US3758696A

US3758696A - Foot operated electric bass

Info

Publication number: US3758696A
Application number: US00252284A
Authority: US
Inventors: M Miller
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-05-11
Filing date: 1972-05-11
Publication date: 1973-09-11
Anticipated expiration: 1990-09-11

Abstract

A floor mounted electric bass played solely by striking its strings with a player''s shoe and thereby depressing its strings against its frets. The base is a stringed instrument with a neck having two transversely oriented fretted surfaces. One string, or one string unit comprising multiple strings tuned as a unit for playing in unison, is secured above each of the fretted surfaces and when not depressed is contacted by a vibration inhibiting pad. A magnetic pickup converts the string vibration to electrical signals when a string is depressed against a fret.

Description

United States Patent 11 1 Miller [451 Sept. 11, 1973 1 1 FOOT OPERATED ELECTRIC BASS [76] Inventor: Meredith E. Miller, Box 73, R No. l,

Lockbourne, Ohio 43137 [22] Filed: May 11, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 252,284

[52] 11.8. Cl 84/l.l6, 84/D1G. 30, 84/173,

84/267, 84/293, 84/323 [51] Int. Cl. Gl0h 3/00 [58] Field of Search 84/1.04, 1.14, 1.16,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,871,021 8/1932 Zachrison 84/320 X 1,946,827 2/1934 Bach 84/320 3,521,516 7/1970 Gibbons 84/321 X 3,525,797 8/1970 Pavia 84/1.l5 3,603,192 9/1971 Kaar 84/173 1,988,220 1/1935 Siegrist 84/173 2,799,196 7/1957 Alvarez 84/1.04 2,933,967 4/1960 Riscol 84/l.16 3,290,425 12/1966 Stobaugh 84/l.l6

3,320,844 5/1967 Lostimolo 84/173 3,358,543 12/1967 Musscr 84/173 3,407,697 10/1968 Jackson 84/l.l6 X 3,518,353 6/1970 Appleton 84/1.15 3,525,283 8/1970 Pavia 84/173 3,530,227 9/1970 Wheeler et a1. 84/1 .16 3,561,314 2/1971 MacEachron 84/284 Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner Stanley J. Witkowski Att0rneyAnthony D. Cennamo, Frank H. Poster et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A floor mounted electric bass played solely by striking its strings with a player's shoe and thereby depressing its strings against its frets. The base is a stringed instrument with a neck having two transversely oriented fretted surfaces. One string, or one string unit comprising multiple strings tuned as a unit for playing in unison, is secured above each of the fretted surfaces and when not depressed is contacted by a vibration inhibiting pad. A magnetic pickup converts the string vibration to electrical signals when a string is depressed against a fret.

15 Claims, fi rawing Figtires Patented Sept. 11, 1973 FOOT OPERATED ELECTRIC BASS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to a stringed musical instrument and more particularly relates to a foot operated electric bass which allows a musician to provide his own bass accompaniment.

A currently popular form of entertainment is provided by an artist who both sings and accompanies himself on a guitar or other hand played musical instruments. The performance of such an artist may be enhanced by adding a bass accompaniment to his vocal and guitar performance. However, such an additional bass accompaniment ordinarily requires an extra artist for playing the bass and therefore represents an additional expense.

Stringed bass instruments such as the electric bass guitar require use of both hands of the artist. Ordinarily, the left hand fingers the strings above the neck to select the frets against which the strings are depressed. The right hand is used to pluck the strings and thereby induce the music-producing vibrations in the strings.

Various musical instruments have been proposed for playing by the feet of the artist. However, the ordinary bass guitar does not lend itself to such foot operation because the positioning of the strings prevents selection of specific strings by an object as blunt as a players shoe. A few inventors have therefore suggested devices for overcoming this problem. One inventor shows a stringed instrument with a single string. String tension is adjusted by apparatus which is operated by the heel of one foot of the player. Plucking is done with the front of the same foot by another mechanism. Such an instrument is shown in the US. Fat. to McKenzie No. 3,510,566. A similar, band played device is shown in US. Pat. No. 1,622,219 to Bartholomae. In US. Pat. No. 3,320,844, J. Lostimolo shows a foot operated bass having one foot operating a pedal which has structure for plucking and the other foot operating-a string depressing structure.

There is therefore a need for a simplified foot operated electric bass which permits the note accuracy available from a fretted stringed instrument and yet permits a simple and convenient single foot operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is an electric bass stringed instrument having a neck with a longitudinal fretted surface and having a single string unit spaced from the fretted surface and tuned to be actuated as the unit. Preferably, the string unit is a single string above the fretted surface but may be a plurality of strings tuned to be actuated in unison. A transducer pickup means is mounted to the instrument for converting string vibrations to electrical signals.

Advantageously, the instrument has two such longitudinal fretted surfaces which are relatively transversely oriented, each fretted surface having a single string unit spaced from it. Advantageously, a vibration inhibiting pad is mounted in contact with the string unit means on the sides opposite the fretted surfaces so that the vibration of a string will cease when it is released from a fret.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved stringed bass instrument.

Another object of the invention is to provide an elec tric bass stringed instrument which can be easily played by simple movements of a single foot of the player.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method for playing a stringed instrument of the type having a fretted neck which permits the instrument to be played by a single movement of a single hammer member.

Further objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating several embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a preferred embodiment of the invention showing its protective cover removed.

FIG. 2 is a view in vertical section taken substantially along the line 22 oF FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a view in vertical section illustrating yet another alternative embodiment of the invention.

In describing the preferredembodiments of the invention, illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 illustrates a guitar-like stringed instrument which more specifically is an electric bass which has been modified according to the principles of the present invention. The instrument has a simulated sound box 10 from which a neck 12 rigidly extends. A tuning head 14 is attached to the distal end of the neck and supports a pair of

rotatable tuning keys

15 and 17.

Bass strings l6 and 18 extend over a nut I9. They are secured at one end to adjustable anchor means 20 and 22 which are drivingly connected to the tuning keys l5 and 17. At their opposite ends, the strings are secured to anchor means, such as a conventional tail piece, contained within the enclosure 23. These anchor means at each of the strings may be conventional prior art anchor means. A transducer pickup means 24 is mounted to the instrument appropriately on the simulated sound box beneath the strings l6 and 18.

Unlike conventional stringed instruments, the neck member 12 has two transversely oriented, longitudinal,

fretted surfaces

30 and 32. Preferably, these

surfaces

30 and 32 intersect at an oblique angle of Each surface is provided with a set of frets such as

frets

34, 36, 38 and 40. Additionally, the nut 19 must have similarly oriented notches or depressions for properly positioning the strings l6 and 18. Advantageously, six frets are provided on each fretted surface and are spaced a distance which is twice the distance of conventional bass fret spacing. This increased spacing not only requires less accuracy in the selection of the points at which the strings are depressed by the foot but also permits an entire octave to be provided by a pair of appropriately tuned strings.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the strings l6 and 18 are each secured in spaced relationship opposite a different one of the fretted surfaces 30 and 32. Such positioning permits the depression of the strings by an object as blunt as a shoe 42 of the player without depression of more than the selected string.

The transducer pickup means 24 is desirably a netic type pickup and is mounted at an appropriate angle relative'to'the top of the sound box so that it is equal distance from both strings.

A protective cover or receptacle 50 is attached to the simulated sound box 10 to enclose and protect the transducer pickup 24 and the tailpiece anchor means and'protect them from being struck by other equipment or by persons. This cover 50 has an opening 52 through which the

strings

16 and 18 extend. Attached to the protective cover 50 at the opening 52 is a vibration inhibiting pad 54. The pad 54 is mounted so that it extends into the opening 52 and contacts each of the string units on the side of the string opposite to the fretted surface. Thus, when a string is depressed to a selected fret, it is free of the sound inhibiting pad 54. But, when the string is released, it contacts the pad 54 which halts its vibration.

So that the stringed bass instrument of the present invention may conveniently sit upon the floor and be comfortably played by a seated artist, a pair of high friction

resilient feet

60 and 62 are attached to the underside of the simulated soundbox 10 and a third foot 64 is attached near the opposite end to the underside of theneck 12. These three

feet

60, 62 and 64 provide a tripod support which retains the instrument to prevent tilting, tipping or sliding during a performance.

In operation, the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 may be comfortably played by a seated artist with his foot 42 which is shown in phantom. Thefoot is moved longitudinally along the strings and is tilted laterally to select the particular string and fret to be used for each note. Because the strings are at different levels and opposite transverse fretted surfaces, the operator may select and play a single string in this manner. The artists shoe operates as a hammer member which strikes the selected string with a sufficient force to depress the string against the selected fret. When the string is'depressed, it is moved away from the vibration inhibiting pad 54. The movement of the string upon the fret inducessufficient vibrations in the selected string to sound the desired note. Vibration continues so long as the shoe holds the string against the fret. When the stringis released from the fret and from the shoe of the artist, it moves away from the fretted surface and back against the pad 54 so that its vibration is stopped as its vibratory energy is immediately absorbed by the pad 54. The next note may then be played.

It should benoted however, that the vibration inhibiting pad may be omitted if the performer wishes to eliminate the muffling effect. It should furtherbe noted that alternative mechanical hammer means such as piano type hammers could be adapted for use with an instrument embodying the present invention. 7

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate alternative structures neck 70.is similar to the neck 12 illustrated in FIG. 1. The sound box, however, may be a simple planar piece of wood because an electric guitar-doesnot need'a hollow resonance box. A yibration inhibitingpad 73 is .sup-

rnagwhich embody the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the,

chor means such as screws 80, 82, 84, and 86 are provided in the wooden board 72. At the opposite end are a nut 79 and tuning keys such as key 81. The nut 79, like the nut 17 must have obliquely positioned notches or depressions to position the strings opposite the two transversely oriented fretted surfaces.

Instead of a single string stretched across each fretted surface, the embodiment of FIG. 3 has a pair of strings opposite each surface to illustrate the use of multiple strings. However, to embody the present invention, the strings must be tuned so that they-maybe played as a unit. Thus, the shoe of a player will depress the pair of strings as an entire unit against the selected fret. Consequently, the strings must be tuned in unison. Clearly, multiple strings could be used so long as all the strings opposite each fretted surface are tuned as a unit for vibration in unison. Nonetheless, a single string above each fretted surface is preferred although multiple strings are illustrated.

FIG. 4shows yet other alternative structure-embodying the invention. It illustrates in .cross section a neck member 90 which isrectangularin cross section rather than trapezoidal in cross section like the neck members illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Such a neck member, however, has frets, such as the illustrated fret 92, which have edges 94 and 96 which are transversely oriented. Therefore, when such frets are longitudinally spaced along a rectangular neck member 90, their transverse surfaces define a pair of transversely oriented fretted surfaces which are equivalent to the structure illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. The embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 is played in the same manner as the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Therefore, it can be appreciated that I have disclosed a foot operated electric bass which is relatively easy and simple to play and which does not require complex mechanism to attain this simplicity. Furthermore, both note selection and plucking is accomplished with asingle, simple, hammer-like movement.

It is to be understood that while the detailed drawings and specific examples given describe preferred embodiments of the invention, they are for thepurposes of illustration only, that the apparatus of the invention is not limited to the precise details and conditions disclosed and that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. An electric bass stringed instrument comprising:

a. a body portion including a neck having a longitudi nal, fretted surface and string anchor means at opposite ends of said fretted surface; b. at least one bass string unit means mounted to said anchor means, spaced from said surface and other structure and tuned for being exclusively actuated as a unit by a hammer means;

c. a footmounted hammer means adapted for striking exclusively the entire string unit means and depressing it against a selected fret;

d. a transducer pickup means mounted to said instrumentbody portion for converting vibrations of said string unit means to electrical signals; and

e. a vibration inhibiting pad fixedly mounted to said body portion in contact with said string means on the side opposite said fretted surface and adapted to disengage a depressed string.

2. An instrument according to claim 1 wherein said string unit means comprises a plurality of strings tuned in unison.

3. An instrument according to claim 1 wherein said string unit means comprises a single string.

4. An instrument according to claim 1 wherein a second longitudinal fretted surface is provided on said neck transversely oriented to the first surface and having a second string unit means spaced from said second surface and from said first string unit to permit exclusive actuation of either unit by said hammer means and actuable as a unit and wherein said hammer means is strikable against either of said string units for depressing exclusively the entirety of the struck string unit against a selected fret.

5. An instrument according to claim 4 wherein said fretted surfaces are oriented at an obtuse angle.

6. An instrument according to claim 5 wherein a vibration inhibiting pad is fixedly mounted to said body portion in contact with said string means when said string means is undepressed on the side opposite said fretted surface.

7. An electric bass stringed instrument comprising:

a. a body portion including a neck member having at least two transversely oriented longitudinal fretted surfaces including a plurality of longitudinally spaced frets;

b. string anchor means mounted to said body portion at opposite ends of said neck member and positioned for securing tension strings in spaced relationship to said surfaces;

c. a pair of bass string units secured to said anchor means, each unit secured in spaced relationship to a different one of said fretted surfaces and sufficiently spaced from each other to permit the exclusive actuation of either by a shoe; and

d. a transducer pickup means mounted to said instrument body for converting vibrations of said string units to corresponding electrical signals.

8. An instrument according to claim 7 wherein said fretted surfaces are oriented at an obtuse angle.

9. An instrument according to claim 8 wherein each of said string units comprises a plurality of strings tuned in unison 10. An instrument according to claim 11 wherein each of said units is a single string.

11. An instrument according to claim 10 wherein a vibration inhibiting pad is fixedly mounted to said body portion in contact with each of said string units on the side opposite said fretted surface and adapted to disengage a depressed string means.

12. An instrument according to claim 14 wherein the frets of each fretted surface are spaced twice the distance of conventional bass fret spacing.

13. An instrument according to claim 14 wherein three feet forming a tripod are provided on the underside of the instrument for supporting it on a floor.

14. An instrument according to claim 14 wherein a protective receptacle is attached to enclose said transducer and the anchor means at one end of said neck, said receptacle having a opening through which said strings extend and wherein a vibration inhibiting pad is mounted to said receptacle in contact with each of said string units on the side opposite said fretted surface.

15. An instrument according to claim 14 wherein said fretted surfaces are oriented at

Claims

1. An electric bass stringed instrument comprising: a. a body portion including a neck having a longitudinal, fretted surface and string anchor means at opposite ends of said fretted surface; b. at least one bass string unit means mounted to said anchor means, spaced from said surface and other structure and tuned for being exclusively actuated as a unit by a hammer means; c. a footmounted hammer means adapted for striking exclusively the entire string unit means and depressing it against a selected fret; d. a transducer pickup means mounted to said instrument body portion for converting vibrations of said string unit means to electrical signals; and e. a vibration inhibiting pad fixedly mounted to said body portion in contact with said string means on the side opposite said fretted surface and adapted to disengage a depressed string.

7. An electric bass stringed instrument comprising: a. a body portion including a neck member having at least two transversely oriented longitudinal fretted surfaces including a plurality of longitudinally spaced frets; b. string anchor means mounted to said body portion at opposite ends of said neck member and positioned for securing tension strings in spaced relationship to said surfaces; c. a pair of bass string units secured to said anchor means, each unit secured in spaced relationship to a different one of said fretted surfaces and sufficiently spaced from each other to permit the exclusive actuation of either by a shoe; and d. a transducer pickup means mounted to said instrument body for converting vibrations of said string units to corresponding electrical signals.

9. An instrument according to claim 8 wherein each of said string units comprises a plurality of strings tuned in unison

10. An instrument according to claim 11 wherein each of said units is a single string.

15. An instrument according to claim 14 wherein said fretted surfaces are oriented at 135*.