Stringed instrument fretboard for use with light-system
AssigneeOptek Music Systems, Inc.
InventorJohn R. Shaffer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fingerboard (or fretboard) for use with a stringed instrument and light-system is disclosed and has a bottom surface adapted to mate or be attached to a neck of the instrument, and has wells extending from the bottom surface toward, but not through, a top surface. The wells are sized to receive a light-emitting device, such as LEDs, and are positioned along the fingerboard according to finger positions of the instrument. Illumination from the light-emitting devices is visible to a player of the instrument, however, when the devices are not illuminated, the fingerboard appears substantially as one made without the wells. The structure is useful for learning to play the instrument, while not appearing as a learning device.
Claims28
A stringed instrument comprising:
- a wooden neck having an upper and lower surface;
- a body;
- and
- a fretboard having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface having a size and shape corresponding to at least a portion of the neck, wherein at least a portion of the fretboard is formed of a translucent material, the fretboard further comprising at least one opening in the bottom surface and at least one well extending therefrom toward, but not through, the top surface, the well having a height measured from the bottom surface to allow light from a concealed light-emitting device positioned substantially within the well to be visible to a player of the instrument when illuminated and to substantially hide visual detection of the concealed light-emitting device when not illuminated, and wherein the top surface of the fretboard has a convex shape and the fretboard further comprises multiple wells generally positioned along a transverse axis and having differing heights, and wherein the thickness of fretboard material between each well top and the convex top surface is generally constant.
A neck assembly for a stringed instrument comprising:
- an elongated neck having a head end and a body end, and comprising wood, the body end adapted to mate with a body of a stringed instrument;
- an elongated fingerboard structure comprising a translucent polymer and having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface sized to be disposed on the neck, and wherein the top surface has a convex shape and the elongated fingerboard structure further comprises multiple wells generally positioned alone a transverse axis and having differing heights, and wherein the thickness of the translucent polymer between each well top and the convex top surface is generally constant;
- and
- multiple concealed light emitting devices positioned substantially between the neck and the fingerboard structure for indicating finger positions, wherein the concealed light-emitting devices are substantially hidden when not illuminated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.