US1931418A

US1931418A - Stringed musical instrument

Info

Publication number: US1931418A
Application number: US457270A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stossel Georg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1929-06-07
Filing date: 1930-05-29
Publication date: 1933-10-17
Anticipated expiration: 1950-10-17

Description

Oct. 17, 1933. G, STOSSEL 1,931,418

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed May 29, 1930 vezz 361* 6': $lo'ls'sel Patented Oct. 17, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE in Germany 4 Claims.

This invention relates to stringed instruments of the type which have a short finger board to be held downwards from the end of the instrument which, on account of the strings being 5 tuned in thirds, requires only a few (3-5) frets, which suffice for forming chords in various scales.

Instruments of this kind have the disadvantage that it is difficult to stop the strings at the farthest frets with the little finger as quickly and surely as with the longer fingers of the hand, and this dificulty is overcome by the present invention by moving back the frets with which the little finger is used.

This is made possible by the spaces between the frets being made to diminish from the lower to the higher strings, so that the longer fingers can easily control the more extended frets (on the left hand side of the finger board), while the little finger can also easily control the frets which are placed nearer together.

This arrangement enables the player to acquire great technique, and is also a most suitable teaching medium for the small hands of school children.

On account of this new arrangement of the frets, it is necessary toplace the bridge obliquely on the instrument. This gives the further advantage that the lower strings have a normal length while the higher strings are shortened so that they need not be stretched so tightly. To each string, an octave string may be added which will stand the stretching necessary on account of its shortness.

In the accompanying drawing wherein an approved embodiment of the invention is illustrated:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the improved musical instrument.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail diagrammatic view partly broken away showing'the arrangement of 40 the strings and frets of the instrument.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral 5 indicates the hollow body of the improved instrument which is tapered toward one end and connected with the finger board 6 which latter 11s of short length as compared withthe length of like parts of similar musical instruments as, for instance, banjos and mandolins. The end of the body opposite the finger board 6 is provided with adjustable pegs 7 to which the strings ".8 are secured and by which said strings may be tuned. A bridge piece 4 resting on the .top of the body 5 supports the strings 8 in suitably spaced relation thereto and the ends S of the strings opposite the pegs 7 are knotted and secured on the extremity of the finger board 6.

June 7,1929

Unlike such stringed instruments as the guitar and mandolin with which the neck and finger board are grasped in the hand with the strings lying perpendicularly to the fingers, the extremity of the finger board of the present musical instrument is adapted to lie in the cupped palm of the left hand in such manner that the fingers overlie the strings 8 and are disposed in substantially parallel relation thereto. To increase the comfort and facility of the use of the instrument the extremity 6a of the finger board over which the strings 8 extend is preferably of semicylindrical form thus forming a part which may rest in the hand to support the instrument when in use. This hand rest, however, unlike the neck of other stringed instruments, lies in a position perpendicular to the strings and when positioned the cupped hand of the performer, the natural position of the fingers of the hand bear a substantially parallel relation to the strings.

Frets 9 are attached to the finger board 6 and are arranged within reach of the fingers of the hand receiving the rest 6a and in such converging planes that the spaces between the frets at the side of the finger board which underlies the little finger are smaller than the spaces between the portions of the frets underlying the index and middle finger.

Tuning of the strings 8 to the desired pitch is effected by the proper adjustment of the pegs 7 and the strings at the side of the instrument which are engaged by the middle finger are tuned to the highest pitch of the open string range of the instrument and the succeeding strings are tuned, as desired, to a lower pitch.

As above stated, the finger board I) is of relatively short length and the several frets 9 are so disposed as to fall within easy reach of the fingers of the hand which loosely'clasps the rounded extremity Go.

What I claim is:

1. A musical instrument comprising a body, a finger board carried by said body, strings secured to said body and extending over the finger board, a hand rest member carried by the outer extremity of said finger board and disposed substantially perpendicularly to said strings, and frets on finger board under said strings ranged w liin reach of the fingers of the players hand when same is positioned on said hand rest member.

2. A musical instrument comprising a body, finger board carried by said body, strings secured to said body and extend ng over the finger board,

a hand rest member carried by the outer ex- 1110.

tremity of said finger board and disposed subatantlally perpendicularly to said strings, and frets on said finger board under said strings arranged within reach of the fingers of the players hand when same is positioned on said hand rest member and in planes converging toward one side or the finger board.

3. A musical instrument comprising a body, a finger board carried by said body, strings secured to said body and extending over the finger board, a. hand rest member carried by the outer extremity or said finger board and disposed substantially perpendicularly to said strings, and frets on said finger board under said strings arranged within reach of the fingers of the player's hand when same is positioned on said hand rest member, said hand rest member being constituted by the rounded extremity of the finger board.

4. A musical instrument comprising a body, a finger board carried by said body, strings secured to said body and extending over the finger board, a hand rest member carried by the outer extremity of said finger board and disposed substantially perpendicularly to said strings, and frets on said finger board under said strings arranged within reach of the fingers of the player's hand when same is positioned on said hand rest member and in planes converging toward one side of the finger board, said hand rest member being constituted by the rounded extremity of the finger board and said strings being extended over said rounded extremity.

GEORG STOSSEL.