WO2015173445A1

WO2015173445A1 - Fingerboard for guitar and similar musical instruments

Info

Publication number: WO2015173445A1
Application number: PCT/ES2015/070223
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jose Mercader Arques
Original assignee: Jose Mercader Arques
Priority date: 2014-05-13
Filing date: 2015-03-26
Publication date: 2015-11-19
Also published as: ES1119880U; ES1119880Y

Abstract

The invention relates to a fingerboard for guitars and similar musical instruments of the type that is fitted to the neck of a plucked string instrument and of the type that generally has divisions corresponding to semi-tones which are fixed and incorporated into said fingerboard by means of grooves made therefor, where the treble or high strings are normally closer to the hand of the player pressing said strings than the low strings. The invention is characterised in that at least a portion of the cross-section of the shape of said fingerboard has a rabbet (6) from one of the ends thereof, which reduces the thickness of the fingerboard in the area close to the palm of the hand of the player, corresponding to the treble strings, in relation to the opposite part, in concordance with the thickest area or bulge of the lower part of the proximal phalanx of the index finger (8).

Description

Fretboard of guitar and similar musical instruments The present invention refers to a guitar fretboard with a configuration that is also valid for instruments of the family of plucked string, which facilitates and dramatically improves the execution of the eyebrows or eyebrows, with respect to the conventional fingerboard , without losing any of the conditions of the instrument to which it applies.

The guitar is a very popular instrument because it is present in many activities. It is a "simple" instrument because it is usually the 6 strings of its usual configuration that is manufactured both in series and handmade, and also, except special constructions, is a "cheap" instrument especially when you compare a basic with other less popular instruments .

Therefore, the usual technical problem in a guitar is actually that of the instrumentalist. The guitar has a mast, on this one a tuning fork (usually dark and preferably mahogany or hard wood, rosewood or other similar, even plastic materials) and in this diapason there are divisions or frets before which the string is pressed and produces a proportional reduction of the length of the string and allows the execution of the notes, of each of the semitones of a scale.

To properly tap the instrument, it is sometimes necessary to cover several strings that are all pressed with a finger. Usually it is with the index, making it right-handed with his left hand.

When an educator in the art of ringing tries to sound several notes pressed by a single finger, through the resource called eyebrow or capo, he usually encounters a difficulty: There are strings that do not they sound, and there are others that do sound, despite applying the same effort along the entire finger.

This adverse effect is derived from:

a) Lack of skill

b) Of the configuration of the finger

c) Age problems

As it turns out, obviously, the lack of skill is supplemented by the training of the practice, and therefore the experienced guitarist knows how to put the index finger so that it presses some parts of the finger more intensely than the others, so that the sound comes out fluid, clean and complete in duration. It must be borne in mind that the execution may require an important speed and a great precision in the location of the fingers in their exact place.

However, there is also the very common problem, that people who have a more extreme finger configuration, either by their very nature because not all fingers are equal, either by deformation, fractures, osteoarthritis, etc., can not execute eyebrows or eyebrows with a sufficient cleaning of sound and / or maintain said sound to complete the duration of one or more notes thus modulated.

The masts have so far been configured in two different ways. Flat or straight in cross section, and curved, being the curve of regular arc of wide circumference. This is common in narrow neck guitars as well as the so-called "acoustic" and also electric, which share the shape of the neck and usually its radius of curvature. On the other hand, the configuration of the fingers, and therefore of the index fingers, is formed from the outside, a distal phalanx, which is the narrowest and shortest that the nail supports on the tissue of its dermis, a middle phalanx that it is somewhat longer, but significantly is not much thicker and a proximal phalanx, this one longer. Along the said phalanges, on the inside, each of the fingers has digital fibrous sheaths and synovial sheaths.

These pods show a soft tissue that is not the same for all people, and that is oversized in cases in which a previous disease or present in that part has been suffered. And consequently, people who have hyperdimensioned digital fibrous sheaths or their corresponding synovial sheaths, or bones and joints, have a greater difficulty in practicing eyebrows or eyebrows on a guitar. However, we all have a bulge in the lower part of the proximal phalanx, more or less dimensioned and always larger than in the other phalanges. From this condition derives the analysis carried out, and for this structure it is necessary to condition the tuning fork of the guitar to the general morphology of the guitarist musicians and also of the players of other similar instruments.

State of the prior art

As it has been indicated, until now there is no other configuration of the guitar mast that is derived from what has been explained: the masts have in their diapason a surface of flat cross section or of cross section in convex form of wide circumference arc. radio.

It is a reality that the guitar although they have modifications for certain uses, applications or in different aesthetic configurations, generally maintains the traditional aesthetics innovated by Antonio Torres in 1854 with slight variations almost always destined to improve their sonority.

We indicate here that this family of stringed instruments has its most severe strings in the upper part of the position in which they are strummed, which is oblique with respect to the body in which the rim or waist of the part corresponding to the sharp strings rests in the leg of the performer. Also that the eyebrows or eyebrows are arranged from the side of the tuning fork corresponding to the most acute strings, the tiples, and along the frets, so that a capo can cover two to six strings, from the most acute, -except for some strange case of intermediate capo- not being possible from the capo of the grave to the acute in these instruments.

This is applicable to other instruments of the pulsed string family, such as, without limitation, bandurrias, lutes, charangos, thiorbas, tres cubanos, and their multiple variations.

There are antecedents of pretended improvements for guitar, that appear in: ES 0 177 599 U that describes a configuration of molded frets to apply to guitars, evidently of very cheap construction. He applies them on a flat section fingerboard. ES 0 218 881 U has internal strings that vibrate by sympathy and outer strings that ring. Flat section fingerboard. ES 0 242 557 U represents an instrument in which the strings pass inside the box with the intention of improving their loudness. ES 0 252 689 U has a floating tuning fork - flat - that does not touch the lid. ES 1 031 583 U comprises a tuning fork extension by means of a displacement of the nut on a flat tuning fork. ES 2 155 348 Bl presents a configuration in which the mast is made of carbon, which avoids bending of the wood of the mast. It has no diapason represented or described. GR 2012 0 100 103 A presents a guitar that is double, when configured so that one part is a complete guitar, and at 180 ° another guitar complete with a new and different mast, integrated into one. Without mention on the fretboard.

No mentions have been found in the corresponding literature regarding the fretboard except for fretwork, grooving, or instrument building workshop practices. The constructors (Vicente Carrillo, Felipe Conde and other recognized constructors) describe a diapason of longitudinal concavity but flat section, different for flamenco guitars than for classical guitars, and in no case case mention a configuration other than flat or regular curve for other similar instruments.

The article by Roberto Ochoa on the Web "Lacuerda.net" http://lacuerda.net/Recursos/¡nformacion/?paae=3 _f shows different longitudinal configurations of the mast in a graphic and explanatory way. None of the consulted constructors speaks in addition to those expressly mentioned, of modifications of another nature that tend to facilitate the execution when the physiology of the performer so requires. There is no talk of facilitating learning in any other way than with practice. It has not been innovated to replace with the shape of the mast the difficulty of executing the eyebrows or eyebrows. This claim is as valid for student interpreters as for those who are already experts, as it tends to facilitate.

Explanation of the invention

The present invention consists of a tuning fork having in section, a configuration recessed in a part and along the same. The fretboard is the part of the instrument where the strings are pressed before said frets. This new tuning fork, presents a recess in the corresponding area of the index finger, to the digital and synovial fibrous sheath that determines a recess or recess in the lower part of the proximal phalanx, so that this section becomes coincident with that more protruding portion. or thick finger. And with this the execution of eyebrows or eyebrows is favored. The frets also adopt this lowered configuration of a part of the tuning fork.

Whereupon each of the frets also has a descending shape in this part of the guitar that is also coincident with the bridge bone and with the nut or bone of the head of the mast.

The surface of the tuning fork is only slightly lowered, sufficient to accommodate the lower protruding part of the finger described and the fret designed to accommodate this recess. This reduction does not affect the execution in the instrument when a string is pressed before the fret, as it is enough to hold the string pressed to the fret. The shaving must be repeated in all the aligned spaces that correspond to all the frets, in the way that is expressed in the drawings, so that the fretboard is instead of flat -or with regular curvature- of mixed form, flat in the scope approximate of the low strings, and lowered and descending in the approximate range of the triple strings. This can vary, being able to be the section lowered more or less broad, without varying the essence of the invented.

Thus, also, the edge of the tuning fork corresponding to the first tiple cord has its soft curved edge not prominent.

This configuration allows cleaner performances for both guitarists in training, as for those who have some difficulty, known that the eyebrows or eyebrows are a resource that tires, precisely because it turns out to be irregular applied effort, and requires a special skill its disposition and utilization, notwithstanding that sometimes the skill described is not even replaced with skill.

Description of the drawings

In order to illustrate the explanation that will follow, we attach to this specification, two sheets of drawings in which in three figures is represented by way of example the essence of the present invention, and in which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a classical guitar;

Figure 2 shows a sectional view of the neck of the guitar; Y

Figure 3 shows a finger pressing the six strings in the tuning fork configuration of this invention.

In these figures the following reference signs can be observed:

1 the neck of the guitar 2 the neck fretboard

3 the frets of the mast

4 the nut or bone of the head where the pegbox is

5 the ropes

6 a recess made in the tuning fork

7 a fret in its adapted downward form

8 index finger pressing the strings

9 the bridge bone, which will adopt a shape similar to the bone of the nut, and in the same way a shape similar to the configuration of the tuning fork.

As you can see, this configuration is fully suitable for set adapted to lutes, banjos, mandolins, thiorbas, bandurrias, as well as basses, three cubans, charangos, guitarrones, ukuleles, and so on.

Description of the preferred embodiment

As described, the proposed invention consists of a tuning fork (2) for string instruments, such as a guitar. The guitar comprises a mast (1) whose upper part is provided with a tuning fork, covering said mast on which the strings (5) vibrate when they are pressed. The strings will be held in the mast (1), from the nut (4) located in the head of the mast, to the bridge bone in the box, whose distance when vanada will determine the frequency of vibration. The strings are located at a certain height on the fretboard, increasing depending on their proximity to the soundboard, and somewhat higher the more serious the sound of the string, and are separated from the frets so that when you press a Rope on the fret, is free with respect to the following frets (those closest to the soundboard). The tuning fork (2) comprises a set of transversal projections that constitute the frets (3), and which define distances that are smaller than the maximum distance described, and which determine the different vibration frequencies of each of the strings (5) depending on the tension of these strings. The tuning of the instrument consists of giving each string the tension suitable for the sound to be adjusted to that of each musical note in question.

In a guitar the mast (1) is grasped with one hand, the left hand in a right-handed person, so that the user's thumb is below said mast (1), while the rest of the fingers of the hand they remain above the strings (5), in conditions of pressing them against said tuning fork (2) in position proximal to the fret (3), to determine the different corresponding vibration frequencies, and therefore the sounds (musical notes) that they will be heard after being modulated.

It is particularly difficult to place the index finger (8) on the strings (5), when it comes to executing an eyebrow or capo, which is the holding of two or more strings with the index finger.

Thus, according to the invention, the cross section of the tuning fork (2) has at least one portion with a recessed configuration, preferably curved, but unequal, with a higher side (that of the end of the fingers) and the opposite side (the closer to the palm of the hand) with a recess (6). A mixed configuration is acceptable, straight in the part of the low notes, and lowered, curved or straight in the part of the acute notes, and always with the outer edge of the notes acute rounded. The frets follow the same form that defines the fretboard.

In the same way, the nut (4) adopts the same configuration, with a progressive recess, identical, in the same measure as that practiced in the tuning fork (2). Also the bridge bone (9) will adopt a configuration with a progressive recess in the same measure as that practiced in the tuning fork (2) and in the nut (4). In the same way, as has been said, the frets (7) are configured in the adapted or lowered downward form, so that in the position of each fret (7) in the nut (4) and in the bridge bone (9) ) keep the distance suitable for each string to the surface and the length of the tuning fork (2).

According to one option, the pitch of the tuning fork is variable along the length of the mast (1), said recess being accentuated the closer to the bridge bone (9). In this case the bridge bone will adopt a different configuration than the nut (4).

With this configuration the positioning of the index finger is facilitated, improving the purity of the sound in all the strings in any of the positions in which an eyebrow or capo is executed.

Any reference to a guitar in the content of the present disclosure should be understood to be extended to any reference to guitar as extensive to any stringed musical instrument to which the present invention is applicable.

Claims

1. - Guitar fretboard and similar musical instruments, of which are installed on the neck of a pulsed string instrument and of those that usually have divisions corresponding to semitones that are fixed and incorporated into said tuning fork through some grooves made to the effect, and which dispose the triple strings closest to the hand of the performer that presses them, that the bass strings, characterized in that said tuning fork has a shape that comprises at least a portion of its cross section provided with a recess (6) from one of its ends, which reduces its thickness in an area close to the palm of the performer's hand, corresponding to the triple strings, with respect to the opposite part, in accordance with the greater thickness or bulge of the lower part of the phalanx proximal index finger (8).

2. - Guitar fretboard and similar musical instruments, according to claim 1, characterized in that the cross section of the tuning fork comprises two portions, a first straight portion of constant height, corresponding to the field of the bass strings and a second portion, of height descending, which reduces its thickness with respect to the previous one towards the edge of the triple strings.

3. - Guitar fretboard and similar musical instruments, according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the cross section of the tuning fork comprises the two portions are joined in continuity solution forming a curve of unequal thickness, descending towards the tiples strings.

4- Guitar fretboard and similar musical instruments, according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the upper edge of the frets (3) or metal divisions raised in the tuning fork (2) has essentially the same shape as the cross section of said pitch (2) in the corresponding position.

5. - Guitar fretboard and similar musical instruments, according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the upper edge of the nut (4) has essentially the same shape as the cross section of the tuning fork (2) at its junction with the headstock shovel.

6. - Guitar fretboard and similar musical instruments, according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the upper edge of the bridge bone (9) has essentially the same shape as the cross section of the tuning fork (2) at the end of the mast disposed on the soundboard.

7.- Fretboard for guitar and similar musical instruments, according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the edge of the tuning fork corresponding to the first tip cord has its soft curved edge not prominent.

8.- Fretboard for guitar and similar musical instruments, according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the tuning of the tuning fork is variable in a progressive manner along the length of the mast.