Patent Grant
12080259
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to vibrato mechanisms for a string instrument. Certain embodiments of the disclosure relate to a vibrato mechanism including a bar with segments of varying size. In some embodiments, a vibrato mechanism includes protrusions that, when in contact, prevent rotation of a bar in a given direction about its longitudinal axis.
A string instrument (sometimes referred to as a stringed instrument) such as a guitar is generally comprised of a solid or hollow resonant body commonly made from one or more woods, or similar material. Attached to this main instrument body is a slender extension commonly referred to as a neck, to which are attached a plurality of strings anchored with adjustable pegs used to control the tension of the strings. The distal end of the strings is attached to a bridge where vibration of the strings is transferred to the body of the instrument in order to amplify the vibration of the strings and make the vibration audible.
The vibrating length of strings is determined by two fixed points of contact perpendicular to the length of the strings, one point near the adjustable anchoring pegs, and one point on the body of the guitar (e.g., a bridge and/or tailpiece). The strings are stretched taut over these two points of contact. A musician will strum or pluck these strings to set them in motion, creating sound. The pitch of the notes played is determined by stopping the strings against the neck, altering their speaking or vibrating length and corresponding frequency.
A vibrato mechanism, sometimes referred to as a tremolo mechanism, generally includes a bar to which the strings of a guitar are connected and a component (e.g., actuating arm) that, when engaged by a player of the guitar, causes the bar to rotate, thereby modulating pitches produced by the strings when strummed or plucked. Thus, the vibrato mechanism allows the tension applied to the strings to be readily varied to produce a vibrato effect.
Existing vibrato mechanisms generally suffer from two problems. First, as the player lowers the string pitch with the actuating arm of the vibrato mechanism, the pitches of the strings do not all lower by the same amount due to the differences in tension and elasticity of the strings themselves. Second, when a player bends a string on a guitar fitted with a vibrato mechanism, the vibrato mechanism may cause the other strings to lower in pitch to balance the overall string tension.
As such, there is a need in the art for improved vibrato mechanisms that address the drawbacks of existing designs.
The present disclosure generally relates to a vibrato mechanism for a string instrument.
One embodiment provides a vibrato mechanism, comprising: a bar comprising a plurality of segments, wherein: each respective segment of the plurality of segments is configured to connect to a respective string of a plurality of strings of a string instrument; a first segment of the plurality of segments has a first size and is configured to connect to a first string of the plurality of strings having a first tension; a second segment of the plurality of segments has a second size that is different than the first size and is configured to connect to a second string of the plurality of strings having a second tension that is different than the first tension; and an actuator arm that is operatively connected to the bar such that the actuator arm, when engaged, causes the bar to rotate about its longitudinal axis.
Another embodiment provides a vibrato mechanism, comprising: a bar configured to connect to a plurality of strings of a string instrument; and an actuator arm that is operatively connected to the bar such that the actuator arm, when engaged, causes the bar to rotate about its longitudinal axis, wherein: the bar comprises a first stop protrusion that is configured to contact a second stop protrusion attached to the vibrato mechanism when the actuator arm is not engaged; and contact between the first stop protrusion and the second stop protrusion prevents the bar from rotating in a given direction about its longitudinal axis.
Another embodiment provides a guitar comprising one of the vibrato mechanisms set forth above.
So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
The present disclosure relates to a vibrato mechanism with varying diameters suited to the expected properties of each string and/or with a stop mechanism for preventing unintended string movement.
According to certain embodiments, a vibrato mechanism comprises a tailpiece unit for a string instrument. Examples of existing designs for such a unit are shown in U.S. Design Pat. No. 169,120 and U.S. Design Pat. No. 170,109, the contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The basic components of such a vibrato mechanism may include a bar to which strings are attached and an actuator arm operatively connected to the bar such that, when the actuator arm is engaged (e.g., by pressing the actuator arm towards the body of the instrument or pulling the actuator arm away from the body of the instrument), the actuator arm causes the bar to rotate about its longitudinal axis, thereby decreasing or increasing the tension of the strings and, consequently, lowering or raising the pitches of the strings when strummed or plucked. A short, stiff spring mounted between the unit's base and a cup attached to the actuator arm brings the bar back to its resting position when the actuator arm is released, thereby restoring the regular pitches of the strings.
However, with existing designs, the pitches of the strings do not change uniformly as the bar rotates due to differences in properties of the strings, such as tension and/or elasticity (e.g., which may be based on materials of which the strings are made, diameters of the strings, whether the strings are wound, and/or the like). Thus, because the pitches of different strings deviate by different relative intervals during operation of the vibrato mechanism with existing designs, chords will become discordant when such vibrato mechanisms are engaged.
There have been previous attempts to address these problems through particular vibrato designs involving multiple moving parts that attempt to individually control movements of each string, but these designs have certain drawbacks. For example, the complexities introduced by the inclusion of multiple moving parts to adjust for small movements cause these designs to be unreliable and prone to maladjustment. Furthermore, the vibrato effect produced by these designs often has a poor sound quality due to string energy loss from the large number of moving pieces. As a result, none of these designs have ever been widely adopted for use by players.
Accordingly, as described in more detail below with respect to
It is noted that the “size” of a segment, as used herein, generally refers to a thickness, diameter (e.g., in the case of a circular segment), large axis (e.g., in the case of an oval shaped segment), or similar dimension of a segment, and does not generally refer to a width of a segment along the length of the bar. Segments of varying size may have varying shapes such that the differences in shape account, at least in part, for the differences in size. For example, the segments may be oval-shaped cylindrical segments that vary in large axis length, but that do not necessarily vary in small axis length, and therefore vary in size (and shape).
While certain embodiments are described with respect to a guitar having six strings, vibrato mechanisms described herein may be utilized with a guitar having a different number of strings and/or with another type of string instrument.
Vibrato mechanisms described herein avoid shortcomings of other designs that have been developed to address the relative differences in pitch change among strings. For example, by avoiding the complexities associated with designs in which each string is attached to an independently moving component (e.g., with its own spring mechanism) that must be precisely tuned to the properties of the individual string, embodiments of the present disclosure avoid the impracticality, likelihood of maladjustment, and loss of string energy associated with such designs.
Furthermore, in some embodiments, the vibrato mechanism may include a stop mechanism to prevent unintended string movement, such as when a player bends a string. The stop mechanism may comprise a first stop protrusion attached to the bar and a second stop protrusion attached to a base piece of the vibrato mechanism. The first stop protrusion and the second stop protrusion may be in contact when the actuator arm is at rest, and contact between the first stop protrusion and the second stop protrusion may prevent the bar from rotating in a given direction about its longitudinal axis. The pressure from the spring that is situated between the base of the vibrato mechanism and the actuator arm may press the first stop protrusion against the second stop protrusion when the actuator arm is not engaged. For example, the stop mechanism may prevent the bar from rotating in such a manner as to increase the tensions of the strings (e.g., preventing raising the corresponding string pitches), thereby limiting rotation of the bar to a direction that reduces the tensions of the strings (e.g., allowing lowering of the corresponding string pitches). In one example, the stop mechanism functions such that the actuator arm can be pressed toward the body of the instrument to lower the pitches of the strings but cannot be pulled away from the body of the instrument to raise the pitches of the strings. The stop mechanism allows pressure from the spring to overcome increases in string tension such that when the player bends one string (e.g., thereby increasing the pressure of that one string), the spring pressure prevents unintended changes in tension of the other strings that would otherwise occur (e.g., due to incidental rotation of the bar in attempt to balance the overall string tension). For example, with stop mechanisms according to embodiments of the present disclosure, spring pressure is no longer used to balance string tension, but is instead used only to return the string tension to its initial state when the actuator arm is released.
A stop mechanism according to embodiments of the present disclosure avoids shortcomings of existing designs for stop mechanisms. For example, some existing stop mechanisms rely on the body of the instrument as a stop. However, these designs require the instrument to have a solid body and a top that is a completely flat surface, which is often not the case with electric guitars. Other existing stop mechanisms involve an altered spring with a built-in hard stop that can only be utilized with a combination bridge and tailpiece unit. However, the components in these designs often cause unintended issues, such as an undesirable stickiness associated with engaging the actuator arm. Thus, by utilizing protrusions that contact one another to prevent rotation of the bar in a given direction, stop mechanisms described herein are compatible even with guitars that do not have solid bodies and/or flat tops, can be used with vibrato mechanisms that are not combination bridge and tailpiece units, and avoid stickiness associated with springs that are altered to include a built-in hard stop.
Certain embodiments further include an additional bar configured to contact the strings at a point between the string anchoring bar and the neck of the string instrument. The additional bar may be referred to as a tension roller bar, and may serve the function of ensuring that the strings have sufficient tension to remain in place (e.g., in one or more saddles) during playing. Furthermore, the additional bar may unify the pressure and angle at which the string sit on a saddle of a separate bridge unit. With a conventional vibrato mechanism having a string anchoring bar with a uniform diameter, the angle is similar for all of the strings as they extend away from the string anchoring bar. However, when the string anchoring bar includes segments of varying size as described herein, the angles are different for each string without this component.
For example, the additional bar may be configured such that the strings extend between the additional bar and the body of the string instrument, contacting a bottom surface of the additional bar. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the additional bar may comprise a plurality of independently rotating components to account for the different amounts of linear string travel of different strings produced by operation of the vibrato mechanism according to embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the independently rotating components may be separate cylinders that rotate about a common shaft. In some cases, the independently rotating components may be separated by dividers (e.g., made of a low-density material such as rubber or silicone) to prevent friction. The independently rotating components may serve to isolate movements of the strings from one another and avoid movements of one string affecting movements of other strings.
As shown, vibrato mechanism 100 includes a base 102 and a bracket 106, which are configured to attach to a string instrument (e.g., to a top and side surface of the string instrument, respectively). In some embodiments, vibrato mechanism 100 may be attached to a string instrument via one or more screws.
Vibrato mechanism 100 includes an actuator arm 104 that is operatively connected to a bar 110 such that, when actuator arm 104 is engaged (e.g., pressed towards the instrument), bar 110 is caused to rotated about its longitudinal axis. Actuator arm 104 if connected to a spring 108 that extends between base 102 and a component 109 beneath actuator arm 104 and causes actuator arm 104 to return to its resting position when it is released.
Bar 110 (which may be referred to as a string anchoring bar) comprises a plurality of segments 112a-f (which may be referred to collectively as segments 112 and individually as segment 112) of varying size. For instance, segment 112f has the greatest size and segment 112a has the smallest size. The size of each segment 112 may be based on expected properties, such as expected tension and elasticity, of a string to which the segment 112 is configured to connect. In one embodiment, segments 112 are round cylindrical segments and the size of each segment 112 refers to its diameter. In another embodiment, segments 112 are oval shaped cylindrical segments and the size of each segment 112 refers to its large axis. In other embodiments, segments 112 may take different forms, such as oval and/or egg shaped camshafts, irregular-length slots ground into particular diameters, and/or the like. In some embodiments, segments 112 may have differing shapes. For example, segments 112 may be cylindrical segments of differing shapes, such as circular and/or oval shaped segments with differing dimensions (e.g., one segment may be circular while another segment may be an oval with particular dimensions). In alternative embodiments, segments 112 may be squared, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, and/or the like.
Segments 112 include protrusions 114 to which strings of a string instrument attach. For instance, as described in more detail below with respect to
In certain embodiments, the size (e.g., diameter) of each segment 112 is calculated as a function of one or more properties of the string to which it is configured to connect, such as string diameter, tension, elasticity, and/or the like, and/or is determined based on experimentation. A variety of formulas and/or techniques may be used to determine segment size, and the present disclosure is not limited to any particular formula or technique. Furthermore, alternative embodiments may involve a bar or other type of component (e.g., having segments of varying size as described herein) that raises and lowers or performs some other type of movement, rather than rotating, in order to cause linear string travel when the actuator arm is engaged.
In some embodiments, different versions of vibrato mechanism 100 may be created for different sets of strings. For instance, an alternative version of vibrato mechanism 100 may be configured for a string set that includes a wound G string, and may include a larger diameter for segment 112d than that used for a non-wound G string (e.g., depicted) due to the higher tension of a wound G string as compared to a non-wound G string.
One or more of segments 112 may be configured as grooves within bar 110 (e.g., separated by raised portions of bar 110) so that the strings stay in place on their corresponding segments 112.
As described in more detail below with respect to
When actuator arm 104 is pressed towards the top surface of the instrument (overcoming the pressure of spring 108), the resultant rotation of bar 110 about its longitudinal axis in a first direction (e.g., counter-clockwise from the perspective of
In some embodiments (not shown), stop protrusion 116 and/or stop protrusion 118 may be retractable or movable such that, if a player wishes to use vibrato mechanism 100 to raise the pitches of the strings, the stop mechanism may be dynamically disengaged. For example, stop protrusion 116 and/or stop protrusion 118 may be configured to retract into a corresponding depression within bar 110 and/or base 102 (e.g., when pushed into the corresponding depression and/or when some other retraction trigger is activated) or moved into one or more different positions so that they do not contact one another when actuator arm 104 and bar 110 are at rest. The stop mechanism may then be dynamically re-engaged, such as by pulling, pushing, and/or moving stop protrusion 116 and/or stop protrusion 118, and/or activating some other trigger to cause stop protrusion 116 and stop protrusion 118 to return to contact with one another.
It is noted that other embodiments of vibrato mechanism 100 may not include stop protrusions 116 and 118. Furthermore, some embodiments of vibrato mechanism 100 may include stop protrusions 116 and 118 without including segments 112 (e.g., including instead a bar with a uniform size or different types of components for attaching strings to vibrato mechanism 100).
Vibrato mechanism 100 further comprises an additional bar 120, which may be referred to as a tension roller. As shown, bar 120 comprises a plurality of independently rotating components 122 separated and bounded by dividers 142. Components 122 may be separate cylindrical cams that rotate about a common underlying shaft. Dividers 142 may be made of a low-density material such as rubber or silicone, and may serve to isolate components 122 from one another and to prevent friction as components 122 rotate. Thus, components 122 and dividers 142 of bar 120 allow string tension to be increased (e.g., by applying pressure to strings) without allowing movement of one string to affect other strings, and while preventing loss of string energy that may have otherwise occurred due to friction between moving parts. In an example embodiment, the strings that are attached to segments 112 of bar 110 via protrusions 114 extend beneath bar 120 at a point between bar 110 and a neck of the string instrument, and components 122 contact the strings to increase string tension and optimize the break angles of the strings.
If a conventional tension roller, rather than bar 120, was to be used in conjunction with bar 110, the unified rotation of the conventional tension roller across all strings may interfere with the independent amounts of linear string travel caused by the varying diameters of segments 112. Thus, bar 120 includes an independently rotating component 122 for each string.
It is noted that some embodiments of vibrato mechanism 100 may not include a tension roller such as bar 120.
Illustration 200A includes vibrato mechanism 100 of
As shown in illustration 200B, segment 112f may be a separate component that encompasses the shaft of bar 110 and is attached to bar 110 via a string anchoring pin 114 (e.g., which is inserted through an opening in segment 112f and into a corresponding opening in an underlying portion of bar 110). In alternative embodiments, segment 112f may not be a separate component from the rest of bar 110 and/or one or more other segments 112 may be separate components. In some examples, one or more of segments 112 may be ground, milled, or otherwise comprise depressions into the shaft of bar 110. In some embodiments, segment 112f may be attached to the shaft of bar 110 in some other manner than via the string anchoring pin 114.
The shaft of bar 110 may be inserted into an opening in component 109 and/or may be attached to component 109 and/or base 102 via one or more other methods. In some embodiments, bar 110 may be attached to component 109 and/or base 102 via one or more snap rings and/or mounting screws.
As shown in illustration 200C, bar 120 may comprise a common shaft that is encircled by independently rotating components 122 and dividers 142. Independently rotating components 122 may rotate about the common shaft independently of one another, with dividers 142 preventing friction and isolating movements of independently rotating components 122 from one another. In some embodiments, bar 120 may be attached to base 102 via one or more snap rings and/or mounting screws.
As shown, vibrato mechanism 300 includes a base 302, which is configured to attach to a string instrument (e.g., to a top surface of the string instrument). In some embodiments, vibrato mechanism 300 may be attached to a string instrument via one or more screws.
Vibrato mechanism 300 includes an actuator arm 304 that is operatively connected to a bar 310 such that, when actuator arm 304 is engaged (e.g., pressed towards the instrument), bar 310 is caused to rotated about its longitudinal axis. Actuator arm 304 if connected to a spring 308 that extends between base 302 and a cup 309 beneath actuator arm 304 and causes actuator arm 304 to return to its resting position when it is released.
Bar 310 (which may be referred to as a string anchoring bar) comprises a plurality of segments 312a-f (which may be referred to collectively as segments 112 and individually as segment 112) of varying size. Segments 312 are similar to segments 112 of
Segments 312 include protrusions 314 to which strings of a string instrument attach. For instance, as described in more detail below with respect to
Vibrato mechanism 100 comprises a stop mechanism that includes stop protrusions 316 and 318, which may function similarly to stop protrusions 116 and 118, described above with respect to
Vibrato mechanism 300 further comprises an additional bar 320 (similar to bar 120 of
It is noted that some embodiments of vibrato mechanism 300 may not include a tension roller such as bar 320.
As shown, stop protrusion 116, attached to bar 110, and stop protrusion 118, attached to base 102, are in contact with one another. Contact between stop protrusions 116 and 118 prevents bar 110 from rotating about its longitudinal axis in a given direction (clockwise from the perspective of
As shown, stop protrusions 116 and 118 are no longer in contact with one another, as the rotation of bar 110 about its longitudinal axis (e.g., in a counter-clockwise direction from the perspective of
It is noted that stop protrusions 116 and 118 are included as examples, and other types of stop protrusions may be used. For example, rather than being cylindrical pegs as shown, the stop protrusions may be formed in other shapes, such as flat, rectangular, or triangular protrusions. Furthermore, the stop protrusions may alternatively be located in different places on vibrato mechanism 100, For example, the stop protrusions may alternatively be located on the opposite end of bar 110 (e.g., opposite actuator arm 104 rather than being adjacent to actuator arm 104).
In the example of
It is noted that, while certain embodiments are described with respect to guitars, techniques presented herein may also be employed with other types of string instruments. While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| D169120 | Bigsby | Mar 1953 | S |
| D170109 | Bigsby | Aug 1953 | S |
| 2949806 | Turman | Aug 1960 | A |
| 3248991 | Cole | May 1966 | A |
| 4648304 | Hoshino | Mar 1987 | A |
| 4882967 | Rose | Nov 1989 | A |
| 9076412 | Rolling | Jul 2015 | B1 |
| 9653055 | Savage et al. | May 2017 | B1 |
| 20080229898 | Steinberger | Sep 2008 | A1 |
| 20160232881 | Alday | Aug 2016 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1199679 | Jul 1970 | GB |
| Entry |
|---|
| International/Search Report issued to PCT/US2022/081678 on Jun. 19, 2023. |
| Kemp, “The physics of unwound and wound strings on the electric guitar applied to the pitch intervals produced by tremolo/vibrato arm systems”, Music Centre, University of St. Andrews, St Andrews Fife, United Kingdom, 2 SUPA, School of Pyhsics & Astronomy, PLOS ONE, Sep. 21, 2017. |
| Invitation to Pay Fees Issued to PCT/US2022/081678 on Apr. 4, 2023. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20230245634 A1 | Aug 2023 | US |
