US577627A

US577627A - Raimund schuster

Info

Publication number: US577627A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1897-02-23
Anticipated expiration: 1914-02-23

Description

(No Model.)

R. SGHUSTER. STRING ADJUSTER PGR GUITARS.

No. 577,627. Patented Peb. 23, 1897.

Witnesses'.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAIMUND -SGHUSTER, OF MARKNEUKIRCHEN, GERMANY.

STRING-ADJUSTER FOR GUITARS.

SPECFICATION `forming part of Letters "Eatent No. 577,627, dated February 23, 1897.

Application filed October 3l, 1896. Serial No. 610,719. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t 'nt/m concer/zh:

Be it known that l, RAIMUND SciiUsTEE, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at lllarkneukirchen, in the Kingdom of Saxony, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in String-Adjusters called Accord-Revolvers for Guitars and Similar String Instruments to Adjust the Length ofthe Strings for Different Accords; and I do hereby declare the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of the present invention is an instrument which can easily be applied to a guitar or a similar string instrument, so as to shorten the strings more or less in order io have the instrument tuned in another key.

This string-adjuster greatly facilitates the playing of the guitar, and its application is a very important innovation in learning to play, for it is only necessary to practice the three easiest touches, producing the E A D accords, and the player-is immediately ready to play all other accords on the guitar. These touches are played without the use ol" the thumb of the left hand.

The adjuster is so arranged that during the playing it can be displaced immediately on the guitar, pressing down all the strings on the instrument simultaneously and quickly, so that the touches oi the lingers produce the accords in another key.

The improved strii'ig-adjuster is shown in the accompanying drawing in a perspective view, the ditlerent parts being marked by letters, to which reference will be had in the following description.

A U shaped metal frame it' is provided with two lateral jaws h, from which two standards a project upwardly, being adapted to receive in suitable bearings a roller c, made of metal, wood, or other suitable material, and being covered with a soft substance, such as felt, leather, cloth, dac.

From the lower part of the frame 7ta spoonshaped lever b projects forward, and to the left-hand-side jaw 7L a ring d is secured by a riveted screw, which is cut open and is of steel or other metal of a resilient nature, so

as to allow the thumb to be placed in and to be seeurelyheld. The bearings carrying the cylinder c may be of any convenient construction. One standard is simply provided with a point entering a center mark in one end of the cylinder c, while a similar center mark at the other end is supported by the point ot' a screw e, which is screwed into the upper end oi' the standard o.

ln order to use this adjuster on a guitar, the screw e is unscrewed and the cylinder ois taken out. Then the U -shaped frameis placed around the neck of the guitar, so that the lever b points toward the body of the instrument. Thereupon the cylinder is brought back in its position by tightening the small screw e, so that the center marks fand g are supported in the respective pins of the place. The cylinder c will then touch all the strings on the keyboard. The player inserts now the thumb ot his left hand into the ring d and allows the lever b to rest in the palm of his hand. This enables him to displace the stringadjuster easily along the keyboard,and by giving a pressure with his hand on the lever h the cylinder c is pressed down on the strings at any desired position or upon any of the frets, so that the instrument is instantlytuncd according to another key. It is thus sufficient to use only three fingers ot' the left hand to play all accords on the guitar and to play them all without the use of the thumb of the left hand. The change of keys is extremely easy, as the adjuster can be displaced instantly during the play. All the difficult touches necessary heretofore are no more necessary and everybody will be able to learn to play the guitar in a short time and without ein ploying a teacher.

The three easiest touches on the guitar are the E A D accords, which are executed in the following manner: E accord: The E bass string is left open, one iinger is pressed down on the iii-st fret of the G string, producing G sharp, and the B and E strings are left open. A accord: Leave A string empty, place one -inger on the G string, second fret, producing A,and another iinger on the B string on second fret, produein g C sharp, the E string remaining empty. D accord: Leave D string empty, place one finger on the second fret of the G IOO string, producing,` A, place the second finger on the third fret of the B string, producing D, and the third inger on the second vfret of the E string, producing` F sharp.

In using` the hand, as above indicated, for the E accord and in shifting the adjuster it becomes possible to sound all the accords having their keynote on the E bass string', and in placing` the iingers, as above indicated, for the A accord all accords can be played, by shifting the adjuster, having their keynote on the A string, and by usingthe position of the fingers, as indicated by the D accord, all aecords with their keynote on the D string,` can be sounded by placing the cylinder c always upon the fret ot' the note, which indicates the keynote of the accord to be played when by pressure the strings are shortened.

Having thus described my invention, what RAIMUND SCHUSTER.

lVitnesses:

ERNsr BLncnscHnin'r, RICH. CURTH.