Tuning apparatus for stringed musical instruments with dual-action cam clamp assembly and easy-to-adjust rocker arms

A tuning apparatus for a musical instrument comprising an elongated neck comprising a front surface over which a plurality of strings is stretched, comprising:

• a neck-gripping assembly which is adapted to removably attach to a desired longitudinal position on the neck of the musical instrument and which comprises a rocker arm shaft;
• and
• a plurality of string-contacting members,
• each of the string-contacting members comprising a rocker arm and rocker hammer, wherein the rocker arm is rotatably supported by the rocker arm shaft at a proximal portion of the rocker arm,
• the rocker arm comprising,
• a string-contacting tip element disposed on a proximal end of the rocker arm,
• an elongated distal portion on which the rocker hammer is slidably disposed, said rocker hammer having a pair of string-contacting hammer elements that are on opposite sides of the rocker hammer and oriented in a traverse relationship to the elongated distal portion of the rocker arm,
• a release mechanism having a pull release, said pull release being engaged by pulling a pull release button disposed at a distal end of the elongated distal portion of the rocker arm in a distal direction which allows the rocker arm to be rotated about a longitudinal axis of the rocker arm shaft independently of the other string-contacting members, and which when disengaged by releasing the pull release button results in the rocker arm being rotationally locked in place at its current rotational position, and
• each of the string-contacting members also being adapted to impinge upon and urge either a different string or course of strings toward a user-selectable one of three different longitudinal impinging positions on said front surface or not impinge upon and urge a string or course of strings whenever the string-contacting member is placed in user-selectable longitudinal open positions, said three different longitudinal impinging positions comprising a home position in which the string-contacting tip element is in contact with a string or course of strings, a home−1 position that is closer to a headstock end of the neck than the home position and in which one of the string-contacting hammer elements is in contact with the string or course of strings, and a home+1 position that is farther from the headstock end of the neck than the home position and in which the other string-contacting hammer element is in contact with the string or course of strings, and said longitudinal open positions comprising longitudinal positions in-between the home−1 position and the home position or in-between the home position and the home+1 position.

A tuning apparatus for a musical instrument comprising an elongated neck comprising a front surface over which a plurality of strings is stretched, comprising:

• a neck-gripping assembly which is adapted to removably attach to a desired longitudinal position on the neck of the musical instrument and which comprises a rocker arm shaft;
• and
• a plurality of string-contacting members,
• each of the string-contacting members comprising a rocker arm and a rocker hammer, wherein the rocker arm is rotatably supported by the rocker arm shaft at a proximal portion of the rocker arm,
• the rocker arm comprising,
• a string-contacting tip element disposed on a proximal end of the rocker arm,
• an elongated distal portion on which the rocker hammer is slidably disposed, said rocker hammer having a pair of string-contacting hammer elements that are on opposite sides of the rocker hammer and oriented in a traverse relationship to the elongated distal portion of the rocker arm,
• a release mechanism having a push release, said push release being engaged by pushing a push release button disposed at a distal end of the elongated distal portion of the rocker arm in a proximal direction which allows the rocker arm to be rotated about a longitudinal axis of the rocker arm shaft independently of the other string-contacting members, and which when disengaged by releasing the push release button results in the rocker arm being rotationally locked in place at its current rotational position, and
• each of the string-contacting members being adapted to impinge upon and urge either a different string or course of strings toward a user-selectable one of three different longitudinal impinging positions on said front surface or not impinge upon and urge a string or course of strings whenever the string-contacting member is placed in user-selectable longitudinal open positions, said three different longitudinal impinging positions comprising a home position in which the string-contacting tip element is in contact with a string or course of strings, a home−1 position that is closer to a headstock end of the neck than the home position and in which one of the string-contacting hammer elements is in contact with the string or course of strings, and a home+1 position that is farther from the headstock end of the neck than the home position and in which the other string-contacting hammer element is in contact with the string or course of strings, and said longitudinal open positions comprising longitudinal positions in-between the home−1 position and the home position or in-between the home position and the home+1 position.

A tuning apparatus for a musical instrument comprising an elongated neck comprising a front surface over which a plurality of strings is stretched, comprising:

• a neck-gripping assembly which is adapted to removably attach to a desired longitudinal position on the neck of the musical instrument and which comprises a rocker arm shaft;
• and
• a plurality of string-contacting members,
• each of the string-contacting members comprising a rocker arm and a rocker hammer, wherein the rocker arm is rotatably supported by the rocker arm shaft at a proximal portion of the rocker arm,
• the rocker arm comprising,
• a string-contacting tip element disposed on a proximal end of the rocker arm, which comprises a wheel mechanism that whenever the rocker arm is rotated to place the string-contacting tip element into a home position, the wheel mechanism contacts and rolls along a string or course of strings and once the string-contacting tip element is in the home position, the wheel mechanism is urged toward and applies pressure on the string or course of strings,
• an elongated distal portion on which the rocker hammer is slidably disposed, said rocker hammer having a pair of string-contacting hammer elements that are on opposite sides of the rocker hammer and oriented in a traverse relationship to the elongated distal portion of the rocker arm,
• a release mechanism which when engaged allows the rocker arm to be rotated about a longitudinal axis of the rocker arm shaft independently of the other string-contacting members, and which when disengaged results in the rocker arm being rotationally locked in place at its current rotational position, and
• each of the string-contacting members being adapted to impinge upon and urge either a different string or course of strings toward a user-selectable one of three different longitudinal impinging positions on said front surface or not impinge upon and urge a string or course of strings whenever the string-contacting member is placed in user-selectable longitudinal open positions, said three different longitudinal impinging positions comprising said home position in which the string-contacting tip element is in contact with a string or course of strings, a home−1 position that is closer to a headstock end of the neck than the home position and in which one of the string-contacting hammer elements is in contact with the string or course of strings, and a home+1 position that is farther from the headstock end of the neck than the home position and in which the other string-contacting hammer element is in contact with the string or course of strings, and said longitudinal open positions comprising longitudinal positions in-between the home−1 position and the home position or in-between the home position and the home+1 position.