Stringed musical instrument2010-02-05 00:00:00/>
5. An instrument according to claim 1, wherein said connection involves direct engagement between said post and said bridge.
6. A musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein said tension member is located directly beneath said bridge and has
an aperture therein through which said sound post extends with clearance.
7. An instrument according to claim 1, wherein an end of said tension member is attached to said bass bar.
8. An instrument according to claim 1, wherein said lower end of the post is connected to the bottom plate through a flexible post supporting lever which extends transverse to said post, one end of said lever is attached to said sound box and an opposite end portion thereof is engaged by the lower end of said post, a fulcrum is connected to said bottom plate, and said lever extends over said fulcrum and engages the fulcrum at a location between said post and said one end of the lever.
9. An instrument according to claim 1, wherein said one end of the bridge is connected to said top plate through a flexible bridge supporting lever which extends transverse to said post and is located within said sound box.
10. A musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein a further bass bar is connected to the undersurface of said top plate, said further bass bar extending substantially in the same direction as the first said bass bar, and said further bass bar is located so that said other end of the bridge is positioned between the two said bars and is spaced from each.
11. An instrument according to claim 10, wherein there are two f-holes in said top plate and each is located adjacent a respective longitudinal side of said sound box, and there are two said bass bars, each of which is located adjacent a respective said f-hole.
12. A musical instrument according to claim 10, wherein each said end of the said tension member is connected to a respective one of said bass bars so as to be thereby secured to said top plate.
13. A musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein two f-holes are formed in said top plate adjacent respective opposite sides of said instrument and each said f-hole is located between the adjacent said side and a respective adjacent end of said tension member.Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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Stringed musical instrument neck assemblies2010-02-04 00:00:00a mounting block having a shape corresponding to at least a portion of the recessed area and coupled to the recessed area, the mounting block having a top surface adapted to receive aportion of a bottom surface of an instrument neck having a light-system, the light-system having a wire coupled thereto; and
an aperture extending through the recessed area of the sidewall of the body, the aperture sized and shaped to provide passage ofthe wire of the light-system into the interior of the body, the aperture positioned such that it is concealed when the stringed instrument is assembled.
12. The stringed instrument of claim 11, further comprising: a fingerboard having an elongated body and disposed on the instrument neck, the fingerboard having a bottom surface having a plurality of openings with wells extending from theopenings toward but not through the top surface; and the light-system having a plurality of light elements, each light element capable of producing illumination when energized by the light-system.
13. The stringed instrument of claim 11, wherein the mounting block further comprises one or more bores extending from a bottom surface through the top surface, each bore sized to receive a mounting anchor.
14. The stringed instrument of claim 11, wherein the instrument neck is adapted to receive the mounting anchors and be secured to the mounting block.
15. The stringed instrument of claim 11, further comprising a substantially rigid mounting plate disposed on the bottom surface of the mounting block, the mounting plate having holes disposed therethrough and arranged according to the boresextending through the mounting block, the mounting plate receiving the mounting anchors.
16. The stringed instrument of claim 15, further comprising: a reinforcement block disposed in the interior of the acoustic body, the reinforcement block having shape corresponding to at least a portion of the interior surface of the sidewalland disposed opposite the mounting block.
17. The stringed instrument of claim 16, wherein the reinforcement block has
an aperture extending therethrough, the aperture adapted to receive the wire of the light-system.
18. An acoustical stringed instrument comprising: an acoustical instrument body, the body having an open interior defined by a top surface, a bottom surface, and a sidewall, the sidewall having an inner surface and an out surface, a portion ofthe outer surface of the sidewall defining a recessed area: a channel disposed in the top surface and extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the recessed area in a direction toward a center of the acoustical body, the channel sized andshaped to receive a portion of a fingerboard extending from an instrument neck, the fingerboard having a light-system, the light-system having wires coupled thereto; a mounting block having a shape corresponding to at least a portion of the recessedarea and coupled to the sidewall along the recessed area, the mounting block having a top surface adapted to receive a portion of a bottom surface of the instrument neck; and
an aperture extending through the top surface of the body, the aperture sizedand shaped to provide passage of the wire of the light-system into the interior of the body, the aperture positioned such that it is concealed when the stringed instrument is assembled.DescriptionBACKGROUND
Learning to play any instrument, and particularly stringed instruments such as a guitar, violin, banjo and the like, can be difficult and time consuming. In general, multiple strings must be pressed against a fingerboard or fingerboard at one ormore finger positions disposed along a neck of the instrument. At the same time, one or more selected strings must be vibrated via plucking, strumming or bowing, and thus, producing a musical tone, note or chord. Fingerboards are generally used onstringed instruments such as violins and cellos, and do not visually indicate finger positions per se. Conversely, guitars, for example, do have visual indicators--known as frets--and thus use a fretboard. Nonetheless, regardless of the type ofstringed instrument, finger positions must be memorized, one or more strings pressed at those positions against a fretboard (used herein forward interchangeably with "fingerboard"), and selected strings caused to vibrate.
Although mastering stringed instruments can be accomplished through employing instructors and/or utilizing self-teaching books and automated chord charts, among other means, it is time-consuming and arduous. A student generally must translatediagrams from paper or a computer screen to locations of finger positions along the fingerboard. Next, the student must determine which strings to vibrate....
