Patent ID: 6087570
Filing Date: 2000-07-11
Classification: G10D

Abstract:
A vibrato apparatus for a stringed musical instrument, the instrument having a body, a neck extending from the body, tuning means disposed on the neck and the vibrato apparatus disposed on the body to demarcate a string plane and a vibrating portion of a plurality of strings which extend in a longitudinal direction in the string plane;a saddle housing unit containing a plurality of inner members forming a saddle on which the plurality of strings terminate at one end of the vibrating portion, a bus bar secured to an apparatus housing disposed on the body and connected to means for pivoting the busbar within a range of positions relative to the body about a pivot axis, the pivot axis being essentially parallel to but distanced from the string plane and transversely oriented to the longitudinal direction;a plurality of vertical pivoting rocker arms, each arm supporting a body end of a respective one of said plurality of strings and operably connected to two lever means for resistibly bracing against a switch detente spring and is operably connected to the bus bar;a plurality of rate adjustment slug means disposed so that each arm of the plurality of rocker arms engages a respective one of the rate adjustment slug means to operably connect one of the plurality or rocker arms to two lever means, thereby providing a means for adjusting the plurality or rocker arms to specifically alter the tuning of the plurality of strings; andthe bus bar is operably linked to each of said paired lever means by a switch and linkage means for providing pitch control independently fro each string of the plurality of strings, whereby pivoting a respective one paired lever means selectively alters the tuning of a corresponding one of the plurality of strings independent from a remaining plurality of strings.