Patent ID: 7045693

Claim:
A removable bridge assembly for a stringed musical instrument having an instrument body and at least one string, said bridge assembly comprising: a) a bridge base carrying at least one string holder for securing an end of a string of the musical instrument; b) a support mechanism mountable to the instrument body and having a bridge engagement portion, said bridge engagement portion being releasably mateable with said bridge base to mount said bridge base on the instrument body in a position to place the string secured by said at least one string holder under tension; and c) a latch mechanism carried by one of said bridge base and the body of the musical instrument and releasably engageable with the other of said bridge base and the instrument body, said latch mechanism being positionable in a latching position and a release position, said latch mechanism when in said latching position securing said bridge base in mating engagement with said bridge engagement portion of said bridge support mechanism so that the string secured by said at least one string holder is under tension on the instrument body to permit play of the instrument, and said latch mechanism when in said release position permitting movement of said bridge base relative to said support mechanism to release the tension on the string secured by said at least one string holder, and to thereby permit disengagement of said bridge base from said bridge engagement portion.