Patent Publication Number: US-2011072952-A1

Title: Tremolo device of an electric guitar and method of producing tremolo and electronic sound effects using the same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority of Hong Kong Short-Term Patent Application No. 09109027.9 filed on 29 Sep. 2009, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The invention generally relates to a tremolo device, and particularly relates to a tremolo arm (also known as a “tremolo bar” or “whammy bar”) which is typically attached to the bridge or tailpiece of an electric guitar. 
     The invention also relates to a method of producing tremolo and electronic sound effects using the tremolo device of an electric guitar. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Tremolo arms enable the player to vary the tension and length of the strings while playing to alter the pitch and create a vibrato, portamento or pitch-bend effect. 
     Electric guitars and their amplifiers also have switches and potentiometers to control volume and tone for example, but these are positioned remotely of the tremolo arm which itself is usually conveniently positioned adjacent to the bridge. Therefore control of the switches and potentiometers during play is inconvenient. 
     The above description of the background is provided to aid in understanding a tremolo device of an electric guitar, but is not admitted to describe or constitute pertinent prior art to the tremolo device of an electric guitar disclosed in the present application, or consider any cited documents as material to the patentability of the claims of the present application. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to one aspect, there is provided a tremolo device of an electric guitar including an inertia block or tremolo bridge plate for attachment to the guitar and having a bore therethrough, an arm attached at a proximal end thereof to the inertia block or tremolo bridge plate, a potentiometer and/or a switch located at a distal end of the arm for controlling electrical functions of the guitar and/or associated amplifier, and one or more wires extending from the potentiometer and/or switch through the arm and passing through the bore of the inertia block or tremolo bridge plate for connection to circuitry within the guitar. 
     In one embodiment, the tremolo device further includes a casing attached to the distal end of the arm and to which the potentiometer and/or switches is/are mounted. 
     In one embodiment, the potentiometer and/or switches include at least one potentiometer having a shaft, and further include a knob secured to the shaft. The knob includes a shroud that extends at least partially around the casing. 
     According to another aspect, there is provided a combination of the tremolo device and an electric guitar to which the tremolo device is attached. The combination and an amplifier have circuitry to which the wires are electrically connected. 
     According to a further aspect, there is provided a tremolo assembly of an electric guitar including an inertia block coupled to a tremolo bridge plate of the guitar, an arm having a proximal end portion being coupled to the inertia block, and a potentiometer mounted at a distal end portion of the arm and electrically connected to a circuitry within the guitar for controlling electrical functions thereof. The arm includes a linear middle portion disposed generally parallel and adjacent to the guitar strings when moved towards the face of the guitar. A player can manipulate the knob of the potentiometer and produce electronic sound effects by using the hand that picks the guitar strings and controls the tremolo arm without moving the hand away from the guitar strings and the tremolo arm. 
     In one embodiment, the arm is in the form of a hollow tube, and one or more wires extend from the potentiometer and pass through the hollow tube. 
     In one embodiment, the tremolo assembly further includes a casing attached to the distal end portion of the arm, and the potentiometer is mounted to the casing. 
     In one embodiment, the tremolo assembly further includes a knob secured to a shaft of the potentiometer. The knob includes a shroud that extends at least partially around the casing. 
     In one embodiment, the casing is provided with a switch. 
     In one embodiment, the potentiometer is incorporated with a switch. 
     In one embodiment, the proximal end portion of the arm is linear and is fitted within an elongated through bore formed on the inertia block, and a central axis of the elongated through bore is disposed at an acute angle with respect to a central plane of the inertia block. 
     In one embodiment, the acute angle is about 10 degrees. 
     In one embodiment, an enlarged cutout portion is formed at an inner end of the elongated through bore. 
     In one embodiment, the proximal end portion of the arm is linear and is disposed at a right angle with respect to the linear middle portion. 
     In one embodiment, the linear middle portion of the arm is disposed at an acute angle of about 10 degrees with respect to the face of the guitar when the arm is in a rest position. 
     In one embodiment, the distal end portion of the arm is linear and is bent upwards away from the guitar at an acute angle of about 20 degrees and sideway towards the strings at an acute angle of about 15 degrees with respect to the linear middle portion. 
     In one embodiment, the tremolo assembly further includes a wireless transmitter and a battery electrically connected to the potentiometer for wireless communication with a wireless receiver electrically connected to the circuitry. 
     According to yet another aspect, there is provided a method of producing tremolo and electronic sound effects by an electric guitar. The method includes the steps of providing a potentiometer at a distal end portion of a tremolo arm of the guitar, the potentiometer having a shaft on which a knob is fixed, electrically connecting the potentiometer to a circuitry within the guitar, playing a note or a chord with the guitar strings, and manipulating the knob of the potentiometer to produce electronic sound effects by using the hand that picks the guitar strings and controls the tremolo arm without moving the hand away from the guitar strings and the tremolo arm. 
     In one embodiment, the method further includes the step of incorporating a switch with the potentiometer, electrically connecting the switch to the circuitry, and producing electronic sound effects by rotating the knob fully counter-clockwise, or pushing/pulling the knob axially to activate the switch. 
     In one embodiment, the method further includes the step of manipulating the tremolo arm to produce tremolo effect. 
     In one embodiment, the method further includes the step of manipulating the tremolo arm and the potentiometer simultaneously to produce tremolo and sound effects. 
     Although the tremolo device of an electric guitar disclosed in the present application is shown and described with respect to certain embodiments, it is obvious that equivalents and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of the specification. The present application includes all such equivalents and modifications, and is limited only by the scope of the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Specific embodiments of the tremolo device of an electric guitar disclosed in the present application will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic plan view of a tremolo arm; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic cross-sectional elevation of the tremolo arm of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic perspective illustration of the tremolo arm attached to an inertia block and/or tremolo bridge plate of an electric guitar; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic plan view of the tremolo arm and inertia block of  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic elevation of the tremolo arm and inertia block of  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to a preferred embodiment of the tremolo device of an electric guitar disclosed in the present application, examples of which are also provided in the following description. Exemplary embodiments of the tremolo device of an electric guitar disclosed in the present application are described in detail, although it will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that some features that are not particularly important to an understanding of the tremolo device of an electric guitar may not be shown for the sake of clarity. 
     Furthermore, it should be understood that the tremolo device of an electric guitar disclosed in the present application is not limited to the precise embodiments described below and that various changes and modifications thereof may be effected by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims. For example, elements and/or features of different illustrative embodiments may be combined with each other and/or substituted for each other within the scope of this disclosure and appended claims. 
     It should be noted that throughout the specification and claims herein, when one element is said to be “coupled” or “connected” to another, this does not necessarily mean that one element is fastened, secured, or otherwise attached to another element. Instead, the term “coupled” or “connected” means that one element is either connected directly or indirectly to another element, or is in mechanical or electrical communication with another element. 
     In  FIG. 1 , there is depicted schematically a tremolo arm  10  having a proximal end portion  10   a , a middle portion  10   b  and a distal end portion  10   c . A casing  11  may be attached or formed at the distal end portion  10   c  of the arm  10 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , a potentiometer  15  may be mounted within the casing  11 , although more potentiometers  15  may be provided. One or more wires  17  may be attached to the potentiometer  15 . According to the illustrated embodiment, the tremolo arm  10  is in the form of a hollow tube. The wires  17  may extend from the potentiometer  15  and pass through the hollow tube. 
     The arm  10  may be made of metal or any other appropriate material. The casing  11  may be made of plastic by a molding process, or may be made of any other suitable material. 
     The potentiometer  15  has a shaft extending therefrom. A knob  12  can be affixed to the shaft of the potentiometer  15  by means of a screw  16 . The knob  12  can be typically of moulded plastic material. The knob  12  may include a shroud  13  which may extend at least partially around the casing  11  and cover a portion of the casing  11 . The knob  12  may typically be knurled at  14  to provide good finger grip. 
     As depicted in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the arm  10  can be mounted on a tremolo block or inertia block  18 . The inertia block  18  is standard in that it includes an array of guitar string mounting holes  20  and screw holes  21 . The inertia block  18  can be attached to or formed with a tremolo bridge plate (not shown) mounted to the string-carrying face of the guitar. A plurality of guitar strings can be held in position by a plurality of adjustable string holders respectively. The plurality of string holders can be mounted on the tremolo bridge plate. The tremolo bridge plate can pivot by means of the tremolo arm thereby varying the tension and/or length of the strings in a conventional manner to produce the desired tremolo effect. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the proximal end portion  10   a  of the arm  10  can be linear and can be fitted into an elongated through bore  19  formed on the inertia block  18 . The central axis of the elongated through bore  19  is disposed at an acute angle α with respect to a central longitudinal plane of the inertia block  18 . The acute angle α can be about 10 degrees. This angular orientation of the proximal end portion  10   a  of the arm  10  can prevent the arm  10  from swinging to the bottom end of the guitar thereby keeping the arm  10  in an easy to reach position. The proximal end portion  10   a  can be frictionally held within the bore  19 , or can be held in position by a conventional plug-in mechanism. The angular orientation of the proximal end portion  10   a  of the arm  10  can also prevent the arm  10  from accidentally falling out from the bore  19 . Furthermore, it can allow the wires  17  extending from the lower end of the bore  19  to bend smoothly towards the guitar and amplifier circuitry within the guitar. An enlarged cutout portion  22  may be formed at the inner end of the bore  19  to facilitate a smooth wiring of the wires  17  within the guitar. The enlarged cutout portion  22  also provides a space for the wires  17  to flex freely at the inner end of the bore  19  within the guitar when the inner end of the inertia block  18  swings from side to side constantly during guitar playing. This can reduce the chance of damaging the wires  17  in the guitar. 
     The potentiometer  15  might include an integral switch which can be activated by turning the knob  12  fully counter-clockwise, or pulling/pushing the knob axially for example. Additional switches can be provided at the casing  11 . These switches can be electrically connected to the circuitry and can be employed to control the volume and tone, or produce other sound effects. 
     The proximal end portion  10   a  of the arm  10  may be disposed at a right angle with respect to the linear middle portion  10   b  of the arm  10 . 
     The linear middle portion  10   b  of the arm  10  may be disposed at an acute angle β of about 10 degrees with respect to the face of the guitar when the arm  10  is at a rest position. When the arm  10  is pushed towards the face of the guitar, the linear middle portion  10   b  arm will be disposed adjacent and parallel to the guitar strings. 
     The distal end portion  10   c  of the arm  10  may be linear and may bend upwards away from the face of the guitar at an acute angle θ of about 20 degrees and sideway towards the guitar strings at an acute angle γ of about 15 degrees with respect to the linear middle portion  10   b  of the arm  10 . 
     In use, the tremolo arm  10  can be manipulated in a conventional manner. A player can play a note or chord with the guitar strings and manipulate the knob  12  of the potentiometer  15  to produce sound effects by using the hand that picks the guitar strings and controls the tremolo arm  10  without moving the hand away from the guitar strings and the tremolo arm  10 . A player can produce sound effects by rotating, pushing or pulling the knob  12  to activate the switches. Furthermore, a player can manipulate the tremolo arm  10  to produce tremolo effect. A player can also manipulate the tremolo arm  10  and the knob  12  of the potentiometer simultaneously to produce tremolo and electronic sound effects. 
     It should be appreciated that modifications and alterations obvious to those skilled in the art are not be considered as beyond the scope of the protection. For example, rather than providing a hollow tubular arm  10 , the casing  11  can be fitted with a battery and a wireless transmitter associated with the potentiometer and/or switches. Furthermore, whilst the described embodiment is an adaptation of a Fender type guitar in which the tremolo arm  10  is attached directly to the inertia block  18 , the device is equally applicable to other types of guitars such as a Floyd Rose type in which the tremolo arm is fixed to a tremolo bridge plate. 
     While the tremolo device of an electric guitar disclosed in the present application has been shown and described with particular references to a number of preferred embodiments thereof, it should be noted that various other changes or modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appending claims.