EP0038228A1 - Neck for a plucked instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

Musical instrument comprising a body (1), a head (2), between the two a neck (3), on the neck a fingerboard (4) and strings (5) intended to interact with the fingerboard. The fingerboard (4) is smooth, i.e. fretless, and of metal. The combination of this smoothness and the use of metal makes it possible to produce a non-tempered instrument, i.e. one on which notes of any pitch may be played, with the sound qualities of a fretted instrument. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to plucked musical instruments such as, for example, the guitar, acoustic or electric, bass guitar, banjo, mandolin and all their derivatives, comprising a body, forming a sound box when the instrument is acoustic a handle, a fingerboard on the handle, a head, and one or more strings stretched along the handle above the fingerboard, between the head and the body, and arranged to cooperate, under the action of the fingers of 'one hand, with the key so as to select their vibrating length, therefore the height of the note produced, when one plucks this string with one or more fingers of the other hand.

Wooden keys have been known for a long time, most often ebony or rosewood, comprising frets intended, when the finger presses the string against the key, to produce a note of a predetermined height, the distance between two consecutive frets generally corresponding at a semitone interval between the corresponding notes. It is then a so-called tempered instrument because it is capable of reproducing all the notes of the temperate scale, and of reproducing only these.

The invention aims to provide a guitar of any sound register such that inside this register, one can beyond the temperate range, play notes of any pitch and sufficient time for normal play.

To this end, the invention relates to a musical instrument of the plucked string type, comprising a body, a head, between the two, a handle, on the handle, a key, and strings intended to cooperate with the key, characterized by the fact that the fingerboard is smooth and metallic.

Thanks to the invention, which combines the use of metal and the smoothness, that is to say the absence of frets, of the key, we obtain an instrument on which, on the one hand we can play notes of any frequency, by acting on the string with the finger at the corresponding place since the limitations implied by the presence of frets are removed, and, on the other hand, on which the duration of the notes and their harmonic richness are favored by the use of metal.

With a wooden touch, the damping of the string between the finger and the wood, both soft, would be important, and the duration of the note would be reduced until making the game uninteresting and not very musical. In addition, its harmonic content would be poor.

Thus the invention, by combining the use of a fret-free key and the use of metal for this key, provides an instrument with plucked strings, like a guitar, capable of producing notes of musical quality equivalent to the notes produced by a conventional fret instrument which offers freedom from non-tempered instruments.

Advantageously, the fingerboard consists of an alloy of cupronickel or cupro-aluminum type.

Of course any other metal or alloy of good hardness can be used without departing from the scope of the invention.

The metallic touch also has the advantage of increasing the rigidity of the entire handle, which thus strengthens buckling or folding.

• - la figure 1 représente une vue de dessus de l'instrument selon l'invention, et
• -la figure 2 représente une vue en coupe du manche de l'instrument de la figure 1, selon la ligne II-II.

The invention will be clearly understood on reading the following description of a preferred embodiment, made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which

• FIG. 1 represents a top view of the instrument according to the invention, and
• FIG 2 shows a sectional view of the handle of the instrument of Figure 1, along the line II-II.

The instrument represented is a guitar comprising in a known manner a body 1, a head 2 and extending between the two, a handle 3. A key 4 is fixed on the handle 3.

In the present example, the handle is full, but we could also design a hollow handle.

The guitar further comprises six strings 5 stretched by means of six mechanics 6, between a nut 7, situated at the limit of the fingerboard and the head, and a bridge 8, also serving as attachment in the example shown, fixed on the body 1. The taut strings 5 run along key 4 at a short distance, without touching it.

The handle 3 can be made of any material known to those skilled in the art, in particular very rigid wood.

The key 4 is made of an alloy having good hardness and good resistance to friction. Preferably this alloy is stainless, so that its qualities are not affected by the humidity of the hand. In addition it is advantageous that it has a low coefficient of expansion, so that the instrument can keep its accuracy even for large differences in temperature.

The alloy chosen according to these criteria is preferably an alloy of cupronickel or cupro-aluminum type.

In addition, one can optionally provide on the key inlaid engraved or painted marks, in order to help the execution.

The fingerboard is fixed to the handle by any suitable means, for example by the use of a flexible adhesive allowing metal and wood to expand in different relationships. In order to obtain good adhesion, the surface of the fingerboard in contact with the handle is advantageously frosted or grooved. One can also provide, inside the handle, in known manner, one or more reinforcing rods, further making it possible to give the handle and the key a profile appropriate to the type of execution chosen. Thus the key can be longitudinally flat, or slightly concave or convex. In this case the thickness of the key must be relatively small to allow its longitudinal deformation.

The tests of the guitar according to the present invention, which advantageously allows a non-temperate playing, thanks to the smoothness of the key, have shown that the note obtained on this one could last much longer than in the case of a wooden key where its extinction is so rapid that it makes the game unattractive.

Finally, there is shown in Figure 2 of the drawings a key whose outer surface is curved, and whose thickness is not constant. It is clear that it is possible, without departing from the scope of the invention, to provide a touch of constant thickness to which one can give a domed shape by foresaw between the handle and the fingerboard, an appropriate counterform, or even a fingerboard of any cross-section, provided that its outer surface allows normal play.

Claims (4)

1.- Musical instrument of the plucked string type comprising a body, a head, between the two, a handle, on the handle, a key, and strings intended to cooperate with the key, characterized in that the key is smooth and metallic. 2.- Instrument according to claim 1, wherein the key is made of stainless material. 3.- Instrument according to claim 2, wherein the key is cupronickel. 4.- Instrument according to claim 2, wherein the key is made of cupro-aluminum.

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