Abstract:
A stringed musical instrument having, a body portion and a neck connected thereto. The neck connection utilizes a neck block which has an angled surface into which connection bolts are inserted to secure the neck to the body. The angled surface results in offset bolts which resist loosening and provides for an angled force for a more stable connection between the neck and the body.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to the construction of a stringed musical instrument, and more particularly to the connection between the neck and the body of the instrument. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention applies to a variety of stringed instruments, however, for purposes of description, a typical acoustic guitar is used as an example. 
   A typical acoustic guitar has a hollow body or sound box connected to a neck. The hollow body has a soundboard with a sound hole, a back or bottom board spaced from the soundboard, and a shaped side wall which connects between the soundboard and backboard. 
   The acoustic guitar has a series of strings strung at substantial tension from a bridge on the soundboard, across the sound hole, and along the neck. The string tension creates forces which act on the neck, the connection between the neck and the body and the soundboard and which, over time, can cause bending, cracking or other damage. The damage can result in structural failure and altered intonation of the acoustic guitar. 
   Traditionally, necks of stringed instruments have been directly connected to the body of the guitar. The guitar typically has a flat surfaced neck block just on the inside of the side wall of the body to provide extra structure support to support the neck. The neck block is positioned just opposite of the end of the neck which is to be connected to the body of the guitar. The side wall of the body of the guitar is sandwiched therebetween. 
   Due to typical handling and the tension applied by the strings, stresses on the connection between the neck and the body can eventually compromise the integrity of the guitar. This results not only in basic structural damage, but also deterioration of the tonal quality of the guitar. The connection between the neck and the body should therefore be strong and stable. 
   All U.S. patents and applications all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
   Without limiting the scope of the invention in any way, the invention is briefly summarized in some of its aspects below. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In accordance with these objectives, the present invention is directed to a stringed musical instrument having a neck connected to a body, or sound box. The present invention provides superior strength and stability, yet which still retains the response and appearance associated with traditional wooden necks. In the present invention, the outer face surface of neck block is angled, such that bolts which are tightened into the block are offset. This creates an angled force which urges the body of the instrument into the corner created by the neck attachment portion and also prevents the bolts from loosening. The connection design provides a stable and solid connection between the neck and the body of the instrument which is resistant to vertical movement or loosening of the bolts. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an acoustic guitar; 
       FIG. 2  shows a partial side view of the guitar; 
       FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the body of the guitar with the sound board removed; 
       FIG. 3   a  shows a perspective view of the body of the guitar; 
       FIG. 4  shows a partial perspective view of the end of the guitar neck; 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of the neck block; 
       FIG. 5   a  is a side view of a further embodiment of the neck block; 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the connection between the neck and the body, wherein the connection bolts are removed; and 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the connection between the neck and the body. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   While this invention may be embodied in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and described in detail herein specific embodiments of the invention. The present disclosure is an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments illustrated. 
   For the purposes of this disclosure, unless otherwise indicated, identical reference numerals used in different figures refer to the same component. 
   This invention relates to the attachment of the neck to the body of a stringed instrument. For purposes of description, an acoustic guitar is used for illustrative purposes. 
   Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  illustrates an acoustic guitar  10  having a hollow body  12  and a neck  15  having a finger board or fret board  14 . The body has a soundboard  16  with a sound hole  18 . The soundboard  16  is connected to sidewall  20  which, in turn, is connected to a backboard  22 . The neck  14  has a headstock  24 , a tongue  29  and a connection brace  25 , and strings (not shown) are strung from the headstock  24  in a direction along the neck  14 , across the sound hole  18  and to a bridge (not shown) on the soundboard  16 . 
     FIG. 2  shows a closer side view of the attachment of the neck  15  to the body  12 . The connection brace  25  is flushly connected to the body  12  against the side wall  20  at point  27 . It can be seen that the tongue  29  is not connected to the body  12  or the sound board  16 . 
     FIG. 3  shows the inside of the body  12 . From this view one can see the neck block  30 , which is part of the connection to the neck  15 . The neck block  30  acts as a stabilizer and a solid body to which the neck  15  is connected. Although the body has a slightly different shape than the body of  FIG. 1 , the concept is the same. Typically bolts are used to fasten the body  12  to the neck  15 . The ends of the bolts  32  are shown in the neck block  30 . 
   The neck block  30  may be made of any suitable material which may receive a properly sized bolt and support he weight and size of a conventional neck. Typically, the neck block  30  is made of wood. 
     FIG. 3   a  shows an elevated side view of the upper bout of the body  12  and the extensions of the bolts  32  through holes  33  in the side wall  20 . As discussed below, these bolts  32  provide for the attachment mechanism to the neck  15 . 
     FIG. 4  illustrates an end portion of the neck  15  which is connected to the body  12 . The tongue  29  and the connection brace  25  are illustrated. The connection brace  25  includes holes  34  to receive the connection bolts  32 . The holes  34  are typically threaded. It should be understood that other conventional forms of connection may be employed, such as, but not limited to, screws and nuts and bolts. In the embodiment shown, threaded bolts  32  and threaded holes  34  are used. Also in the shown embodiment, a face  36  is inset from margins  38 , which are pressed flush against the body  12  of the guitar. 
     FIG. 5  illustrates a side view of the configuration of the neck block  30 . The neck block  30  is made of material which has sufficient strength and stability to support the load of the neck  15 . Materials include wood and any synthetic material used in conventional instrument making. The neck block is provided with bored holes  40  to receive the bolts  32 . 
   As can be seen in  FIG. 5 , the front surface  42  is slanted relative to the back side  44 , such that the thickness of the block decreases from the top  46  to the bottom  48 . An angle  50  is created by the slant of the block. The angle is between 0° and 45°. 
   Although the slant of the block is shown as a gradual slant, it should be understood that the invention contemplates an embodiment in which the slanted surface is only in the area of the bolt insertion point or hole  40 , such as shown in  FIG. 5   a.    
     FIG. 6  shows a cross-section of the guitar illustrating the connection of the neck  15  to the body  12 . As can be seen, the block  30  is inside the body  12 , flush against the side wall  20 , opposite the face  36  of the connection brace  25 . Holes  40  of the block  30  are aligned with holes  34  of the connection brace  25  to receive the bolts  32 . 
     FIG. 7  shows the embodiment wherein the bolts  32  are screwed into place. In this figure, the bolts near their heads  52  appear slightly angled. This is somewhat of a distortion to illustrate the angled force  54  created by the bolts  32  and the offset nature of the heads of the bolts when they are tightened against the slanted surface  42  of the block. The holes in the neck block and the connection brace are straight. 
   When the heads  52  of the bolts  32  are tighten against the slanted surface  42  of the block  30 , they become angled or offset to conform to the surface  42 . This creates an angled force  54 , which urges the block  30  and the side wall  20  of the body  12 , which is sandwich between the block  30  and the connection brace  25 , firmly against the margins  38  of the connection brace  25  and, at the same time, into the corner  60  created by the connection brace  25  and the tongue  42 . This creates a tighter and more stable connection between the neck  15  and the body  12  and removes unwanted vertical movement of the body relative to the connection brace  25  without connecting the tongue  42  to the body  12 . 
   The offset nature of the bolts also prevents loosening of the bolts, which may be a problem with flat or non-angled surfaces into which bolts are screwed into. 
   In addition to being directed to the embodiments described above and claimed below, the present invention is further directed to embodiments having different combinations of the dependent features described above and/or claimed below. 
   Every patent, application or publication mentioned above is herein incorporated by reference. 
   The above examples and disclosure are intended to be illustrative and not exhaustive. These examples and description will suggest many variations and alternatives to one of ordinary skill in this art. All these alternatives and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claims, where the term “comprising” means “including, but not limited to”. Those familiar with the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein which equivalents are also intended to be encompassed by the claims. Further, the particular features presented in the dependent claims can be combined with each other in other manners within the scope of the invention such that the invention should be recognized as also specifically directed to other embodiments having any other possible combination of the features of the dependent claims. For instance, for purposes of claim publication, any dependent claim which follows should be taken as alternatively written in a multiple dependent form from all prior claims which possess all antecedents referenced in such dependent claim if such multiple dependent format is an accepted format within the jurisdiction (e.g. each claim depending directly from claim  1  should be alternatively taken as depending from all previous claims). In jurisdictions where multiple dependent claim formats are restricted, the following dependent claims should each be also taken as alternatively written in each single dependent claim format which creates a dependency from a prior antecedent-possessing claim other than the specific claim listed in such dependent claim below (e.g. claim  6  may be taken as alternatively dependent from any of claims  2 - 5 , claim  4  may be taken as alternatively dependent from claim  3 ; etc.).