Patent Application
20240395228
This invention relates to the bridges used on guitars, consisting of a mechanism to adjust the length of each individual string to achieve more perfect tuning.
This invention relates to the saddles used on adjustable bridges for guitars currently known as Tune-o-Matic™, based on the McCarty U.S. Pat. No. 2,740,313 Bridge For Stringed Musical Instruments. The Tune-o-Matic™ bridge allows the length of each guitar string to be adjusted in order to maintain accurate intonation. Most of the Tune-o-Matic™ bridges come preinstalled with metallic individual bridge saddles, finished in chrome, gold or made of other material such as nylon. There are also aftermarket bridge saddles designed to fit the Tune-o-Matic™ type bridge made of a variety of materials.
The material of the bridge saddle will affect the sound. Some guitarists prefer a non-Tune-o-Matic™ bridge made of wood such as ebony or rosewood. These are made in a variety of carved shapes that are fitted to the top of the guitar. However, the adjustment of the string length is made by moving the entire bridge.
Prior art has made several design, manufacturing, and sound quality improvements to the concept of a guitar bridge with adjustable saddles. However, none of these have addressed the invention of a wood saddle to be used on the Tune-o-Matic™ and similar bridges.
In Compton U.S. Pat. No. 3,538,233 Electric Bass Guitar And Elastomeric Bridge Therefor, the adjustable bridge makes use of material placed between the string and saddle for the purpose of affecting the sound, namely to mute the sound. The claims specify various types of material and thickness and is an example of enhancing or modifying the prior art.
Mitsui U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,919 Guitar Bridge makes use of an adjustable saddle accomplished by sliding, with a holding screw that firmly fixes the saddle to the main body. The advantage claiming to be that the string vibration would be more surely transferred to the main body of the bridge. In this configuration a wood saddle could be used that would support the downward pressure of the string.
Wheelwright U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,414 Adjustable Saddle For Individual Instrument String makes use of an adjustable saddle that is secured firmly to a bridge platform. In this configuration a wood saddle could be used that would support the downward pressure of the string.
LoJacono U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,956 Apparatus And Method Of Tuning Guitars And The Like provides for the adjustment of both bridge saddle members and nut saddle members, claiming the advantage of more accurate string intonation adjustment. The patent references the use of preferred materials for the nut and bridge saddles as brass, plastic, nylon and carbon. In this configuration, the bridge and nut saddles are supported substantially on the bottom and do not have an issue of sustaining the string downward pressure across a span.
Chang Patent application no: Ser. No. 10/930,828 Guitar Saddle Structure is a modification of the configuration in the Tune-o-Matic™, where the saddle side surfaces, termed bucking surface, and the surface where the saddle contacts the bridge, termed the ramp, are angled. The claim is that this would provide a tighter connection between the saddle and the bridge and therefore a clearer sound. Also claimed is that this configuration eliminates some of the discrepancies caused by manufacturing. It is possible that a wood saddle could function in this configuration.
Minasi U.S. Pat. No. 9,799,307 Saddlerail Bridge proposes a bridge saddle that would withstand string tension by its configuration. The design claims to enable manufacture in a combination of less rigid materials such as wood, bone and other man made. The disclosure states that the Tune-o-Matic™ saddles would not support string tension if made of wood.
Gimpel Patent application no: Ser. No. 13/530,320 Adjustable Bridge For Stringed Musical Instrument has the advantage of avoiding the use of springs, set screws, detents, removable screws and fasteners. The bridge saddle is retained within the slot by friction. In this configuration a wood saddle would sustain the string tension.
Haynes Patent application no: Ser. No. 17/342,0036 Stringed Instrument Bridge makes use of a bridge saddle retained in place by two (2) screws. Since the saddle mounts flat against the bridge surface, a wood saddle could be used.
The Modified Bridge Saddle For Guitars is made of hardwood and is designed to fit and replace the original metallic or nylon saddles of the Tune-o-Matic™M. While a carving of the saddle to the exact shape of the original parts can be made, as such, it would not support the downward pressure and stress applied by the strings. The hardwoods such as ebony and rosewood are brittle and would tend to fracture under the pressure of the strings.
The Modified Wood Bridge Saddle incorporates a thin metal rod made of brass or other metal inserted across the upper portion of the saddle perpendicular to the string. The string length adjustment is accomplished the same way as per the Tune-o-Matic™ with the addition of a threaded brass or metal insert. The addition of the metal insert avoids the wear and tear that would occur if the thread were made directly into the wood, and more importantly adds additional support when bonded to the saddle so as to withstand the string pressure.
The overall benefit is then to suit the taste of the guitarist to have the benefit of the sound made by a wood bridge, with the ability to adjust the vibrating length of each string individually. The convenience of this invention is that it is designed to replace the existing saddles of the Tune-o-Matic™ Bridge and the like, which is the most widely used and available bridge in the marketplace.
This invention is a replacement saddle made of hardwood for Tune-o-Matic™ bridges 5 that allows for the adjustment of the length of individual strings on a guitar. The Tune-o-Matic™ bridge can be installed on the top of a guitar in many ways such as depicted in
Hardwood such as ebony or rosewood have for a long time been a chosen material for a guitar bridge to support the strings directly on the body of a guitar 1. While the sound of wood is preferred by many, the achievement of perfect intonation is a compromise. The benefit of the Tune-o-Matic™ is to achieve better or more accurate intonation, however, the choice of material for the saddle was limited to the ability to withstand the downward pressure of the strings. Prior designs and inventions have taken advantage of a variety of materials for a saddle, and are fitted to various bridge configurations, but none of these designs have used hardwood to fit the original Tune-o-Matic™ shape.
This invention addresses the problem of using hardwood such as ebony or rosewood for a Tune-o-Matic™ saddle. Ebony has some preferred tonal qualities, but is also brittle. It stands up well when used as a large piece for the entire bridge, but does not hold up well when carved to the very small dimensions of a saddle of approximately 9 mm by 9 mm, designed to fit the Tune-o-Matic™ 5. The same holds true for rosewood, but to a lesser extent. This invention enhances the strength of a saddle carved out of ebony or rosewood in two (2) ways: by inserting a metal rod 9 thru the top portion of the saddle 8 perpendicular to where the string 12 rests as indicated in
The exact position of the string 12 where it contacts the top portion of the saddle 8 as indicated in
The difficulties in manufacturing the saddle made of hardwood such as ebony and rosewood have been addressed. Starting with an elongated square block of hardwood 14 where the grain 18 is across the shorter dimension, several smaller incremental cuts are made using router or dado technology at the indicated location 15. This is to eliminate the tendency of the chosen hardwood to chip or fracture. It has been found to be preferable to insert the supporting metal rod across multiple attached saddles at locations 16, and also to insert a long threaded rod thru the elongated square block at location 17. This technique provides added strength before carving the shape.
It is anticipated that there will be variations in size of the saddle, as well as variations in the placement of the threaded insert. This is to accommodate the variety of Tune-o-Matic™ bridge versions and manufacturers in the marketplace.
The overall benefit and advantage of this invention is that it will be an easily obtainable aftermarket addition for those guitar players who favor the sound and effect of a more adjustable wood bridge.
