Patent Publication Number: US-10311838-B2

Title: Guitar neck joint

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application takes priority from Provisional App. No. 62/420,561, filed Nov. 11, 2016, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     A guitar is typically composed of a neck and a body. The strings are attached to the end of the neck on one end and to the body of the guitar on the other end. Since guitar strings are under continued tension, they place very high forces on the joint between the neck and the body, especially since the neck acts as a long lever. 
     Some guitar designs attach the neck joint by glue (i.e. the Gibson set neck design), and some attach it by bolts. In either case, to prevent the neck from moving or breaking under the tension of the strings, the neck typically comprises a heel at the joint between the body and the neck. The heel is a protrusion that extends throughout the thickness of the guitar body and provides structural support for the neck joint to ensure stability. Since guitar strings are under continued tension, it is important to connect the neck to the body in a way that will support the tension of the strings and prevent the neck from moving. 
     Unfortunately, while a heel is very good at providing structural stability to the neck joint, it also takes up space. In particular, the heel can block a guitar player&#39;s hand when the player tries to reach very high notes on the instrument, since those high notes are located at the neck joint. The neck is typically 21-24 frets in length; to ensure structural stability, the heel has to start at approximately the 15 th  fret. That makes the higher frets hard to access. 
     Also, a traditional square neck joint only bears tension on the bottom side, which is not efficient and does not provide as much strength. Also, since the sides of the traditional square neck joint do not bear any tension, they do not contact the body and do not contribute to the resonance. 
     Some guitar designs solve this problem by making a neck run the entire length of the guitar; however, this design is more difficult to manufacture and not as aesthetically pleasing. 
     A need exists for a bolt-on guitar design that does not require a heel and that provides a strong and resonant connection between the neck and the body. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a guitar design where the neck joint enables a user to reach further into the fingerboard than conventional designs. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a guitar design where the neck joint does not require a heel. 
     The guitar of the present invention comprises a neck and a guitar body; the neck is connected to the guitar body at the neck joint. The neck joint comprises an elongated protrusion located approximately along the centerline of the neck, where the height of the protrusion is less than the thickness of the guitar body. The neck joint and the elongated protrusion thereon fit into a pocket on the guitar body that is shaped the same as the neck joint so that the neck joint fits into the pocket. 
     In an embodiment, the neck joint, the protrusion, or both the neck joint and the protrusion comprise rounded corners. 
     In an embodiment, the protrusion is approximately 0.6″ high. 
     In an embodiment, the protrusion is approximately 2.1″ long. 
     In an embodiment, the protrusion is approximately ¼ the width of the neck. 
     In an embodiment, the protrusion comprises a proximal end and a distal end (with the distal end closer to the end of the neck than the proximal end), wherein the height of the protrusion is variable and higher at the distal end than the proximal end. 
     In an embodiment, the guitar further comprises a pick guard that is countersunk into the body in such a way as to touch the neck at the neck joint. 
    
    
     
       LIST OF FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  shows a cross-sectional view of the guitar of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows an exploded view of the guitar of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows a view of the neck joint of the guitar of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in the below disclosure. It will be understood that reasonable equivalents to each element of the invention will be apparent to a person of reasonable skill in the art, and that the present invention is only limited by the appended claims. 
       FIG. 1  shows a cross-sectional view of the guitar of the present invention. As can be seen, there is no heel, which enables a user to reach higher notes on the guitar neck. The neck  100  is attached to the guitar body  110  by three bolts as shown. Fretboard  150  is located on the top of the neck  100  the way that it is on any standard guitar. The neck joint has a protrusion  120  that fits into a corresponding pocket on the guitar body  110 . The shape of the protrusion helps the neck stay securely attached to the body and keeps it from wobbling or moving, even despite the high forces placed on the neck by the tension of guitar strings. 
     In addition, since the neck joint and the protrusion are rounded, this allows a greater surface area of the neck joint to be in tension-bearing contact with the body. The tension creates more resonance and improves the sound of the instrument. 
     An additional feature of the present invention is pick guard  130 , which is countersunk into the body of the guitar in a way that ensures that it is in contact with the neck  100  at the neck tenon  140 . This allows it to resonate and improves the sound of the instrument. 
     An exploded view of the same guitar design is shown as  FIG. 2 . It shows a closer view of the pocket  160  on the guitar body. As can be seen from the Figure, the pocket  160  is the same shape as the neck joint, to ensure a close fit between the neck and the body. 
       FIG. 3  shows an embodiment of the neck joint of the present invention, showing the protrusion  120  in greater detail. While the protrusion may be any shape, it is most preferable for it to be elongated in the direction of the length of the neck (i.e. longer than it is wide) and to have a height of at least 0.6″ and a width that is smaller than the width of the neck. Having this shape ensures a secure connection between the protrusion and the corresponding pocket in the body of the guitar and prevents sideways motion of the guitar neck. 
     The protrusion may be of any length, but is preferably approximately 2″. In the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , the length of the protrusion, as shown, is 2.12″ and the height of the protrusion is 0.6097″. The width of the protrusion is preferably somewhat smaller than the width of the neck, as shown, and is preferably about ¼ the width of the neck. 
     In the preferred embodiment, all the corners of the neck joint are rounded, as shown in  FIG. 3 . This ensures a better fit between the surfaces of the neck and the body and prevents wobbling. The radius of the corners is preferably 0.25″ in the preferred embodiment. 
     In the preferred embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the protrusion  120  is variable in height, and higher where it is closer to the end of the neck. While this is not required for practicing the present invention, this improves the neck joint&#39;s ability to withstand the force of the strings. 
     Since the protrusion and the general rounded shape of the neck joint of the present invention provide a highly secure connection between the neck and the body of the guitar, a heel is not required; this improves the player&#39;s reach of the high notes on the guitar. The bolt connection between the neck and the body, combined with the protrusion and the neck joint fitting into a corresponding pocket in the body of the guitar, creates enough strength to withstand the force that guitar strings would apply. 
     An exemplary embodiment is described above. It will be understood that the present invention encompasses other embodiments that are reasonable equivalents to the abovedescribed embodiments, and that the invention is only limited by the appended claims.