Patent Application
20050072289
This invention relates generally to stringed musical instruments and, more particularly, to a retainer and positioning arrangement for the strings of such instruments.
Traditional stringed instruments employ a plurality of strings which can be strummed to produce desired tonal sounds. Typically, the strings are fed between tuning screws mounted on a neck of the instrument and either ferrules retained by a rear surface of the instrument's body or a block mounted on a front surface thereof. Individual ferrules are undesirably subject to separation from the body upon breakage of an attached string while block string retainers retained on the instrument's front surface produce a different tonal quality.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a stringed instrument offering improved tonal output and ease of use.
The invention is a stringed instrument including a body having a front surface and a rear surface, a tuning mechanism, and a neck having one end joined to the body and an opposite end retaining the tuning mechanism. Also included is a retainer block encompassed by the rear surface and a plurality of strings each having a first end secured to the tuning mechanism and a second end retained by the retainer block. The string retainer block disposed at the rear surface of the body enhances tonal performance of the instrument.
According to certain features of the invention, the instrument includes a bridge mounted on the front surface, the retainer block has an inner surface and an outer surface and defines a plurality of channels extending between the inner and outer surfaces, and each of the strings extends from the tuning mechanism over the bridge and through a different one of the channels. The bridge and channels form desired feed paths for the strings.
According to other features of the invention, the second ends are enlarged to prevent passage through the channels which have counterbores in the outer surface retaining the enlarged second ends. These features provide efficient retention of the strings by the retainer block.
According to an additional feature of the invention, the block is unitary and made of brass. The provision of a unitary brass block further enhances tonal performance of the instrument.
According to yet another feature of the invention, the body defines a cavity retaining the block and intersecting the rear surface. Retaining the block in a cavity enhances user friendliness of the instrument by eliminating an undesirable obstruction on the rear surface of the body.
These and other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent upon a perusal of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
A stringed instrument 11 includes a neck 12 having one end 13 secured to a tuning mechanism 14 and an opposite end 15 secured to a body 16 as shown in
As depicted in
The instrument 11 includes a plurality of strings 43 which can be strummed in a conventional manner to produce sound. Each of the strings 43 has a first end 44 secured to a different one of the tuning screws 24 (
During use of the instrument 11, the tuning screws 24 are used to tighten the strings 43 to a degree desired to produce desired tonal sound output in response to strumming. The tonal output of the strummed strings 43 is enhanced by their passage through the body 16 and termination in the unitary brass block 31. In addition, the block 31 is not subject to separation from the body 16 if one of the strings 43 is broken. In that event, the block is retained in the cavity 39 by the remaining attached strings.
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teaching. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
