Stringed instrument with tonal control

a string instrument and tonal control technology, applied in the field of stringed instruments, can solve the problem of limited selection variation of tonal output in prior string instruments

US20050076775A1Inactive Publication Date: 2005-04-14FIRST ACT
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Patent Type
Applications(United States)
Current Assignee / Owner
Publication Date
2005-04-14
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

A stringed instrument including a body having a top surface defining a picking area; a bridge supported by the top surface at one end of the picking area; a neck extending from the body at an opposite end of the picking area; and a plurality of strings extending in substantially parallel paths over the picking area. Each pickup is disposed under a different associated one of the strings and a support mechanism mounted on the top surface and adapted to accommodate movement of each pickup in a path within the picking area and parallel to its associated string.
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Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates generally to stringed instruments and, more particularly, to stringed instruments providing variable tone adjustments.

[0002] Traditional stringed instruments such as guitars employ pickup devices to generate signals having frequencies dependent on tones produced by picking action of strings in a picking area. Those signals then are fed to amplifiers and speakers to provide audio outputs replicating the picked sound. Typically, a desired tonal output is provided by positioning of the pickup device under the strings of the guitar. However, selective variation of tonal output in prior string instruments is quite limited.

[0003] The object of this invention, therefor, is to provide a stringed instrument which allows extensive selective variations in tonal audio output. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The invention is a stringed instrument including a body having a top surface defining a picking area; a bridge supported by the top...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[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...