NZ626756A - Tuning mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

A tuner 14 for a stringed instrument 100, the stringed instrument 100 including a body 2, a substantially elongate neck 3 extending from the body 2, a plurality of elongate strings 5, with each string 5 secured to a distal end of the neck (herein referred to as a ‘headstock’) by a headstock string retainer and to the body by a body string retainer, (a plurality of body string retainers herein referred to as a ‘tailpiece 1’). The strings 5 are tensioned over a span formed between, a first and a second string supports, respectively located on the body and at, or adjacent, the headstock. The tuner includes a string deflector guide surface, a manually adjustable tensioning mechanism 21, locatable on the body and connected to at least one movable string deflector 23, contacting a string between the first string support and the tailpiece 1 along a deflection path co-incident with the longitudinal axis of the string between the first string support and the tailpiece 1. The string deflector 23 includes a first roller bearing 27 providing rolling contact between the string deflector 23 and the string deflector guide surface, and a second roller bearing 28 providing rolling contact between the string deflector 23 and the string 5 between the first string support and the tailpiece 1 along the deflection path. The first and second roller bearings are mutually contra-rotating in use as the string deflector 23 moves along the string deflector guide surface. For each string 5, manual adjustment of the tensioning mechanism 21 produces a commensurate movement of the string deflector generating lateral deflection of the string 5 along the deflection path from contact with the string deflector 23, the commensurate movement of the string deflector being at least partially along the string deflector guide surface.