Patent Publication Number: US-2013228060-A1

Title: Electric guitar or bass and device in connection with electric guitar or bass

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a device for use in connection with an electric guitar or bass and especially to a device as defined in the preamble of independent claim  1 . The present invention further relates to an electric guitar or bass and more particularly to an electric guitar or bass as defined in the preamble of independent claim  13 . 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Electric guitars and basses comprise normally a body, a neck extending from the body, a headstock provided to the distal end of the neck and one or more strings held in tension over at least part of the body and the neck from the body to the headstock. The neck of the electric guitar or bass starts to vibrate when the electric guitar or bass is played. This vibration of the neck provides a negative effect such that some tones do not sustain well when played. These tones are commonly called as dead spots. The cause of the dead spots is the second mode of vibration or resonance of the guitar or the neck of the guitar. This corresponds the second mode of vibration or resonance of a bar. When the frequency of the played tone coincides with the resonance frequency of the second mode of vibration of the guitar or the neck and body of the guitar the energy of the string will be rapidly consumed resulting in the mentioned dead spot. 
     In prior art the problem relating to the dead spots is tried to overcome by adding weight to the instrument and specifically to the neck or headstock of an electric guitar or bass. Another prior art solution for overcoming the problems relating the dead spots is stiffening neck of the electric guitar or bass. The stiffening is carried out form example by coating or providing the neck with one or more carbon fibre layers. The prior art solutions also comprise some basic vibrator assemblies provided to an electric guitar and bass for reducing the vibration of the neck. 
     The problem relating to the prior art solutions for overcoming the problems relating to dead spots is that the they do not remove or reduce the dead spots but only shift the resonance frequency and thus the location of the dead spots. Adding extra weight to the instrument lowers the resonance frequency of the guitar or the body and neck of the guitar. On the other hand stiffening the neck of the instrument raises the resonance frequency. Therefore, the prior art s do not remove or reduce the problem relating to the dead spots but only changes the tones which are subjected to the dead spots and poor sustain. The known vibrators only slightly generally resonance of the neck without solving the problem relating to the sustaining of notes. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a device so as to overcome or at least alleviate the prior art disadvantages. The objects of the present invention are achieved with a device according to claim  1 . The objects of the present invention are further achieved with an electric guitar and bass according to claim  13 . 
     The preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims. 
     The present invention is based on the idea of providing a device having a body and two or more resonators or vibration tongues arranged to extend from the body and vibrate in relation to the body at the frequencies of the notes. The two or more resonators are arranged to extend freely from the body for enabling vibration in relation to the body. The resonators comprise a weight member and a tongue rod provided to extend from the body. The weight member is preferably provided to the distal end of the tongue rod such that the tongue rod forms a spring element for vibrating the weight member in relation to the body. The device may be attached to an electric guitar or bass for eliminating or at least reducing the dead spots. It should be noted that the resonators or vibration tongues may be any type of resonators which may vibrate relative to the body or the neck of the electric guitar or bass. 
     In one embodiment the resonators are provided to an electric guitar or bass. This means that the device as described above may be attached, engaged or connected to an electric guitar or bass, especially to a neck or headstock of the electric guitar or bass, or alternatively the resonators are formed, provided or connected directly to the neck or headstock of the electric guitar or bass. The resonators or the device is connected to the electric guitar or bass such that the vibration tongues may vibrate in relation to the neck when the guitar or bass in played. 
     The present invention has the advantage that when resonators are tuned to the frequency of the notes they vibrate in anti-phase with the neck and prevent neck from vibrating. Therefore, vastly improved sustain of the notes is achieved. The reduced vibrations of the neck and the electric guitar or bass results in enhanced sustain of notes and tones. Furthermore, the device of the present invention may be connected detachably to the instrument such that no permanent installations or amendments to the instrument have to be made. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       In the following the invention will be described in greater detail, in connection with preferred embodiments, with reference to the attached drawings, in which 
         FIG. 1  is a general view of an electric guitar; 
         FIG. 2  shows schematically the principle of vibrations of an electric guitar or bass; 
         FIGS. 3A ,  3 B and  3 C show schematically one embodiment of the device according to the present invention; 
         FIGS. 4A ,  4 B and  4 C show schematically another embodiment of the device according to the present invention; 
         FIGS. 5 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  show the device of  FIG. 3  provided to a headstock of electric guitars; 
         FIG. 9A and 9B  illustrate the operation of the device of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The  FIG. 1  shows schematically a conventional electric guitar  2 . The electric guitar  2  comprises a body  4 , a neck  6  extending from the body  4  and a headstock  7  provided to the distal end of the neck and opposite end of the neck  6  in relation to the body  4 . The electric guitar  2  further comprises one or more strings  10  held in tension over at least part of the body  4  and the neck  6 . The body  4  is provided with a tailpiece  8  for attaching the strings  10  to the body  4 . The headstock  7  is further provided with machine heads  22  connected to string cylinders  24 . The strings  10  are connected to the string  10  cylinders  24  and wound around the sheath of the string cylinders  24 . The strings  10  may be tightened or loosed by turning the machine heads  22  for turning the string cylinders  24  so as to adjust the tension of the strings  10 . It should be noted that the headstock  7  does not have to have any special form, but it is defined as a part or extension of the neck  6  to which the strings  10  are connected. The electric guitar  2  may further be provided with at least one string retainer  26 . The string retainer  26  is preferably located to the headstock  7  for keeping the strings  10  at a proper location. The string retainer  26  may be fixed to the headstock  7  or it may be a removable and movable part. In  FIG. 1  the sting retainer  26  is button-like round part attached to the headstock  7 . 
     The body  4  of the electric guitar  2  is further provided with a bridge  9  for holding the strings  10  at proper location is the body  4 . The neck  6  is provided with frets  18 . Frets may be are metal strips provided to the neck  6  and located at exact points that divide the scale length in accordance with a specific mathematical formula. Pressing a string  10  against a fret determines the strings&#39;  10  vibrating length. The electric guitar  2  is further provided with a nut  20 . The nut is a small strip of hard or medium-hard material located at the joint where the headstock  7  meets the neck  6 . The nut  20  is provided with grooves for receiving strings  10  for guiding the strings  10  and giving consistent lateral string placement. The body  4  may further provided with one or more pickups  12 ,  14 . Pickups  12 ,  14  are transducers arranged to detect string vibrations and convert the mechanical energy of the strings  10  into electrical energy. The body  4  is also provided with electronics  16  comprising potentiometers, capacitors or the like for adjusting aspects of the sound produced by the electric guitar  2 . 
     The electric guitar or bass is played the strings are vibrated causing the guitar  2  and the neck  6  of the guitar or bass  2  to vibrate.  FIG. 2  shows schematically and exaggerated second mode of vibration of the electric guitar  2  and the neck  6  during playing of the guitar  2 . This corresponds the normal second mode of vibration of a bar. The second mode of vibration may usually occur at resonance frequency range 130-150 Hz for electric basses and at frequency range 160-200 Hz for electric guitars. The vibration of the electric guitar or the bass  2  has the disadvantage that some tones or notes do not sustain well when played and this provides so called dead spots. The dead spots are produced when the frequency of the played tone or note and the resonance frequency of the guitar  2  coincide such that vibration energy of the strings  10  is rapidly consumed. Most bass guitars have a dead spot consisting of the notes b, c, cis, d, and dis. The neck resonance is illustrated by the curve in  FIG. 9A . The inner damping of the neck material spreads the dead spot, the more damping, the wider the curve. 
     In the present invention the dead spots are removed or at least reduced by providing the electric guitar or bass  2  with a device comprising two or more resonators which are tuned to the notes of the instrument for reducing the vibration of the neck  6  when the strings  10  are played. The device is preferably attached or provided to the neck  6  or headstock  7  of the electric guitar or bass  2 . The device may therefore comprise a separate resonator for each note suffering from short sustain. When the electric guitar or bass  2  is played the resonators will vibrate in anti-phase with the neck  6  and prevent the neck  6  from vibrating or at least reduce the vibration of the neck  6 .  FIG. 9B  shows the effect of the resonators to the resonance of the neck. In the embodiment of  FIG. 9B  the device comprises 5 resonators, one for each note b, c, cis, d and dis. For example, when one resonator of the device is tuned exactly to cis note, this resonator will vibrate in anti-phase with the neck and thus from vibrating when the note cis is played. This may be seen in the curve  FIG. 9B , as the resonance of the neck drops dramatically at cis. Thus the sustain of note cis is improved. To achieve an even sustain of all the notes in the dead spot area it is necessary to add similar resonators tuned to each note suffering from short sustain, as shown schematically in  FIG. 9B . Thus the device may comprise one resonator for each note and drop the neck resonance curve, shown in  FIG. 9B . 
       FIG. 3  shows one embodiment of the device  30  of the present invention for use in connection with an electric guitar or bass  2  having one or more strings  10  tuned for notes. The device  30  for improving sustain of notes comprises a body  32  and resonators  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  arranged to extend from the body  32  and vibrate in relation to the body  32  at the frequencies of the notes. In  FIG. 3  the device  30  comprises 5 resonator or vibration tongues  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44 , but the device may also comprise only one resonator, preferably two or more resonators or any number of resonators suitable for a specific instrument. Usually the device  30  will comprise 5 or 6 resonators  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  according to the number of string in the electric guitar or bass  2 . Thus the device  30  and the resonators  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  form a comb-like structure. 
     The  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  extend freely from the body  32  for enabling vibration in relation to the body  32  such that each resonator  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  may vibrate independently from others. This means that generally the resonator will vibrate when the note to which it is tuned is played. 
     The device  30  of  FIG. 3  is formed as single piece part in which the resonators  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  are integral part of the body  32 . In an alternative embodiment the resonators  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  may attached to the body  32  with suitable attachment means, such as mechanical fasteners, glue, soldering or the like. It should be noted the in the latter embodiment the neck  6  or the headstock  7  of the electric guitar or bass  2  may form the body to which the resonators are directly attached. Thus each resonator may be attached separately to the guitar or bass  2 . 
       FIG. 3A  shows a bottom view of the device  30 ,  FIG. 3B  shows a side view and  FIG. 3C  shows a top view of the device  30 . The device  30  is plate element, to which the resonators  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  are provided by cutting such that device  30  is formed from a single material piece. The device  30  may be manufactured from hardened steel. Other materials could also be used but it is essential that the internal damping of the resonators  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  have low internal damping. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the resonators  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  comprise a resonator rod  34  provided to extend from the body  32 . The resonator rod  34  forms spring element enabling vibration of the resonators  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  in relation to the body  32 . The resonator rod  34  has lower material thickness than the body  32  for enabling vibration in relation to the body  32  such that the resonator rod  34  forms the spring section of the resonator  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44 . In the embodiment of  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B and  3 C the resonator rod  34  is provided by machining the plate element thinner. The resonator  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  further comprises a weight member  38 . The weight member  38  is provided to the distal end of the resonator rod  34 , away from the body  32 . The weight member  38  will provide the vibration effect together with the vibration rod  34 . Accordingly the weight member  38  will vibrate at the end of the resonator  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  due to the spring effect of the vibration rod  34 . The mass of the weight member  38  may be 5 g or less, preferably 3 g or less and more preferably 2 g or less. Thus, if the mass of the weight member  38  is only 2 g per note, the total weight of the device  30  is about 15 to 20 g. Therefore, the device is very light and does not disturb the player of the instrument. As shown in  FIG. 3A , each resonator  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  has a slightly different size of weight member  38 , but the length of the resonator rod  34  is equal. Thus in this embodiment the tuning of the resonators  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  to the notes is carried out by provided the weight members with different masses. The resonators  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  are different in length as the mass of the weight members is controlled by the length of the weight members resulting slanting end of the device  30 . 
       FIGS. 4A ,  4 B and  4 C show an alternative embodiment of the device  30  in which the length of the resonator rods  34  is different for different resonators  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44 . The masses, and sizes, of the weight members  38  are also different and the distal end of the device  30  is straight. In an yet alternative embodiment the masses of the weight members  38  of different resonators could be equal and the tuning is only done with the length of the resonator rods  34 . Accordingly, tuning of the resonators  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  to the notes of the instrument may be carried out by adjusting one or more of the following: the length and thickness of the resonator rods  34 , the weight and size of the weight members  38 . 
     The device may be arranged to be installed to the neck  6  or to a headstock  7  provided to distal end of the neck  6 . The device  30  may also comprise attachment arrangement or means for attaching the device to the electric guitar or bass  2 , and especially to neck  6  or headstock  7 . The attachment means are formed to the body  32 . In  FIGS. 3A and 4A , the attachment means comprise holes  36  for attaching the device  30  with screws or some other mechanical fasteners. The device  30  may be fastened to the neck or headstock in different ways, by screw(s), bolt(s), glue, with magnet, or some type of clamp. It can also be mortised or embedded inside the neck  6  or headstock  7 . Conventionally the device is attached to the outer surface the neck  6  or headstock  7 . 
       FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7  show different ways and positions to which the device  30  may be installed in an asymmetric headstock  7 . In  FIG. 5  the device  30  is attached such that it fully over the surface of the headstock  7 . In  FIG. 6  the device  30  extends outside from the headstock  7 . In  FIG. 7  the device  30  is attached on the underside of the headstock  7 . The second mode of bending of the guitar is often combined with a torsion twist. This especially found with electric guitars or basses with asymmetric arrangement of machine heads, when for example all machine heads are placed on the left side of the head, as  FIG. 5 . In this case it is beneficial to locate the device of the present invention to the opposite side in relation to the machine heads, thus to the right side of the headstock.  FIG. 8  shows the device attached to a symmetrical headstock  7 . In this embodiment the device may be attached in symmetrical location. 
     The present invention also provides an electric guitar or bass  2  comprising a body  4  a neck  6  extending from the body  4  and one or more strings  10  tuned for playing notes and held in tension over at least part of the body  4  and the neck  6 . The electric guitar or bass  2  is provided with one or more, preferably two or more, resonators  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  arranged to extend from the neck  6  and vibrate in relation to the neck  6  at the frequencies of the notes. In a preferred embodiment the resonators  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  are provided to extend from a headstock  7  provided to the distal end of the neck  6 . The vibrators are vibrators as described above. Therefore, it should be noted that the vibrators may be formed directly to the neck  6  or headstock  7  without any body  32 . In this case the neck  6  or the headstock  7  forms the body of the device  30 . The resonators  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  vibrate thus in relation to the neck  6 . Alternatively the device  30  of the  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B,  3 B,  4 A,  4 B and  4 C is attached to the neck  6  or headstock  7 . The device  30  attached fixedly from the body  32  to the instrument such that the resonators  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  vibrate in relation to the neck  6  also in this embodiment. 
     The present invention further provides use of a device  30  in a neck  6  or a headstock  7  of an electric guitar or bass  2 , the device  30  comprising a body  32  and two or more resonators  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44  arranged to extend from the body  32  and vibrate in relation to the body  32  at the frequencies of the notes of the electric guitar or bass  2  for reducing the vibration of the neck  6  when strings  10  of the electric guitar or bass  2  are played. In other words the present invention provides use of a device  30  according above described for reducing the vibration of the neck  6  when strings  10  of the electric guitar or bass  2  are played. 
     It is apparent to a person skilled in the art that as technology advanced, the basic idea of the invention can be implemented in various ways. The invention and its embodiments are therefore not restricted to the above examples, but they may vary within the scope of the claims.