Patent Publication Number: US-11380290-B2

Title: Electric guitar body structural unit and electric guitar

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONS 
     Field of Technology 
     The present inventions relate to electric guitar bodies and electric guitars generally. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     US Patent Application Publication 2005/0284281 discloses an electric guitar comprising a body made from wood. In that electric guitar, the direction of the wood grain of the body matches the lengthwise direction of the neck of the electric guitar. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONS 
     In electric guitars, vibrations of the strings are transmitted to the body, causing the body to vibrate as well. For an electric guitar to produce good acoustic characteristics, preferably the body as a whole will vibrate with good balance. However, because the shape of the body of many electric guitars is asymmetrical (for example, a shape that is asymmetrical in the direction of width of the body, which is perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the neck). When the direction of the wood grain matches the lengthwise direction of the neck, as in the guitars of the US 2005/0284281 publication, there will be a larger vibrations in only one part of the body. 
     In contemplation of the above, an object of at least some of the present inventions is to provide a body structural unit for an electric guitar, and an electric guitar provided therewith, wherein the entirety of the body can vibrate with improved balance, despite being a body of an asymmetrical shape. 
     In some embodiments, an electric guitar body structural unit can comprise a body that includes a wood portion, wherein, when viewed from the direction of thickness of the body, the direction of the grain of the wood portion is at an angle in respect to the lengthwise direction of the neck of the electric guitar. 
     In some embodiments, an electric guitar can comprise a neck and a body structural unit as described above. 
     At least one of the present inventions enables the body as a whole to vibrate with improved balance, despite being a body of an asymmetrical shape. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of an electric guitar according to an embodiment, viewed from the front side of the body. 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the body of the electric guitar of  FIG. 1 , viewed from the front side. 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram depicting a reference example of a form of vibration of a guitar body. 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram depicting an example of a form of vibration of a guitar body, according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional diagram of an electric guitar body, according to another embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Various embodiments of the inventions disclosed herein are explained below with reference to  FIGS. 1 through 4 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , an electric guitar  1  according to an embodiment, comprises a body structural unit  2 , a neck  3 , and strings  4 . The neck  3  is connected to an end portion of the body structural unit  2 , and extends in a direction away from the body structural unit  2  (the positive Y axial direction). Pegs  6 , onto which the end portions of the strings  4  are wound, are provided on a head  5  that forms the tip end portion of the neck  3  in the lengthwise direction (the Y axial direction). The strings  4  are tensioned along the lengthwise direction of the neck  3 . 
     The body structural unit  2  comprises a body  10  that includes a wood portion that is made from wood. In some embodiments, the body  10  forms the entire structure of the body structural unit  2 . Moreover, the body  10  can be structured from the wood portion alone. The body  10  is formed in a plate shape. The body  10  may be, for example, a solid body that includes no internal cavity, or may be, for example, a semi-solid body having a cavity (chamber) formed therein in order to reduce the weight. 
     In the explanation below, there are two directions that are perpendicular to the direction of thickness of the body  10  (the Z axial direction). Those perpendicular directions include the direction of length of the neck  3 , defined as the lengthwise direction of the body  10  (the Y axial direction) and the direction that is perpendicular to the thickness direction and lengthwise direction of the body  10 , defined as the width direction of the body  10  (the X axial direction). 
     The connecting part between the body  10  and the neck  3  is positioned, along the lengthwise direction, at a first end portion of the body  10 . The connecting part between the body  10  and the neck  3  is also positioned in the middle of the body  10 , along the width direction. The dimension of the body  10  in the lengthwise direction, is greater than the dimension of the body  10  in the width direction. 
     A bridge  21 , an electromagnetic pickup  22 , a controller (not shown), and the like, are attached to the body  10 . The bridge  21 , the electromagnetic pickup  22 , and the controller are exposed on a surface  10   a , which faces in the thickness direction of the body  10 , on the front side of the body  10 . One end of each of the strings  4  is secured to the bridge  21 . In the lengthwise direction of the body  10 , the electromagnetic pickup  22  is positioned between the neck  3  and the bridge  21 . The controller is used to adjust the volume, tone, and the like, of the sound signal that is output from the electromagnetic pickup  22 . The controller includes three volume switches  23 , a pickup selector  24  for switching the electromagnetic pickup  22  that is activated, and the like. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the body  10 , when viewed along the thickness direction, is formed with an asymmetrical shape with respect to a virtual line A 1  that extends in the lengthwise direction of the body  10  and through the center of the body  10 , in the width direction. The line A 1  may instead be a straight line through, for example, the width-direction center of the neck  3 . 
     The asymmetrical shape of the body  10  means that the shape of the body  10  that is positioned on one side, in the width direction of the body  10 , with respect to the line A 1  (hereinafter termed the “first direction side”) is different from the shape of the body  10  that is positioned on the other side, in the width direction of the body  10 , with respect to the line A 1  (hereinafter termed the “second direction side”). The first direction side is, for example, the side in the positive X axial direction, and the second direction side is, for example, the side in the negative X axial direction. The shape of the body  10 , which is asymmetrical, will be explained in greater detail below. 
     The body  10  has two protruding portions  11  and  12  (a first protruding portion  11  and a second protruding portion  12 ). Each protruding portion  11  and  12  protrudes in directions that are perpendicular to the thickness direction of the body  10  (directions along the XY plane) with respect to the main part of the body  10  wherein the bridge  21 , and the like, are provided. The two protruding portions  11  and  12  are both positioned at a first end portion of the body  10 , in the lengthwise-direction. Moreover, the two protruding portions  11  and  12  are positioned at opposite portions along the width direction the body  10 . That is, the first protruding portion  11  is positioned on the first direction side (one side of the line A 1 ) and the second protruding portion  12  is positioned on the second direction side (the other side of the line A 1 ). In this way, the two protruding portions  11  and  12  are positioned with a space therebetween in the width direction of the body  10 . 
     The directions of protrusion of each of these protruding portions  11  and  12  are angled away from the lengthwise direction of the body  10 , which is the direction in which the neck  3  extends. Specifically, the individual protruding portions  11  and  12  protrude from the body  10 , toward the direction in which the neck  3  extends (the positive Y axial direction), and also in directions away from the line A 1 , in the width direction of the body  10 . That is, the two protruding portions  11  and  12  protrude so as to become further away from each other in the width direction of the body  10 . 
     The lengths of protrusion of the two protruding portions  11  and  12  may both be identical. In the present embodiment, the lengths of protrusion of the two protruding portions  11  and  12  are different. Specifically, of the two protruding portions  11  and  12 , the length of protrusion of the first protruding portion  11 , which is positioned on the left side (the side in the negative X axial direction) with respect to the line A 1 , may be longer than the length of protrusion of the second protruding portion  12  that is positioned on the right side (the positive X axial direction side). Given this, the body  10  according to the present embodiment is formed in an asymmetrical shape. 
     Moreover, in the body  10  of the present embodiment, the sizes of the parts of the second end portion of the body  10  (lengthwise direction) may be different on opposite sides of the line A 1 . For example, of the parts on the second end portion side of the body  10 , the part positioned on the right side of the line A 1  can be larger than the part positioned on the left side of the line A 1 . The body  10  according to the present embodiment is formed in an asymmetrical shape due to this point as well. Furthermore, in the body  10  according to the present embodiment, the length of the body  10 , when viewed along the thickness direction, is longest in the direction in which the first protruding portion  11  extends (the direction indicated by the arrow D 1  in  FIG. 2 ). 
     When viewed along the thickness direction of the body  10 , the direction of the grain of the wood portion of the body  10  is at an angle in respect to the lengthwise direction of the body  10  (the lengthwise direction of the neck  3 ). Specifically, the direction of the grain of the wood portion of the body  10  extends in the direction wherein the length of the body  10  is the longest (the maximum length direction of the body  10 ). Moreover, the direction of the grain of the wood portion extends in the direction of protrusion of the first protruding portion  11 , which has the longer length of protrusion compared to the second protruding portion  12 . The arrow D 1  in  FIG. 2  indicates the maximum length direction of the body  10 , the direction of protrusion of the first protruding portion  11 , and the direction of the grain of the wood portion. 
     As explained above, in the body structural unit  2  and the electric guitar  1  according to the present embodiment, the direction of the grain of the wood portion of the body  10  is at an angle in respect to the lengthwise direction of the body  10 . In particular, the direction of the grain of the wood portion extends in the maximum length direction of the body  10  and the direction of protrusion of the first protruding portion  11 . Through this, despite the body  10  being formed in an asymmetrical shape, large vibrations being in only one part of the body  10  is prevented, enabling vibration of the body  10  as a whole with good balance. This point will be explained below in reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  depict vibration forms wherein a reference body  10   r  ( FIG. 3 ) and the present embodiment of body  10  ( FIG. 4 ) vibrate so as to twist, centered on the line A 1   r , A 1  that extends in the lengthwise direction of the body  10 . In  FIGS. 3 and 4 , in the grayscale shading, white indicates a greater amplitude of vibration, and black indicates a lesser amplitude of vibration. 
       FIG. 3  depicts the vibration of the body  10   r  of a reference example wherein the direction of the grain of the wood portion matches the lengthwise direction of the body  10   r  (the Y axial direction). On the other hand,  FIG. 4  depicts the form of vibration of the body  10  according to the present embodiment wherein the direction of the grain of the wood portion extends in the maximum length direction of the body  10 , and the direction of protrusion of the first protruding portion  11 , which is at an angle in respect to the lengthwise direction of the body  10 . 
     In the form of vibration of the body  10   r , which is a reference example, depicted in  FIG. 3 , the amplitude of vibration in the first protruding portion  11   r , which has a long length of protrusion, is greater than the amplitude of vibration in the second protruding portion  12   r . Moreover, in second end portion of the body  10   r  (in the lengthwise direction), the amplitude of vibration of the first part  13   r  is greater than the amplitude of vibration in the second part  14   r . Here, the first part  13   r  is on the same side (in the width direction of the body  10   r ) as the second protruding portion  12   r  with respect to the line A 1   r . In other words, the first part  13   r  is positioned on the side opposite from the first protruding portion  11   r  in the maximum length direction of the body  10   r . Thus, the amplitude of vibration of the first part  13   r  is greater than the amplitude of vibration in the second part  14   r  that is positioned on the opposite side, in the width direction of the body  10   r , from the first part  13 , with respect to the line A 1   r . Given the above, there is a tendency, in the body  10   r  of the reference example, to have a large vibration at only the first protruding portion  11   r  and the first part  13   r  (at both end portions of the body  10   r  in the maximum length direction). That is, in the body  10   r  of the reference example, vibration is not well-balanced. 
     In contrast, in the form of vibration of the body  10  of the present embodiment, depicted in  FIG. 4 , when compared to the reference example depicted in  FIG. 3 , there is little difference in the amplitude of vibration in the second protruding portion  12  compared to the amplitude of vibration in the first protruding portion  11 . Moreover, in the form of vibration of the body  10  of the present embodiment, depicted in  FIG. 4 , when compared to the reference example depicted in  FIG. 3 , there is little difference in the amplitude of vibration in the second part  14  compared to the amplitude of vibration in the first part  13  of the body  10 . This is due to the vibration of the first protruding portion  11  and the first part  13  being suppressed by the wood portion, through the direction of the grain of the wood portion extending in the direction of protrusion of the first protruding portion  11  and the maximal length direction of the body  10 , extending from the first protruding portion  11  to the first part  13 . Given the above, the body  10  according to the present embodiment prevents the vibration from being large at only one part of the body  10  (the first protruding portion  11  and the first part  13 ), enabling the entirety of the body  10  to vibrate with good balance. 
     While the present inventions are explained in detail above, the present inventions are not limited to the embodiments set forth above, but rather may be modified in a variety of ways in a scope that does not deviate from the spirit or intent of the present inventions. 
     For example, in some embodiments, the wood portion of the body  10  may have a plurality of wood layers  16  and  17  (which, in the illustrated example, is two wood layers), as depicted in  FIG. 5 . Each of the plurality of wood layers  16  and  17  is formed in a plate shape, and layered together in the thickness direction of the body  10  (the Z axial direction). The thicknesses of the multiple wood layers  16  and  17  may, for example, each be identical, or, as depicted in  FIG. 5 , may each be different. 
     In embodiments having multiple wood layers  16  and  17  with different thicknesses, the wood layer  16  that is the thickest, from among the multiple wood layers  16  and  17 , may be oriented with the direction of its grain at an angle in respect to the lengthwise direction of the body  10 , as in the embodiment set forth above. The wood layer  16  that has the maximal thickness has the greatest effect on the vibration characteristics of the body  10 . Because of this, setting the direction of the grain of the wood layer  16  that has the greatest thickness, as described above, can cause the body  10  as a whole to vibrate with good balance. 
     In embodiments, the body  10  may be provided with another material portion that is made from a material other than wood (for example, a resin material), in addition to the wood portion. In this case, the wood portion and the other material portion would each be formed in, for example, a plate shape, and layered together in the thickness direction of the body  10 . 
     In some embodiments, the number of protruding portions in the body  10  may be, for example, one, or may be three or more. In this case, the one, or three or more, protruding portions may be provided so that the shape of the body  10  is an asymmetrical shape, in the same manner as in the embodiment described above. Moreover, the body  10  may have, for example, no protruding portions.