-application of an adhesive in interfacing regions, and wherein a selected portion of the fret bar surface is configured with small recessed cavity regions for retaining the adhesive and enhancing holding action thereof.
- 12. The improved fret system as defined in claim 1 wherein said bars, after installation in place, are finalized for service as frets by abrasively dressing the fret tips for uniform height then rounding the edges of resulting flat surfaces by abrasive polishing, thus shaping the fret tips for optimal interaction with the strings and fingers when the instrument is played.
- 13. The improved fret system as defined in claim 1 wherein said channels are located and dimensioned such that the fret tips are made to have a height in a range between 0.04 and 0.08 inch relative to the fingerboard surface.
- 14. A method of incorporating frets in a stringed musical instrument having a neck/fingerboard with a region thereof configured as a fingerboard surface, comprising the steps of:
(1) preparing a plurality of fret bars, each cut to required length from metal stock originally having a square cross-sectional shape and thus having four facets; (2) machining a series of retaining channels traversing the neck/fingerboard at required fret locations in the fingerboard surface, each channel having a cross-sectional shape conforming to a major portion of the cross-sectional shape of the fret bar and being located and oriented to receive and retain the fret bar and to provide a gap in the fingerboard surface through which a designated corner portion of the fret bar extends, including a portion of each of the first and second facets, to serve as a fret for playing the instrument; (3) inserting each of the fret bars longitudinally into a corresponding one of the retaining channels.
- 15. The method of incorporating frets in a stringed musical instrument as defined in claim 14 further comprising the additional steps of:
(4) abrasively dressing the fret tips collectively substantially parallel to the fingerboard surface for uniform height, and (5) rounding the edges of resulting flat surfaces at the fret tips by abrasive polishing, thus finishing the fret tips for optimal interaction with the strings and fingers when the instrument is played.
- 16. The method of incorporating frets in a stringed musical instrument as defined in claim 14 comprising in step (1) the additional sub-step of:
(1A) modifying the square original cross-sectional shape of the fret bar by machining one corner thereof, diagonally opposite a corner designated as the fret tip, such that, in the cross-section, a fifth facet is flanked by third and fourth adjacent facets representing partial sides of the original square shape, each disposed at an angle of substantially 135 degrees relative to the fifth facet.
- 17. The method of incorporating frets in a stringed musical instrument as defined in claim 14 further comprising an additional sub-step in step (1) and a preliminary sub-step in step (3) of:
(1B) modifying appropriate surface areas of the fret bars, including at least the fifth facet, so as to provide recessed cavity regions for retaining adhesive; and (3A′) prior to step (3), applying adhesive to surface areas selected from intended interfacing areas of the fret bars and the retaining channels, particularly at the flat fifth facet, so as to secure the fret bars in place by adhesive setting after insertion into the corresponding retaining channels.
- 18. The method of incorporating frets in a stringed musical instrument as defined in claim 15 further comprising the additional step of:
(6) trimming ends of each fret bar to conform with adjacent side surfaces of the neck/fingerboard.
- 19. The method of incorporating frets in a stringed musical instrument as defined in claim 18 further comprising the additional step of:
(7) removing material at each end of each fret bar in a region above the fingerboard surface so as to eliminate sharp corners and thus avoid potential personal injury.
- 20. The method of incorporating frets in a stringed musical instrument as defined in claim 19 wherein the material is removed at each end of each fret bar in a manner to form a beveled surface in the region above the fingerboard surface
Parent Case Info
[0001] Benefit is claimed under 35 U.S.C, §119(e) of pending provisional application No. 60/179,158 filed Jan. 31, 2000.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60179158 |
Jan 2000 |
US |