Other

Korg/fishpark Associates

Kenneth A Parker

Lawrence R Fishman

Larry Fishman

A musical instrument, such as an electric or bass guitar, is formed of a lamination of wood layers having differing grain orientations in adjacent layers, the grain orientations defining a crossing angle less than 90&#xb0;. An instrument formed from such a lamination is strong and resistant to splitting and checking and produces a good musical sound. The wood layers can be molded under pressure to form curves, such as an S-curve in a neck, or deformations, such as rounded edges in a guitar body. The S-curve in the neck allows the neck to be attached to the guitar body without breaking the continuity of the wood fibers, thereby strengthening the neck. In a three-dimensional molding embodiment, a net shape or near net shape part results, which requires little or no further machining after molding.

Molded laminate for musical instrument and method of manufacturing molded laminate musical instrument

A detachable box assembly designed to allow for the quick-release of a box from a box receiving surface. The assembly consists of two slidably secured attachment plates configured to be attached to the base of a box and the support of the receiving surface post. The plates are configured for attaching the box to the box receiving surface. The assembly further comprises a locking mechanism configured to prevent the removal of the attachment plates and thereby secure the box to the box receiving surface.

Detachable box and assembly

A stringed instrument, such as a guitar, has a vibrato that includes a bridge rotatably mounted within a body of the instrument. A flat compression spring extends from the bridge to a position away from a neck of the instrument. At the other end, the spring abuts a support that is linearly movable relatrive to the bridge to increase or decrease the compression force of the spring. A step stop is positioned near the bridge to allow a user to selectively move the bridge between a floating mode in which it can rotate in either direction from a neutral position to a classic mode in which it can move in one direction. The compression can be adjusted so that the bridge is effectively stopped from moving in a direction opposite to the particular direction. The bridge is moved with a control bar that extends into a rotatable bushing. The frictional forces between the bushing and the bridge can be adjusted with a set screw. The bar has a generally hexagonal cross section and is bowed within the bushing so that it can be easily removed and reinserted if desired.

Vibrato for a stringed musical instrument

A light weight guitar neck construction and associated method of manufacture involves the use of a wood core with a strengthening layer, preferably of carbon fiber, and a finish layer, preferably a fiberglass sheet, both impregnated with a high temperature resin. A tensioning wire is provided in the neck, and is non-braided with a diameter of less than 0.100 inches.

Stringed musical instrument

A light weight guitar construction and associated method of manufacture involves the use of a light weight wood core material having deposited thereover a strengthening layer preferably of carbon fiber and a fiberglass sheet layer both impregnated with a high temperature resin. A piezoelectric crystal transducer system is used individually with each string for sensing string vibrations. An improved fret board construction is employed. In one feature of the present invention each of the frets have coupled thereto circuit runs for signal coupling.

Stringed musical instrument with multi-laminate fretboard

A light weight guitar construction and associated method of manufacture involves the use of a light weight wood core material having deposited thereover a strengthening layer preferably of carbon fiber and a fiberglass sheet layer both impregnated with a high temperature resin. Sandwiched between the strengthening layer and fiberglass layer is a means for displaying one or more visual images. A piezoelectric crystal transducer system is used individually with each string for sensing string vibrations. An improved fret board construction is employed. In one feature of the present invention each of the frets have coupled thereto circuit runs for signal coupling.

Growing community of inventors

Racine, WI, United States of America

Kenneth A Parker