Controls for musical instrument sustainers

Abstract

A sustainer is provided for prolonging the vibrations of strings of a stringed musical instrument. The instrument has at least one magnetic pickup means responsive to the vibrations of the strings. The pickup produces an output signal in response to the vibrations of the instrument strings. At least one control potentiometer provides the capability to control at least one parameter of the output signal. The sustainer comprises a string driver transducer capable of inducing vibrations in the strings, a sustainer amplifier having an input which accepts the pickup output signal, and an amplifier circuit which amplifies the pickup output signal to form a drive signal. The sustainer amplifier also has an output, from which the drive signal transfers sufficient energy to the string driver transducer to sustain the vibrations of the strings. A power supply provides electrical energy to the sustainer amplifier. A power switch provides connection and disconnection means between the power supply and the sustainer amplifier in response to actuation of the power switch in order to turn the sustainer on and off. The power switch is an integral part of the control potentiometer, where the two are a physical combination. Both switch and potentiometer are actuated by the shaft of the potentiometer. Furthermore, the appearance of the control potentiometer having the power switch as an integral part, when viewed from the outside of the musical instrument, is similar to that of the instrument containing the potentiometer without the power switch being present as the integral part of the potentiometer.