Improvements in Musical Instruments.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 13th July, 1893-Accepted, 19th Aug., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Musical Instruments.
I, JOHN FREDERICK CHARLES ABELSPIES of 234 Great Western Road
Glasgow Teacher and Composer of Music do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved musical instrument, which may be termed
a harp guitar, as it combines along with a guitar of ordinary or special construction,
a number of strings, strung after the manner of a harp, and plucked by the fingers
as in that instrument. The object of this invention is to provide an instrument,
such as a guitar, which shall have a much greater and richer volume of sound, and
on which music played in any key can be produced with equal effect.
In carrying out my invention, the guitar is provided with a metal frame to which
all the strings are attached at one end. This frame does not rest on the belly of
the instrument, but is raised slightly above it and fastened by means of screws at
the end and at each side, to small blocks, fixed at suitable points inside the
instrument, at the edges. The bar to which the strings are attached is furnished
with holes, and other suitable means, if desired, for fastening the strings, and
extends for a considerable distance across the instrument, to allow for the increased
number of strings. The strain is thus taken off the belly and distributed better
over the instrument. The usual bridge is of course provided, over which the
strings pass.
A number of strings, preferably five, at the outer side, proceed to the end of the
finger board, which is of the ordinary construction, with raised lines or frets.
marking the notes, and are there fastened by tuning keys in any suitable manner.
At the end of the finger board is situated one end of a frame, somewhat after the
style of a harp frame, which projects outwards with a suitable curve far enough to
allow the remainder of the strings to be fastened in a similar manner by keys.
A rod or stay projects from the end of this upper bar, to the lower end of the
instrument passing through the body to the footblock inside, and fixed there by
any suitable means.
The whole frame is thus firmly fixed and takes off much of the strain from the
body of the instrument.
The last mentioned set of strings have no fingerboard, and are not stopped by the
fingers, the whole string vibrating, and they are generally of lower pitch than
the stopped string, the lower notes thus always coming out clearly when played on
these strings.
According to the arrangement I find most desirable, the strings are arranged in
the following order-The five strings stretched over the finger board are tuned in the
order e, b, g, eb, bb and the remaining strings preferably eleven in number, in the
order, f, c, g, d, a, e, b, fr, geb.

page_text: All of the major and minor keys can be played with ease on this instrument, and
the flat and minor keys which are very ineffective, and difficult to play, on the
ordinary guitar, are brought out as clearly and with as good effect as the simplest
major keys, as all the bass notes in whatever key can be played with open strings,
the strings from the 4th on the ordinary or finger board set, to the 16th, or 11th
on the harp set, giving the chromatic scale from eb to eþ, without requiring
stopping.
The strings are tuned in the manner described, (in fifths) in order to bring the
chords more conveniently to the fingers, as the dominant and subdominant bass
lie together, and any bass figure can be played without interfering with the chords.
The strings all resting on the bridge transfer their vibration to the belly of the
instrument, which being comparatively free from strain, can respond readily and
give out a much greater volume of sound than that obtained from an ordinary
guitar, each note also being given with greater clearness.
Dated this 14th day of October 1892.
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Musical Instruments.
1, JOHN FREDERICK CHARLES ABELSPIES, of 234 Great Western Road,
Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland, Teacher & Composer of Music, 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 an improved musical instrument, which may be termed
a harp-guitar, as it combines along with a guitar of ordinary or special construction,
a number of strings strung after the manner of a harp and plucked by the fingers
as in that instrument.
The object of this invention is to provide an instrument, such as a guitar, which
shall have a much greater and richer volume of sound, and on which music played
in any key can be produced with equal effect. In carrying out my invention, the
guitar is provided with a metal frame, to which all the strings are attached at one
end. This frame does not rest on the belly of the instrument, but is raised slightly
above it, and fastened by means of screws at the end and at each side, to small
blocks, fixed at suitable points inside the instrument at the edges. The bar to
which the strings are attached are furnished with holes and other suitable means
if desired, for fastening the strings, and extends for a considerable distance across
the instruments, to allow for the increased number of strings. The strain is thus
taken off the belly and distributed better over the instrument. The usual bridge
is of course provided over which the strings pass. A number of strings, preferably
five, at the outer side, proceed to the end of the finger board, which is of the
ordinary construction, with raised lines or frets marking the notes, and are there
fastened by tuning keys in any suitable manner. At the end of the finger board
is situated one end of a frame, somewhat after the style of a harp frame, which
projects outwards, with a suitable curve, far enough to allow the remainder of the
strings to be fastened in a similar manner by keys.
A rod or stay projects, from the end of this upper bar, to the lower end of the
instrument, passing through the body to the foot block inside, and fixed there by
any suitable means. The whole frame is thus firmly fixed and takes off much of
the strain from the body of the instrument.
The last mentioned set of strings have no finger board, and are not stopped by
the fingers, the whole string vibrating, and they are generally of lower pitch than
the stopped strings, the lower notes thus always coming out clearly when played on
these strings.

page_text: According to the arrangement I find most desirable, the strings are arranged in
the following order :-The five strings stretched over the finger board are tuned,
in the order e, b, g, eb, bb, and the remaining strings, preferably eleven in number,
in the order f, c, g, d, a, e, b, fr, c, g, eb.
The finger board having one string less than the ordinary guitar is thus more
easily manipulated, as the hand has not so far to stretch, the sixth string not being
required with the added strings. All of the major and minor keys can be played
with ease on this instrument, and the flat and minor keys which are very ineffective
and difficult to play on the ordinary guitar, are brought out as clearly and with as
good effect as the simplest major keys, as all the bass notes in whatever key can
be played with open strings, the strings from the 4th on the ordinary or finger
board set to the 16th or 11th on the harp set, giving the chromatic scale from eb
to eb, without requiring stopping. The strings are tuned in the manner described
(in fifths), in order to bring the chords more conveniently to the fingers, as the
dominant and subdominant bass lie together, and any bass figure can be played
without interfering with the chords. The strings all resting on the bridge, transfer
their vibration to the belly of the instrument, which being comparatively free from
strain, can respond readily and give out a much greater volume of sound than that
obtained from an ordinary guitar, each note also being given with greater clearness.
In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, reference is had to the
accompanying drawing, which shows an instrument after the form of a guitar with
my improved arrangement applied. A is the body of the instrument, having the
finger board B of the ordinary construction, but with the end formed by the curved
piece or head C, to which all the strings are attached, forming part of the frame.
The rod D extends from the other end of this piece through the body A, to a
block E, at the bottom of the instrument, thus completing the frame and bearing
the greater part of the strain on the instrument caused by the strings. To this
block and to two other blocks F, situated one on each side, is fixed by means of
screws or otherwise the frame G, to the upper bar g of which the lower ends of the
strings are attached, passing over the bridge H to the top C, the set b belonging to
the finger board and stopped and played in the manner usual in such instruments,
and the set c being attached to the outer side of the frame. All the strings are
fastened by means of the tuning pegs b' and c¹, of any ordinary or special con-
struction and are tuned in the usual manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. In an instrument of the kind described the combination of a frame C D, fixed
to the top of the finger board, and to a block E in the lower end of the body A,
carrying a supplementary set of strings, with a metal frame G also fixed to the
block E, to the upper bar g of which the strings are attached, substantially as
described and for the purposes specified.
2. An instrument of the kind described having three blocks E and F, one at the
bottom of the instrument and one at each side, the frame C D fixed to the top of
the finger board and to the block E and serving to carry a supplementary set of
strings, and the frame G, fixed to the three blocks E and F, to the upper bar
of which the strings are attached, the whole constructed as described and shown
and for the purposes specified.
g

page_text: 3. The improved instrument combining the harp principle with the guitar,.
constructed substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying sheet of
drawings and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 13th day of July 1893.
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.