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US 2026/0279312 A1Published application
Stringed musical instrument with fretting appendage
AssigneePolyphonic Chromaticism, Inc.
InventorBenjamin M. RANSON
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fretting appendage with a string contactable fretting crown is coupled to a body of a stringed musical instrument. The fretting crown is positioned under a string between a saddle and a neck of the stringed musical instrument. A player uses the wrist of the picking hand to depress the string between the saddle and the fretting crown until the string contacts the fretting crown. A length of the string extending from the fretting crown to a nut on the neck may be sounded by plucking with the thumb of the picking hand.
Claims30
A stringed musical instrument comprising:
- a body;
- a neck comprising a longitudinally rearward end connected to the body and a longitudinally forward end located away from the body;
- a fingerboard connected to the neck;
- a sequence of fingerboard frets on the fingerboard;
- a nut disposed on the longitudinally forward end of the neck;
- a saddle means positioned on the body;
- a block adjustably positionable on the body, wherein the block comprises a fretting crown and a pivot longitudinally spaced from the fretting crown;
- and
- a string contacting the nut, extending above the fingerboard and the fretting crown, and contacting the saddle means,
- wherein a vertical position of the fretting crown is adjustable relative to the string by pivoting the block on the pivot, and
- wherein the fretting crown is positionable to define a wrist fretable note a semitone above an open note of the string.
8 more elements
A stringed musical instrument comprising:
- a body;
- a neck comprising a longitudinally rearward end connected to the body and a longitudinally forward end located away from the body;
- a fingerboard connected to the neck;
- a sequence of fingerboard frets on the fingerboard;
- a nut disposed on the longitudinally forward end of the neck;
- a saddle means positioned on the body;
- a block comprising a fretting crown, wherein the block is adjustably positionable on the body;
- a string contacting the nut, extending above the fingerboard and the fretting crown, and contacting the saddle means;
- and
- a fastener configurable in a non locking configuration and in a locking configuration,
- wherein, when the fastener is in the non locking configuration, i) a longitudinal position of the block is adjustable relative to the saddle means, and ii) a vertical position of the fretting crown is adjustable relative to the string,
- wherein, when the fastener is in the locking configuration, the fastener fixes the longitudinal position of the block and the vertical position of the fretting crown, and
- wherein the fretting crown is positionable to define a wrist fretable note a semitone above an open note of the string.
10 more elements
A stringed musical instrument comprising:
- a body;
- a neck comprising a longitudinally rearward end connected to the body and a longitudinally forward end located away from the body;
- a fingerboard connected to the neck;
- a sequence of fingerboard frets on the fingerboard;
- a nut disposed on the longitudinally forward end of the neck;
- a saddle means positioned on the body;
- a block comprising a fretting crown,
- a plurality of strings, each i) contacting the nut, ii) extending above the fingerboard, and iii) contacting the saddle means,
- wherein the plurality of strings are laterally spaced from one another,
- wherein a lateral string spacing is defined by a spacing, at the saddle means, between two consecutive strings of the plurality of strings,
- wherein the block is adjustably positionable on the body, with the fretting crown disposed i) longitudinally forward of the saddle means and ii) under a proto string of the plurality of strings,
- wherein the block has a lateral width less than 200% of the lateral string spacing,
- wherein the block is positionable such that the fretting crown defines a wrist fretable note a semitone above an open note of the proto string, and
- wherein a vertical position of the fretting crown is adjustable relative to the proto string.
11 more elements
A stringed musical instrument comprising:
- a body;
- a neck comprising a longitudinally rearward end connected to the body and a longitudinally forward end located away from the body;
- a fingerboard connected to the neck;
- a sequence of fingerboard frets on the fingerboard;
- a nut disposed on the longitudinally forward end of the neck;
- a saddle means positioned on the body;
- a block comprising a fretting crown, wherein the block is adjustably positionable on the body;
- a string contacting the nut, extending above the fingerboard and the fretting crown, and contacting the saddle means;
- and
- a height screw configured to adjust a vertical position of the fretting crown,
- wherein turning the height screw in a first direction adjusts the vertical position of the fretting crown upward, moving the fretting crown toward the string,
- wherein turning the height screw in a second direction adjusts the vertical position of the fretting crown downward, moving the fretting crown away from the string,
- wherein a longitudinal position of the block is adjustable relative to the saddle means,
- wherein the height screw is further configured to support the vertical position of the fretting crown during adjustment of the longitudinal position of the block;
- and
- wherein the fretting crown is positionable to define a wrist fretable note a semitone above an open note of the string.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.