Patent Publication Number: US-2023147325-A1

Title: Device and method for converting a fretted instrument into a fretless instrument

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/278,254 filed on 11 Nov. 2021 and incorporated by reference as if set forth herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to stringed musical instruments. More particularly, the invention relates to a guitar that is easily convertible between fretted and fretless playing configurations. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Stringed musical instruments can generally be categorized as fretted instruments and unfretted instruments. 
     Fretless instruments, for example, are very popular in eastern world music such as middle eastern or from the far east, as it is the way the local music sounds and cannot be produced on fretted instruments. Classical string instruments in an orchestra and modern music also use fretless instruments. 
     There are many different styles of music. Musicians may mix and blend different styles in their creative process. A fretless instrument opens up another field of sound and music exploration. As the world becomes much more interconnected there is a growing interest in different styles of music from all around the world and the fusion between them. 
     Today, a musician who wishes to use a fretless instrument must either purchase a dedicated fretless instrument or modify a regular instrument into a fretless instrument. The latter process is a very involved, skillful and irreversible process which means if you modified your guitar into a fretless instrument, it is almost impossible to bring it back to its original state. One known method to convert an electric or bass guitar into a fretless one uses epoxy resin or polyurethane spray. Another method involves removing the frets. In both methods the resulting fretless guitar cannot be reconverted into a fretted guitar. 
     Thus, if a person just wanted to try out a fretless guitar, for example, to determine whether it suited him, he would need to spend a lot of money purchasing a new instrument or a great deal of time and expense converting his fretted guitar into a fretless guitar and if he then decided that he did not want a fretless instrument, he would need to convert it back into a standard one, which may be impossible or purchase a new instrument. 
     Attempts have previously been made to incorporate fretted and fretless modes of operation in the same instrument. Prior art ideas include the use of gearing mechanisms to adjust the position of the frets, the use of interchangeable fingerboards, one having frets and a second board being provided without frets, for example. U.S. Pat. No. 6,350,940 describes an instrument which may be played in either fretted or unfretted mode, which uses a separate fingerboard having a lever device for raising and lowering the fingerboard. 
     Prior art devices tend to have many disadvantages and drawbacks such as being expensive to produce and interfering with the ergonomics of the instrument, thereby making it more difficult to play. 
     Thus, there is a great need for a simple and inexpensive device for converting a fretted instrument, such as a guitar, into a fretless instrument and which is easy to assemble and disassemble. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a device for converting a fretted musical instrument into a fretless musical instrument and to a method for easily converting an instrument between fretted and fretless configurations. 
     The musical instrument has a plurality of frets embedded thereon and has a plurality of strings attached thereto. The device is configured to be insertable between the frets and the strings. The device is manufactured to match the dimensions of the musical instrument being converted so that it fits tightly and securely to the musical instrument. 
     Furthermore, the device does not interfere with the configurations of the frets and the strings when the device is inserted and/or removed. 
     Furthermore, the device may be configured to fit around the neck of the musical instrument and is securable by the application of pressure to both sides of the neck. 
     Alternatively, two-sided tape may be affixed to the device. 
     Alternatively, the device may be fitted to the musical instrument by means of a pair of elastic bands, each of the pair of elastic bands being attached to a pair of handles, each of the pair of handles being fitted to opposing sides of the musical instrument. 
     Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for converting a musical instrument having strings attached thereto and frets embedded thereon, into a fretless instrument. The method includes the steps of: 
     releasing the tension of the plurality of strings; 
     inserting a fretless device between the plurality of frets and the plurality of strings; 
     securely fitting the fretless device on to the musical instrument; 
     re-tightening the tension of the plurality of strings and 
     re-tuning the fretless instrument. 
     Furthermore, the step of securely fitting the fretless device includes the steps of placing the fretless device onto the neck of the musical instrument and applying pressure to both sides of the neck. 
     Furthermore, prior to the step of securely inserting the fretless device the method includes the step of affixing two-sided tape to at least one side of the fretless device. 
     Alternatively, the step of securely fitting the fretless device included the steps of attaching a pair of handles, each of the pair of handles being fitted to opposite side of the musical instrument and securely attaching the fretless device to the musical instrument by means of a pair of elastic bands, each of the pair of elastic bands being attached to one of each pair of handles. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following description taken in conjunction with the appended drawings in which: 
         FIGS.  1 - 4    are schematic views of a fretless device, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG.  5    is a schematic view of a fretless device, constructed and operative in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG.  6    is a schematic view of a fretless device of  FIG.  1   , having two-sided tape attached thereto, constructed and operative in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG.  7    is a schematic view, showing the method of fitting the fretless device of  FIG.  6   , constructed and operative in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention relates to a stringed instrument that is easily convertible between fretted and fretless playing configurations. 
     Reference is now made to  FIGS.  1 - 4    and  FIGS.  6 - 7   , which are schematic views of a fretless device  10 , constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The fretless device  10  is configured to fit a musical instrument, such as a guitar  12 . 
     A typical guitar  12  having a plurality of frets  14  is illustrated in  FIG.  1   . A fret is commonly a thin strip of metal (often made of steel, alloy, or brass), which is embedded on the fingerboard or neck of the guitar. The fret is used to change the vibrating length of a particular string to create a specific tune or note. 
     A standard fretless instrument such as a guitar, is a guitar having a fingerboard without frets, typically a standard instrument that has had the frets removed. 
     For the purposes of example and illustration only, the stringed instrument refers to a guitar. However, it will be appreciated that the fretless device of the present invention may be configured to fit any other stringed instrument. 
     The fretless device  10  is configured to fit the musical instrument being converted. As illustrated in the figures, the fretless device  10  seats tightly between the neck and the strings and transforms the fretboard into a fretless neck.  FIGS.  3  and  4    illustrate the musical instrument (a bass guitar, for example)  12  having the fretless device  10  secured in place. 
     The fretless device  10  may be constructed from any suitable material having durability and an element of flexibility, such as polycarbonate (PC) or other plastic or polymeric material. The fretless device  10  is preferable transparent (see  FIGS.  6  and  7   ) but may be non-transparent. For clarification purposes only, the device  10  is shown in  FIGS.  1 - 5    as being non-transparent. 
     The fretless device  10  is flexible and may be constructed with very accurate and precise measurements matching the instrument to which it is being affixed. The fretless device  10  is configured to fit very snugly onto the guitar, so that the device  10  raps itself around the neck of the guitar and is secured by the application of slight pressure to both sides of the neck. 
     Occasionally, the dimensions of the neck of mass-produced guitars of a particular make may vary slightly. In this case, two-sided stickers  22  (or foam inserts), for example, ( FIG.  6   ) or similar may be applied to the fretless device to compensate for the extra width. 
     The strings  16  of the instrument  12  may be raised slightly by the fretless device  10  to compensate for the additional height of the device  10 . 
     The method of converting the fretted guitar  10  to a fretless guitar may be described as follows: 
     Step  1 : the tension of the strings  16  is released sufficiently to allow the strings  16  to be moved aside ( FIG.  3   ); 
     Step  2   a : the fretless device  10 , which has been configured to match the shape of the instrument (guitar)  12 , is placed onto the neck of the guitar  12  under the strings  16  ( FIG.  4   ); 
     Step  2   b  (alternatively): If the device is slightly wider than the guitar neck, the two-sided stickers  22  ( FIG.  6   ) are fitted to one side of the device  10  and is placed onto the neck of the guitar  12 , the side having the stickers being applied first, as shown in  FIG.  7   ; 
     Step  4 : the strings  16  are then re-tightened and tuned. 
     To convert the fretless guitar back to the original fretted guitar, the strings  16  are slackened and the fretless device  10  removed. The strings may then re-tightened and the guitar  12  retuned. 
     Reference is now made to  FIG.  5   , which illustrates a fretless device, generally designated  50 , constructed and operative in accordance a further embodiment of the invention which may be used for conversion of an electric guitar  52  into a fretless electric guitar. For the purposes of example and illustration only, the stringed instrument refers to an electric guitar. However, it will be appreciated that the fretless device of the present invention may be configured to fit any other stringed instrument. 
     The fretless device  50  is configured to fit the instrument being converted. The device  50  seats tightly between the neck and the strings and transforms the fretboard into a fretless neck. 
     The fretless device  50  may be constructed from any suitable material having durability and an element of flexibility, such as PC or other plastic material. 
     In the embodiment, the fretless device  50  comprises at least one pair of handles  54  formed on each side of the fretless device  50 . A pair of elastic bands  56  may be attached to the handles  54 . 
     In the alternative embodiment of  FIG.  5   , the fretless device  50  may be secured to the guitar  52  by rubber bands  54  or any other suitable means attached to the handles  56 , prior to the strings being retightened and tuned. 
     To convert the fretless guitar back to the original fretted guitar, one simply detaches rubber bands  54  from the fretless device  50 , releases the strings, removes the fretless device  50 , and then re-tightens and re-tunes the fretted guitar  52 . 
     One of the advantages of the fretless devices ( 10 , 50 ) of the present invention is that the process of converting the guitar from fretted to fretless and vice-versa is simple and quick. The process does not harm the original instrument. The fretless devices ( 10 , 50 ) effectively allow a musician to be able to play in fretted and fretless modes while only needing to own a single instrument. 
     It will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited by what has been described hereinabove and that numerous modifications, all of which fall within the scope of the present invention, exist. Rather the scope of the invention is defined by the claims, which follow: