Patent ID: 8569603

Claim:
A tremolo device for use on a musical instrument having a body, a head, and a neck extending therebetween to define a longitudinal axis, and a plurality of strings under tension aligned with the neck, said device comprising: a bridge structure resiliently supportable relative to the body for rotation about a pivot axis transverse to the longitudinal axis; a plurality of string retaining elements positioned on said bridge structure and movable therewith, each respective string retaining element being dimensioned and arranged to engage a corresponding one of said plurality of strings wherein pivoting of said bridge structure in a first direction relative to the body increases tension in said strings and pivoting of said bridge structure in a second direction relative to the body decreases tension in said strings whereby on vibration of said strings a tremolo effect is produced; and an actuating lever attached to said bridge structure and movable therewith, said actuating lever extending rearwardly from a point of attachment to said bridge structure to a point further away from the neck and pivot axis than the point of attachment, wherein said actuating lever defines a joining surface and an abutment engageable with a rear edge surface of the bridge structure, said abutment and joining surface being dimensioned and arranged to maintain the actuating lever in a fixed rearwardly extending position relative to the bridge structure.