Tuning systems for stringed instruments

A stringed instrument comprising:

• a body;
• a neck attached to said body;
• a fretboard arranged on said neck, said fretboard having a first end and a second end;
• a nut mounted on said neck at one end of said fretboard;
• a bridge including a plurality of rotatable pegs rotatably mounted on said body spaced from an opposing end of said fretboard, said plurality of rotatable pegs comprising a top surface, each said top surface including a bridge critical contact surface and a groove extending across corresponding bridge critical contact surfaces;
• and a plurality of strings having a first end and a second positioned and extending across and in contact with said nut and said bridge critical contact surfaces, said bridge critical contact surfaces being movable between a first position at which they are relatively close to said first end of corresponding ones of said plurality of strings and a second position at which they are further from said first end of corresponding ones of said plurality of strings.

A stringed instrument comprising:

• a body;
• a neck attached to said body;
• a fretboard having a first end and a second end arranged on said neck;
• a nut mounted on said neck at one end of said fretboard;
• a plurality of string holders mounted on said neck adjacent said nut;
• a plurality of saddles mounted on said body spaced from an opposing end of said fretboard and said plurality of string holders;
• a plurality of bridge critical contact surfaces associated with corresponding ones of said plurality of saddles;
• a plurality of strings each having a first end and a second end and a predetermined length extending between said first and second ends, said plurality of strings being placed under tension with said first end secured within corresponding ones of said plurality of saddles and said second end secured within corresponding ones of said plurality of string holders, each of said plurality of strings being arranged to contact said nut and corresponding ones of said plurality of bridge critical contact surfaces so that musical notes are obtained upon strumming or plucking of said strings;
• and a plurality of adjustable tuning knobs operatively associated with corresponding ones of said plurality of saddles for obtaining simultaneous pitch and harmonic tuning, the quantity of said string holders being selected to correspond with the quantity of said saddles and said strings and said adjustable tuning knobs so that a one-tone relationship exists between each of said string holders, said strings, said saddles and said adjustable tuning knobs.

A bridge assembly for use with a stringed instrument, said stringed instrument having a body, a neck attached to said body, a fretboard arranged on said neck, a nut mounted on said neck at one end of said fretboard, a plurality of strings each having a first end and a second end and a predetermined length extending between said first and second ends, and a string holder assembly for retaining said second end of said plurality of strings, said plurality of strings being placed under tension to produce musical notes upon strumming or plucking thereof, said bridge assembly comprising:

• a base adapted to be mounted on said body spaced from an end of the fretboard opposing the nut;
• a plurality of saddles pivotally connected to said base adapted to retain the first end of corresponding ones of said plurality of strings;
• a plurality of bridge critical contact surfaces spaced from corresponding ones of said plurality of saddles and arranged at an adjustable distance with respect to said nut and a tuning mechanism adapted to simultaneously perform pitch and harmonic tuning of selected ones of the plurality of strings by selectively adjusting said distance between said nut and said bridge critical contact surfaces and simultaneously adjusting the tension in corresponding ones of said plurality of strings, said tuning mechanism including a plurality of tuning devices, each said tuning device being associated with one of said plurality of strings whereby selective adjustment of each said tuning device accomplishes convergence tuning of a single associated one of said plurality of strings.

A stringed instrument comprising:

• a body;
• a neck attached to said body;
• a fretboard arranged on said neck;
• a nut mounted on said neck at one end of said fretboard;
• a bridge including a plurality of bridge critical contact surfaces mounted on said body spaced from an opposing end of said fretboard, said plurality of bridge critical contact surfaces arranged at a selectively adjustable distance from said nut;
• a plurality of strings each having a first end and a second end and a predetermined length extending between said first and second ends, said plurality of strings arranged in contact with corresponding ones of said bridge critical contact surfaces and said nut and extending thereacross and being placed under tension to permit obtaining of musical notes upon strumming or plucking thereof;
• and convergence tuning means for obtaining at least pitch and harmonic tuning of all of said plurality of strings at the same time.