Stringed instrument
OwnerTerry Martin Swaninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A stringed musical instrument is disclosed, taking the form of a banjo in the preferred embodiment. Securing means 205 are provided for securing ends of strings 203 and a bridge 206 supports the strings to facilitate the playing of the instrument. The bridge is supported by a flexible sheet-like material 302 to facilitate the production of the distinctive banjo sound. Transducers 403 and 404 are placed in physical contact with the sheet-like material and physical properties of the material are configured so as to reduce the influence of ambient acoustics when compared to an exclusively acoustic instrument. In this way, a substantially banjo-like sound can be produced when an electrical signal derived from the transducers is amplified.
Claims26
A stringed musical instrument having a plurality of strings;
- means for securing ends of said strings and a floating bridge for supporting said strings, wherein said floating bridge is supported by a flexible membrane;
- at least one transducer is held between said flexible membrane and said floating bridge;
- and
- physical properties of said membrane are configured so as to reduce the influence of ambient acoustics.
A method of fabricating a stringed musical instrument having a plurality of strings, securing means for securing ends of said strings and a bridge for supporting said strings, said method comprising the steps of
- supporting a flexible membrane within a housing for the musical instrument;
- placing at least one transducer in physical contact with said membrane such that it is held between said membrane and said floating bridge;
- and
- configuring said membrane so as to reduce the influence of ambient acoustics.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.