Improvements in Stringed Musical Instruments.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left. 30th May. 1890-Accepted, 12th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stringed Musical Instruments.
I, LUCIUS VIRGIL BARNARD, of 16, Robbins Avenue, Pittsfield, in the County of
Berkshire, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Leader of Orchestra,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:―
This Invention relates to stringed instruments of the violin class, such as violins,
'cellos, double-bass, etc., and its object is to provide a musical instrument which has
a superior quality, volume, and compass of tone, with great capacity for active
execution.
The Invention consists of a neck and finger board elevated above the belly and
extending over part of the same to within a short distance of the bridge. The inven
tion also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be
hereinafter fully described.
The improved musical instrument is provided with a belly connected by the sides
or ribs with the back, so as to form the body portion of the instrument. On the
upper end of the body is secured the tenon or post which supports the neck carrying
the finger board and the scroll or lead, which latter is provided with the usual pins
for tuning the strings. The neck extends downward and upward from the tenon so
as to project at the lower part over a portion of the belly and in the left side of
the said neck is formed a curved recess inverted at the top to give convexity to the
under side of the neck and extending from the scroll to a transverse stop in the lower
end of the said neck. The curved recess is adapted to receive the thumb of the
player's left hand so as to guide the hand up and down on the finger board very
conveniently when pressing the strings. I may also make use of other forms of
recess.
The finger board projects a short distance below the lower end of the neck, so as
to be within a short distance of the bridge. I make the neck to serve the purpose
of, and to be identical with, the finger board. Between the upper end of the finger
board and the commencement, of the scroll is placed the usual nut over which the
strings pass.
At each side of the bridge in the belly are formed the usual S-shaped
side holes and on the lower end of the belly is arranged the end pin and usual tail-
piece to which the strings are fastened. The upper end of the left rib of the body of
the instrument is S-shaped while the other side is provided with the usual waste.
The part of the belly over the S-shaped upper end of the rib, is flattened downward,
so as to give sufficient room for the operator's hand, wrist, and fore-arm, so as to
move the same in proper position unobstructed from the lowest to the highest notes
on the finger board.
The instrument is preferably provided with five strings, tuned by fifths, the higher
strings corresponding in pitch to the middle and upper registers of the soprano voice
to which they also bear a striking resemblance in quality of tone.
The body part of the instrument is about twenty-three inches long, and, with the
neck and scroll included, measures about thirty-five inches. The width of the large
end of the body is fourteen inches, and the small end about ten inches. The depth
of the instrument is about three inches, with a moderate swell in the belly and
back.
The strings are arranged as follows; The or first string is preferably about
three-fourths the size of the a violin string, the second string is three-fourths the
size of the d violin string, the third string is about three-fourths the size of the
d'cello string, the fourth is a small g 'cello string, and the fifth is a small e 'cello
string. I may however, remove the or first string and make e to be the first string,

page_text: and thus the instrument receives a capacity to perform 'cello parts perfectly and
with great advantage in fingering, the stops being much shorter and easier to reach
than those on the 'cello.
It will be seen that, by elevating and extending the neck over the belly, an
uninterrupted passage under the neck or finger board is formed for the thumb,
whereby the performer may guide his hand and carry it deftly from the first to the
highest position without obstruction at the shoulder, where the neck joins the body
and where, on all other instruments of this class, the thumb is obstructed in passing
to the highest positions on the finger board. The special form of the left rib and the
bent down part of the belly perinits the performer to move his hand and arm easily
to any desired position on the finger board.
The instrument enables the performer to bring into action every note the strings
are capable of, with wonderful facility, giving a control of the fingering unapproached
by any other instrument of its class. The sweet, rich, mellow, and sympathetic
quality with the fulness, and great resonance, of tone, imparted by the large vibratory
surfaces of the body make the instrument of special value. The instrument possesses
a distinctive tone throughout, it being of a marked difference from that of the
violin, viola, or "cello.
•
When played the instrument is held in the lap with the back toward the performer
the scroll in front of the left shoulder and the lower right rib of the side resting
against the right leg just above the knee, the first string being at the left. By
attaching a small strap to the end pin and the opposite end of the strap to the chair
of the performer the strap passing under the instrument and over the left side of
the lap, the instrument is held with the utmost ease and for a great length of
time, without becoming tiresome. By passing a strap under the extended part of
the neck and over the performer's neck, the instrument is easily played while standing
or walking.
The remarkable facility the instrument affords for rapid and varied execution,
its capacity for two or three parts at once, its effectiveness in and particular
adaptation for pizzicato, harmonics, and for all the exquisite effects of the glido,
that the violin is capable of, together with its great compass of tone reaching
from the lowest notes of the 'cello to near the highest tones of the violin, and
the convenience and gracefulness with which it is held during performance either by
a lady or gentleman, eminently adapt the instrument for solo performance, accom-
panying the voice, and other varied and important uses..
Dated this 23rd day of September 1889.
1. V. BARNARD.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Stringed Musical Instruments.
I, LUCIUS VIRGIL BARNARD of 16, Robbins Avenue, Pittsfield, in the County of
Berkshire, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Leader of Orchestra,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
-statement:-
This Invention relates to stringed instruments of the violin class, such as violins,
cellos, double-bass, etc., and its object is to provide a musical instrument named
"Agillo" which has a superior quality volume, and compass of tone, with great
capacity for active execution.
The Invention consists of a neck and finger board elevated above the belly and
extending over part of the same to within a short distance of the bridge..
The Invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the
sime, as will be hereinafter fully described and then pointed out in the claims.

page_text: Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming
specification, in which figure 1 is a plan view of the improvement.
side elevation of the same. Figure 3 is a transverse section of
line figure 1, and figures 4 and 5 are diagrams of the strings.
of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
part of this
Figure 2 is a
the same, on
Similar letters
The improved musical instrument. A is provided with a belly B connected by the
sides or ribs Cand D with the back E so as to form the body portion of the instrument.
On the upper end of the body is secured the tenon or post F which supports the
neck G carrying the finger board H and the scroll or head I. The latter is provided
with the usual pins for tuning the strings. The neck G extends downward and
apward from the tenon F so as to project at the lower part over a portion of the
belly B and in the left side of the said neck is formed a curved recess G inverted at
the top to give convexity to the under side of the neck and extending from the scroll I
to a transverse stop G2 in the lower end of the said neck G. The curved recess G'
is adapted to receive the thumb of the player's left hand so as to guide the hand up
and down on the finger board H very conveniently when pressing the strings. I may
also make use of other forms of recess than the one shewn.
The finger board H projects a short distance below the lower end of the neck G
so as to be within a short distance of the bridge K. I make the neck to servo
the purpose of, and to be identical with, the finger board. Between the upper
end of the finger board and the commencement of the scroll I is placed the usual
nut over which the strings pass. At each side of the bridge K in the belly Bare
formed the usual S-shaped side holes and on the lower end of the belly B is
arranged the end pin and usual tail piece N to which the strings are fastened. The
upper end of the left rib C of the body of the instrument is S-shaped, as is plainly
shewn in figure 1, while the other side D is provided with the usual waist, as shewn.
The part B of the belly Bover the S-shaped upper end of the rib is flattened
downward so as to give sufficient room for the operator's hand, wrist and fore-arm, so
as to move the same in proper position unobstructed, from the lowest to the bigliest
notes on the finger board H.
The instrument is preferably provided with five strings turned by fifths the
higher strings corresponding in pitch to the middle and upper registers of the
soprano voice to which they also bear a striking resemblance in quality of tone..
The body part of the instrument is about 23 inches long and with the neck and
scroll included measures about 35 inches. The width of the large end of the body is
14 inches and the small end about 10 inches. The depth of the instrument is about
inches with a moderate swell in the belly and back. The strings are arranged as
shown in figure 4, and the or first siring is preferably about three-fourths the size
of the a violin string, the second string is three-fourths the size of the d violin
string, the third string is about three-fourths the size of the d 'cello string, the
fourth is a small g 'cello string, and the fifth is a small e 'cello string. J may,
however, remove the or first string and make e to be the first string, as shewn
in figure 5, and thus the instrument receives a capacity to perform 'cello parts
perfectly and with great advantage in fingering, the stops being much shorter and
easier to reach than those on the 'cello.
It will be seen that by elevating and extending the neck over the belly an
uninterrupted passage under the neck or finger board is formed for the thumb
whereby the performer may guide his hand and carry it deftly from the first to
the highest position without obstruction at the shoulder where the neck joins the body
and where, on all other instruments of this class, the thumb is obstructed in passing
to the highest positions on the finger board. The special form of the rib and the
bent down part B1 of the belly B permits the performer to move his hand and arm
easily to any desired position on the finger board.
The instrument enables the performer to bring into action every note the strings
are capable of with wonderful facility giving a control of the fingering unapproached
by any other instrument of its class. The sweet, rich, mellow, and sympathetic
quality, with the fulness and great resonance of tone imparted by the large vibratory

page_text: surfaces of the body make the instrument of special value. The instrument possesses
a distinctive tone throughout, it being of a marked difference from that of the violin,
viola, or 'cello.
When played, the instrument is held in the lap with the back towards the performer,
the scroll in front of the left shoulder, and the lower right rib of the side resting
against the right leg just above the knee, the first string being at the left. By
attaching a small strap to the end pin N and the opposite end of the strap to the chair
of the performer, the strap passing under the instrument and over the left side of the
lap, the instrument is held with the utmost ease and for a great length of time,
without becoming tiresome. By passing a strap under the extended part of the
neck and over the performer's neck, the instrument is easily played while standing or
walking.
The remarkable facility the instrument affords for rapid and varied execution, its
capacity for two or three paris at once, its effectiveness in, and particular adaptation
for, pizzicato harmonics and for all the exquisite effects of the glide that the violin
is capable of, together with its great compass of tone, reaching from the lowest notes
of the cello to near the highest tones of the violin, and the convenience and grace-
fulness with which it is held during performance, either by a lady or gentleman,
eminently adapt the instrument for solo, orchestra, accompanying the voice, and other
important uses. .
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;
1. A siringed musical instrument of the violin class provided with a finger
board elevated above the belly and extending over part of the same and provided
with a continuous passage for the thumb, substantially as shewn and described.
2. A stringed musical instrument of the violin class provided with a neck elevated
above the belly and extending over part of the same and provided with a passage for
the thumb, substantially as shewn and described.
3. In a stringed musical instrument of the violin class, the combination, with the
body part, of the neck secured on the upper end of the said body part and elevated
above the belly and extending over part of the same, said neck being also provided
with a groove or space for the reception of the thumb a finger board held on the said
neck or said neck serving alone as finger board and extending to within a short
distance of the bridge, substantially as slewn and described.
4. In a stringed musical instrument of the violin class, the combination, with the
body part having the upper end of one side S-shaped and part of the belly of this
side flattened down, of a neck secured on the upper end of the body part elevated
above the belly and extending over part of the same, and provided with a passage for
the thumb, substantially as shewn and described.
5. In a stringed musical instrument of the violin class, the combination, with the
body part, of a neck secured to the body part elevated above the belly and extending
over part of the same and provided with a passage for the thumb, a finger board
secured on the neck and extending to within a short distance of the side of the bridge
and a scroll secured on the end of the said neck and carrying the usual pins for
tuning the strings, substantially as shewn and described.
Dated this 30th day of May 1800
Dated this 30th day of May 1800
"
L. V. BARNARD.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.