Stringed instrument with tonal control

[0015] A stringed instrument 11 includes a body 12 and a neck 13 extending from an edge of the body. Mounted on a top surface 15 of the body is a bridge 16 while the neck retains a fret board 17. A plurality of strings 18 extend in substantially parallel paths over the fret board 17 and a portion of the top surface 15. The strings 18 extend between the bridge 16 mounted on the top surface 15 and tuning screws 22 located at an outer end of the neck 13. Located between the bridge 16 and the fret board 17 is the picking area 25 of the top surface 15 above which the strings 18 can be picked to produce sound. The picking area is identified by dashed lines in FIG. 1.

[0016] Mounted on the top surface 15 within the picking area 25 is a support assembly 27 which supports a plurality of pickups 28 each disposed below an associated different one of the strings 18. The pickups 28 are connected by cables 29 and 31 to volume and tone control circuits 32, 33 and an output jack 35 all mounted with...