The present invention relates generally to stringed musical instruments. More particularly, the present invention relates to a tremolo and tuning apparatus for an electric guitar including a method and a means for associating the tremolo and tuning apparatus with a guitar and with guitar strings in such a manner that the tremolo and tuning apparatus changes the pitch of strings without being off-key and without using a pull and release mechanism to remain in tune.
As is known to those skilled in the art of stringed musical instruments, such as guitars, the strings of the musical instrument extend between two critical contact points, typically provided on or at the nut of the musical instrument and on or at the bridge of the musical instrument. Each of the strings also extends beyond at least one of the critical contact points where it is secured to a tuning peg or tuning machine provided on the musical instrument for adjusting the tension of the string. The other end of the string also generally extends beyond the other control contact point so as to be anchored to the musical instrument.
As is also known in the art, the sound produced by each of the strings is affected both by the string length between the critical contact points and by the tension on the string. Generally, the string length is adjusted by adjustment of the distance between the critical contact points at which the string contacts the bridge and nut elements of the musical instrument. This is generally referred to as harmonic or string length tuning. The tension of the strings of the musical instrument is generally adjusted by means of the tuning pegs or machines which serve to increase or decrease the tension of the strings. This latter type of adjustment is often referred to as pitch or fine tuning of the strings. Generally, each of the strings of a musical instrument may be both pitch and harmonically tuned individually and independently of the other strings of the musical instrument.
Tremolo and tuning apparatuses for stringed musical instruments are also generally well-known and are typically used to simultaneously and significantly either reduce or increase the tension of all of the strings of the musical instruments to thereby produce unusual tone variations or special sound effects. Although the effects achievable with tremolo and tuning apparatuses on guitars and the like were popularized in the 1960's, many musicians did not readily adopt and/or continue the use of tremolo and tuning apparatuses due to problems of detuning of the strings of the guitars on which the tremolo and tuning apparatuses were mounted and used. As a result of several inventions made by Floyd Rose, an inventor, in late 1970's and early 1980's, several of the problems associated with detuning of the strings of guitars employing tremolo and tuning apparatuses were minimized.
More particularly, in accordance with one of the inventions of Floyd Rose, which is the subject of Rose's U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,661 issued Oct. 23, 1979, the bridge of the musical instrument is provided on the tremolo and tuning apparatus and the strings are held or “locked” at or in the vicinity of both the bridge and the nut of the instrument so as to be restrained against relative sliding movement during activation and return of the tremolo and tuning apparatus. In this manner, after the tremolo is used and then returned to an inactive position, the strings essentially return to the same tension as before activation and, therefore, remain in tune. In the preferred embodiment disclosed in the '661 patent, the strings of the instrument are clamped at both the nut of the guitar and at the bridge of the guitar, with the clamping bridge elements being mounted on and movable with the tremolo and tuning apparatus. This invention of Floyd Rose is sometimes referred to as his “string locking” invention. In the Floyd Rose invention, the ball end of the strings disposed at the tremolo and tuning apparatus must be cut-off at the ball when stringing the guitar.
Two further significant improvements of Floyd Rose in tremolo and tuning apparatuses are embodied in U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,236 (and its continuation, U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,461). One of the improvements resides in the provision of fine tuning means mounted on and movable with the tremolo and tuning apparatus for fine tuning of the strings essentially without changing the harmonic tuning thereof. The second improvement resides in a particular type of fine tuning means in which the string support means (which includes the bridge of the instrument) and the string holding means (which hold the strings) are moved substantially as a unit to effect fine tuning of the strings individually without changing the harmonic tuning thereof. This latter improvement thus permits fine tuning of the strings as well as employment of the first Floyd Rose invention which is the subject of the '661 patent in that movement of the strings relative to the bridge of the instrument is minimized.
In the particular embodiment disclosed in the '236 patent, which employs both of the aforenoted improvements, individual bridge elements are provided for each of the strings of the instrument. Each of the bridge elements is of a two-piece construction and includes a first forward block element and a second rear block element which is rotatably mounted to the first block and which includes a string contact surface thereon. Each forward block element is mounted for sliding movement on the base plate of the tremolo and tuning apparatus for adjusting or changing the harmonic tuning of its respective string. Each rear, rotatable block element includes a clamping block for clamping the string against the string contact surface. The clamping block is urged against the string by means of a threaded shank or rod which extends rearwardly of the rear block element through a suitable slot provided in an upwardly extending flange of the tremolo and tuning apparatus. Fine tuning adjustment screws are mounted to the flange of the tremolo and tuning apparatus and are positioned so as to contact the extended portion of the threaded shank or rod to thereby adjust the rotatable position of the rear block. This, in turn, adjusts the tension of the string held thereby, essentially without changing the harmonic tuning of the strings, since the distance between the critical contact point on the nut and the critical contact point on the bridge (provided on the forward portion of the string contact surface of the rear block element) essentially remains the same.
The tremolo and tuning apparatus in accordance with the Floyd Rose inventions have enjoyed huge commercial success, the inventions of such patents having been licensed throughout the electric guitar industry. As a result, numerous variations of tremolo and tuning apparatus employing the inventions of the Floyd Rose '661 and '236 patents have been developed in an effort to provide an optimum tremolo and tuning apparatus. Among several of the improvements and/or variations have been tremolo and tuning apparatus in which attempts have been made to decrease the profile of the tremolo apparatus by decreasing the height or elevation of the flange on which the fine tuning adjustment members are mounted. Thus, tremolo bridge systems have heretofore been developed having angled, rearwardly-directed flanges which extend obliquely relative to the surface of the tremolo base plate and which have a downwardly extending portion on which the fine tuning adjustment members are mounted so that the adjustment members move in a direction generally oblique to the surface of the tremolo base plate, as opposed to perpendicularly thereto as shown in the embodiment of the '236 patent. In another variation of a tremolo bridge system, a camming-type mechanism is utilized in which the rearwardly-extending shanks of the rotatable block elements are provided with a rotatable sleeve that engages against a sloped surface of the rear flange of the tremolo and tuning apparatus. By rotation of the sleeve, the rotational position of the rotatable block element is adjusted to adjust the tension of the string held thereby. In each of these variations of prior tremolo bridge systems, however, the rearwardly-extending members connected to the rotatable bridge elements are arranged or positioned at an elevation above the surface of the tremolo base plate and thus, there is still provided a relatively high profile, as well as a relatively complicated, awkward adjustment procedure.
Here it should be noted that these Floyd Rose tremolo and tuning apparatuses include a two-piece design saddle having a metal rod which screws into the saddle to be used for fine tuning. Also, the Floyd design relies on the pulling or releasing of the tension through the saddle when fine tuning the strings which may result in detuning problems. Accordingly, the search has continued for further improvements in an effort to optimize tremolo and tuning apparatus for stringed musical instruments.
The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the present invention, which provides a tremolo and tuning apparatus for a stringed musical instrument. The apparatus comprises a base tuner plate attached to the stringed musical instrument; a plurality of saddles adjustably attached to the base tuner plate and configured to hold unmodified strings; a plurality of tuner rods corresponding to and aligned with strings disposed on the stringed musical instrument; a tuner rod plate integral with the base tuner plate and configured to provide a plurality of tuner rod seats; a tuner screw hold down plate disposed above the plurality of tuner rods; and a plurality of fine tuning adjustment screws disposed proximal the plurality of tuner rods. Each of the plurality of tuner rods is configured to provide pressing contact via a user to each of their corresponding strings to fine tune each corresponding string. Also, each of the plurality of fine tuning adjustment screws is configured to provide a stop abutment at a top surface of each of the corresponding plurality of tuner rods.
The tuner rod plate advantageously comprises a plurality of string nut bores configured to securely hold a string nut of a string of the stringed musical instrument. Also, a plurality of string bores are disposed within the plurality of string nut bores, where each of the plurality of string bores is configured to receive each string.
The plurality of tuner rods are preferably disposed separate and apart from the plurality of saddles. Each of the plurality of saddles is configured as a one-piece saddle. The plurality of tuner rods are configured to pivot about a common axis.
The tuner plate comprises a tremolo bar holder which is preferably configured to provide a press fit to a tremolo bar disposed therein. The base tuner plate is attached to the stringed musical instrument by an arrangement of plate screws located at the distal end of the turner plate, with the tuner plate screws advantageously disposed within U-shaped openings at the distal end of the tuner plate.
The common axis comprises a tuner rod plate pin configured to extend the length of the tuner rod plate. In particular, the tuner rod plate is configured to receive the plurality of tuner rods within a plurality of tuner rod seats disposed on an upper portion of the tuner rod plate.
In one embodiment, the saddles are removably attached to the base tuner plate so that they can be selectively positioned.
In another embodiment, the saddles are operatively associated with the base tuner plate by rotatable pins such that rotation of the pins adjusts the position of the saddles on the base tuner plate.
Typically, six bridge saddles are present to support six guitar strings, wherein each saddle has two rollers and a channel for supporting one guitar string, wherein the first and sixth saddle have the same height, the second and fifth saddle have the same height which is greater than that of the first and sixth saddles and the third and fourth saddles have the same height which is greater than that of the second and fifth saddles.
The invention also provides a method of stringing and fine tuning a stringed musical instrument, which comprises providing a tremolo and tuning apparatus such as are described herein to the stringed musical instrument; inserting a plurality of strings into the tremolo and tuning apparatus while maintaining a ball end of each of the plurality of strings attached thereto; attaching the free end of the plurality of strings to a matching plurality of tuning posts; and tensioning the plurality of strings at the matching plurality of tuning posts to tune the stringed musical instrument. The tremolo and tuning apparatus of the stringed musical instrument can then be played to determine whether each of the plurality of strings of the stringed musical instrument is still in tune.
The method further comprises, when determining that the stringed musical instrument is not in tune, then fine tuning the stringed musical instrument by applying pressure to at least one of a plurality of tuner rods disposed within the tremolo and tuning apparatus to cause a lower surface of the at least one of the plurality of tuner rods to stretch the determined out of tune strings of the plurality of strings to return in tune.
There has thus been outlined certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Various features of examples and embodiments accordance with the principles described herein may be more readily understood with reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where like reference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:
Certain examples and embodiments have other features that are one of in addition to and in lieu of the features illustrated in the above-referenced figures. These and other features are detailed below with reference to the above-referenced figures.
In this respect there has thus been outlined the more important features of the instant invention, in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
There are additional features of the instant invention, which will be described hereinafter, and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
Further in relation to this, before explaining at least the preferred embodiments of the invention in greater detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description, or illustrated in the appended Figures. The invention is capable of other embodiments, and of being practiced and carried out in a plurality of different ways. Also it is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as a limiting factor.
As a preliminary matter, it will readily be understood by one having ordinary skill in the relevant art that the present invention has broad utility and application. Other embodiments may be discussed for additional illustrative purposes in providing a full and enabling disclosure of the present invention. Moreover, many embodiments such as adaptations, variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements will be implicitly disclosed by the embodiments described herein and fall within the scope of the present invention.
Accordingly, while the present invention is described herein in detail in relation to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and exemplary of the present invention, and is made merely for the purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the present invention. The detailed disclosure herein of one or more embodiments is not intended, nor is to be construed to limit the scope of patent protection afforded by the present invention, which scope is to be defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof. It is not intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention be defined by reading into any claim a limitation found herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself.
Thus for example any sequence(s) and/or temporal order of steps of various processes or methods that are described herein are illustrative and should not be interpreted as being restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that although steps of various processes or methods may be shown and described as being in a sequence or temporal order, the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence or order, absent an indication otherwise. Indeed, the steps in such processes or methods generally may be carried out in various different sequences and orders, while still falling within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention is to be defined by the appended claims rather than the description set forth herein.
Additionally, it is important to note that each term used herein refers to that which the ordinary artisan would understand such term to mean based on the contextual use of such term herein. To the extent that the meaning of a term used herein as understood by the ordinary artisan based on the contextual use of such term differs in any way from any particular dictionary definition of such term, it is intended that the meaning of the term as understood by the ordinary artisan will prevail.
The following definitions generally set forth the parameters of the present invention.
As used herein, “a” and “an” each generally denotes “at least one” but does not exclude a plurality unless the contextual use clearly dictates otherwise.
As used herein, the singular form “a”, “and”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Now generally referring to the drawings in which like numerals represent like components throughout the several views, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are next described. The following description of one or more preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.
An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a tremolo and tuning apparatus for a stringed musical instrument, such as an electric guitar, the stringed musical instrument including a body and a neck, a plurality of strings extending from the body to the neck, a nut for supporting the strings on the neck forming a first critical point for each string, a bridge element for supporting the strings on the body forming a second critical point for each string. The apparatus includes a tremolo and tuning apparatus having a one-piece saddle configured to hold unmodified strings, such as a guitar string which includes the ball end uncut. The tremolo and tuning apparatus also includes a plurality of tuner rods disposed atop each string and separate from the saddle. These tuner rods are configured to fine tune each string by a user pressing downward on each tuner rod as needed to tune each string of the stringed musical instrument rather than pulling and releasing tension in each string. The result of the tuner rod configuration is an easier, faster and more effective manner of fine tuning a stringed musical instrument having a tremolo.
An electric guitar 10 that is provided with a tremolo and tuning apparatus 26 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to
The electric guitar 10 includes a solid body 12 and a neck 14, which extends from the body 12. A head 20 is located at the distal end of the neck 14. Six tuning posts 16 are arranged on the head 20 and can be rotated to wind up strings 24. A gear mechanism (not shown) is arranged on the backside of each tuning post 16. Tuning pegs 22, each of which is provided for one of the tuning posts 16, are located on the head 20. Each tuning peg 22 rotates the corresponding tuning post 16 by the gear mechanism. That is, each set of the tuning post 16, the gear mechanism, and the tuning peg 22 tunes the corresponding string 24. A nut 18 is located at the distal end of the neck 14 and the strings 24 contact the nut 18. The strings 24 are pressed by a pressing member from above and tightened to the nut 18 with bolts.
The structure of the tremolo and tuning apparatus 26 will now be described with reference to perspective views illustrated in
The tuner plate screws 34, the tension applying mechanisms or tuner rods 36, and the tremolo manipulation mechanism or tremolo bar 28 will now be described.
Each tuner plate screw 34 includes a head and a threaded portion as illustrated in
The number of the bridge saddles 30 corresponds to the number of the strings 24. Since the bridge saddles 30 are identical, the structure of one of the bridge saddles 30 will be described with reference to
A saddle pin 48 retains the corresponding string 24 in cooperation with a receiving surface of the string holder groove 31 of the bridge saddle 30 as shown in
In certain embodiments, tuner rods 36 are configured to stretch strings 24 to fine tune the stringed musical instrument 10, as shown in
A threaded bore 45 is formed at the rear end of the tremolo and tuning apparatus 26 apart from the bridge saddle 30 and through the tuner screw hold down plate 42, as shown in
Insert new figures description here:
The number of the bridge saddles 30 corresponds to the number of the strings 24. The bridge saddles 30 are identical, and the structure of one of the bridge saddles 30 will now be described. These saddles are similar to those described with reference to
Also, bolts 90 are used to attach support plate 92 to the base tuner plate. Support plate 92 includes U-shaped supports 93 that support the rearward portions 94 of pins 84. As shown in
Although an example of the tremolo and tuning apparatus 26 is shown using an electric guitar as the stringed musical instrument 10, it will be appreciated that other stringed musical instruments can be used.
The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 62/611,579 filed Dec. 29, 2017, the entire content of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference thereto.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4171661 | Rose | Oct 1979 | A |
4497236 | Rose | Feb 1985 | A |
4549461 | Rose | Oct 1985 | A |
4608906 | Takabayashi | Sep 1986 | A |
4656915 | Osuga | Apr 1987 | A |
4967631 | Rose | Nov 1990 | A |
5672835 | Doughty | Sep 1997 | A |
5717150 | Rose | Feb 1998 | A |
5847297 | Fisher, IV | Dec 1998 | A |
6700043 | Hirayama | Mar 2004 | B2 |
6867354 | Shimooka et al. | Mar 2005 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20190206373 A1 | Jul 2019 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62611579 | Dec 2017 | US |