Abstract:
Two guitar storage supports have L-shapes. A first support is rigid, and a second support is resilient. A first arm of the first support attaches to a surface. The second arm of the first support is connected to a guitar strap peg. A first arm of the second resilient support is adjustably connected to the surface. The second arm of the resilient support is flexed to receive a second strap peg on the guitar. The resilient second support is released to resiliently return to its L-shape, thereby attaching the second peg to the second support.

Description:
[0001]    The present invention relates to a guitar support for supporting a guitar having a body and a neck extending from said body, a first strap peg towards the rear of the body of the guitar and a second strap peg towards the front of the body of the guitar. 
         [0002]    The present invention also relates to a method of storing and/or displaying a guitar. 
         [0003]    Apparatus for supporting guitars are known. In particular, it is known to support guitars by means of their headstock in which a substantially U-shaped member is attached to a wall or similar support such that the guitar may be supported in a substantially vertical orientation. However, a problem with such guitar supports is that they are somewhat limited in terms of the particular orientation in which the guitar may be placed. Furthermore, by supporting a guitar from its headstock, stresses will be applied to the neck of the guitar which may in turn lead to the introduction of distortions. Furthermore, it is also possible for the substantially U-shaped member to damage the lacquer finish of the guitar which may in turn require the guitar to be varnished again. 
         [0004]    According to an aspect of the present invention, there is a guitar support provided for supporting a guitar having a body and a neck extending from said body, a first strap peg towards the rear of the body of the guitar and a second strap peg towards the front of the body of the guitar. The guitar support comprises a first substantially L-shaped member having rigidity and a second substantially L-shaped member showing resilience, wherein the first substantially L-shaped member has a first arm which is configured to secure the substantially first L-shaped member to a surface. The first substantially L-shaped member also has a first support hole in a second arm for rigidly supporting the first strap peg of the guitar. The second substantially L-shaped member has a third arm configured to secure the second substantially L-shaped member to the surface and the second substantially L-shaped member has a second support hole in a fourth arm for resiliently supporting the second strap peg of the guitar, such that the guitar is supported by the rigidity of the first L-shaped member and is allowed to be inserted into and removed from said members by the resilience of the second L-shaped member. The fourth arm of the second substantially L-shaped member is flexed by application of manual pressure so as to allow the second strap peg to be received, and then the second strap peg is located into the second support hole of the second substantially L-shaped member by releasing the manual pressure so as to allow the fourth arm to resiliently return to its unstressed condition. 
     
    
     
         [0005]    The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  shows an electric guitar having a body portion and a neck; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  shows an L-shaped device for supporting the first strap peg of the electric guitar in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  shows a second L-shaped device for supporting the second strap peg of the electric guitar in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  shows the L-shaped device from  FIG. 2  assembled onto an appropriate surface; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  shows both L-shaped devices from  FIGS. 2 and 3  secured onto an appropriate surface; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  shows a method of storing and/or displaying an electric guitar; 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  shows a supported guitar using the devices illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  shows a packaging and distribution solution for the L-shaped devices 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG.  1   
       [0014]    An electric guitar  101  is shown in  FIG. 1  having a body portion  102  and a neck  103 . When being played, the guitar  101  may be supported by a strap  104 . Strap  104  connects with a first strap peg  105  towards the rear of the body  102  of the guitar and a second strap peg  106  extending from the front of the body of the guitar. The inventor has appreciated that, in addition to being used to support the guitar while being played, strap pegs  105  and  106  could be used to support the guitar while it is being stored; 
       FIG.  2   
       [0015]    A device for supporting the guitar of the type shown in  FIG. 1  is illustrated in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 . The device has a first substantially L-shaped member  201  and a second substantially L-shaped member  301  (as shown in  FIG. 3 ). 
         [0016]    The first substantially L-shaped member  201 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , has a first arm  202  configured to secure the substantially L-shaped member  201  to a surface  203 . The L-shaped member  201  also has a first porthole  204  in a second arm  205  for rigidly supporting the first strap peg  105  of a guitar, such as guitar  101 . 
       FIG.  3   
       [0017]    The second substantially L-shaped member  301  (as shown in  FIG. 3 ) has a third arm  302  configured to secure the L-shaped member  301  to surface  203 . The second L-shaped member  301  also has a second support hole  303  in a fourth arm  304  for resiliently supporting the second strap peg  106  of the guitar  101 . 
         [0018]    In use, the guitar  101  is supported by the rigidity of the first L-shaped member  201  and is allowed to be inserted into and removed from the members  201 / 203  by the resilience of the second L-shaped member  301 . 
         [0019]    It is possible for the L-shaped members  201  and  301  to be fabricated from many materials including plastics and metals provided that the required level of rigidity is provided by the first member  201  and the required level of resilience is provided by the second member  301 . However, in a preferred embodiment, the L-shaped members are fabricated from a substantially transparent material. Again, many materials are available that provide the preferred degree of transparency but in a preferred embodiment the L-shaped members  201 / 301  are fabricated from polycarbonate. 
         [0020]    Many means of attachment are available for attaching the L-shaped members  201 / 301  to an appropriate surface, usually a wall, but an attachment could also be made to a ceiling. In a preferred embodiment, the first arm  202  is configured to secure the first substantially L-shaped member  201  by the provision of a plurality of holes and in the example shown in  FIG. 2 , arm  202  is provided with a first hole  206  and a second hole  207 . The L-shaped member  201  may then be secured to a surface by the provision of appropriate screws or bolts, preferably provided as a kit of parts illustrated in  FIG. 8 . 
         [0021]    Preferably, the third arm  302  is configured to secure the second substantially L-shaped member by the provisional slot  305 , again arranged to receive a securing screw as previously described in reference to  FIG. 2 . Thus, in this way, during assembly, the first L-shaped member  201  is secured to surface  203  at a specific position so as to provide rigid support for the first strap peg of the guitar. The second L-shaped member may be positioned and secured by a screw and then a fine adjustment may be made by sliding slot  305  about the secured screw (not shown). 
         [0022]    In the example shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the L-shaped members are substantially solid and smooth. However, in an alternative embodiment, the L-shaped members are provided with a plurality of ribs so as to reduce material content while maintaining the required levels of rigidity and strength. 
       FIG.  4   
       [0023]    The supports shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  are assembled on to surface  203  in order to support guitar  101 . 
         [0024]    The first substantially L-shaped member  201  is secured to surface  203  by the provision of the first arm  202 . Once secured, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the second arm  205  is rigid so that it may support the first strap peg  105 . 
       FIG.  5   
       [0025]    Having rigidly secured the first support  201 , the second substantially L-shaped member  301  is secured to surface  203 . The second substantially L-shaped member  301  has a third arm  302  configured to secure the second substantially L-shaped member  301  to the surface  203 . In addition, the fourth arm  304  resiliently supports the second strap peg  106 . 
         [0026]    As previously described, the first arm has a plurality of holes and a first substantially L-shaped member is secured by fixing the screws which extend through said holes  206  and  207  into the surface  203 , such as a wall. The second substantially L-shaped member is secured by a screw which extends through slot  305 . 
         [0027]    Slot  305  is provided so that it is possible to loosely attach the second L-shaped member to surface  203  whereafter it is possible to locate a guitar in the second L-shaped member  201 . The position of the second substantially L-shaped member may then be adjusted while the guitar is in place, whereafter the guitar is removed and the second L-shaped member is then securely attached at the optimised position. 
       FIG.  6   
       [0028]    A method of storing and/or displaying guitar  101  is illustrated in  FIG. 6 . At step  601  the guitar is aligned with the supports, possibly by lifting guitar  101  to an appropriate level. 
         [0029]    At step  602  a first strap peg  105  is located into hole  204  of the first support member  201 . 
         [0030]    At step  603  the second support member  301  is flexed so as to allow the second strap peg  106  to be received. In particular, the fourth arm  304  is forced (by the application of manual pressure) in the direction of arrow  306 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0031]    Thereafter, as illustrated at step  604 , the second strap peg is located into hole  303  of the second support member  301  by releasing the said manual pressure so as to allow arm  304  to resiliently return to its unstressed condition. 
       FIG.  7   
       [0032]    A supported guitar as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . In this preferred configuration, the arms that are attached to surface  203  are substantially obscured by the presence of the stored guitar itself. Thus, the second arm  205  extends from the wall but the restraining arm  202  is totally obscured by the body of the guitar  101 . 
         [0033]    Similarly, arm  304  extends from surface  203  but much of the restraining arm  302  is obscured by the guitar. Furthermore, when fabricated from transparent material, the effect is to provide what appears to be a “floating” guitar. 
       FIG.  8   
       [0034]    It can be appreciated that the L-shaped members are relatively small, compared to known devices for supporting guitars. This provides an advantage in terms of packaging and distribution, as illustrated in  FIG. 8 . 
         [0035]    To facilitate distribution, the first substantially L-shaped member  201  and the second substantially L-shaped member  301  fit together as shown in  FIG. 8  and in addition provide a void  801  for appropriate fixing devices, such as screws that co-operate with holes  206  and  207  and slot  305 .