GB2152727A

GB2152727A - Electronic musical instrument

Info

Publication number: GB2152727A
Application number: GB08332905A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Nicholas Rainey; David Kevin Thompson
Original assignee: STEPP ELECTRONICS
Current assignee: STEPP ELECTRONICS
Priority date: 1983-12-09
Filing date: 1983-12-09
Publication date: 1985-08-07
Also published as: GB8332905D0; GB2152727B

Abstract

In an electronic musical instrument, e.g. a guitar, having a tensioned string (3), the string (3) is releasably secured at one end (5) to a projection (14) on the instrument. The string (3) passes freely through a hole (13) in a mounting member (12) engaged with the projection (14), there being a spring (16) acting between the mounting member (12) and the one end (5) of the string (3) to hold the string (3) in tension. The string (3), mounting member (12) and spring (16) are supplied as a unitary arrangement providing ease of assembly to and disassembly from the instrument. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electronic musical instrument This invention relates to an electronic musical instrument, and particularly to such an instrument having at least one tensioned string engageable by a player of the instrument to stimulate or influence sound production by electronics of the instrument.

Such instruments are known which have the shape of a conventional guitar with a body and a neck carrying a plurality of tensioned strings extending from the free end of the neck to the body and engageable by a player of the instrument in the conventional manner.

The strings do not however serve for direct sound production as in a conventional guitar, but instead serve either to stimulate electronic sound production, for example by serving directly as switch contacts engageable under a player's finger pressure with associated contact constituted by fret members on the neck of the instrument, or to influence the sounds produced by the electronics of the instrument to provide special effects, for example conventional bends. With the second type of instrument mentioned sound production is controlled by the operation of a plurality of switches mounted in the neck of the instrument for operation by a player's fingers.

These known instruments can be played in the manner of a conventional guitar, with the tensioned strings giving the player the usual tactile response, while being able to provide a range of sounds limited only by the electronics of the instrument.

With such instruments it is desirable for the strings to be easily mountable on the instrument, and for the strings to be maintained at a substantially even tension when mounted.

Conventional guitar string mounting arrangements are relatively complex and thus expensive, and are not necessary with electronic instruments as discussed above since although the strings have to be tensioned there is no need for the tension to be adjustable for tuning purposes.

According to this invention there is provided an electronic musical instrument having a tensioned string engaged by a player of the instrument, in which the string is releasably secured at one end to a projection on the instrument, the string passing freely through a hole in a mounting member engaged with the projection, there being spring means acting between the mounting member and said one end of the string to hold the string in tension.

Preferably the spring means comprises a compression spring carried by the string and trapped between the mounting member and said one end of the string whereby the string with the mounting member and compression spring thereon can be provided as a unitary assembly prior to mounting on the instrument.

Each end of the string can be terminated with an eyelet which serves to retain the compression spring and mounting member on the string, the eyelet at the other end of the string also serving to secure the other end of the string to the instrument, for example by being engaged over a post on the instrument.

The engagement between the mounting member and the projection can provide a toggle action on mounting of the string on the instrument with the mounting member being retained in its spring-mounting position by the action of the spring means.

With such an arrangement the string can be turned over a wall on the instrument at a position adjacent the projection and on the side of the projection remote from the mounting member, the wall serving to provide a pivot point for the string during the toggle action occurring on the mounting of the string.

The projection can provide a wall over which the string passes and a surface engaged by the mounting member such as to deflect an end portion of the string with the mounting member thereon out of axial alignment with the remainder of the string, the wall serving to provide a pivot point for the string, whereby the mounting member is retained in its string-mounting position in contact with said surface of the projection by the action of the spring means.

The instrument can have a plurality of said strings mounted in a spaced, parallel, coplanar array, each string carrying an individual mounting member and spring means. Otherwise there can be a single mounting member for all of the strings; with either a single spring means for all of the strings or individual compression springs for the strings, whereby all of the strings can be simultaneously mounted on the instrument.

Preferably the or each spring means has a spring rate which provides a substantially constant tension for the associated string or strings at all times.

Two electronic musical instruments according to this invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of either instrument; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic sectional side view of part of a first instrument showing the mounting of a string thereon; Figure 3 is a view similar to part of Figure 2 but showing the string at an intermediate stage of mounting; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic sectional side view of one end of a string assembly used in the first instrument; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a complete string assembly as shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a projec tion member for use in the first instrument; Figure 7 is a diagrammatic sectional side view of part of the second instrument showing the mounting of a string thereon;; Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 but showing the string at an intermediate stage of mounting; and Figure 9 is a diagrammatic sectional side view of a complete string assembly as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 1 shows an electronic musical instrument having substantially the shape of a conventional guitar, comprising a body 1 having a neck 2 extending therefrom. The body 1 contains electronic sound generating apparatus, a full knowledge of which is not necessary for an understanding of this invention. A fuller description of the complete instrument can be found in our co-pending British Patent Application No.

Extending along the neck 2 is a first set of six tensioned music wire strings 3 each secured at one end 5 to the free end of the neck 2, and at the other end 4 to the body 1. The mountings for the strings 3 at their ends 4 and 5 are protected by removable covers 6 and 7 respectively.

As in a conventional guitar the positions of a player's fingers on the neck 2 determine the notes produced by the instrument. However, in the instrument of this invention the sounds produced are not dependent upon the strings 3, but are determined by the operation of switches mounted on the neck 2 at the positions to be occupied by the players fingers, which switches operate the electronics contained in the body 1. The strings 3 serve to give a player the usual tactile response to playing as in a conventional guitar, and can also be used, by the provision of appropriate transducers associated with the strings, to control the sounds produced by the electronics to provide known conventional guitar effects such as bends.

The instrument also has a second set of six tensioned music wire strings 8 extending across a recess 9 in the body 1, and secured at each end to the body 1. In use of the instrument these strings 8 are plucked or strummed by the player as are the strings of a conventional guitar, such engagement by the player serving to stimulate the electronics in the body 1 to produce the sounds determined by the switches in the neck 2 operated by the player.

Referring now to Figures 2 to 6 also, each string 3 is terminated at its end 4 by an eyelet 1 5 which receives a post 10 mounted in a bush 11 in a hole in the body 1, the bush 11 being of electrically insulating material to provide isolation between the string 3 and the body 1 in the event that the string 3 is used to serve a direct electrical function. At its other end 5 each string 3 is also terminated by an eyelet 1 5 and is secured to the free end of the neck 2 by means of a mounting member 1 2 through a hole 1 3 in which the string 3 passes, the mounting member 12 engaging a projection 14 on the neck 2, on its side remote from the end 4 of the string 3.

As shown in Figure 6, the projection 1 4 can be provided by means of a plate 22 adapted to be secured to the neck 2 of the instrument and having a slotted wall serving as the projection 1 4 upstanding therefrom.

Carried by the string 3 between the mounting member 1 2 and the eyelet 1 5 by which the end 5 of the string 3 is terminated, is a compression spring 16, the mounting member 1 2 being formed with a recess 1 7 serving as part of the hole 1 3 in which the spring 1 6 can be received, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The eyelet 1 5 serves to prevent the end 5 of the string 3 being pulled out of the spring 1 6 and the hole 1 3 in the mounting member 1 2.

The mounting member 1 2 has a flat surface 1 8 lying parallel to the axis of the hole 1 3 and recess 17, for engagement with the neck 2 as shown in Figure 2,and a rounded nose 1 9 for engagement with the projection 14, the tip of the nose 1 9 not lying on the axis of the hole 1 3 and recess 17, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 4.The hole 1 3 is belled outwardly towards the nose 1 9 to facilitate movement of the mounting member 1 2 on the string 3 from a normal position with the nose 1 9 on one side of the string 3, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, to a position in which the nose 1 9 is on the opposite side of the string 3, as shown in Figure 3.

The projection 14 has slots 20 (Figure 6) therein through which the strings 3 freely pass at all times.

As clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3, a free end portion 21 of the neck 2 is turned downwardly (as seen in the drawings) out of the plane of the remainder of the neck 2, it being this portion 21 which carries the projection 14 and which is engaged by the surface 1 8 of the mounting member 1 2.

The neck 2 also carries a wall 23 over the apex of which the string 3 is turned in the mounted condition, the wall serving to support the string 3 in the required spaced relationship to the neck 2 for engagement of the string 3 by a player of the instrument.

On mounting of the string 3 on the instrument the eyelet 1 5 at the end 4 of the string 3 is position over the post 10 as clearly shown in Figure 2. The mounting member 12 is then engaged with the projection 14, as shown in Figure 3, with the nose 1 9 of the mounting member 1 2 located between the line of the string 3 and the neck 2 and with the spring 16 under compression. The mounting member 12 is then urged towards the neck 2, pivoting about the engagement between the nose 1 9 and the projection 14, until the surface 18 of the mounting member 1 2 engages the portion 21 of the neck 2 as shown in Figure 2.

During this movement of the mounting member 1 2 the string 3 pivots about the apex of the wall 23 while the line of the string 3 moves to a position on the side of the nose 1 9 adjacent to the neck 2, the spring 1 6 becoming more compressed. The mounting member 1 2 thus effects a toggle action under the forces provided by the compression spring 1 6 on movement from the position of Figure 3 to the position of Figure 2, and is thereafter retained in the position of Figure 2 by the forces provided by the spring 16, which forces also serve to maintain the string 3 in tension.

To remove the string 3 from the instrument mounting member 1 2 is simply pivoted about the engagement between its nose 1 9 and the projection 14 from the position of Figure 2 to the position of Figure 3, there again being a toggle action, and the mounting member 1 2 is then taken out of engagement with the projection 14.

Figure 5 shows a complete string assembly comprising a string 3 terminated at each end by an eyelet and carrying, trapped between the eyelets 15, a mounting member 1 2 and a compression spring 1 6.

The second set of strings 8 (Figure 1) are mounted in the same way as the strings 3, and their mounting will not therefore be described in detail.

Referring now to Figures 7 to 9, the second instrument here shown is similar to that shown in Figures 2 to 6, and corresponding parts have been given the same reference numbers.

In this instrument the wall 23 over which each string 3 passes is part of the projection 14 which also provides a surface 24 engaged by the mounting member 14 when in its string-mounting position, as shown in Figure 7.

The surface 24 is angled relative to the initial axis of the string 3 such that on movement of the mounting member 1 2 from the position shown in Figure 8, in the direction of the arrow, to the position shown in Figure 7, and end portion of the string 3 with the mounting member 1 2 thereon, is deflected out of axial alignment with the remainder of the string 3, the wall 23 serving to provide a pivot point for the string 3. The mounting member 1 2 is then retained in its stringmounting position in contact with the surface 24 of the projection 14, as shown in Figure 7, by the action of the compression spring 16.

To remove the string 3 from the instrument the mounting member 1 2 is simply slid up the surface 24 of the projection 14 in the direction opposite to the arrow shown in Figure 8.

Claims

1. An electronic musical instrument having a tensioned string engaged by a player of the instrument, in which the string is releasably secured at one end to a projection on the instrument, the string passing freely through a hole in a mounting member engaged with the projection, there being spring means acting between the mounting member and said one end of the string to hold the string in tension.

2. An insturment as claimed in Claim 1, in which the spring means comprises a compression spring carried by the string and trapped between the mounting member and said one end of the string whereby the string with the mounting member and compression spring thereon can be provided as a unitary assembly prior to mounting on the instrument.

3. An instrument as claimed in Claim 2, in which each end of the string is terminated by an eyelet which serves to retain the compression spring and mounting member on the string, the eyelet at the other end of the string also serving to secure the other end of the string to the instrument.

4. An instrument as claimed in Claim 3, in which the eyelet terminating said other end of the string is engaged over a post on the instrument.

5. An instrument as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the engagement between the mounting member and the projection provides a toggle action on mounting of the string on the instrument with the mounting member being retained in its string-mounting position by the action of the spring means.

6. An instrument as claimed in Claim 5, in which the string is turned over a wall on the instrument at a position adjacent the projection and on the side of the projection remote from the mounting member, the wall serving to provide a pivot point for the string during the toggle action occurring on mounting of the string.

7. An instrument as claimed in Claim 6, in which the mounting member has a nose which engages the projection and about which the mounting member pivots during mounting of the string, the nose initially engaging the projection at a position between the line of the string and the instrument, and the line of the string passing the nose to a position between the nose and the instrument during mounting of the string whereby said toggle action is provided.

8. An instrument as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, in which the projection provides a wall over which the string passes and a surface engaged by the mounting member such as to deflect an end portion of the string with the mounting member thereon out of axial alignment with the remainder of the string, the wall serving to provide a pivot point for the string, whereby the mounting member is retained in its string-mounting position in contact with said surface of the projection by the action of the spring means.

9. An instrument as claimed in any preceding claim having substantially the shape of a conventional guitar with a body and a neck extending therefrom, the string extending over the neck between the body and the free end of the neck.

10. An instrument as claimed in Claim 9, in which a free end portion of the neck is turned out of the plane of the remainder of the neck, the projection being on said portion.

11. An instrument as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the instrument has a plurality of said strings mounted in a spaced, parallel, co-planar array, each string carrying an individual mounting member and spring means.

1 2. A string assembly for use in an instrument as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a string terminated at each end by an eyelet and carrying trapped between the eyelets a mounting member and spring means.

1 3. An electronic musical instrument substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings.

14. A electronic musical instrument substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 7 to 9 of the drawings.

1 5. A string assembly substantially as here it before described with reference to, and as shown in Figures 2 to 5, or Figures 7 to 9, of the drawings.