US3771408A

US3771408A - Guitar body

Info

Publication number: US3771408A
Application number: US00235764A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Wright
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-03-17
Filing date: 1972-03-17
Publication date: 1973-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 1990-11-13

Abstract

A body for an electric guitar has an uncovered, skeletal frame. The frame is provided with a pocket for receiving a guitar neck, and a bridge and tailpiece arranged for receiving strings from a guitar neck arranged in the pocket. The frame is further provided with devices for selectively mounting electronic pickups thereon, as is a mount for suitable control elements.

Description

. UnitedStates Patent 1191 Wright Nov. 13, 1973 GUITAR BODY [75] Inventor: Richard O. Wright, El Paso, Tex.

[73] Assignee: Juanell L. Wright, Individually, El Paso, Tex.

221 Filed: Mar. 17, 1972 211 App]. No.2 235,764

[52] US. Cl. 84/291, 84/1.16 84/267 [51] Int. Cl. G10d 3/00 [58] Field of Search 84/1.15, 1.16, 267, 84/290-293, 298, 299, 307, 270, 294

[56] References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,194,870 7/1965 T6 6163 61 a1. 84/1.16 3,657,462 4/1972 Robinson 84 1.16 3,413,883 12/1968 l-lelbourne 84/267 3,555,166 1/1971 Gasser 84 1.16 x 659,330 10/1900 Tapley 84/307 1,125,262 1 1915 1361116366.... 84/299 1,900,489 3 1933 Eisenberg 84/1.16

2,239,985 4/1941 Benioff 84/1.15 3,398,623 8/1968 84/267 3,447,412 6/1969 Marshall 84/267 3,538,807 11/1970 Francis 84/267 3,550,496 12/1970 Fender 84/293 3,178,985 4/1965 Jeranson 84/307 Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-U. Weldon Attorney-Harvey B. Jacobson et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A body for an electric guitar has an uncovered, skeletal frame. The frame is provided with a pocket for receiving a guitar neck, and a bridge and tailpiece arranged for receiving strings from a guitar neck arranged in the pocket. The frame is further provided with devices for selectively mounting electronic pickups thereon, as is a mount for suitable control elements.

11 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures GUITAR sour BACKGROUND. OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to guitars, and in particular to a body for a guitar intended to mount electrical pickup devices attachable to electronic reproduction systems.

2. Description of the Prior'Art I Guitars of the .Spanish type have long been used. Until recent times, these guitars were of the acoustictype relying on a sound box to obtain a desired quality sound. However, developments in,- for example, electronic sound reproduction systems has in recent years led more and more to the use of, for example, magnetoelectric pickups adjacent the guitar strings for trans ducing the sound created by the vibration of the strings to an electrical signal which may be. reproduced by known sound reproducing systems. These latter type guitars may be broken down generally into acousticelectric and electric types. While the first of these'two types relies on a combination of sound reproduced through a sound reproducing system and a sound box of the guitar, it is desirable with the latter type to reduce to a minimum sounds other than those emitting from the electronic sound reproducing system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I I It is an object of the present invention to provide a guitar body especially for use with an electric guitar which will be essentially free from dampening vibrations and give a more accurate electronic'tone than known guitar bodies.

It is another object of the present invention to provide such a guitar body as referred to above which will not be adversely affected by physical environmental changes and thelike.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a guitar body of the type referred to'above which will besimple and inexpensive in construction, yet will be conducive to a long trouble-free life.

These and other objects are achieved according to the present invention by providing a guitar body which is constructed in the form of an uncovered,-skeletal frame.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the frame is provided with means for receiving a guitar neck, and with a bridge and tailpiece arranged for receiving strings from a guitar neck received in the receiving means. This bridge is advantageously constructed in two parts arranged in parallel planes, one of these parts extending away from a line defining BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings show partly in full lines and partly in broken lines a guitar 10, which is preferably an electric guitar.

A body 12 according to the present invention has an uncovered, skeletal frame 16. This frame 16, which may take different configurations than that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is' provided with a pocket 18 for receiving guitar neck 14. A neck 14, as may be appreciated by referring re FIG. 3 along with FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, may be easily inserted into pocket 18 and retained there in a known manner as by suitable, known fasteners, such as screw fasteners 20. In this manner, various appropriate necks 14 may be mounted on body 12 as desired. 7

Frame 16 is further provided with a bridge 22 and a tailpiece 24 provided with a plurality'of holes 26 and arranged for receiving strings 28 from neck 14. Tailpiece 24 is shown provided with six holes 26 as is conventional for guitars, although the number of strings may vary as desired. Referring now to FIG. 4 along with FIGS. 1 to 3, it can readily be seen that bridge 22 is constructed in two

parts

30, 32 which are arranged in parallel planes (FIG. 1). A

part

30, 32 extends away from a line AA defined by and coaxial with the center line (not shown) of neck 14, and in a direction opposed to the

other part

32, 30. Further,

parts

30, 32 are arranged inspaced relation from one another along line A A. This arrangement of bridge 22 permits the accommodation of a plain G string, and gives more correct intonation to the full length of the fingerboard of all strings 28.

A pair of spaced,

parallal braces

34, 36 are arranged within frame 16 and connected thereto at one end thereof, the other ends thereof being connected to an angled brace 38 which is in turn connected to frame 16.

--

Transverse braces

40, 42 extend from a respective the center line of the guitar neck and in a direction opposed to the other part. The parts are arranged in spaced relationship with respect to one another along the line.

The frame is also conveniently provided with means for selectively mounting electronic pickups thereon, and with means for mounting control elements which may be operatively connected to pickups and to an electronic sound reproducing system.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter describedand claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

brace

34, 36 to frame 16. A plate 44 is mounted between

braces

34, 36 at a point adjacent

transverse braces

40, 42.

Parts

30, 32 of bridge 22 are mounted on plate 44.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings, a plurality of pickup mounts 46 provided with a plurality of holes 48 are mounted to

braces

34, 36. Conventional screw fasteners 49 may be arranged in holes 48 for selectively mounting suitable, known pickups 50, such as electromagnetic pickups, in frame 16. These pickup mounts 46 are designed to accommodate several different types 'of pickups 50 for achieving different sounds as desired by an individual musician. Mounts 46 may be provided with, for example, 18 holes 48.

i As can best be seen by referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5 of the drawings, a plate 52 is connected to frame 16,

brace 36, and transverse brace 42. Holes 54 are provided in plate 52 for receiving a plurality of suitable, known control elements 56. These controls may include toggle switches, volume controls, tone controls, and output jack controls An opening 58 is provided in brace 36 to permit conventional pickup wires (not shown) to pass from the pickups 50 to the controls.

Frame 16 may be constructed from, for example, mild steel bar, with all joints being welded. Pocket 18 may be constructed from, for example, steel channel. Both bridge 22, tailpiece 24 and the various braces may also be constructed from, for example, a suitable steel. By using steel throughout, all joints may be welded and finished by grinding. Holes may be drilled for conventional strap buttons 60. g

A metal frame guitar body 12 according to the present invention is, because of its rigidity, free from damping vibrations, and will give a more accurate electronic tone than a wood plank or hollow body. The lack of sound emanating from the metal frame guitar body 12 also gives additional sustaining power to the tones generated'by strings 2'8 vibrating in the magnetic fields of pickups 50. Because of the lack of a vibrating body, guitar can be used under adverse conditions without squeal and feedback. The entire metal frame 16 will act as a ground or shield instead of only the strings as on a conventional guitar making it free from interference due to fluorescent lights and other stray magnetic fields.

The metal frame guitar body 12 accordingto the present invention is substantially unaffected by climatic changes and local weather conditions'Further, it will not warp, crack, or'change sound due to the effects of heat or moisture. The sound therefrom has excellent penetrating qualities, and can be said to sound like a bell. The sound is more uniform from guitar to guitar, which is very desirable, and is a more accurate reproduction of a vibrating, for example, steel string. A body 12 according to th e present invention can be guaranteed to be free of trouble for the life of the instrument. Further, it is not dependent on seasoned material. Each instrument sounds exactly the same when equipped with the same pickups and strings. The volume of individual strings 28 is more accurately balanced, and no single string overrides the others.

A guitar body 12 may be provided with either a painted or plated finish. These finishes may be applied in any suitable, known manner commonly employed in putting a finish on a metal such as steel.

.The foregoing is considered as illustrated only of the principles of theinvention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

' What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A body for an electric guitar, comprising an open, skeletal frame including skeletal bracing means for rigidifying and eliminating damping vibrations in the frame, and means connected to the frame for receiving a guitar neck, the bracing means including a pair of spaced, parallel braces arranged within the frame and connected thereto at one of a pair of spaced ends, and angled brace connected to the frame and forming a part of the guitar neck receiving means, the other of the spaced ends of the parallel braces connected to the angled brace, and a pair of transverse braces extending from the parallel braces to the frame.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1, wherein thebody further comprises a fixed bridge and tailpiece con nected between the parallel braces and arranged for receiving strings from a guitar neck.

3. A structure as defined in claim 2, wherein said bridge is constructed in two parts arranged in parallel planes, a part extending 'away from a line defined by the center line of a guitar neck arranged in the receiving means and in a direction opposed to the other part, with the parts arranged spaced from one another along the line.

4. A structure as defined in claim 3, wherein the body further comprises means connected between the parallel braces for selectively mounting electromagnetic pickups thereon.

5. A structure as defined in claim 4, wherein the body further comprises means connected to one of the parallel braces for mounting control elements. 6. In an electric guitar having a body and a neck, the improvement comprising a body including an open, skeletal frame, including skeletal bracing means for rigidifying and eliminating damping vibrations in the frame, the bracing means including a pair of spaced, parallel braces arranged within the frame and connected thereto at one of a pair of spaced ends, and an angle brace connected to the frame, the other of the spaced ends of the parallel braces connected to the angled brace, and a pair of transverse braces extending from the parallel braces to the frame.

7. A structure as defined inlclaim 6, wherein the body further comprises means connected to the frame for receiving the guitar neck.

8. A structure as defined in claim 7, wherein the body further comprises a bridge and tailpiece connected to the bracing means arranged for receiving strings from the guitar neck.

9. A structure as defined in claim 6, wherein the body further comprises means connected to the bracing means for selectively mounting electromagnetic pickups, and is constructed from a metal to shield the pickups from stray fields.

10. A structure as defined in claim 6, wherein the body further comprises means connected to the bracing means for mounting control elements.

11. An improvement as defined in claim 8, wherein said bridge is constructed in two parts arranged in parallel planes, a part extending away from a line defined by a center line of the guitar neck arranged in the receiving means and in a direction opposed to the other part, with the parts arranged spaced from one another along the line.

Claims

2. A structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the body further comprises a fixed bridge and tailpiece connected between the parallel braces and arranged for receiving strings from a guitar neck.

3. A structure as defined in claim 2, wherein said bridge is constructed in two parts arranged in parallel planes, a part extending away from a line defined by the center line of a guitar neck arranged in the receiving means and in a direction opposed to the other part, with the parts arranged spaced from one another along the line.

5. A structure as defined in claim 4, wherein the body further comprisEs means connected to one of the parallel braces for mounting control elements.

6. In an electric guitar having a body and a neck, the improvement comprising a body including an open, skeletal frame, including skeletal bracing means for rigidifying and eliminating damping vibrations in the frame, the bracing means including a pair of spaced, parallel braces arranged within the frame and connected thereto at one of a pair of spaced ends, and an angle brace connected to the frame, the other of the spaced ends of the parallel braces connected to the angled brace, and a pair of transverse braces extending from the parallel braces to the frame.

7. A structure as defined in claim 6, wherein the body further comprises means connected to the frame for receiving the guitar neck.