Tuning mechanism

A tuning mechanism for a stringed instrument, the stringed instrument including:

• a body;
• a substantially elongate neck extending from the body;
• a plurality of elongate strings, each string secured to a headstock at a distal end of the neck by a headstock string retainer and to the body by a body string retainer, said strings being tensioned over a span formed between
• a first and a second string supports, respectively located on the body and at, or adjacent, said headstock;
• a tailpiece formed from a plurality of body string retainers;
• said tuning mechanism including:
• a string deflector guide surface,
• a manually adjustable tensioning mechanism, locatable on the body and connected to,
• at least one movable string deflector, contacting a string between said first string support and the tailpiece along a deflection path coincident with the longitudinal axis of the string between said first string support and the tailpiece, said string deflector including;
• a first roller bearing providing rolling contact between the string deflector and the string deflector guide surface, and
• a second roller bearing providing rolling contact between the string deflector and the string between the first string support and the tailpiece along said deflection path,
• wherein, said first and second roller bearings mutually contra-rotating in use as the string deflector moves along the string deflector guide surface and for each string, manual adjustment of the tensioning mechanism produces a commensurate movement of the string deflector generating lateral deflection of the string along the deflection path from contact with the string deflector, said commensurate movement of the string deflector being at least partially along the string deflector guide surface.