GB2370909A

GB2370909A - Improvements to guitars

Info

Publication number: GB2370909A
Application number: GB0100077A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian Thomson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-01-03
Filing date: 2001-01-03
Publication date: 2002-07-10
Anticipated expiration: 2021-01-03
Also published as: GB2370909B; GB0100077D0

Abstract

The invention is an acoustic guitar or other stringed musical instrument in which the front face of the body has a transverse step (4). The strings are fastened to the body at this step and sound holes (8) are provided in it. The body shape takes the form of a slightly distorted figure of eight, the upper bout (2) being extended to one side of the main axis and the lower bout (3) to the other side.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS TO GUITARS

Field of the Invention The present invention concerns improvements in and relating to guitars but which may also have applicability to other stringed instruments. In one aspect the present invention concerns an improved acoustic guitar.

Background to the Invention Over the centuries since acoustic guitars were first invented the general shape and construction of the guitar has altered relatively little. In essence, all guitars have a generally figure of eight shaped body that is hollow to serve as a sound box and which has a sound hole or port in its front"sound board"face to amplify sonic vibrations from the strings of the guitar. The strings are fixed relative to the body extending along an elongate neck of the guitar, passing over the sound hole and being fastened at one end to a head mounted on the neck and at the other end to a bridge fixed to the sound board close to the sound hole.

The figure of eight shape of the body of the guitar has evolved to provide optimal amplification of the respective base and treble tones with the lowermost part of the guitar, termed the lower bout, serves to best amplify base tones while the upper part of the guitar body, the upper bout, serving to best amplify the treble frequencies. The shape and configuration of the guitar body has a profound influence on the quality and uniformity of the spectrum of sounds payable on the guitar and for this reason the shape and construction of the guitar must be carefully controlled and guitar design is relatively conservative.

To preserve the figure of eight shape of the guitar and to maintain the sound board substantially rigid whilst allowing for the fact that the sound board must necessarily be relatively lightweight and able to vibrate in sympathy with the strings

the acoustic guitar is normal constructed with a plurality of internal struts or braces that variously extend longitudinally, transverse and diagonally of the sound board and of the back of the guitar body.

Almost invariably an acoustic guitar will have the sound board positioned in the upper bout of the guitar or level with the waist of the guitar between the upper bout and lower bout and will have the bridge to which one end of the strings are fastened mounted below the sound hole, i. e. in the lower bout of the guitar body.

Perceived wisdom has it that any radical re-design of the location of the sound hole will devastate the musical integrity of the acoustic guitar and the basic construction of the guitar including the use of strutting/bracing to maintain the guitar shape is a necessary constructional feature.

Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an improved acoustic guitar which is characterised in that the sound board/front face of the guitar body has a step formed therein extending transversely and preferably diagonally of the guitar.

Particularly advantageously, the sound hole (s) of the guitar is/are formed not in the main plane of the sound board but, instead, in the plane of the step face of the sound board and which suitably faces at least partially toward the neck of the guitar and hence toward the player.

From careful experimentation, the inventor has discovered that this configuration of acoustic guitar layout is effective in providing the desired musical qualities in, for example, its timbre, resonance and reverberation while providing a number of substantial benefits over existing acoustic guitar design-including the fact that the amplified sound is directed toward the player when the sound port is provided in the step face. Also, the sound has an apparently enhanced level of

reverberation and amplification in comparison to a conventional guitar. The sound box depth of the guitar body (front-to-back) can be made substantially less than is conventional Furthermore, by having a transverse or suitably diagonal step in the sound board it is no longer necessary to make provision for a plurality of struts or braces within the guitar body since the stepped sound board provides a great deal of structural integrity to the guitar body.

Preferably the step face is substantially plane perpendicular to the main plane of the sound board.

In a particularly preferred arrangement the strings of the guitar are fastened to the body of the guitar at the step face. Since the step provides a bracing function strengthening the guitar body it represents an efficient region of attachment for the strings.

Particularly preferably the step face is not simply rectilinear but curves toward the player at one or preferably both ends thereof.

In the currently preferred embodiment of the guitar, the guitar body is provided with a plurality of sound holes in the step face positioned at spaced intervals there along and which could be arranged throughout substantially the whole length of the step or predominately to the right of the strings. The sound holes are suitably elongate extending lengthways of the stepped face. Preferred sizes for each sound hole are of the order of half inch to one inch in length and preferably about one quarter inch in width, there being suitably two or more such holes and preferably of the order of five, six, seven or eight sound holes. The step is suitably of the order of one half inch to one inch high at its highest.

Preferably the upstepped part of the guitar body is predominately to the right hand side of the guitar and predominately in the lower bout of the body. The step

may suitably be provided extending across the body at or near to the waist of the body close to where the sound part would normally be positioned.

A further optional feature of the design of the guitar body is the shaping of the body to have a slightly distorted figure of eight form with the upper bout extended somewhat to one side of the main axis of the guitar and the lower bout extended somewhat to the other side of the main axis of the guitar.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a stringed musical instrument having a body that serves as a sound box to amplify sound from the strings, the front face of the body being a sound board and having a step therein extending transversely and preferably diagonally across the body relative to the axis of the strings of the stringed instrument. As with the first aspect of the invention, the step face of this step is suitably the location of the sound hole (s) of the instrument. The strings of the instrument are suitably fastened to the body of the instrument at the step.

Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a front elevation view of an acoustic guitar embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the front of the guitar as viewed from the left and slightly above; Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the guitar from the left hand side; Figure 3A is a "vertical section through the"vertical"wall of the step in the guitar body and Figure 3B is a horizontal section through the same; and

Figure 4 is a part cut away perspective view similar to the view of Figure 2 but illustrating the construction of the guitar body side wall/rib and the fixing of a string to the guitar body.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment The illustrated embodiment of acoustic guitar-which could equally be adapted to serve as an electro-acoustic guitar-has a number of striking features that clearly differentiate it from existing designs of acoustic guitar. As will be seen, the body 1 of the guitar has a slightly distorted figure of eight shape in which the upper bout 2 is shaped to protrude substantially on the right hand side of the guitar - i. e. to the right of the guitar string axis. The lower bout 3 is shaped to protrude substantially to the left hand side of the guitar string axis.

Further in contrast to a conventional acoustic guitar and more importantly, the strings of the guitar mount not to a separately defined bridge structure but instead to a step 4 that is formed in the front face/sound board 5 of the guitar and which extends substantially the full length of the guitar body 1 in a generally diagonal manner across the face 5 of the guitar from the left lower bout 3 to the right upper bout 2.

As shown, this step 4 is a substantially"vertical"step, i. e. having a step face 6 that is substantially plane perpendicular to the main plane of the sound board 5. This perpendicular nature of the step face 6 is preferred although the step face 6 could alternatively be inclined to the plane of the sound board 5.

Although not visible in Figure 1, it will be apparent from Figures 2 to 4 that the step face 6 of the step 4 not only has fixing apertures 7 for the guitar strings extending therethrough but also is provided with a number of sizeable ports 8 arranged at spaced intervals in a series therealong. These ports 8 replace the conventional single circular sound hole of the conventional acoustic guitar.

As illustrated, the sound hole ports 8 are each of the order of one inch in length and one quarter inch in width and are shaped as elongate slots that extend generally along the curving longitudinal axis of the step. Eight such sound hole ports 8 are shown, the uppermost of which is foreshortened-in part because it is located in a narrowing upper end part of the step.

The step 4 is an integral feature of the construction of the front face/sound board of the guitar.

As viewed from the side, it will be clearly seen that the step 4 in the sound board 5 of the guitar is formed by having the portion 5a of the sound board 5 that is predominantly in the upper bout 2 and neck area of the guitar in a plane that is downstepped relative to the portion 5b of the sound board that is predominantly in the right hand part of the lower bout 3 of the guitar body 1.

The downstepped upper portion 5a of the guitar body 1 is substantially flat whereas the upstepped lower portion 5b of the guitar body 1, although being generally flat, arches/slopes upwardly from its edges where it joins to the side walls/ribs of the guitar body.

This arching shape of the sound board 5 and the provision of the step 4 are all achievable in wood by carving or by use of a laminated construction of the sound board. In one embodiment the sound board 5 is carved out from a block of wood and as shown in Figures 3A and 3B the"vertical"wall of the step 4 is tapered to bulge in both horizontal and vertical planes at the region where the string holes 7 are provided for added strength at that region. As a generality the thickness of the step 4 is suitably about 2.5 mm increasing to one inch to one and a half inches at the bulge. Where, less preferably, the body of the guitar is formed of plastics or fibreglass then it may, of course, be moulded into the required shape. For the preferred embodiment of the invention the construction of the guitar is of hardwoods

such as, for example, mahogany sycamore, spruce or teak for the front sound board face 5 as well as the back of the guitar body 1. A combination of two different woods could be used.

As can best be seen from Figure 4, the guitar is not strung in the conventional manner with the guitar strings passing over a saddle that is formed on a bridge plate. Instead, the guitar strings pass over a saddle 9 that projects independently from the sound board 5 and the strings are not secured to a bridge but are instead secured to the step 4 in the sound board. As a simple means of fixture, for example, the free end of a guitar string 10 is passed through a string fixing aperture 7 in the step face 6 of the step 4 and then out through a corresponding exit string aperture 11 adjacent to it in the upstepped portion 5b of the sound board 5. The end of the string 10 is secured against retraction through the string apertures 7,11 by fastening a nut 12 or other such means to it.

This configuration for fastening the guitar strings 10 to the step 4 formed across the body 1 of the guitar provides a simple and elegant means of structuring the guitar for strength and integrity and avoiding the need for a separate bridge.

A further feature of the design of the guitar body which will be apparent from figure 4, is the construction of the side wall/rib 12 of the guitar body 1 from cooperatively engaging front 12a and back 12b mating parts. Indeed, it is intended that the side wall/rib 12 be formed of a first mating part 12a that is integral with the back of the guitar body 1 and a second mating part 12b that is integral with the front 5 of the guitar body 1-the guitar body 1 being formed of two half shells that mate together-thereby avoiding the need for assembly of separate rib, front and back components together with the linings and edging that is normally needed to finish the join between the front face/sound board and rib and between the rib and the back.

Although the illustrated embodiment of guitar is shown as having the step 4 sweeping upwardly from near the bottom of the lower bout 3, in an alternative embodiment it extends diagonally across the body from near to the waist, so that the ports 8 in the step are close to where the port of the conventional guitar is positioned. There the ports 8 are provided all along the length of the step 4 and especially to closer to the upper edge of the body than in the first embodiment to ensure the adequate cross sectional are of the ports 8 for the sound output.

Furthermore, the step 4 is suitably spaced away from the strings 10 as much as possible to minimize obstruction of the players fingers in use. A finger plate may also be provided to deflect the players fingers/plectrum away from the step 4, if preferred.

Claims

1. An improved acoustic guitar which is characterised in that the sound board/front face of the guitar body has a step formed therein extending transversely and preferably diagonally of the guitar.

2. An improved guitar as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sound hole (s) of the guitar is/are formed not in the main plane of the sound board but, instead, in the plane of the step face of the sound board and which suitably faces at least partially toward the neck of the guitar and hence toward the player.

3. An improved guitar as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the step face is substantially plane perpendicular to the main plane of the sound board.

4. An improved guitar as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3 wherein the strings of the guitar are fastened to the body of the guitar at the step face.

5. An improved guitar as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the step face is not simply rectilinear but curves toward the player.

6. An improved guitar as claimed in claim 2, wherein the guitar body is provided with a plurality of sound holes in the step face positioned at spaced intervals there along .

7. An improved guitar as claimed in claim 6 wherein the sound holes are elongate extending lengthways of the stepped face.

8. An improved guitar as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sizes for each sound hole are of the order of half inch to one inch in length and preferably about one quarter inch in width.

9 An improved guitar as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the step is of the order of one half inch to one inch high at its highest.

10. An improved guitar as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the upstepped part of the guitar body is predominately to the right hand side of the guitar and predominately in the lower bout of the body.

11. An improved guitar as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the step is provided extending across the body at or near to the waist of the body close to where the sound port would normally be positioned.

12. An improved guitar as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the body is shaped to have a slightly distorted figure of eight form with the upper bout extended somewhat to one side of the main axis of the guitar and the lower bout extended somewhat to the other side of the main axis of the guitar.

13. A stringed musical instrument having a body that serves as a sound box to amplify sound from the strings, the front face of the body sound board having a step therein extending transversely and preferably diagonally across the body relative to the axis of the strings of the stringed instrument.

14. A stringed instrument as claimed in claim 13 wherein the step face of this step is the location of the sound hole (s) of the instrument.

15. A stringed instrument as claimed in claim 13 wherein the strings of the instrument are fastened to the body of the instrument at the step.

15. A stringed instrument as claimed in claims 13 or 14 wherein the strings of the instrument are fastened to the body of the instrument at the step.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows

1. An improved acoustic guitar which is characterised in that the sound board/front face of the guitar body has a step formed therein extending transversely of the guitar, the sound hole (s) of the guitar being formed in the plane of the step face of the sound board.

2. An improved acoustic guitar which is characterised in that the sound board/front face of the guitar body has a step formed therein extending diagonally of the guitar.

3. An improved acoustic guitar as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the sound hole (s) of the guitar being formed in the plane of the step face of the sound board, face at least partially toward the neck of the guitar and hence toward the player.

4. An improved guitar as claimed in claim 1,2, or 3 wherein the step face is substantially plane perpendicular to the main plane of the sound board.

5. An improved guitar as claimed in claim 1,2, 3 or 4 wherein the strings of the guitar are fastened to the body of the guitar at the step face.

6. An improved guitar as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the step face curves toward the player.

7. An improved guitar as claimed in ay preceding claim, wherein the guitar body is provided with a plurality of sound holes in the step face positioned at spaced intervals there along.

8. An improved guitar as claimed in claim 7 wherein the sound holes are elongate extending lengthways of the stepped face.

9. An improved guitar as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sizes for each sound hole are of the order of one half inch to one inch in length.

10 An improved guitar as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the step is of the order of one half inch to one inch high at its highest.

11. An improved guitar as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the upstepped (i. e. raised level) part of the guitar body is predominately to the right hand side of the guitar as viewed from the front of the guitar and predominately in the lower bout of the body.

12. An improved guitar as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the step is provided extending across the body at or near to the waist of the body close to where the sound port would normally be positioned.

13. An improved guitar as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the body is shaped to have a slightly distorted figure of eight form with the upper bout extended somewhat to one side of the main axis of the guitar and the lower bout extended somewhat to the other side of the main axis of the guitar.

14. A stringed musical instrument having a body that serves as a sound box to amplify sound from the strings, the front face of the body sound board having a step therein extending transversely across the body relative to the axis of the strings of the stringed instrument and wherein the step face of this step is the location of the sound hole (s) of the instrument.