EP0126127B1 - String support and neck device for stringed and neck instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

Device enabling the tensioning of strings and the securing of a neck thereunder. It offers the possibility of obtaining a neck free of mechanical strains by means of outer supports. This neck may therefore have a very slim configuration, thereby facilitating the play of beginners, perfecters and virtuosi. The device according to the invention is comprised of a lateral support (1), another lateral support (3), a fixed or removable tempered or untempered neck (2), a string support or head (4), another string support or body (5) and strings (6) tensioned according to known methods. The device according to the invention is particularly intended to improve the existing stringed and neck instruments such as guitars, mandolins, bangos, violins, and the like, and to show the way to create new instruments.

Description

The present invention relates to stringed musical instruments such as, for example, the acoustic, electronic, electroacoustic, electric, classical, multimanche, Hawaiian, bass guitar, mandolin, banjo, violins, and all their derivatives. The invention also relates to the violin making of new types of musical instruments operating according to the principle of strings stretched between two supports, one being generally called body and the other head.

Traditionally all stringed musical instruments of the neck type have one or more necks, located between head and body, whose role is both to support the tension of the strings, to allow the selection of the vibrating length of the strings under the action of the fingers of one hand and transmitting vibrations to the body.

The surface of the neck on which the strings are supported by the musician's fingers is called the fingerboard. This key can be of a different material than that of the handle. On this key are placed metallic frets in the case of temperate instruments.

Because of their mechanical function, these handles are securely attached to the body and support the head. They are always thick and often wide, which leads to many execution difficulties, limited speed and dexterity, fatigue and cramps and poses many manufacturing problems and limits the number of octaves per string. In the case of a musical game of "Hawaiian" or "bottle neck" type, the key and the frets are a hindrance for the performance.

Although it is known in the prior art to reinforce the neck of a guitar with a metal rod extending inside of it, the neck still partially supports the tensile force due to the strings and the luthiers gives it the known dimensions, or else the fact that the handle itself only supports more than a part of the effort it is known to move the strings away from the key or bring them closer to allow the instrumentalist to play as if it were a classical guitar or a Hawaii guitar, such a device is described by patent US-A-2998742.

As is known in the prior art to have a guitar provided with two or more necks as described for example in patent DE-C-72,716, but in this case each neck supports the effort of pulling the strings it underlies.

It has indeed been proposed in patent US-A-1,808,103 a string instrument having a skeleton rod supporting the tensile force of the single cord which it underlies and a movable key along said rod, but the main object of this document was an instrument provided with a single string which was to cover the range of sound extending from the first violin to the cello which is not comparable with the subject of the request.

The device according to the invention overcomes these drawbacks. It consists in freeing the sleeve (s) from their usual mechanical constraints thanks to the action of one or more separate arms.

More particularly the subject of the invention is defined by the technical characteristics recited in claim 1.

Each arm makes it possible to connect the head and the body of the instrument and it is located in such a way that it clears around the neck and the strings a space necessary for the artist's playing.

Each arm is full or hollow and made of traditional materials such as metal, carbon, plastic or other. It can also play the role of resonator.

The arm helps the musician in the case of a five-finger play from above, by offering a fulcrum for his wrist or arm parallel to the handle.

The neck is narrow or wide depending on the number of strings, the spacing of the strings and the morphology of the musician's hands. It becomes possible to make sleeves for children, these sleeves can be changed when children grow.

The handle can be moved away from the strings or removed in order to allow play of the "Hawaiian" or "bottle neck" type, thus preventing the frets from interfering with this play.

The handle is adjustable in height in order to precisely adjust the touch string space, thus avoiding the use of height adjustable saddles and saddles.

The handle is longer than traditional handles and offers up to three octaves per string or more.

The neck is tempered or not, hollow and possibly receives sympathetic resonance strings.

The handle is made with conventional Lutherie materials and means allowing for known tones but also in materials such as metal, glass, crystal, carbon and depending on its method of attachment to the head and body offers tones and new games.

• La figure 1 représente une vue d'ensemble d'un instrument selon l'invention dans un principe de base choisi pour sa simplicité.
• La figure 2, représente une vue de côté d'un instrument selon l'invention comprenant un bras derrière le manche.
• La figure 3 représente une vue de dessus d'un instrument selon l'invention comprenant un bras situé dessus le manche.
• La figure 4 représente une vue de dessus d'un autre instrument selon l'invention.
• La figure 5 représente une vue de dessus d'un autre instrument selon l'invention.
• La figure 6 représente une vue d'ensemble d'une guitare électrique dite de "jazz".
• La figure 7 représente une vue de dessus d'une guitare "solid body" selon l'invention.
• La figure 8 représente une vue de côté de cette guitare selon la coupe AA de la figure 7.
• La figure 9 représente une vue de dessus selon la coupe BB de la figure 7.
• La figure 10 représente une vue de dessous selon la coupe CC de la figure 7.
• Les figures 11, 12 et 13 représentent un dispositif de fixation du manche au corps de l'instrument.
• Les figures 14,15 et 16 représentent un dispositif de fixation du manche à la tête de l'instrument.
• La figure 17 représente une vue d'ensemble d'un autre instrument selon l'invention.
• La figure 18 représente une vue d'ensemble d'un autre instrument selon l'invention.

The accompanying drawings show, by way of indication, several exemplary embodiments of instruments according to the invention.

• FIG. 1 represents an overall view of an instrument according to the invention in a basic principle chosen for its simplicity.
• Figure 2 shows a side view of an instrument according to the invention comprising an arm behind the handle.
• FIG. 3 represents a top view of an instrument according to the invention comprising an arm situated above the handle.
• Figure 4 shows a top view of another instrument according to the invention.
• FIG. 5 represents a top view of another instrument according to the invention.
• Figure 6 shows an overview of an electric guitar called "jazz".
• FIG. 7 represents a top view of a "solid body" guitar according to the invention.
• FIG. 8 represents a side view of this guitar according to section AA of FIG. 7.
• FIG. 9 represents a top view according to section BB of FIG. 7.
• FIG. 10 represents a bottom view along the section CC of FIG. 7.
• Figures 11, 12 and 13 show a device for fixing the handle to the body of the instrument.
• Figures 14,15 and 16 show a device for fixing the handle to the head of the instrument.
• Figure 17 shows an overview of another instrument according to the invention.
• Figure 18 shows an overview of another instrument according to the invention.

The instrument shown in FIG. 1 comprises a first lateral arm (1) and a second lateral arm (3), the roles of which are to completely or partially free the thin handle (2) from mechanical stresses. The strings (6) stretched between the head (4) and the body (5) are fixed by the usual known methods which do not come within the scope of the invention.

The instrument shown in Figure 2 has an arm (7) located behind the thin handle (8) and attached to the body (9). It supports the head (10).

The instrument shown in Figure 3 has an arm located above the thin handle (12) and fixed to the body (13). It supports the head (14). This arm will preferably be made of rigid and transparent material.

The instrument shown in Figure 4 comprises an arm (15) supporting a flexible handle (16) and a thin handle (17) via a head (18). The arm is fixed to a body (19).

The instrument shown in FIG. 5 comprises an arm (20), a thin handle (21), a thin handle (22), an arm (23), a head (24) and a body (25).

It is easily understood that the device according to the invention can be applied to each type of existing stringed instrument and neck: range of violins, cellos, double bass; range of banjos; range of mandolins and the very wide range of different kinds of guitars with among others the "solid body" electric guitar, the classical guitar, the "folk" guitar and the "jazz" guitar.

The "jazz" guitar represented in FIG. 6 comprises a body (35) acting as a resonance box, made of solid or hollow wood, an arm (36), integral with the body (35) and the head (37), made in solid or hollow wood and equipped with a correction screw (38) acting in reaction against the tension of the strings, a thin handle (39) secured to the head (37) and the body (35), produced and fixed according to the classical methods but much thinner thickness at the choice of the luthier.

The guitar represented in FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10 comprises a body (40), a right arm (41), a left arm (42), a head (43), a neck (44), strings (45), as well as the usual elements of these guitars: microphone (46); electronic adjustment knobs (47), a tailpiece bridge (48).

The body (40) is slightly curved to allow the arms (41) (42) to be raised so that the latter are in the plane of the strings (45). These arms (41) (42) working only at compression are of reduced section.

The thin neck is removable so that the musician has several necks of different characteristics and changes according to his wishes.

This device is shown in Figures 11, 12 and 13. In the body of the guitar (51) is provided a location to accommodate the end of the neck (50), two grub screws (52) and (53) screwed into the body (51), allow to position the handle (50) in depth and a screw (49) of large diameter allows to press the handle against the positioning screws (52) (53). This makes it possible to quickly attach the handle and all the height and anti-twist adjustments.

Another device shown in Figures 14, 15 and 16 includes a screw system for fixing the handle to the head. The handle (60) placed in good position under the head (63) will be adjusted in height by the two screws (58) and (59). A piece (64) is used to hold the handle (60) pressed against the two screws (58) and (59). This part (64) is fixed to the head (63) by means of the two screws (54) and (56) and comprises screws (55) and (57) allowing the anti-hollow and anti-twisting adjustments. The strings (62) are supported by the nut (61) integral with the head (63).

The instrument represented in FIG. 17 comprises a frame (65), an easel (66), a nut (67), mechanics (68), a handle (70) all cut in the mass. The strings (69) are stretched between the nut (67) and the bridge (66).

The instrument represented in FIG. 18 comprises a frame (76), an easel (74), a saddle (71), mechanics (72), a handle (75) and strings (73) stretched between the saddle (71) and the easel (74). In this example, the partial frame is made of metal tube. The usual accessories (microphone, button, potentiometer etc ...) are screwed on.

Claims (5)

1. Stringed instrument of the guitar, banjo, violin type presenting a body (5) a handle (2) on which the performer plays a head (4) and strings (6) stretched between the body (5) and the head (4) extending along the handle and characterized by the fact that it has at least a separate arm between the body and the head of the instrument, this separated arm leaving the handle on which the performer plays free from mechanical constraints and traction forces exerted by the strings.

2. Instrument as claimed in claim 1 characterized by the fact that the body (5), the head (4) and the arm (3), form a single unit.

3. Instrument as claimed in claim 1, characterized by the fact that the handle (2) is fixed to the head (5) and to the body (5) by removable means which allow its detachableness.

4. Instrument as claimed in claim 1 and claim 2 characterized by the fact that the handle (2) is fixed to the head (5) and to the body by adjusting means allowing its movement for the variation of the distance between the strings and the handle (6).

5. Instrument as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 characterized by the fact that there are simultaneously at least two handles (16-17-21-22) on the same instrument.

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