Abstract:
A method to relieve the pressure on the top, bottom, and sides of a stringed musical instrument by securing two wooden rods between the neck block and the tail block, with the rods positioned lower at the tail block than at the neck block. The rods are tapped and tuned by selectively removing material from the rods to achieve the desired tone and to eliminate sound wave clash. This method will allow more different types of material to be used in the construction of musical instruments with more powerful and improved tone quality.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a method of supporting a sound box or board of a stringed musical instrument or boards by attaching free floating rods or dowels to the neck block and tail block. If the rods are counter sunk, they are called dowels. If more than one rod is used, a and the rods are not attached together, they should be tuned to different notes. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Musical instruments, such as guitars, have many pounds of pressure on their tops, sides and back when the strings are tuned. The makers of stringed musical instruments added lining top supports and end blocks many years ago. Sixty years ago they added neck rods to keep the necks from bowing. In the mid 1950&#39;s they developed the solid body steel guitar. This invention carries the art of building musical instruments a step further, eliminating many of the problems associated with the manufacturing of stringed musical instruments. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     U.S. Pat. No. 485,651 issued to Perry in November 1892. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,122,960 issued to Stuhlem in March, 1964. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,109 issued to Johnson in May, 1975. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,980 issued to Skelmwierski in February 1983. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,181 issued to Thomas in October, 1983. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,383 issued to Hogue in July 1990. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,694 issued to Hogue in June 1991. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,707 issued to Hogue in April 1992. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,367,580 issued to Ashley. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,020,557 issues to Loar. 
     Austrian patent 58,478 issued in April 1913. 
     United Kingdom patent 27,605 issued December 1908. 
     United Kingdom patent 433,422 issued August 1935. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The broad purpose of this invention is to simplify the construction of guitars and musical instruments. This invention will also give the instruments more power and tone quality. This invention makes possible the use of more and different types of materials to form the sound boxes or sound boards. This invention works on new and old instruments. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a view of a prior art flat top guitar with the back off looking down, with all the bars glued to the top. Wood bars and braces glued in this configuration is the standard way of building flat top guitars today. 
     FIG. 2 is a view of the inside of a flat top guitar wit the top removed. The two rods run from the tail block to the neck block. If the rods are counter sunk at the neck block and tail block they are called dowels. 
     FIG. 3 shows the rods and dowels placed a few degrees lower at the tail block than at the head block to help prevent sound wave clash. Note that the rods and dowels are secured at the head block and the tail block, but are not secured therebetween to improve tone quality. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Guitars and other stringed instruments have many supports glued to their top in the prior art. If the supports that are used at present are eliminated and replaced with one or a plural number of rods or dowels, a big problem in guitar building will be virtually eliminated. As shown in FIG. 2, the rods are preferably secured to the neck block and to the tail block in spaced, parallel relation. The rods or dowels are not supported between the neck block and the tail block, to allow them to vibrate freely to produce their own sound wave to complement the sound waves that are produced by the top, sides and back of the instrument. 
     An instrument maker will have no problem understanding this invention and picking the right size rods or dowels and the method to attach the rods or dowels to the neck block and tail block. Glue is typically used to secure the rods to the neck block and to the tail block. Steel rods are recommended for steel, and the rods are secured to the neck block and the tail block by brazing or welding graphite or other material. Use what is recommended. 
     If the rods are counter sunk in the neck block and tail block they are called dowels. Another embodiment related to tuning the rods or dowels, which is the simplest part of making the instrument, is to use a small vise or clamp with wooden jaws. Clamp one end of the rod in the clamping device, and start at the other end and tap the rod every two inches lightly (+−). A very faint tone (or note) will be heard if the top of the instrument is tuned to E and the back of the instrument is tuned to D. Then tune the dowel to another note. For lower notes, select a lower pitch tone; for higher notes, select a higher pitch tone. 
     It is much easier to take material off than to add material on to a dowel or rod. When the rod or dowel has been tuned every two inches down to the clamp, reverse ends of the dowel or rod and repeat the process. 
     Another way to tune the rod, is to determine the size of the rod by looking at the size of the material used in the prior art. On a guitar, glue the wooden rod to the neck block and tail block near the top at the neck block and slope the rod approximately ⅜ of an inch (+−) lower at the tail block as shown in FIG. 3 to avoid sound wave clash. Different instruments may require different angles of slope on the rods or dowels. With the rods glued to the neck block and tail block, start at the center point of the rod and work to the tail block and back to the neck block, tapping about every two inches. After the rod has been tuned, tap any place on the rod and it will sound the same note it was tuned to. A knuckle or forefinger may be used to flick the rod (same as picking a guitar string) or tapping it. 
     When two rods are used, the rod on the little E side of the guitar will have more pressure on it Therefore, make this rod larger and tune it to a higher note than the rod on the big E side of the guitar. The thicker the back, sides and top of a guitar, the smaller the rods, and the pitch or voice of the guitar will be higher. Less wood in the top, sides and back will require a larger rod, and the pitch will be lower. 
     For hand made instruments, gluing the rod to the neck block and tail block will be the easiest way to tune the rods. For production instruments, secure a small vice or clamp at each end of the rod, and tap every two inches plus or minus, until the entire rod is tuned. The rod should be tuned slightly flat at the neck and tail blocks, with the top glued on, and the strings tuned. There will be slightly more pressure where the rods are attached. If four smaller rods are built into a trussel and tuned to a lower note, the guitar will produce a lower tone, as compared to a large rod. With untuned rods or dowels, the tone of a guitar will improve naturally. With the tuning of the rods or dowels, the tone of the guitar will improve much more. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, the top of a prior art flat top guitar is shown, with the supports and braces attached. The sound hole support  2 , the neck  3 , the sound hole  4 , the right rear support  5 , the front support  6 , the front and neck block supports  7 , the bridge support  8 , the tail block  9 , the neck block  10 , the rear center support  11 , the middle center support  12 , the left side support  13 , the left center support  14 , the right middle support  15 , the first main support  16 , and the second main support  17  are shown. 
     FIG. 2 shows the inside of a guitar with the back and top not glued on. The sides  18 , front and back form the sound chamber. The little E support rod  19 , the big E support rod  20 , the tail block  21 , the neck block  22 , and the neck  23  are also shown in FIG.  2 . The mid-point starting position  24  to tap for the desired note is shown . The second tapping position is  25 , the third tapping position is  26 , the fourth tapping position is  27 , the fifth tapping position is  28 . Continue tapping and tuning toward the neck  29 , towards the second position  30 , the third position  31 , the fourth position  32 , the fifth position  33 , etc. Start at position  34  for the big E support rod  20 , and repeat all the tapping positions  25 - 33  shown for the little E support rod  19 . 
     FIG. 3 shows the rod or dowel secured to the neck block  22  and to the tail block  21 . Note that the rod or dowel is not secured between the neck block  22  and the tail block  21 , to allow the rod or dowel to vibrate freely between the neck block  22  and the tail block  21 , to produce their own sound wave pattern to complement the sound waves that are produced by the top, sides and back of the instrument. Note also that the dowel or rod is inclined or sloped downwardly from the neck block  22  about ⅜ of an inch towards the tail block  21  to avoid sound wave clash. Different instruments may require different angles of incline or slope on the rods or dowels to obtain the desired results. 
     With the rods glued to the neck block and tail block, start at the center point of the rod and work to the tail and back to the neck, tapping about every two inches. After the rod has been tuned, tap any place on the rod and it will sound the same note it was tuned to. A knuckle or forefinger may be used to flick the rod (same as picking a guitar string) or tapping it. 
     When two rods are used, the rod on the little E side of the guitar will have more pressure on it. Therefore, make this rod larger, and tune to a higher note than the rod on the big E side of the guitar. The thicker the back, sides and top of a guitar, the smaller the rods and the pitch or voice of the guitar will be higher. Less wood in the top, sides and back will take a larger rod and the pitch will be lower. 
     For hand made instruments, gluing the rod to the neck block and tail block will be the easiest way to tune the rods. For production instruments, secure a small vice or clamp at each end of the rod and tap about every two inches plus or minus until the entire rod is tuned. The rod should be tuned slightly flat at the neck and tail blocks, with the top glued on and the strings tuned. There will be slightly more pressure where the rods are attached. If four smaller rods are built into a trussel and tuned to a lower note, the guitar will produce a lower tone as compared to a large rod. With untuned rods or dowels, the tone of a guitar will improve, and with tuning rods or dowels, the tone will improve much more. 
     It is understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.