The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 22, 1981
Filed:
Mar. 29, 1977
Frank Eventoff, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Serge A Tcherepnin, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
An electronic musical instrument having a fret board and a plurality of conductive frets may be coupled to a resistance ladder of discrete resistive elements. A conductive wire or a plurality of such wires selectively making contact with at least one of the conductive frets forms, together with the resistance ladder, part of a tone generating circuit. The circuit includes an oscillator which generates a tone in response to the conductive fret with which the wire makes contact. The circuit may also include a wave shaping circuit which selectively alters the shape of the generated tone and through a series of gradations alters its operating characteristics from that of a full wave rectifier to a linear voltage follower. Another embodiment modulates the phase of the generated tone by exploiting the dynamic impedance of a diode. One or more unique pressure sensitive touch pads may be employed for a glissando effect and/or for volume and/or tone glides. The instrument includes a single chromatic semitone switch and may be tuned to any key by a variable control. The circuit may also include variable vibrato, timbrato and tremolo effects. Inclusion of an octave switch and variable tuning between frets is also possible.