Patent Abstract:
An improved tuning and tensioning apparatus for an electric guitar equipped with a tremolo system, the plurality of guitar strings being tensionly secured between the tremolo bridge and a combination lug guide/nut secured below the headstock of the guitar, the strings secured in the lug guide/nut to a plurality of heaving lugs, each An improved tuning and tensioning apparatus for an electric of the heaving lugs being rigidly secured to a tension post on the headstock, the tension post being rotatable by a selective tensioner, thus allowing the musician to retune and retension the guitar strings in an uninterrupted manner while playing the guitar and utilizing the tremolo system.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to electric guitars, and in particular, electrical guitars which incorporate a tremolo system, which includes a tremolo bar, which selectively, temporarily acts on the guitar strings to allow the musician to achieve a descending or ascending note. Applicant&#39;s apparatus and method allows a musician to selective and continuously maintain, adjust or correct the tension of the guitar strings while performing or practicing with a tremolo system by being able to utilize the tuning tensioners at the headstock of the guitar neck 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Electric guitars are very popular and a variety of electric apparatus have been developed which allow for the sound modification of electric guitars. This allows musicians to create sounds that were previously obtainable only in recording studios or through the use of very expensive sound equipment. 
     On a typical guitar, the strings, usually six in number, are tensioned between the bridge of the guitar, which is normally positioned on the rear end of the guitar body, and the tuning tensioners and take up posts, or tuning machines as they are sometimes referred to, positioned on the headstock at the end of the neck of the guitar. In this form of guitar, the musician would adjust the tensioners to achieve the desired tension of a particular string. 
     A tremolo system was further introduced to electric guitars, which allows the musician to selectively achieve descending notes or ascending notes as desired by either pressing downwardly on the tremolo bar or pulling upwardly on the tremolo bar from the tremolo bars neutral position. 
     In essence, the tremolo system replaces the bridge of the guitar positioned at the rear end of the guitar body. The strings are attached to a locking saddle in the bridge of a tremolo system, which in turn is secured to a tensioning helical spring positioned within the guitar body. The movement of the tremolo bar affects the tensioning of the six guitar strings. 
     The early tremolo systems suffered from the fact that the use of the tremolo bar, more often than not, would affect the tuning of the strings. The early tremolo systems used what is referred to in the trade as a nut. It was essentially a transverse bar at the end of the neck of the guitar having six spaced apart grooves there through accommodating one each of the strings of the guitar, which after passing through the grooves of the nut, where then redirected to the tuning tensioners and posts, or tuning machines. All guitars, whether having a tremolo system, utilize a nut that establishes the upper point of intonation of the guitar, the lower point of intonation being the bridge or tremolo bridge. Activation of the tremolo bar in the early systems would either tension or release tension on the strings to achieve the desired sound, but the return of the tremolo bar to its neutral position did not always insure that the actual guitar strings would return to their desired, preset prior tension. 
     Over the years a locking system was devised to address this problem. It is referred to in the trade as a double locking tremolo system. In it, the guitar strings are mechanically clamped at both points of intonation, that is at the headstock where the nut is positioned and at the bridge of the tremolo bar in a locking saddle. 
     The drawback to this system was that the strings on the nut proximate the headstock of the guitar locked the strings in position and disallowed the musician the ability to adjust tension using the tuning tensioners or tuning machines on the headstock. The system did include an adjustment means on the locking saddle of the bridge at the base of the tremolo system, however, the adjustment using this intonation position was very minor and did not allow the musician the range or travel for correction of the tension. The only recourse was to loosen and then retighten the clamps on the locking nut to allow the musician to use the tuning tensioners or tuning machines on the headstock. This is something not easily accomplished during a performance or practice or tuning. 
     Applicant has developed an apparatus and system which allows the musician to adjust the tension on the guitar strings independently and while performing without resorting to tools to loosen and retighten clamps, etc. It is now locking yet allows excess use of the tremolo system without going out of tune. 
     Objects of the Invention 
     An object of the present invention is to provide for a novel tuning apparatus and system for use with electric guitars equipped with tremolo systems. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel tuning apparatus and system for permitting the musician to selectively and continuously adjust the tension of the strings of the electric guitar while performing and utilizing a tremolo system. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel tuning apparatus and system for tuning the strings of an electric guitar which incorporates a tremolo system, which apparatus can be original equipment on such electric guitar, or can be retrofit to existing electric guitars. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to provide a tuning apparatus and system for electric guitars utilizing a tremolo system which allows the musician a greater range of adjustment of the tension of the strings than previously provided by earlier fine tuning tremolo systems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An improved tuning and tensioning apparatus for an electric guitar equipped with a tremolo system, the plurality of guitar strings being tensionly secured between the tremolo bridge and a combination lug guide/nut secured below the headstock of the guitar, the strings secured in the lug guide/nut to a plurality of heaving lugs, each An improved tuning and tensioning apparatus for an electric of the heaving lugs being rigidly secured to a tension post on the headstock, the tension post being rotatable by a selective tensioner, thus allowing the musician to retune and retension the guitar strings in an uninterrupted manner while playing the guitar and utilizing the tremolo system. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent, particularly when taken in light of the following illustrations wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a typical electric guitar with tremolo bar of the prior art; 
         FIG. 2  is a side cutaway view of the guitar of  FIG. 1  along Plane  2 - 2  illustrating the tremolo bar structure; 
         FIG. 3  is a close up front view of the headstock of an electric guitar which did not incorporate a locking nut; 
         FIG. 4  is a close up view of a headstock incorporating a locking nut of the prior art; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the clamp utilized in the locking nut of the prior art; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a lug guide and heaving lug which would replace the locking clamp; 
         FIG. 7  is a side partial perspective cutaway view of the heaving lug of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of the heaving lug; 
         FIG. 9  is a top view of a pulling tyne connector of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded view of a clamping pivot arm of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 11  is a front close up view of the headstock of an electric guitar incorporating a tremolo system, and which incorporates Applicant&#39;s tensioning apparatus and system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a front view of a typical electric guitar. It consists of a body  10 , neck  12 , headstock  14 , which include a plurality of tensioners  16  and associated posts  17 , and a plurality of strings (not shown), which extend from the tensioners to a tremolo bridge  18 . The guitar body would also include a plurality of pick ups  20 ,  22 , and  24 . Additionally, the electric guitar might contain a selector switch  26  and a volume dial  28  and tone dials  30  and  32 , and a signal output receptacle  34  into which the electrical conduit from an amplifies is plugged. 
     The guitar depicted in  FIG. 1  also contains a tremolo bar  36 . The guitar depicted in  FIG. 1  illustrates the tremolo bar in its earliest configuration for use with an electric guitar. It includes the bar  36  and a bridge  18 . The guitar strings would be secured to the bridge  18 , and then extend up the neck  12  to the tensioners  16 . The various parallel ridges on the neck  12  are identified as frets  40  which serve as guides for the fingers of the musician. The uppermost fret closest to the headstock  14  was commonly referred to in the trade as the nut  42 . It consisted of a raised ridge having a plurality of grooves  43  (See  FIG. 3 ) formed there through as described hereafter, each groove associated with a particular string stretching from the respective tensioner  16  to the tremolo bridge  18 . The nut  42  serves as the upper intonation point for sounds and the tremolo bridge  18  serves as the lower intonation point for sound caused by the vibration of the strings when played. 
       FIG. 2  is a side cutaway view of an electric guitar utilizing a tremolo system along Plane  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1  illustrating the basics of a tremolo system which encompasses and includes a fine tuner  44  and clamping screw  46  associated with the tremolo bridge  18  to allow for adjustments of strings  50  as more fully discussed hereafter. The basics of the tremolo bar are the tremolo bar  36  secured to the tremolo bridge  18 , the tremolo bridge  18  is connected to a vertical pivot arm  52  extending inwardly into the body  10  of the guitar where it is secured to a biasing means  54  in the form of a coil spring which is secured to the vertical pivoting arm  52  and to a fixed point on the interior  58  of the guitar body  10 . In this configuration if the tremolo bar  36  is moved downwardly, that is towards the body  10  of the electric guitar (arrow A), the biasing means or coil spring  54  is longitudinally extended (arrow B), thus creating lesser tension on the strings  50  of the guitar (arrow C), thus trapping string tension between the nut  42  and tension posts  17 . If the tremolo bar  36  is pulled away from the body  10  of the guitar, the amount of tension on the strings  50  is greater because of the pivot mechanism returning the biasing means or coil spring  54  to a lesser length, thus trapping string tension between the nut  42  and the tremolo bridge  18 . 
     In the earliest version of the tremolo bar, the lower end of the strings  50  would be attached directly to the tremolo bridge  18  with no provision for tensioning the strings at the bridge end. As stated and illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the upper ends would be secured across the nut  42  and to a respective tensioner  16 . The initial intention with the tremolo bar system was that in an ideal situation the strings would return to their set tension when the tremolo bar  36  was positioned in a neutral position. However, this was not the case, and as such that the tremolo bar system evolved into a second generation system. The second generation system is illustrated in  FIG. 2  with the introduction of a clamping screw  46  and a knurled fine tuner adjustment  44  which allowed for minor adjustment of the tension of a respective string. This became necessary because of the introduction of a further version of the tremolo bar system comprising a nut  42  which is now transformed into a locking nut system as illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . In  FIG. 3 , it is illustrated that the tensioners  16  are associated with a separate string  50  of the guitar, and the strings  50  will pass through nut  42  having a plurality of grooves  43  there through. 
     In the second version as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , a locking system was developed in which the nut  42  comprises two spaced apart ridges  51  and  52  having aligned grooves  43  for the passage there through of strings  50 . However, this second generation nut has apertures alignable with bores in the neck of the guitar which allows for a series of clamps  56 , which in the case illustrated comprises three clamps, to be secured over the strings  50  and lock the strings  50  into a desired tension as they pass through the spaced apart ridges  51  and  52 . The clamps  56  consist of a block of steel having a central bore  58  there through for receipt of a threaded fastener  60  which would pass through the nut and into a bore in the locking nut frame locking the clamp in position preferably over two strings, there being three clamps to accommodate all six strings. 
     This clamping system as illustrated in  FIG. 4  eliminated the musician&#39;s ability to use the tensioners  16  to adjust tension on the strings while playing the instrument and possibly utilizing the tremolo bar. This limited the musician to use the clamp and fine tuner in association with the tremolo bridge to allow the musician some degree of adjustment while performing (See  FIG. 3 ). However, the amount of adjustment available to the musician through use of the fine tuner on the tremolo bridge is minimal and does not approach the amount that the musician would usually have using tensioners  16 . This represents the present development of the tremolo bar system for electric guitars. There has been a need to improve the system to allow a musician the free use of the tremolo bar in acquiring or achieving a desired sound or note. However, the need also requires that the musician be allowed to adjust the tension on the strings while performing in the event that they become out of tune. Applicant&#39;s device as illustrated hereafter provides this ability to variations to the tremolo system as they exist. 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the improvement Applicant has made to the tuning apparatus and method for use with an electric guitar equipped with a tremolo system. Applicant&#39;s improvement is directed to the neck, and in particular, the locking nut portion of the neck, and the headstock and tensioners.  FIG. 6  illustrates a lug guide/nut  70  and heaving lug  72  slidably receivable within the lug guide/nut. There would be one heaving lug associated with each string  50  of the guitar and a lug guide/nut receptacle  74  for each heaving lug. The lug guide/nut would be formed with throughbores (not shown) in the base  76  of the lug guide/nut for securing the lug guide/nut to the bores in the neck of the guitar which previously secured the locking nut. The lower or bottom end of the lug guide/nut would resemble a portion of a locking nut in that it would consist of a raised ridge  78  extending upwardly from the base  76  of the lug guide/nut  70 , the raised ridge  78  having a plurality of grooves or notches  80  formed there through along its upper surface for guidance and receipt of the strings  50  of the guitar, there being one groove or notch  80  associated with each heaving lug  72 . 
     The heaving lug  72  itself is generally cylindrical in shape having an upstanding fin portion  82 . The heaving lug is slidably receivable into the lug receptacle  74  of the lug guide/nut  70 . Each heaving lug receptacle  74  has a slot  84  longitudinally formed along its upper cylindrical surface for acceptance of the heaving lug fin  82  which slidably positions itself within the slot as the heaving lug is positioned within the heaving lug receptacle  74 . This prevents the twisting or turning of the heaving lug  72  within the heaving lug receptacle  74 . The lower end  86  of the heaving lug  72  contains a bore  88  which extends into the heaving lug and extends and exits proximate the top of the heaving lug fin. The opposing end  90  of heaving lug  72  has secured thereto an arm  92  having an aperture  94  there through for connection to a tensioning rod as more fully explained hereafter. 
       FIG. 7  is a side partial perspective cutaway view of the heaving lug of the present invention. The aperture and bore formed in the heaving lug extends from the lower face  86  to the heaving lug fin  82  at which point it exits and is angled upwardly and dimensioned to receive a string  50  of a guitar. It should be pointed out that on an electric guitar, the strings vary in diameter and some strings are of a narrower diameter than other strings depending upon the type of notes they are intended to play. Therefore, the dimension of the bore within the heaving lug may vary from heaving lug to heaving lug depending upon which string it is associated with. Or, it could be of a common diameter in order to accept the dimension of any string associated with the guitar. The purpose of the bore within the heaving lug is to receive a guitar string  50  as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . The bore is also intended to grasp and secure the guitar string once inserted. To that end, two different securing means are available that could work separately or in conjunction with each other. The first method is a series of teeth  100  angularly positioned within the bore  88 , such that upon the insertion of the guitar string  50  through the bore it can be grasped by the fingers or by a plier and pulled tautly such that the angularly positioned teeth grasp the string and prevent it from being pulled backwardly through bore  88 . A second securing means which could be separate or work in conjunction with the angular teeth would be a set screw  102  positioned on the upper surface of the heaving lug or the heaving lug fin  82  and extending downwardly into the bore  88  which would frictionally engage string  50 . 
       FIG. 8  is a top view of the heaving lug  72  illustrating the body of the heaving lug, the heaving lug fin  82 , rear arm  92 , and aperture  94  for securing the heaving lug to a tension rod, and the upper aperture of bore  88  through which the guitar string  50  would exit after insertion through the aperture in the lower end of the heaving lug. 
       FIG. 9  is a top planar view of a tension rod or pulling tyne connector  110  utilized with each of the heaving lugs  72  and  FIG. 10  is an exploded view of a clamping pivot arm for use in conjunction with the pulling tyne connector  110  and the tensioners  16  positioned on the headstock  14  of the electric guitar. The pulling tyne connector  110  is a rigid rod having a first end  112  and a second end  114 , each end having an aperture  116  there through. One aperture at one end of the pulling tyne would be in contact with and removably secured to the arm  92  and aperture  94  at the upper end  90  of each of the heaving lugs  72  and the opposing end of the pulling tyne  110  would be secured to a clamping pivot arm  120  associated with each of the tensioners  16 . 
     The clamping pivot arm as illustrated in  FIG. 10  serves to clamp around individually, each of the upstanding posts  17  (See  FIG. 1 ) associated with each tensioner. The clamping pivot arm  120  is secured about the post  17  by a threaded fastener  122  to provide a friction fit. It is also further secured by a set screw  124  necessary to provide further secure connection. The clamping pivot arm has an arm extension  126  having an aperture there through which allows the arm extension to be secured to a pulling tyne connector  110  end. 
     It is intended therefore that each heaving lug  72  slidably received within the lug guide/nut  70 , has a guitar string  50  secured thereto and the upper end  90  of each heaving lug  72  is secured by means of a pulling tyne  110  directly to a clamping pivot arm  126  mounted on a post  17  on the headstock  14  which pivot arm is operated by the manipulation of the tensioners  16  on the headstock  14 . 
     Since the tensioners extend upwardly along one side of the headstock  14 , the pulling tynes  110  will necessarily be of varying lengths in order to provide for the differences in distance between their respective heaving lug  72  and its tensioner  16 . Nevertheless, all of the heaving lugs are directly secured by a rigid pulling tyne  110  to a clamping pivot arm. Thus which each of the guitar strings firmly secured within their respective heaving lug  72 , the guitarist can manipulate the tremolo bar to provide for the sounds desired by the musician and the musician is also allowed to correct the tension on the guitar string easily and effectively through use of the headstock tensioners  16  because the strings are no longer locked within the locking nut of the prior art, but are secured to a slidable lug nut which is rigidly secured to a clamping pivot arm which is secured to the post operated by the tensioners. 
       FIG. 11  is a front close up view of the headstock  14 , tensioners  16 , and tension posts  17 .  FIG. 11  illustrates the installation of Applicant&#39;s tuning apparatus. The lug guide/nut  70  has been secured to the neck  12  of the guitar just below the headstock  14 . Each individual heaving lug  72  has been inserted into its respective receptacle  74  with the lug fin  82  slidably extending through respective slots  84 . The pulling tynes  110  have been secured to their respective heaving lug  72  and attached to pivot clamp  120  mounted on a respective tension post  17 . The final step of the assembly involves the insertion of a respective guitar string  50  through a respective groove  80  in ridge  78 , and thence its insertion into bore  88  on the heaving lug  72 . When the respective guitar string has exited bore  88  through its aperture in fin  82 , the guitar string  50  would be grasped by the fingers of the individual or by a pair of pliers and drawn tautly through bore  88 . The angled barbs  100  within bore  88  would prevent the string from moving in the reverse direction, and once the guitar string had been thoroughly pulled through bore  88  such that end  86  of the heaving lug  72  were abutting ridge  78 , the musician would then tighten the set screw  102  to further secure the string within bore  88 . Any excess string at this point could be excised by scissors. In this fashion, the strings are secured to each respective heaving lug and each respective heaving lug is secured to a respective pivot clamp in association with each tensioner  16 . The musician can then fine tune the strings by manipulating the tensioners and moving the heaving lugs and the secured guitar strings the desired distance to acquire the desired tension and note. 
     The original non-locking tremolo systems which are still in use and still manufactured today and is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 3  has its advantages and disadvantages, as does the double locking tremolo system which was developed later than the original non-locking tremolo system and is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
     The original systems have the advantage of the stock or non-locking nut in that it permits the musician to use the tensioners to tune the machines at will without having to resort to additional tools to unlock the nut as required in the double locking tremolo system. The disadvantage is that when the tremolo system is used in the original non-locking tremolo system, the musician will end up more times than not with an unwanted trapping of string tension between the nut and the tuning posts or tuning machines, rendering the guitar out of tune. 
     The later double locking tremolo system has the advantage of the locking nut which allows the guitarist to use the tremolo system to excess, without rendering the guitar out of tune because the possibility of unwanted trapped string tension between the nut and the tuning machine is eliminated by the double locking system. The disadvantage is that you can no longer use the tuning machines at will unless you use tools to unlock the locking nut. 
     Applicant&#39;s invention incorporates the advantages of both and the disadvantages of neither in that there is no locking nut. The musician can always use the tuning machines at will, as well as use the tremolo system to excess without rendering the guitar out of tune because the possibility of unwanted trapped string tension between the nut and the tuning machines has been eliminated because the very guitar string itself between the nut and the tuning machine has been eliminated and replaced by Applicant&#39;s pulling tynes. 
     Therefore, while the present invention has been disclosed with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore manifestly intended that the invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalence thereof.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6