Patent Publication Number: US-10325578-B1

Title: Musical instrument

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/348,475 filed Nov. 10, 2016 which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/253,462 filed Nov. 10, 2015, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention relate to musical instruments having a relief to accommodate an arm of a chair. Embodiments of the present invention allow a musician, confined to a wheelchair, to play the instrument in a natural, unfettered playing position. Embodiments of the present musical instrument includes at least, but is not limited to, a core portion providing a neck, and headstock portions, a body portion attached to the core portion, and a tuning structure secured to the headstock. The body portion including at least a first relief, the first relief configured to accommodate an arm of a chair, and a second relief, the second relief accommodating a leg of a musical instrument user. The musical instrument further includes at least, but is not limited to, a plurality of strings secured to the tuning structure, a bridge portion communicating with the plurality of strings, and a pick up secured to the body portion and interacting with the plurality of strings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a musical instrument having a relief to accommodate an arm of a chair. 
         FIG. 2  shows side cross sectional view of the musical instrument of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  shows a back view of the musical instrument of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description of preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. 
     Although the following description is directed primarily to a stringed musical instrument, such as, for example, a six string guitar, it is to be understood that embodiments of the present invention may be adapted to any musical instrument. For example, other types of guitars rather than a six string guitar may be adapted to embodiments of the present invention, such as, for example, 7-string guitars, 8-string guitars, 10-string guitars, twelve string guitars, tenor guitars, four string bass guitars, 5-string string bass guitars, 6-string bass guitars and the like. In addition, other stringed musical instruments may also be adapted to embodiments of the present invention, such as, for example, banjos, ukuleles, mandolins and the like, as well as the traditional orchestral stringed musical instruments, such as, for example, violins, violas, cellos and contrabasses. 
     A musical instrument  100  having a first relief  102 , the relief  102  to accommodate an arm of a chair, and a second relief  103 , the second relief accommodating a leg of a user of the musical instrument, according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown generally in  FIG. 1 . The musical instrument  100 , having the first relief  102 , to accommodate an arm of a chair, and the second relief  103  to accommodate the leg of a user seated in a chair with an arm, shown in  FIG. 1 , is a guitar and may include, for example, a core portion  104  and a body portion  106 . The body portion  106  facilitates the first and second reliefs ( 102  and  103 ), while providing the support structure for the core portion  104 . In a preferred embodiment, the core portion  104  provides a neck portion  108 , and a headstock portion  110 . Preferably, the headstock portion  110  supports a tuning mechanism  112 , while the neck portion  108  supports a fretboard  114 . Preferably, the arm of the chair is an arm of a wheelchair, the musical instrument  100 , by way of the reliefs  102  and  103 , is configured to allow a musician, confined to the wheelchair, to play the musical instrument  100  in a natural, unfettered playing position. 
     Preferably, the musical instrument  100  further includes a plurality of strings  116  secured to the tuning structure  112 . The strings  116  are secured to a bridge portion  118 , and in turn the bridge portion  118  is secured to the body portion  106  by way of bridge stays  120  (of  FIG. 2 ). The bridge stays  120  extend through the body portion  106 , from a back of the body portion  106 , and connect to the bridge portion  118 , to secure the bridge portion  118  to a front of the body portion  106 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, the strings  116 , of the musical instrument  100 , interact with the tuning structure  112 , which provides tuning pegs  122 . The tuning pegs  122 , through the application of a rotational force, apply a tensile load to the strings  116 . The string  116  are secured to, and disposed between, the body portion  106 , by way of the bridge portion  118 , and the headstock portion  110 , by way of the tuning structure  112 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, in which the musical instrument  100 , is an electric guitar, the front of the body portion  106  supports a pair of pickups  124 , which are provided to pick up vibrations of the strings  116 , and feed those vibrations, in the form of a signal, to an amplifier, while the back of the body portion  106 , supports an anchor plate  126 . The anchor plate  126 , traverses a union of the neck portion  108  with the body portion  104 , as shown by  FIG. 2 , and provides structural stability to the musical instrument  100 . To facilitate this structural support, a preferred embodiment includes a plurality of fasteners  128 , also referred to herein as neck screws  128 , which extend through the anchor plate  126  to securely fasten the neck portion  108  to the body portion  106 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 3 , as shown therein, the preferred embodiment includes a truss rod  130 , disposed between the headstock portion  110 , and the body portion  106 . Preferably the truss rod  130 , is enclosed within the neck portion  108 , and provides additional rigidity to the neck portion  106 , to offset the strain being applied to the neck portion  106  by the strings  116  (of  FIG. 1 ). 
     Returning to  FIG. 1 , the fretboard  114 , secured to the neck portion  108 , and disposed between the headstock portion  110  and the body portion  110 , provides a plurality of frets  132 , which are supported by the fretboard  114  and disposed between the headstock portion  110  and the body portion  106 . The fretboard preferably further supports a plurality of position markers  134 , embedded in the fretboard  114 , and disposed between the headstock portion  110 , and the body portion  106 . Further, the bridge portion  118 , includes at least an upper portion  136 , a lower portion  138 , a left end  140 , and a right end  142 . The upper portion  136 , supports an E 4  string  144 , of the plurality of strings  116 . The lower portion  138 , supports an E 2  string  146 , of the plurality of strings  116 . The left end  140 , is positioned beneath the plurality of strings  116 , and most proximal the headstock  110 . The right end  142 , of the bridge portion  118 , is an end of the bridge portion  118 , most distal from the headstock  110 . The first relief  102 , is adjacent the upper portion  136 , of the bridge portion  118 , and the second relief  103 , is adjacent the lower portion  138 , of the bridge portion,  118 . Both the first and the second relief portions  102 ,  103 , are further presented at the end of the body portion  106 , most distal from the left end  140 , of the bridge portion  118 , which is the end of the bridge portion  118 , most proximal the headstock  110 . 
     While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments shown and described and that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.