Patent Publication Number: US-6992243-B2

Title: Stringed instrument with tonal control

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates generally to stringed instruments and, more particularly, to stringed instruments providing variable tone adjustments. 
   Traditional stringed instruments such as guitars employ pickup devices to generate signals having frequencies dependent on tones produced by picking action of strings in a picking area. Those signals then are fed to amplifiers and speakers to provide audio outputs replicating the picked sound. Typically, a desired tonal output is provided by positioning of the pickup device under the strings of the guitar. However, selective variation of tonal output in prior string instruments is quite limited. 
   The object of this invention, therefor, is to provide a stringed instrument which allows extensive selective variations in tonal audio output. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention is a stringed instrument including a body having a top surface defining a picking area; a bridge supported by the top surface at one end of the picking area; a neck extending from the body at an opposite end of the picking area; and a plurality of strings extending in substantially parallel paths over the picking area. Also included are a plurality of pickups each disposed under a different associated one of the strings and a support mechanism mounted on the top surface and adapted to accommodate movement of each pickup in a path within the picking area and parallel to its associated string. Selective movement of the pickups under the associated strings provides desired tonal output variation. 
   According to one feature of the invention, each path of movement extends over a substantial portion of the picking area and, preferably, between positions directly adjacent opposite ends of the picking area. This feature maximizes achievable tonal output variation. 
   According to another feature of the invention, the support means includes rails supporting the pickups and shaped and arranged to guide movement of the pickups along the parallel paths. The rails facilitate desired movement of the pickups. 
   According to yet another feature of the invention, the mechanism further includes carriages retaining the pickups and adapted for movement on the rails. The carriages simplify mounting of the pickups for movement on the rails. 
   According to still another feature of the invention, the carriages retain first contacts connected to the pickups and the mechanism includes second elongated contacts shaped and arranged for sliding engagement with the first contacts during movement of the carriages. The first and second slidably engaged contacts maintain electrical contact with the pickups in any position. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent upon a perusal of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a top view of a guitar according to the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a detailed perspective view of a tonal output control in a picking area section on the top surface of the guitar; 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the control shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view of one carriage and pickup embodiment of the control shown in  FIGS. 1–3 ; and 
       FIG. 5  is a sectional view of another carriage and pickup embodiment of the control shown in  FIGS. 1–3 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   A stringed instrument  11  includes a body  12  and a neck  13  extending from an edge of the body. Mounted on a top surface  15  of the body is a bridge  16  while the neck retains a fret board  17 . A plurality of strings  18  extend in substantially parallel paths over the fret board  17  and a portion of the top surface  15 . The strings  18  extend between the bridge  16  mounted on the top surface  15  and tuning screws  22  located at an outer end of the neck  13 . Located between the bridge  16  and the fret board  17  is the picking area  25  of the top surface  15  above which the strings  18  can be picked to produce sound. The picking area is identified by dashed lines in  FIG. 1 . 
   Mounted on the top surface  15  within the picking area  25  is a support assembly  27  which supports a plurality of pickups  28  each disposed below an associated different one of the strings  18 . The pickups  28  are connected by cables  29  and  31  to volume and tone control circuits  32 ,  33  and an output jack  35  all mounted within the body  12  and shown by dashed lines in  FIG. 1 . A cable  37  feeds signals from the output jack  35  to an amplifier (not shown). Controlling the volume and tone circuits  32 ,  33  are knobs  38 ,  39  located on the top surface  15  of the body  12 . 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the support assembly  27  includes a plurality of rails  41  each mounted on the top surface  15  under a different one of the strings  18  and extending parallel thereto. A carriage  42  retaining one of the pickups  28  is mounted for movement along each of the rails  41 . As depicted in  FIG. 3 , the rails provide for the pickups  28  linear motion over a substantial portion of the picking area  25  extending between positions directly adjacent opposite ends thereof. Although the embodiment of  FIGS. 1–3  shows six strings and pickups, it will be understood that more or less of each could be used if desired. 
   One moveable pickup embodiment  51  is shown in  FIG. 4 . The carriage  42  is mounted for linear movement along the rail  41  and retains a pickup  28 . Signal outputs of the pickup  28  are connected to first electrical contacts  52 ,  53  mounted on the carriage  42 . During movement of the carriage  42 , the first contacts  52 ,  53  are in sliding engagement with elongated second contacts  55 ,  56  on the rail  41 . 
   Another carriage embodiment  61  is depicted in  FIG. 5 . The carriage  61  again is mounted for linear movement on a rail  62  and retains a pickup  28  which feeds output signals to contacts  63 ,  64 . However, the contacts  63 ,  64  in embodiment  61  slidably engage second elongated contacts  66 ,  67  mounted on the top surface  15  rather than the rail  62   
   During use of the instrument  11 . each pickup  28  can be independently and selectively moved on its supporting rail  41 ,  62  along a path parallel to the associated string  18  located directly above in the picking area  25 . The tonal sound output provided by the pickups  28  is varied by their selective positioning beneath the strings  18 . Pickups  28  located close to the bridge  16  produce a treble-rich sound with slight midrange frequencies while pickups located in mid-positions produce less treble, more midrange frequencies and slightly more bass and pickups located near the neck  13  produce even less treble, and more midrange and bass frequencies. Thus, a wide range of selective tonal variation outputs are provided. 
   Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teaching. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.