Musical instrument string bender

A guitar string bender bridge mount couples to a guitar bridge through an existing bridge string mount. The bridge mount has a side wall and a slot in and extending to an edge of the side wall. A mounting screw couples into a standard hole on a guitar bridge and is rotatable to adjust the tuning of at least one of the guitar strings. A saddle lever is supported by the bridge mount and is pivotal through a limited arc, limited by low and high stops. The saddle lever is selectively and manually removable from the bridge mount. A string attachment receives and retains a first end of a guitar string. A body wraps about the axis of rotation and is partially wrapped by the guitar string, and the pivoting varies an extent of wrap about the body, to thereby vary a tension upon the guitar string.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention pertains generally to the field of stringed musical instruments, and more particularly to a string bender that allows a musician to vary the resonance of a string while playing the instrument.

2. Description of the Related Art

For the purposes of the present disclosure, either the term “bending” or the term “string bending” will be understood to the technique for altering the sound produced by a vibrating string by changing the pitch of the string. Bending can for exemplary purposes be accomplished by pushing or pulling a vibrating string to vary the tension on the string, preferably without dampening the string vibrations. By varying tension, the pitch produced by the vibrating string changes. This is similar to the pitch change during tuning, when the string is tightened or loosened to tune to a proper pitch. However, instead of initial tuning, bending is done during the playing of the instrument, and can be used to create a vibrato sound.

One prior art area where string benders have found great utility is with pedal steel guitars. The pedal steel guitar is a lute-type instrument having a plurality of strings extending generally longitudinally in a horizontal plane. A pedal or lever-actuated pitch changer allows the player to include sounds and musical chords that would not otherwise be available. The pitch changer varies the tension on selected strings or groups of strings. Exemplary pedal steel guitar string benders are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,893,282 by Searles, entitled “Tone varying attachment for a string musical instrument”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,214 by Flynn, entitled “Pitch changing device for a pedal steel guitar”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,075 by Carter, entitled “Pitch-changing device for a pedal steel guitar”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,247,779 by Zumsteg, entitled “Pitch changing arrangements for pedal steel guitar”; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,759,568 by Jackson, entitled “Pitch adjustment device for string instruments”, the teachings and contents of each which are incorporated herein by reference.

Single string benders are often used by players of the more popular hand-held or strap-supported guitars to simulate the sound of a pedal steel guitar. The most common purpose of a single string bender is to raise the note played on the “B” string by one full note when the lever is fully depressed with the side of the picking hand, though many benders can be used to raise the note by other increments. By depressing the lever before the string is plucked, it can lower the note by the same interval. Although the “B” string is the most common position, a string bender will perform the same function on any of the strings. In addition, there are a number of multiple-string benders that are used to vary the tension on a plurality of strings simultaneously.

A number of patents that illustrate hand-operated string benders, the teachings and contents which are incorporated herein by reference, include U.S. Pat. No. 1,259,062 by Wilber, entitled “Stringed musical instrument”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,073,226 by Schrickel, entitled “Guitar attachment”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,825,256 by Smallwood, entitled “Universal vibrato for musical instruments”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,174,381 by Matthew et al, entitled “Tremolo devices for stringed instruments”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,183,758 by Matthew et al, entitled “Bridges for stringed instruments”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,237,502 by Moseley, entitled “Stringed musical instrument”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,479,917 by Zitnik Jr. et al, entitled “Multiple lever manual tone changer for guitars”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,201 by Storey, entitled “Combined bridge and tailpiece assembly for a stringed musical instrument”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,190 by Maloney, entitled “Pitch raising system for guitars”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,884 by Bowden, entitled “Detachable string bender”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,384,311 by Cota, entitled “Guitar having tremolo device on each string thereof”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,329,808 by Davis, entitled “String bending device for stringed musical instruments”; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,696,420 by Thompson, entitled “String bender for electric guitar”. Each of these patents effect tension behind the bridge saddle, meaning that as tension is applied, the string must slide across the saddle. This motion across the saddle is undesirable, since the string sliding accelerates wear and string breakage. Furthermore, the inherent friction can lead to unpredictable variability in pitch both whether or not the bender is activated. Finally, many of these require either custom guitar fabrication or substantial and undesirable alterations.

A patent similar to the hand-operated benders, but which is hip-operated, is U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,670 by Borisoff, entitled “String bender attachment construction”, the teachings and contents which are incorporated herein by reference. This patent describes a product known commercially as the Borisoff “Hip-Shot”. The “Hip-Shot” suffers from many of the limitations of the aforementioned hand-operated benders, but has nevertheless been widely used among guitar players. A few U.S. patents, the teachings and contents which are incorporated herein by reference, illustrate using the bridge saddle as a pivotal member to induce and vary string tension, including: U.S. Pat. No. 2,741,146 by Fender, entitled “Tremolo device for stringed instruments”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,124,991 by Costen, entitled “Vibrato tuning device for stringed musical instruments”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,417 by Glaser II, entitled “Tone changer for stringed instrument”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,732 by Kato et al, entitled “Split tremolo device”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,208 by Kusek, entitled “Guitar with adjustable tremolo”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,814,746 by Stafford, entitled “Pitch modifying guitar bridge assembly”. While these devices each offer a number of benefits and advantages over much of the prior art, they each also require either substantial material removal and reconstruction of the guitar body or replacement of the entire tail stock, either that therefore necessitates additional drilling or other similar substantial, often irreversible, and very undesirable reworking of the guitar body.

In addition to U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,417 by Glaser II, U.S. Pat. No. 3,512,443 by Parson et al, entitled “Shoulder strap control for string instruments”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,686,993 by Fender, entitled “Shoulder strap-operated pitch-changing means for spanish guitars”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,954 by Parsons, entitled “Back plate mounted shoulder strap control for electric type stringed instruments”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,580 by Higgins, entitled “Peg bender” illustrated strap operated benders, the contents and teachings of each which are incorporated herein by reference.

Undesirably, many of these aforementioned benders, including these prior art strap benders and many of the hand-actuated benders, require substantial machining or other permanent alteration or modification of existing guitar structures. This makes installation or removal of the bender far more difficult or impossible, and can adversely impact the value of the guitar. As a result, many players are understandably hesitant to install a bender.

Two additional U.S. patents that describe bridge tuning apparatus without string bending, the teachings and contents which are incorporated herein by reference, include: U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,461 by Rose, entitled “Apparatus for restraining and fine tuning the strings of a musical instrument, particularly guitars”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,907 by Rose, entitled “Tuning systems for stringed instruments”.

In addition to the aforementioned patents, Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition copyright 1983, is incorporated herein by reference in entirety for the definitions of words and terms used herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first manifestation, the invention is, in combination, a guitar having a plurality of guitar strings, a guitar bridge having a plurality of bridge string mounts coupling to ones of said plurality of guitar strings, and at least one string bender coupled with at least one of said guitar strings through an existing coupling to said guitar bridge.

In a second manifestation, the invention is a saddle lever.

In a third manifestation, the invention is combination saddle lever and bridge mount.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

A first object of the invention is to provide a string bender that is a direct replacement for existing and common bridge couplings, without necessitating machining, defacing or other permanent alteration or modification of existing guitar structures. A second object of the invention is to enable string bending while eliminating string sliding and the associated accelerated string wear and breakage. Another object of the present invention is to enable rapid string changes, without the need to tune all strings, and instead only tune the replaced string. A further object of the invention is to return the string to the as-tuned pitch after the string has been bent and then released. Yet another object of the present invention is to affect a pitch change within only one selected string during bending, and not unintentionally alter the pitch of other strings. An additional object is to limit the movement and force required to change string tension, and for the movement to occur silently and without reducing the tonal quality of the instrument. A further object is to set the pitch range of the bender with high and low limits, independently controlled relative to string tuning. Another object is to provide an adaptation that permits the bender to be manually pushed or pulled with a cord or the like. A further object is to provide an optional strap pull that is interior to guitar back.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

One type of guitar commonly used by musicians who employ string benders is the Fender Telecaster and derivatives and copies. On these guitars, there are two major categories of bridge designs. One design uses six individual bridge saddles, similar to that illustrated by FIG. 2 of Kato et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,732 incorporated by reference herein above. The other design uses three bridge saddles with two strings per saddle, similar to that illustrated by FIG. 2 of Parson et al in U.S. Pat. No. 3,512,443 incorporated by reference herein above. The preferred embodiment string benders are illustrated with reference to these two major categories, though it will be appreciated from a reading of the present disclosure that the present invention is not solely limited to application to these types of bridge designs, and that the present teachings may also be applied to other bridge designs.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, for exemplary purposes illustrated inFIG. 10, a string bender1is comprised of a bridge mount200and a saddle lever100. Saddle lever100, for exemplary purposes illustrated inFIGS. 1-4, has two pivot pins101extending transversely and protruding from the lever. These pivot pins101operatively fit into slot201in string bender mounting block body205, and serve as a pivotal axis that allows saddle lever100to pivot through a limited arc relative to bridge mount200.

Bridge mount200has a mounting and intonation screw215which couples into a standard hole on a guitar bridge, so that bridge mount200may be used to replace one or more of the existing string mounts. Mounting and intonation screw215is used when a string is in place to adjust the tuning of the string, simply by rotating mounting and intonation screw215in either a clockwise or counterclockwise fashion, exactly as prior art mounting and intonation screws function. To facilitate the centering of mounting and intonation screw215in head end203of string bender mounting block body205, a small trough, slot or hole212may be machined or otherwise formed in string bender mounting block body205, thereby avoiding undesired interference between mounting and intonation screw215and string bender mounting block body205.

An optional spring213may be provided about the threaded shaft of mounting and intonation screw215. If spring213is provided, it will help to hold string bender1in place, and thereby prevent undesirable rattling, even when no strings are tensioned.

While other methods of termination are contemplated herein, in the preferred embodiments a guitar string50will terminate by wrapping about or otherwise being affixed with a small metal tube or the like as is known in the art, and string loop attachment111will receive the string terminating loop and tube therein. String50will pass from string loop attachment111down and then towards mounting and intonation screw215, passing below the axis defined by pivot pins101before rising up and passing through string tunnel113. String50then passes over string saddle contact point105, and from there will preferably stay elevated above guitar body40until it reaches the distal string terminating anchor point.

As may be apparent fromFIG. 10, when saddle lever100is pivoted about the axis defined by pivot pins101, such as by a musician pressing upon the long handle end109of saddle lever100, this will cause saddle lever100to rotate about pivot pins101, and thereby wrap additional string50about saddle lever100. This of course adds tension to the string, and will in turn change pitch. The extent of pitch change is optionally, but preferably, set in a first direction by the extent that low stop adjustment screw104passes through hole103, which sets the lowest pitch available. At some angle of rotation of saddle lever100about pivot pins101, low stop adjustment screw104will come to rest against bottom lip207, preventing further rotation in that direction. When no other forces are applied to saddle lever100, the tension within string50will cause saddle lever100to rotate so that low stop adjustment screw104will come to rest against bottom lip207. In this position, string50is most relaxed, meaning it will vibrate at the lowest frequency or pitch.

The extent of pitch change is optionally but preferably set in a second direction opposite to the first direction by the extent that high stop adjustment screw108passes through hole107, which sets the highest available pitch. In the preferred embodiment bridge mount200, high stop adjustment screw108will come to rest against the head end203of string bender mounting block body205, though this in not critical, and, alternatively, high stop adjustment screw108might for exemplary purposes come to rest against end wall211of string bender mounting block body205.

Prior art string saddles also have string height adjustment screws, and preferred embodiment string bender1has one or preferably a pair of these screws217passing through holes209in bridge mount200for the same purpose.

FIGS. 7-9illustrate the preferred embodiment bridge mount200from top, side and end views, respectively. Two additional threaded holes214are visible inFIG. 9that accommodate two set screws. These set screws are operative to bear against the top of the bridge plate after mounting and intonation screw215is adjusted for proper intonation. This will keep the front of the assembly from rising up when the lever is depressed.

FIGS. 5 and 6illustrate a second preferred embodiment saddle lever150which is identical to saddle lever100, but with the addition of a loop119that permits a “pull” device, cord, strap, lever or some other device to be used to activate or pull down on saddle lever150. This could be connected to the player's belt or belt loop by a strap running through a small hole through the guitar, front to back, as for exemplary purposes illustrated inFIG. 14.

While not separately illustrated herein, it will be understood that the preferred embodiments may be adapted for better form, fit or function with a particular brand or style of bridge. For exemplary purposes only, and not solely limiting thereto, projections or wings may be provided that extend from the lower sides of bridge mount200. These projections on each side would be located immediately under slots201, and extending transversely from the base and in a plane roughly parallel with the bottom surface of bridge mount200. These may then slip under a standard string saddle on either side of string bender1, to further prevent string bender1from rising when saddle lever100is depressed.

FIGS. 11 and 12illustrate a second preferred embodiment string bender bridge mount250similar to string bender bridge mount200ofFIGS. 7-9, but redesigned to be operative as illustrated in combination with a three barrel bridge that uses three bridge saddles with two strings per saddle. In this second preferred embodiment, mounting and intonation screw215is off-center with respect to the saddle lever slots251, and a projection267is provided off of one side of bridge mount250. Projection267acts as a fixed bridge saddle for the other string in the string pair. Another change in this second preferred embodiment is that rather than a pair of height adjustment screws at the front of the bridge mount, there is one height adjustment screw268passing through hole269on side projection267, and one height adjustment screw217passing through hole259on the string bender mounting block body255. Head end253is functionally equivalent to head end203, and bottom lip257is functionally equivalent to bottom lip207.

FIG. 13illustrates a second preferred embodiment string bender1of essentially identical construction to that illustrated inFIG. 10, placed into a Fender Telecaster bridge assembly having six individual bridge saddles, using five individual prior art bridge saddles25and string bender1, and further showing the guitar string passing out of string tunnel113. While only one prior art bridge saddle25has been replaced by preferred embodiment string bender1, any one or more of the six prior art bridge saddles25may optionally be replaced. Of particular interest here is that the preferred embodiment string bender1may be installed without any machining or retrofitting of the bridge assembly, simply by unscrewing and replacing the mounting and intonation screw215, while swapping out the prior art bridge saddle with string bender1.

Besides manual activation of saddle lever100by depressing long handle end109, and pulling on string attachment loop119using a simple strap or cord passing though the guitar body, it will be understood that other mechanical linkage may be incorporated to pull the lever down and activate it by some other body movement.FIG. 14illustrates the second preferred embodiment string bender saddle lever150in combination with the first preferred embodiment string bender bridge mount200and in further combination with a Fender Telecaster bridge assembly20, and further including a preferred embodiment strap actuator300and pass-through400. String bender saddle lever150includes string attachment loop119, to which a wire cable316or equivalent is attached. Wire cable316is preferably tensioned between string attachment loop119and puller lever307, such as is better visible inFIG. 15. Puller lever307is pivotally mounted through pintle308to back cover plate315. Engaging with puller lever307distally to wire cable316and pintle308is torsion bar arm305, which extends from and is rigidly coupled with torsion bar301. Torsion bar301is supported onto cover plate315by a pair of mounts303, which for exemplary purposes comprise bushings or bearings. At the end of torsion bar301distal to torsion bar arm305is affixed a strap lever313which has a strap button311affixed thereto and spaced some distance from torsion bar301. Pulling on strap button311, which is achieved by extending one's arms and thereby lowering guitar40, will rotate strap lever313in a clockwise direction about torsion bar301as viewed fromFIG. 16. This rotation of torsion bar301will cause a clockwise rotation of torsion bar305, as viewed fromFIG. 15, which will in turn cause puller lever307to rotate counterclockwise about pintle308, and thereby pull on wire cable316. If the guitarist instead manually depresses saddle lever150, puller lever307will rotate counterclockwise and decouple from torsion bar305, thereby ensuring independent activation by either manual or strap force.

FIG. 18illustrates a preferred embodiment pass-through400from an exploded and projected view, whileFIG. 19illustrates pass-through400from an assembled and projected view. The purpose of pass-through400is to provide a durable bearing surface through which wire cable316may pass in a relatively friction-free and non-damaging way, to either guitar40or wire cable316, while also relatively isolating the back and front sides of guitar40from each other. To accommodate varying thicknesses of wood or other guitar body materials, front ferrule407slips into back ferrule409in a telescopic manner. Front ferrule407has an enlarged base408that will engage with one side of an opening drilled through the body of guitar40. On the top or string surface of guitar40stop plate403engages with back ferrule409, and a threaded hole405in stop plate403receives a set screw401, which can be used to set the height of back ferrule409relative to the top or string surface of the body of guitar40. In this manner, a large variety of hole sizes and depths and also a variety of saddle lever heights can be accommodated.

As may be understood from these Figures, if properly set up a string bender bridge designed in accord with the teachings of the present invention still allows full function of standard Fender Stratocaster style tremolo systems. The present invention has several advantages over the prior art. The present invention is device is a “drop-in-replacement” for the standard bridge piece on the style of guitar most commonly used and requires no permanent modification of the instrument. The present invention can be used while the performer is sitting or standing and does not require manipulation of the instrument to pull or push any levers either through direct contact with the player or through the use of straps or levers. The present invention could be used in conjunction with other string benders to provide the player with the ability to bend multiple strings in any combination. Unlike other prior art string benders which are operated by the performer's picking hand, this device does not hang over the vibrating portion of the strings and allows the performer to employ the technique of “string muting” which is not practical with the other benders. Additionally, in the present invention, other saddle levers may be provided that are bent to either side, so that multiple benders can be accommodated on the same instrument.

Either at the time of initial installation, or subsequent to a string break, saddle lever100,150may be removed from string bender bridge mount200,250by simply sliding pivot pins101through slots201,251and lifting saddle lever100,150from string bender bridge mount200,250. A string is then installed using a tube or loop, and is passed through string tunnel113and eventually to the opposed end of guitar40for anchoring. Then pivot pins101are again inserted into slots201,251. Mounting and intonation screw215is turned, causing string50to tension. This string tension drives pivot pins101to the bottom or end of slots201,251, securing saddle lever100,150into string bender bridge mount200,250. This string tension also causes saddle lever100,150to rotate, in a direction counterclockwise as illustrated inFIG. 10, until either low stop adjustment screw104contacts bottom lip207, if low stop adjustment screw104is provided, or until saddle lever100,150contacts bottom lip207. The guitarist will set the rotation of mounting and intonation screw215to properly tune string50. Then the guitarist can next press on long handle end109, and adjust high stop adjustment screw108to set the highest pitch attainable by string bender1. Since the tension in string150creates a strong force rotating saddle lever100about pivot pins101, the low stop will consistently be achieved upon release of any string bender actuation forces, whether applied to long handle end109or to strap button311. Since the string bender provides a rolling string saddle contact point105, there is minimal string wear since there is no sliding contact. Further, there is no damping of string vibration, only tension change. This means there is only pitch change, without adverse impact to amplitude or volume upon bending.

A string bender designed in accord with the teachings of the present invention may be manufactured from a variety of materials, including metals, resins and plastics, ceramics or cementitious materials, or even combinations, composites or laminates of the above. The specific material used may vary for different applications or needs.

While the foregoing details what is felt to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, no material limitations to the scope of the claimed invention are intended. Further, features and design alternatives that would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art are considered to be incorporated herein. The scope of the invention is set forth and particularly described in the claims herein below.