US1618626A - Fretted musical instrument - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 22 719276 F. W. ALTPETER FRETTED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Nov. 10, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [22 enar 192% Feb 22 F. w. ALTPETER FRETTED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Fild Nov. 10, 1923 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 "Ratented '22, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER ALTPE'IER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FRETTED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application filed November 10, 1923. Serial No. 674,000.

This invention relates to musical instruments, and more particularly to stringed instruments of the lute type.

i Oneof the Objects of the-invention is the provision of anewjand improved stringed l instrument in ;which provision is made wheieb the operator may employ either of two di er nt conventional methods or combine the two in picking or playing the instrument.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an" auxiliary neck together with novel means for. attaching the same to either end-of the instr'ument to' meet the requiremerits of the player or performer.

still further-object of the invention is the provision ofnew improved means for utilizing" additional strings and so arrangin'gthe parts that they will not interfere with the' movements of the performer duringtheplayin of the instrument. Other andjfurther objects and advantages of'theinvention will. appear from the fol- I lowing descriptiontaken in connection with 25, the accompanying drawings, in which j Fig. l-isa'top planview of the instrument j howmg the auxiliary neck in one position onthebody; V

c Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. '30. "Fig. '3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig.

. with parts broken away;

Fig. his a .perspective view of the auxiliar rnecki;

5 is atop plan view of the instrument 1 showing {the auxiliary neck in another position on the body; and v "Fig. 6 is a' section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5. It is understood that my invention may be embodied various kindsof'stringed instruments, especially those of the'lute type,

siichas tll' maHdOliIL. guitar and the like,

but. for convenience of description and sim- ,pl icity of illustration only one embodiment of'the invention is disclosed.

I The invention is'shownin connection with 7 a guitar in which the reference character 10 designates'the body'of the instrument rna be provided; with the usual 4 -sounding 'hole 11' in the face or sounding board 12 thereof. .AS is usual in such constructiohs; one end of the body, which for a convenience will be 'termed the upper end,

i than theother and'has' rigid ly attached thereto a neck 13 including a head 14. The neck is provided with a finger board 15 having the usual frets 16 thereon.

The head 14: is provided with tuning pegs 17 to which the upper ends of the principal set of strings 18 are attached, the lower ends of said springs passing over the bridge 19 and being attached to the tail piece 20 secured to the lower end of the body 10, as is usual in such constructions.

There are two ways of arranging the strings on this type of instrument which results in two methods of playing the same. In what is termed the old method the bass strings that is, the strings E, A and D, are arranged on what may be termed the right side of the finger board and are played by the thumb of the operator while the strings G, B and E, which for convenience will be termed the accompaniment strings, are arranged on the left side of the fingerboard and are played by the fingers of the operator. In what is termed the new method the bass strings are on the left side and are played by the fingers while the accompaniment strings are on the right side and are played by the thumb of the operator.

The lute type of stringed instrument has not heretofore been as popular as certain other types of'n'iusical instruments because of the lack of volume to the tone. Suitable means are provided for utilizing a set of auxiliary oradditional strings without increasing. the width of the fingen' board. These addition strings are adapted to be arranged at the left side of the finger board and sufficiently close to the other strings that may be played by the fingers of the operator without inconyenience. They are bass strings and are adapted to be played open and hence add materially. to the volume of sound. \Vhen the. auxiliary strings are employed the remaining strings may be, and preferably are, played by a metallic pick on. the. thumb which also adds materially to the loudness and carrying propertyyof the tone. S I v i Any suitable-means may be employed for supporting these strings. A projection, which in the device shown is in the form of an auxiliary neck 21 including a head 22 is employed for this purpose. The auxiliary neck may be eithersids eithe main neck but is preferably arranged on what for convenience of description will be termed the left side i the instrument. The head is provided with the usual tuning pegs 23 to which the set of auxiliary strings 24L are attached for tightening the same in the usual manner. The lower ends of the strin 24: extend over a bridge 25 and are attached to the tail piece 26 carried by the body 10. In order that the vibrating portions oi the strings of both sets may be of the same length and at the same time have the auxiliiu'y neck as short as possible so not to interfere with the playing of the instrui'ncnt, the tail piece 26 is made very short. Any suitable number of strings 2t may be employed, but four are usually sutiicient for most players. The strings usually employed are the bass Strings E, A, G and C. The bass D string of the main set being adjacent to the accompaniment strings may usually be played by the thumb of the operator even while em ploying the so-called new method and may, therefore, if desired, be omitted from the auxiliary set. The auxiliary strings are arranged in proximity to the other strings whereby the operator may, by utilizing the same, employ the new method in his playing if he so desires, or he may employ the old method by using only the strings carried by the main neck, or he may combine both methods by using both sets of strings.

In order that both sets of strings may extend over the sounding hole and be suiticiently close to each other to permit the hand of the operator to extend over all of the strings for playing the same, and at thesame time the auxiliary and main necks be sufliciently spaced apart as not to inte 'iere with the fingering of the strings onthe main neck, the auxiliary neck may be arranged at an angle'thereto with the portions of the strings that are adapted to be picked adjacent to each other as clearly shown in Fig. 1.v The main neck 13 may also, if desired, though not necessarily so, be arranged at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the body 01 the instrument whereby all the strings may properly extend over the sounding hole 11.

It is sometimes desirable that the auxiliary neck extend from the body in a direction opposite from the main neck, and for this purpose suitable means are provided for detachably connecting the auxiliary neck 21 to the body 10. Any suitable ineans inay be employed for this purposcso long as the means used does not interfere with the vibration of the face or sounding board 12 of the body lOi ,As shown, the auxiliary neck is provided with a reduced angular extension 27 which is adapted to engage a corresponding aperture 28 or 29 in a block 80 or 31 secured to the ends of the body within the same, the block 30 being secured to the upper end and the block 31 to the lower end of said body. The blocks are extended in wardly for the purpose oi aii'ording a long and firm attaclnncnt tor the reduced portion 27 and thwr inner ends are reduced so as not to contact with the upper or lower wall of the body and interfere with the vibrationsot the same. The tension of the strings holds the reduced portion in the corresponding opening in the block with the shoulder 32 firmly against the end of the body 10. The finger board 39 extends beyond the shoulder 32 and is adapted to extend over the face of the instrument. lit is provided with frets 8 L for tuning and for the purpose of employing the cape taste when such is desired. v

The tail piece 26 is provided with an at taching extension that is adapted to extend over the opening 28 or 29 in the block 30 or 31 for concealing the same. It is secured in position by means ot the screws 35 which ext-end through the end of the body of the instrument and engage the block 30 or 31 in the end thereof.

lVhen it is desired to change the auxiliary neck from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 5 the tuning pegs 23 are loosened, the screws 35 removed and the neck withdrawn after which the extension is placed in the opening 29 at the lower end of the body 10 and the tail piece secured to the block 30 over the opening 28. The strings are preferably removed and arranged in the same order as'in Fig. 1. This arrangement permits of materially increasing the number of strings on the auxiliary neck without interfering with the movements of the left hand of the operator in fingering the strings on the finger board of the permanent neck.

It is thought from the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings that the construction and operation of my device will be apparentto those skilled in the art, and that various changes in size, shape, proportion and details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A musical instrument of the lute type comprising a body portion, a neck secured to one end thereof, a set of strings secured to said neck and extending over said body portion, an auxiliary neck secured to the opposite end of said body, a set of strings secured to said auxiliary neck and extending over said body portion adjacent to said firstnamed set of strings whereby the strings of both sets may be played simultaneously by one hand of the operator, said necks extending in opposite directions.

2. An auxiliary neck for a stringed musical instrument, comprising a neck, a head integral therewith, a projection extending longitudinally of said neck from the end thereof opposite said head and a fingerboard extending along said neck and beyond .the same in spaced relation to said extension. :3. In a stringed musical instrument, a body, a'main neck secured to saidbody, a

block having an angular opening therein secured in eachend of said body, an auxiliary neck having an extension for engaging in either of said openmgs, and a tail piece adapted to besecured to either end of said body and adapted to extend over the corresponding openingfor concealing the same.

4. A stringed musical instrument com- I1S1I10 a; bod OIlZlOIl a'neck secured there D V r 7 to, a set of strings comprising bass'and accompaniment strings only, means for securing said strings to said neck and body 'ortion I aaro'ection secured to said bod i a portion at the opposite endfrom said neck,

an auxiliary set of strings comprising bass strings'only secured to said projection and 1 body portion and supported in proximity to principal set'of strings whereby the strings of both sets may be struck simultaneously with the fingers of one hand, said accompaniment strings being located between said last' and first-named bass strings.

5. In a stringed musical instrument of the class described, a body portion, a main neck secured to said body portion, a. principal set of strings secured to said main neck and body portion, said strings extending across said body portion and comprising bass and accompaniment strings only, an auxiliary set of strings, and means for supporting said auxiliary set of strings across said body portion in proximity to said principal set of strings whereby both sets of strings may be played simultaneously by one hand of the operator, all of said auxiliary set of strings being bass strings, said accompaniment strings being located between said bass strings on the main neck and said auxiliary set of strings.

FRANZ lVALTER ALTPETER.

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